Two of the common laments among Mac users talking computer setups online? Too bad Studio Displays are so expensive, and when will Apple jack up that 60Hz refresh rate? But of course the monitors have legions of fans, especially among folks like designers. With today’s featured setup, a designer and video editor loves his pair of Studio Displays and says why. And other commenters get into a little dust-up defending Mac Studio from those who think the small-but-mighty M4 Mac mini is even better.
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Designer and video editor makes most of dual Studio Displays with Mac Studio in slick setup
The 27-inch Apple Studio Display packs an impressive panel coupled with a six-speaker system and studio-quality microphones.
It’s not as beautiful as Apple's Pro Display XDR, but the Studio Display costs thousands less.
- Crystal clear 5K resolution
- Excellent color accuracy
- 12MP Center Stage camera
- Expensive
- Lacks HDR
- Height-adjustable stand costs extra
In a post titled “Dual Studio Displays and a Mac Studio,” Redditor itspixelish (“Pix”) showed off the Mac Studio driving a glorious pair of Studio Displays. Pix is a web designer and video editor, so if anyone’s entitled to flaunting two of the brilliant-but-pricey displays, it’s them. In addition to the usual lament from a commenter that Studio Displays maintain a 60Hz refresh rate rather than going to 120Hz or higher, plus some chatter about display placement (one should be placed straight on), a discussion broke out between Pix and another video editor about the value of two Studio Displays.
2 Studio Displays better than 1
“Do you think a second Studio Display [is] worth it? Video Editor here. What are the benefits in your opinion?” asked the commenter.
“I’m a video editor too, and while I can’t speak to the Studio Display itself, I can tell you that a second screen is a total game changer,” Pix replied. “Timeline, effects, bins and source footage on one screen, full screen clean feed on the other. I’ll never go back to one screen, haha.”
Pix said the second screen is a game-changer for them as a web designer. “Code on one, browser in the other, so I can see exactly what’s going on,” they said.
The commenter also asked about the ability to “play music on both speakers and how do you manage microphones and camera?”
“Yeah, there’s an app you can use to play the music through all speakers on the ASDs, you can sort choose which camera is your default when on FaceTime or teams or any other app using the camera,” Pix replied. But with music, they rely on two paired HomePod minis. You can see one in the photograph above, but not the other. They also listen a lot on AirPods Max.
Isn’t Mac mini just as good as Mac Studio?
The M3 Ultra chip inside this Mac Studio delivers astonishing performance.
- Gorgeous Apple design
- M3 Ultra chip for extreme performance
- Lots of I/O capabilities
- High-performance computing comes at a high price
The other interesting discussion in the post came when someone asked why people even buy Mac Studios. Aren’t the latest M4 Mac minis just as good, if not better?
Mac Studio fans took some issue with that supposition, saying:
- “No. Not even close. Why would Apple sell the Studio if it were worse or just as good? How could a machine with up to 14 core CPU and 20 core GPU and up to 64GB memory be just as good as a machine with up to 32 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores and 512GB of memory? Some people need more powerful devices. That’s why Apple sells them and we buy them.”
- “Nope. The Studio is a real desktop with proper cooling, while the Mini’s thermal design is on par with the MBP’s. So basically there is no reason to buy a Mini over a MBP unless you want to save some money.”
- “I’ve had my [Mac] Sudio since before the M4 mini was released,” Pix chimed in. “No plans to downgrade.”
Requiem for a cool input-device tray
Another commenter spotted the sleek tray holding Pix’s Magic Keyboard mini and Magic Trackpad, asking about it.
“It’s a Twelve South [MagicBridge] — they don’t make them anymore but there’s originals on eBay and copycats on Etsy,” Pix replied. “I was sick of finding my trackpad halfway across the desk.”
It’s really too bad if those are kaput, because they’re cool and useful. I found one on eBay and included it in the gear list of links below. And there are others out there.
Shop these items now:
Computers and stands:
Displays:
Input devices:
Audio:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually work fine). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
