Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Micca MB42X-C Advanced Center Channel Speaker for Home Theater, Surround Sound, Passive, 2-Way (Black, Each)

Top positive review

At $50 ... stunning

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2013

After much dithering, I decided to get these instead ofDayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair, because (1) Amazon's price on the Daytons is still over $50 (although one person reported that another web vendor still has them for $40), (2) they're a bit smaller (that was useful to me), and (3) various comments and reviews just gave me the impression that build quality might be a bit better (binding post connectors rather than the Dayton's spring-loaded wire terminals, for example).

First, the "bad": one has no right to expect powerful or deep bass at this size or price, and, indeed, they don't go down very low. But the bass is fairly solid and clean right down to where they started to lose steam (around 80-100Hz in my estimation - they really don't go down to the 60Hz specified, in my opinion). I won't concentrate heavily on specs in this discussion, because most people don't have measurement equipment, and, interestingly, most people perceive 80-100Hz as "deep bass" (they also perceive 12KHz as "very high treble"). But where you can tell is with music containing quality bass content (electric bass guitar, string quartets with bass fiddle, organ music, etc.). These speakers didn't do a bad job, but they sure don't give you the physical pounding that you get from speakers with top-class bass response (Klipschorns, or 18" sound reinforcement systems used in concerts, etc.). Room placement is key, here (this is mentioned prominently in the manufacturer's literature, in fact). I placed them along the short wall of a 15'x24' rectangular room, about 6" from the wall and 4' from the corners, and they produced shockingly pleasing sound. Again, not powerful bass, but entirely pleasant and adequate.

The only other area where I felt that my high-end speakers were audibly superior was what I would call a slight "softness" in the midrange and upper midrange. This most noticeably affects female vocals, and was, for example, noticeable on Sara K's "Hobo" album, and, to a similar extent, on stuff by Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris.

To their credit, these speakers behaved very well at amazingly loud (for their price and size) levels, even though their published sensitivity is 85dBm. This relatively low number means that they need, say, 10 times as much power as a 95dBm speaker to produce the same level, and that translates to a boatload of power going into them in order to sound loud. They're rated at 75W, but I'm certain that if you actually ran them at 75W continuous, they'd be quite well cooked in a minute or so (as would your ears). So I was probably driving about 4W average into them and they sounded quite impressive.

The clean sound and overall balance is really wonderful (that almost insignificant midrange softness mentioned above doesn't really detract). They're just so pleasant to listen to, you really could mistake them for speakers costing 20 times more. So far, I've AB'ed them with Sonus Faber Concertinos. Admittedly not every uber-audiophile will rate those at the absolute top of the small-speaker spectrum, but they're quite respectable (and around $1000/pr). The differences with the MB42s were audible, but not severe. As I said, you would never guess that you were listening to $50 speakers, and to be able to compare them with the Concertinos in the same paragraph is nothing short of astounding.

Build quality was as hoped for: decent binding posts, excellent fit and finish (of relatively light 3/8" vinyl-covered particle board). They probably weigh 1/4 as much as the Concertinos, and while one might want something sturdier, at $50 you are simply not going to find that.

A thought about that modest bass response: a lot of folks will be tempted to add a subwoofer to make up for missing bass. I've found, sadly, that most affordable subwoofers do a really poor job of augmenting bass response. They insert a huge bump somewhere between 60Hz and 100Hz, but the result isn't natural-sounding bass, just an impressive thump-and-boom. I understand that's what a lot of people want, but that's just not going to make these speakers sound fabulous. You'd have to consider spending $500 to $1000 or more on a serious powered subwoofer system to get a combined system worth listening to, and let's face it, there's just no way it could be worth adding a $1000 subwoofer to a $50 pair of main speakers. I mean, you *could* do it and it would sound very good, but if you've got the money, you should first look at spending more on the main speakers and probably forget the subwoofer altogether.

I next hope to compare these toBose Acoustimass 5 Speaker System - Black, a system that I've never really enjoyed listening to, but which, at $399, should, in principle, outperform the Micca MB42.

One last point: considering that you could combine these with an excellent quality inexpensive amp likeLP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power SupplyorFiiO A1 Mini 2x14W Class-D Digital Audio AmplifierorTopping TP20-MK2 MKII TA2020 Class T-AMP Digital Stereo Amplifier, you'd have a killer system for around $100 that could hold its own (respectably!) against systems costing way over $1000.

