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DJ Tech Reviews

PreSonus Eris E4.5

A budget 4.5-inch desktop monitor pair with clear, balanced sound, but bass that stops around 70 Hz.

A pair of PreSonus Eris E4.5 monitors from the front

Photos: PreSonus

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6 of 9 professional reviews recommend it4.3/5 from 15 Guitar Center owners
Best for
Budget desktop setups for practice, listening and first mixes in small rooms.
Skip it if
You mix critically, want deep bass, or work close up in a silent room.

The Internet’s Opinion

From 9 professional reviews and 8 owner reviews: a fair amount of evidence.

Six of nine professional reviews recommend it for clear, balanced sound, useful tuning controls and front-panel connections at a low price. The shared reservation is bass that stops around 70 Hz; two comparisons hear little gain over the cheaper Eris E3.5, one reviewer warns off over a constant hiss, and two of the eight owner reviews read report units failing after two to four and a half years.

6 recommend2 mixed1 avoid

What people praise

  • Clear, balanced sound for the money
  • Front volume, aux input and headphone jack are handy on a desk
  • Tuning controls help in corners and awkward spaces
Show 1 more
  • Solid build for a budget monitor

What to know first

  • Bass runs out early: rated down to 70 Hz
  • Not accurate enough for critical mixing
  • Little audible gain over the cheaper Eris E3.5
Show 2 more
  • Low hiss or hum audible when nothing is playingStill present
  • Units failing after two to four and a half years

Owner ratings, as the retailers publish them

See the 9 reviews behind this

9 professional reviews (6 recommend, 2 mixed, 1 avoid), five of them YouTube videos; 8 owner reviews read at Guitar Center (Thomann has delisted the E4.5 and its reviews)Compiled 2026-10-11How this is compiled

Video reviews

  • Real Home StudioJan 2021Recommends

    Presonus Eris 4.5 Studio Monitors in 2021 - (6 years on!)

  • Nick BorsellinoJan 2022Mixed

    Presonus Eris E3.5 VS E4.5 - Nearfield Monitor Review

Plays from YouTube when you press play. Picked from the reviews counted above, including one that disagrees where there is one.

Prices

Before you buy

Released
December 2013
Status
Current

Works with

  • 1/4" TRS and RCA inputsOne source at a time

    Rear balanced 1/4" TRS and unbalanced RCA inputs on the active speaker take a controller, mixer or interface line output; PreSonus says they are for flexible connection, not for several sources at once PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

  • Front 1/8" aux inputPhone or laptop

    A front-panel 1/8" stereo input for a phone or media player; it sums with the rear inputs PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

  • HeadphonesFront jack, mutes speakers

    The front 1/8" headphone output follows the volume knob; plugging in headphones mutes the speakers PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

  • BluetoothNot on this model

    Bluetooth is on the separate Eris E4.5 BT; the E4.5 is wired only PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

You’ll also need

  • Cables for a DJ controller or mixerNot in the box

    The box holds a 1/8" TRS to 2 x RCA cable, a 1/8" stereo cable, 2 m of bare-wire speaker cable, foam feet and an IEC power cable; RCA-to-RCA or 1/4" leads from a controller or mixer are extra PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

  • One mains socketActive speaker on the left

    Only the active speaker takes mains power (IEC) and drives the passive one over bare-wire speaker cable; PreSonus recommends the active speaker on the left, and swapping the input channels if it sits on the right PreSonus (owner's manual), checked 2026-10-11

Key specs

Configuration
2-way active (pair: amplifier in one speaker)
Woofer size
4.5 in
LF driver
4.5"
Amplifier power (total)
50 W
Amplifier power
50 W (25 W per speaker)
Max SPL
100 dB peak @ 1 m
All 15 specifications
Low-frequency extension
70 Hz
Frequency response
70 Hz – 20 kHz
Inputs
1 x stereo 1/8" TRS, 2 x balanced 1/4" TRS, 2 x unbalanced RCA
Weight (per pair)
5.9 kg (13 lb)
HF driver
1" silk dome
Crossover
2.8 kHz
Input impedance
10 kΩ
Dimensions (W x H x D)
163 x 241 x 180 mm (6.4 x 9.5 x 7 in)
Tweeter size
1 in

15 of 15 figures sourced; hover one for its source

Our take

Rory TassellWritten from the sources on this page, not from a loan unit.

Six of nine professional reviews recommend it for clear, balanced sound, useful tuning controls and front-panel connections. The shared reservation is bass that runs out around 70 Hz; two YouTube comparisons hear little gain over the cheaper Eris E3.5, and one reviewer warns off over a constant hiss. Only eight owner reviews could be read, two reporting failures after years of use. Buy it for a small desk at a discount, not as a mixing reference.

What it is

Status, October 2026: current. PreSonus still sells the Eris E4.5.

What it is

The Eris E4.5 is a pair of compact two-way powered monitors from PreSonus Audio Electronics, which calls them media reference monitors (PreSonus product page). It began shipping in December 2013. It sits beside the smaller Eris E3.5 in the same series, and a separate Eris E4.5 BT adds Bluetooth; this model is wired only.

Each speaker has a 4.5-inch woven-composite woofer and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter, crossing over at 2.8 kHz, in a vinyl-laminated MDF cabinet. One speaker is active and holds 50 W of Class AB amplification, 25 W per side, and it powers the passive speaker over bare-wire speaker cable. PreSonus lists the frequency response as 70 Hz to 20 kHz and the peak output as 100 dB at 1 m.

The active speaker has balanced 1/4" TRS and unbalanced RCA inputs on the back, meant as alternatives rather than for several sources at once, plus a 1/8" stereo aux input on the front for a phone or laptop. The front also has the power switch, the volume knob and a 1/8" headphone jack that mutes the speakers when headphones are plugged in. High and Low controls on the back boost or cut by up to 6 dB above 10 kHz and around 100 Hz. PreSonus recommends the active speaker on the left.

Each speaker measures 163 x 241 x 180 mm, and the pair weighs 5.9 kg. The box holds both speakers, a 1/8" TRS to 2 x RCA cable, a 1/8" stereo cable, 2 m of bare-wire speaker cable, eight foam feet, a quick start guide and an IEC power cable (Eris owner's manual).

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