Gibson Les Paul 8 Reference Monitors

High-end studio reference monitors with the Les Paul name - and look

Quick - what pops into your head when I say "Les Paul"? The legendary guitarist who had numerous hit records along with his partner, vocalist Mary Ford, in the 1950s? The iconic solid body guitars that were pioneered by Les and have been manufactured by Gibson since 1952? As a recording engineer, the first thing that springs to mind when I hear that name is the recording legacy he left. Les Paul was a true recording pioneer who invented multitrack recording, had a world-class home recording studio decades before the home recording revolution hit the rest of the world, and designed much of his own gear. All studio engineers owe Les a debt of gratitude for the techniques and innovations he pioneered and also popularized.

So while many people may not immediately make the connection between Les and studio equipment, there's plenty of reason why that association makes sense. Let's look at a new product from Gibson that bears the Les Paul name; not a guitar or an amp, but studio reference monitors. 

What You Need To Know

• There are three versions: 4, 6 and 8. Each has a different-sized cabinet and the number refers to the size of the low-frequency driver diameter in inches. I had a set of the 8s - the largest version - on loan for this review, and "large" is an accurate description of these powered two-way, bi-amped speakers. They're about the same size and weight as Focal 8" or Genelec 8" speakers, measuring 18.58" H x 12.05" W X 13.78" D, and weighing in at 30.5 pounds each - make sure you place them on sturdy stands or a suitably stout meter bridge.  

• Although Gibson Brands does own well-known speaker company KRK (and, in the interests of full-disclosure, also now owns Harmony Central), these speakers not based on any previous KRK models, although the KRK team in the USA was involved in the all-new design.

• Cosmetically these are distinctive-looking speakers. Each size is available in three finishes - Cherry, Tobacco Burst and Cherry Burst. The front face of the speakers have a high gloss polyurethane finish over nicely figured flame maple, with a bit of an "arch top" around the drivers. I was sent the Cherry Burst version, but I must admit that of the three, I prefer the look of the Cherry version.

• The sides, top, and bottom of the cabinets are matte black. The front face edges have a cream "binding" that goes all the way around the perimeter - similar to what you'd see on the top edge of a Les Paul Standard guitar. The tweeter is also surrounded by a matching cream-colored ring.

• Two front-firing ports below the main woofer are shaped differently than typical round ports, and don't hit you with wind blasts like some monitors do. These ports are surrounded by the same cream "binding" as the front edge of the cabinets.

• Gibson describes the high-frequency driver as being a 1" diamond-like carbon-coated titanium tweeter. I've not been a huge fan of titanium tweeters, but these exhibit none of the harsh brightness I've come to expect from them. I assume that's due to the carbon covering. The woofer is an 8" non-woven carbon fiber woofer that features the Les Paul signature on its face.

• Below the woofer is a chrome plate with the Gibson logo on it, which lights up when the speaker is powered up. The light fades in and out when the speakers are in standby mode.

• The drivers are well protected - a perforated metal grille covers the woofer, and a bar with a rounded center cap "floating" in front of it protects the tweeter. This acts like a "beam blocker," and also helps with the dispersion (and probably contributes to the taming of the titanium tweeter).

• I have a confession to make. When I first set up these speakers and began breaking them in, I really hated the way they sounded. My wife, a former RCA recording artist who has spent plenty of time in studios also commented about how unbalanced they sounded. But then I took a closer look - and realized that there were actually molded black plastic covers snapped over the tweeters! No wonder the highs sounded so subdued...I pulled the covers off and sheepishly admitted my mistake to my wife, and now to everyone else. I mention it so you won't make the same error I did - the covers are not mentioned in the Quick Start Guide, and as my experience shows, they're easy to overlook.

• The rear-panel Bass and Treble EQ knobs are each graduated, with a center 0 position, and +/- 1dB, 2dB and 4dB settings to either side of center. These help tailor the monitors to your room, their placement within the room, and of course, your personal preferences. The bass and treble EQ are shelving types, but the manual gives no indication of their frequency ranges, nor does the web site. There's also a continuously variable volume control.

• As expected, there's a fused IEC power cable input on the back and a traditional power on/off switch, but there's also a really cool and rather unusual standby feature too. When engaged, this separate, two-position rear panel switch automatically sets the monitors to standby mode when no signal is received for thirty minutes. This lowers the speakers' power consumption; they come right back to life automatically when you pump an audio signal into them again.

• There's plenty of I/O: balanced combo XLR / 1/4" TRS jack, as well as an unbalanced RCA input. There's no stereo 1/8" input, but I doubt many people will be connecting their mobile devices directly to them but if they do, adapter cables are readily available.