So am I satisfied with my purchase? Definitely! Are they worth the money? Absolutely!

UPDATE (2 days later)

I've had a chance to listen to a lot more music, and have discovered a moderately unpleasant narrow resonance peak in the midrange (haven't measured - seems like it might be around 600Hz). This was surprisingly and annoyingly audible on a performance of The Nutcracker, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". To be sure I wasn't imagining it, I played the same segment on the Sonus Faber Concertinos and they performed admirably - no resonant peak, just beautiful, clean sound. Having heard that CD through many other speakers, I was pretty sure it was the Miccas, but there's no doubt about it. Pretty annoying.

Interestingly, the peak is narrow enough to not be audible on most material, but wow, when you hear it, it really sings (and not in a good way). OK, we're still talking about $50/pr speakers, here, so it's something I can overlook, but I sure won't be playing The Nutcracker on these speakers again.

UPDATE 5/27/2013:

If you happen to read recent reviews of theDayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair, it seems that they've "updated" that speaker with an inferior product that buyers are quite unhappy with. So it looks like, in this price/size range, the Micca speakers are the one to buy - if you can get them.

128 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Tom Steger

Clean, tight, present, and very forward-sounding - but no authority at all. These are going back.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2015

OK, so I'm a lifelong audiophile (on a budget). As well as a mix engineer. And an electrical engineer. And a guitarist. And a bass player.
And a friend of mine runs a serious audiophile store near me...so I've heard $50,000 systems and get the world of what is currently possible in high-end audio. And, at the same time...I get that most people simply cannot justify spending more than a couple hundred bucks on a playback system.

That said, a few years ago, I picked up a set of Magneplanar 1.6/QRs ($2,000/pr) and a Stereo Fidelity X system. So, I'm pretty spoiled. I also have my 1,200 CDs all ripped to WAV full resolution on a network server. Other speakers at my disposal are Roland DS-90 studio monitors ($1000/pair), an original Bose WaveRadio, Tivoli Model One radio ($100), a Tivoli PAL radio ($200), a Sony microsystem from ~2003, and a Panasonic microsystem (also ~2003).

With all that background...you'll get where I'm coming from. I want music to be INSPIRING. I want to be surprised by little details I've never heard before. I want to be moved by the power and scale of music. I want to be moved by the marriage of songwriting, performance, record/mix/mastering, and by a competent playback system.

And I want it to be convenient, unobtrusive, good-looking and inexpensive too.

So reality sets in...my family has commandeered the Maggies (I can't blame them!), the Sony system is extremely harsh and boomy, the Panasonic is just OK-sounding, and all the radios are muddy, with no soundstage. So...it was time to look for an audiophile bargain that would satisfy my need for clarity/transparency and good sound stage.

I started looking for the old Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers (now discountinued). Most reviews rate the Minimus 7 as mediocre to "OK"...which lead me to Amazon, Parts Express, and finally, the powered Micca PB42X.

With all the crazy reviews posted here, and the insanely low price, I really couldn't pass these up without giving them a really generous opportunity to make me happy...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
So I just set these up on my family room desk (about 2 feet from the wall), firing into the room, and listening from about 12 feet away. Pulled up Spotify Premium (Extreme bitrate) and picked Steely Dan Aja album. First impression: where is the bass? OK, I know these require some break-in, so I will compensate a bit. Next I put the iPhone on "Loudness" EQ for Apple Music AKA iTunes on the iPhone. With the EQ goose, I put on Chicago 18 / Will You Still Love Me...that's much more like it!

So right out of the box, the bass is strong and clear, without being muddy. The high end is nice and open, maybe a tad zingy. The mids are pretty forward/in your face. Overall, I'm pleased with the overall spaciousness. Trumpets are clear without being strident, cymbals have a nice presence, backing vocals are clearly discernable (great for picking apart vocal arrangements).

For someone who is used to having hundreds or thousands of watts at his disposal, 15 watts per side is pretty anemic. But when the wife and kid are sleeping, I really can't crank things the way I want to anyways. Even so, maybe I should have grabbed the passive version of these and put a better amplifier behind them (maybe a Tripath?) I'm open to recommendations here.

