Short answer: the Mackie MR524. It ranks #33 of 108 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $379.98; the KRK Rokit 5 G5 ranks #50, rated 3.8/5, and costs $398, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Why pick the KRK Rokit 5 G5: A 5 inch studio monitor with app controlled DSP voicing modes and boundary EQ settings. The catch: No independent measurements yet, so its tonal balance and directivity can’t be compared with ranked speakers.
Why pick the Mackie MR524: A budget studio monitor with decent bass depth, an even midrange, and balanced and RCA inputs. The tradeoff: The measured response trends upward toward the treble by about 0.47dB per octave, which can lend a brighter balance.
Buy the Mackie MR524. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KRK Rokit 5 G5 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
About the ratings: the KRK Rokit 5 G5’s rating is estimated from measured siblings and predecessors rather than its own measurements, with a likely range of 3.6 to 4.0, so this verdict could change once it is measured.
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Specifications Side By Side
| KRK Rokit 5 G5 | Mackie MR524 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $398 per pair | $379.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #50 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers Estimated | #33 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Weight | 10.9 lbs (4.95 kg) | 10.1 lbs (4.6 kg) |
| Dimensions | 11.3”H x 7.5”W x 9.5”D (288 x 191 x 242 mm) | 11.1” x 7.1” x 8.7” (281 x 180 x 221 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Amplifier Power | 55W (35W LF + 20W HF, Class D) | 50W bi-amplified per speaker |
| Drivers | 5” (127mm) Kevlar woofer, 1” silk dome tweeter | 5-inch polypropylene woofer; 1-inch silk-dome tweeter |
| DSP | Yes (3 voicing modes) | - |
| EQ | Yes (25 boundary and tuning settings) | - |
| App | Yes (KRK app) | - |
| Inputs | TRS, XLR | Balanced XLR, balanced TRS, RCA |
| RCA Input | No | Yes |
| XLR Input | Yes | Yes |
| TRS Input | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 46.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | approximately 38Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Frequency Response | - | 45Hz-20kHz |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 5.11 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 7.06 |
Where the Ratings Come From
- KRK Rokit 5 G5: manufacturer specifications and listening comparisons; no independent measurement has been published yet.
- Mackie MR524: Spinorama.org measurements.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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