Near-field monitors, also called "reference monitors" or "studio monitors" are loudspeakers specially designed for audio production.

Consumer-end speakers tend to add color, tone, and loudness to make music sound better. The goal of monitors is to produce flat frequency response. Sound engineers require acurate sound reproduction from their speakers especially during audio mixing and audio mastering. This enables the engineer to mix a track that will sound consistent on high-end audio, low quality radios, in a club, in a car stereo or a home stereo.