And being a stickler for clear, tight bass, I'm not a fan of subwoofers. But in this case, I'd make an exception...again, I'm open to suggestions from similarly minded folks who have landed on a system that works for them.

We'll see if break-in helps to balance things out. So once these babies break-in a bit, I will post more thoughts.

AFTER BREAK-IN COMMENTS

Well, I really really wanted to love these little guys, but unfortunately, they just don't have the mojo I'm looking for. Though the top end clarity is great, the midrange sounds really pronounced, like a 6db boost at 1-2khz. I messed with room placement, and compared side by side with the Panasonic SA-PM18 system. Though the Miccas SMOKED the Panasonic system, it's not that the Miccas are great...it's that the Panasonic system is even worse than I thought. (No wonder I don't listen to it!)

If you have nothing to compare these to, you might be able to talk yourself into accepting them. On some material (Marcus Miller M2, Yo Yo Ma Apassionato), you can get a pretty decent experience. I even hooked these up using my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC (first generation).
The M2 album had a nice little (very little) thump going on.

But as soon as I put on some classic rock (Journey Escape album), the Miccas became completely unforgiving, cold, and harsh. Every bit of noise in the recording is focused through the "megaphone sounding" midrange. The rock tunes were completely unlistenable. And that is a showstopper for me. The second strike is that the Miccas have no authority in the bottom end, they are now back in the box with a return label on them.

Next up for consideration will be Audioengine A5+ (especially since they have Class AB amps), and the JBL LSR305/LSR308. Yes, they are 4X the price, but I'm expecting two orders of magnitude improvement. The biggest question for me is do I want speakers that are REVEALING, or do I want them to be FORGIVING? I'm really on the fence, and as the wise men say, "you can't have it all"....

NET NET: If you are really on a budget, these can be coaxed to sound pretty good with a parametric EQ, but only at lower volumes and for desktop/nearfield use only. They do not move enough air to fill a medium sized room, and you will definitely need a sub if you want any thump at all. Better to just get better speakers in the first place and keep things simple (with out the sub).

16 people found this helpful

5,892 total ratings, 3,517 with reviews

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From the United States

xgrep

At $50 ... stunning

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2013

Color: BlackStyle: MB42 Standard Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

After much dithering, I decided to get these instead of Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair , because (1) Amazon's price on the Daytons is still over $50 (although one person reported that another web vendor still has them for $40), (2) they're a bit smaller (that was useful to me), and (3) various comments and reviews just gave me the impression that build quality might be a bit better (binding post connectors rather than the Dayton's spring-loaded wire terminals, for example).

First, the "bad": one has no right to expect powerful or deep bass at this size or price, and, indeed, they don't go down very low. But the bass is fairly solid and clean right down to where they started to lose steam (around 80-100Hz in my estimation - they really don't go down to the 60Hz specified, in my opinion). I won't concentrate heavily on specs in this discussion, because most people don't have measurement equipment, and, interestingly, most people perceive 80-100Hz as "deep bass" (they also perceive 12KHz as "very high treble"). But where you can tell is with music containing quality bass content (electric bass guitar, string quartets with bass fiddle, organ music, etc.). These speakers didn't do a bad job, but they sure don't give you the physical pounding that you get from speakers with top-class bass response (Klipschorns, or 18" sound reinforcement systems used in concerts, etc.). Room placement is key, here (this is mentioned prominently in the manufacturer's literature, in fact). I placed them along the short wall of a 15'x24' rectangular room, about 6" from the wall and 4' from the corners, and they produced shockingly pleasing sound. Again, not powerful bass, but entirely pleasant and adequate.

The only other area where I felt that my high-end speakers were audibly superior was what I would call a slight "softness" in the midrange and upper midrange. This most noticeably affects female vocals, and was, for example, noticeable on Sara K's "Hobo" album, and, to a similar extent, on stuff by Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris.

To their credit, these speakers behaved very well at amazingly loud (for their price and size) levels, even though their published sensitivity is 85dBm. This relatively low number means that they need, say, 10 times as much power as a 95dBm speaker to produce the same level, and that translates to a boatload of power going into them in order to sound loud. They're rated at 75W, but I'm certain that if you actually ran them at 75W continuous, they'd be quite well cooked in a minute or so (as would your ears). So I was probably driving about 4W average into them and they sounded quite impressive.