• Once the break-in was over (and the tweeter covers were off!) and I started doing critical listening, my entire impression of the sound of these speakers changed dramatically. First of all, let me mention that I'm exceptionally picky about monitors. I've owned over two dozen pairs of different models over the years from a wide range of companies, and have used several other models in various studios besides my own. The Les Paul 8 Reference Monitors hold up very well against anything out there even remotely close to their size, configuration and price categories.

• Frequency response is rated from 37Hz - 47kHz (with no deviation value specified), and the crossover frequency is 2.7kHz. The power amps have a combined power of 247 watts (again, with no separate power rating for the treble and bass amps), and maximum peak SPL is 118dB. I can confirm that these monitors can get VERY loud! Distortion and SNR ratings are also quite respectable, and the 8s have a big, bold sound with tons of headroom that allows them to handle even low-frequency transients at high playback levels with ease and authority. A couple of engineer friends who heard them asked me where the subwoofer was, but I wasn't running one. The bass response extension is really quite impressive - no doubt assisted by the beefy power amps, unique front-firing ports, and the large enclosure size that's needed to avoid sacrificing SPL and transient response.  

Limitations

• They're not cheap - in either sense of the word. While designed in the USA, the Les Paul monitors are manufactured in China. Considering their retail price some people may have preferred a USA-built product, but let's not lose sight of the main judging criteria here - and when it comes to reference monitors, it's all about how they sound, not where they were made. I found no flaws in the quality of their materials or construction, and they perform as well or better than anything else in their price range.

• The cosmetics of these monitors seem to be somewhat divisive - people seem to either really love their look, or hate them. I'm personally not that crazy about the look of the two "burst" versions, but I like the look of the Cherry model. It would be cool if Gibson also offered a translucent black version that showed off the wood's flame, as well as maybe an all-amber version too - those would probably fit into typical studio decors more readily without standing out quite as dramatically, and make some traditionalists a bit more comfortable. Otherwise they might dismiss these excellent-sounding speakers out of hand, without listening to them first.

• Gibson includes a classy, plush-lined draw-string dust cover bag for each of the speakers, and the bags have an embossed Gibson Les Paul logo - but when you pull them over the monitors from the top, the logo is upside down. A small point, but something worth fixing in future revs so it displays correctly when you're not using the speakers and have them covered up.  

• The included multi-language Quick Start Guide provides good information about placement for both home stereo and studio use (and I tested them both ways; they work well in both applications), but contain no information about the power rating of the individual tweeter and woofer amplifiers, frequency response plot, frequency range of the EQ controls, or product warranty.

Conclusions

I've enjoyed my time with the Gibson Les Paul 8 Reference Monitors. Test recordings and mixes I did with them translated well, and they were unfatiguing, even when listening to them for hours on end. They have oodles of headroom and power for days, and even when pumped up loud they handle transients very well. They also have exceptional bass extension that's tight and punchy - like my friends, you'll wonder where the subwoofer is. I primarily work on rock and jazz, and I loved how easy they made it to differentiate between the kick drum and bass guitar. If you record rap, EDM or dance music you'll probably also love the deep powerful bass, which is strong and detailed but doesn't overwhelm the mids and highs. While the mids are not quite as laser-sharp as my usual reference monitors (which cost about three times as much as the Les Paul 8s do!), they're nicely detailed and the highs are sweet and open, without the harshness that titanium tweeters can sometimes present. The stereo imaging is also excellent, with a very strong phantom-center image that will leave you wondering where they hid the center-channel speaker.

No single brand or model of monitor speaker is right for everyone or in every situation, and discussions about what speakers are "the best monitors" are some of the most subjective and hotly debated in all of pro audio. Having said that, the Les Paul 8 Reference Monitors are definitely serious high-end monitors and quality performers that are more than worthy of being auditioned if you're in the market for new studio monitors. Somewhat surprisingly, the manual suggests they also will work well as home entertainment speakers too, and they easily filled my large living room with excellent sound. If you're working in a smaller control room, you might want to check out the 4 or 6 inch versions instead, but for those working in a large room the 8s have the power and bass needed to fill it, while offering a stylish appearance that will remind you of one of the most popular guitars ever made.

Resources

Gibson Les Paul 8 Reference Monitors ($999.00 each / $1,998 per pair "street" - the LP6 models are $799 each, and the LP4's are $599 each "street")

Gibson Pro Audio Les Paul 8 Reference Monitor product web page

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Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.