Review: Samson Resolv SE Studio Monitors

So What’s The Deal About These Speakers?

The Samson Resolv SE are the improved version of the earlier Resolv monitor speakers line by Samson, designed to be sitting in your studio. There are three models to choose from the 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch.

You’ll notice the speaker cabinets to be a little bulkier when compared with other monitor speakers from other brands. The 6-inch model is nearly as big as my older pair of Tapco S-8s which are 8-inch in size. You’ll find a volume button at the back which has enough drive power to power the speaker quite loudly (pretty loud in-built preamps) and also a high frequency switch that gives you the options to tune your high frequencies depending on the room you’re monitoring in.

What I Liked About It

To be honest I had a perception that when it comes to the brand, ‘Samson’, their products are usually seen as ‘cheaper’ and of ‘not-so-good’ quality. However my perception quickly changed when I unboxed, placed the speakers and listened to my favorite tracks on it. The sound is big and I could have easily drive it to even louder volumes but I kept it at a comfortable level. I didn’t get much ear fatique listening to the Resolv SE while doing my mix and composing work.

The bass sounded tight and it has good sounding highs as well. Stereo image was excellent. You can hear the ‘hiss’ of some records and even the subtle noises in audio recordings. It’s really accurate and you can hear lots of things in details on the Resolv.

One feature I really liked about the Resolv is that it has its bass ports placed in front the speakers. This means, you can have the speakers placed nearer to a wall in your studio and not worry about standing waves as the bass is pushing air out from the front.

I’ve mostly gave positive comments so far, however do note that the Samson Resolv falls into the more affordable budget category of near field monitors. For its price, it’s sounds amazing and pretty worth the buy. However, there are also some things I felt that can be improved to further make the Resolv the best choice for monitors. Let’s talk about that.

What I Think Can Be Added/Improved On

First things first, they should have also added a LF knob to cut or boost low frequencies. The Resolv has a HF frequency knob and it wouldn’t hurt much to add another LF frequency knob. Many producers with an untreated room would appreciate a LF gain knob on the speaker.

Next the monitors are definitely great sounding but I felt the low mids were slightly muddy. I had very careful listening on the speakers and I found that in some mixes the mid does tend to sound slightly muddy. It’s not a deal breaker though. You’ll get used to the speakers after listening and mixing on them for awhile so your judgement when mixing would be better.

Conclusion

If your budget is within the range of the affordable studio monitors, I’d say give the Samson Resolv a look. It’s inexpensive and definitely worth your money. I’m extremely satisfied with the speakers and my mixes translated better with them so I’m keeping a pair for myself too.Have a bigger budget for a more premium studio monitors? Then make the jump and go for more expensive monitors like Eve Audio and such.

Do you own a pair of the Resolv? What other monitors would you recommend? Comment below!