PreSonus Eris E5 BT review

PreSonus Eris E5 BT: What is it?

PreSonus manufactures a large range of studio monitors including both ribbon tweeter and coaxial designs. The last pair we had on trial were the impressive Eris E8 XT. This time it’s something a bit more compact. Eris E5 BT is a rear-ported powered design and it is the latest and largest addition to their media reference monitor range. 

With a 4.5” model already in the lineup, however, you might be wondering why PreSonus needs a 5” design in the Eris range. A quick look at the spec reveals the E5 BT produces 50 Watts per speaker, considerably more than the 25 Watts of the E4.5. The 5.25” LF driver also delivers much better bass extension with overall frequency response of 53Hz to 22kHz. What’s more, and this is something which is specific to the E5 BT, you also have a handy summed mono subwoofer output, making a 2.1 setup very simple to achieve.

PreSonus Eris E5 BT: Performance and verdict

Aside from these differences, the Eris E5 BT follows a very similar format to PreSonus’ other media monitors, with the left-hand monitor acting as a master and the right-hand monitor connected via the included 2m speaker wire. This means the left-hand monitor includes the Class-D amp that powers both speakers and also has all the input connections. On the back you’ll find main inputs on both 1/4” TRS jacks and RCAs, while on the front there’s an 1/8” stereo jack for connecting an auxiliary source. 

On the back you’ll also find high and low band EQ. This offers a very decent +/-6dB at 10kHz and 100Hz respectively. Further front panel controls include the power switch, volume level and 1/8” mini jack headphone output. 

Pairing the E5 BT for Bluetooth use is very easy using the dedicated pairing button on the back, and the blue power LED above the volume control flashes to let you know what’s happening. You can also use the Bluetooth input and analogue inputs simultaneously, which can make things considerably simpler in a multimedia setup. It’s worth noting that plugging the headphones in mutes the monitors. 

Sonically, the E5 BT has a pretty open sound and the separation and imaging are both good. As you would expect, the bass extension is reasonable and the low frequency tail-off smooth. Sweeping the oscillator down revealed useful audible bass information to about 45Hz. The onboard amplification delivers plenty of volume and at louder volumes the bass porting creates plenty of punch. 

The low mids could do with filling out a bit and the midrange is quite reserved. Nevertheless, we think the overall frequency balance is good and works well straight out of the box. That said, the onboard EQ is pretty powerful and we found after a bit of tweaking that by boosting the highs and cutting the lows a little bit we could get a more typical monitor sound. This made the low mids less reserved and lifted the upper mids slightly. 

Overall, the Eris E5 BT is a solid addition to the Eris family, and at just over £200 a pair offers great value. But if you need a bit more convincing, it also ships with the PreSonus Studio Magic software suite, which includes a combination of processors, synths and samples from leading developers.

MusicRadar verdict: PreSonus’ latest monitors combine decent connectivity with plenty of punch and are perfect for a contemporary desktop media setup.

PreSonus Eris E5 BT: The web says

"We were impressed at the quality of these affordable monitors and expect them to be a popular option, especially for content creators."
Mixdown

PreSonus Eris E5 BT: Hands-on demos

PreSonus Audio Electronics

Travis Fader

Hi-Tech Resource

PreSonus Eris E5 BT: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES: Frequency Response: 53Hz to 22kHz LF Driver: 5.25” woven glass composite HF driver: 1” silk dome Amplification: Class-D, 50 Watts per speaker Low EQ: +/-6dB at 100Hz High EQ: +/-6dB at 10kHz Peak SPL @1m: 112dB Bluetooth 5.0.
• DIMENSIONS: 178(w) x 191(d) x 260(h) mm.  
• WEIGHT: 6.9kg per pair.
• CONTACT: PreSonus