Labs

The nEar 05 is our favourite-looking studio set and, at 250mm high, it appears authoritative without taking up lots of space. The power switches mounted on the backs of each speaker are inconvenient, though. It's easy to knock the volume trim controls when reaching around the back. Fortunately, they don't drain power when switched off. The delicate silk-dome tweeters sit proud of the front fascia and risk damage from curious fingers, so you'll need to keep children and idiots at bay.

There are no tone controls, but given the nEar 05's balanced output we didn't need any. The frequency response was smooth from deep bass to high treble, and the speakers exhibited the greatest precision and clarity of all the systems here, revealing intricate details in complex mixes. The pricier studio sets manage more volume and a little more low-frequency sound, but the nEar 05 offers everything we would want from a pair of studio speakers at a very reasonable price.