The clean sound and overall balance is really wonderful (that almost insignificant midrange softness mentioned above doesn't really detract). They're just so pleasant to listen to, you really could mistake them for speakers costing 20 times more. So far, I've AB'ed them with Sonus Faber Concertinos. Admittedly not every uber-audiophile will rate those at the absolute top of the small-speaker spectrum, but they're quite respectable (and around $1000/pr). The differences with the MB42s were audible, but not severe. As I said, you would never guess that you were listening to $50 speakers, and to be able to compare them with the Concertinos in the same paragraph is nothing short of astounding.

Build quality was as hoped for: decent binding posts, excellent fit and finish (of relatively light 3/8" vinyl-covered particle board). They probably weigh 1/4 as much as the Concertinos, and while one might want something sturdier, at $50 you are simply not going to find that.

A thought about that modest bass response: a lot of folks will be tempted to add a subwoofer to make up for missing bass. I've found, sadly, that most affordable subwoofers do a really poor job of augmenting bass response. They insert a huge bump somewhere between 60Hz and 100Hz, but the result isn't natural-sounding bass, just an impressive thump-and-boom. I understand that's what a lot of people want, but that's just not going to make these speakers sound fabulous. You'd have to consider spending $500 to $1000 or more on a serious powered subwoofer system to get a combined system worth listening to, and let's face it, there's just no way it could be worth adding a $1000 subwoofer to a $50 pair of main speakers. I mean, you *could* do it and it would sound very good, but if you've got the money, you should first look at spending more on the main speakers and probably forget the subwoofer altogether.

I next hope to compare these to Bose Acoustimass 5 Speaker System - Black , a system that I've never really enjoyed listening to, but which, at $399, should, in principle, outperform the Micca MB42.

One last point: considering that you could combine these with an excellent quality inexpensive amp like LP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply or FiiO A1 Mini 2x14W Class-D Digital Audio Amplifier or Topping TP20-MK2 MKII TA2020 Class T-AMP Digital Stereo Amplifier , you'd have a killer system for around $100 that could hold its own (respectably!) against systems costing way over $1000.

So am I satisfied with my purchase? Definitely! Are they worth the money? Absolutely!

UPDATE (2 days later)

I've had a chance to listen to a lot more music, and have discovered a moderately unpleasant narrow resonance peak in the midrange (haven't measured - seems like it might be around 600Hz). This was surprisingly and annoyingly audible on a performance of The Nutcracker, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". To be sure I wasn't imagining it, I played the same segment on the Sonus Faber Concertinos and they performed admirably - no resonant peak, just beautiful, clean sound. Having heard that CD through many other speakers, I was pretty sure it was the Miccas, but there's no doubt about it. Pretty annoying.

Interestingly, the peak is narrow enough to not be audible on most material, but wow, when you hear it, it really sings (and not in a good way). OK, we're still talking about $50/pr speakers, here, so it's something I can overlook, but I sure won't be playing The Nutcracker on these speakers again.

UPDATE 5/27/2013:

If you happen to read recent reviews of the Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2-Inch 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair , it seems that they've "updated" that speaker with an inferior product that buyers are quite unhappy with. So it looks like, in this price/size range, the Micca speakers are the one to buy - if you can get them.

128 people found this helpful

Helpful

Andy T

Small speakers with big sound

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2014

Color: BlackStyle: MB42X Advanced Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

This "no-name" (maybe I should say little-known) company has impressed me with the MB42X speaker system. I am powering them with the Topping TP22 mini amp, rated at 30 watts per channel. It seems to be a good combination of clean power that can get the speakers surprisingly loud for their size. They also stay quite clear at "loud" volumes- of course I can get them to distort if I turn everything up beyond reasonable levels in my sound card settings.

I am using the speakers in a 2.1 desktop system, primarily for music, some movies and Netflix, as well as a small amount of gaming. The complete setup consists of a HP desktop with the ASUS Xonar DX sound card installed, Mediabridge 3.5mm to RCA cable connecting the sound card to the TP22 amp, cheapo speaker wire (will be replaced soon) to the MB42X, and finally the Polk PSW10 powered subwoofer- which has now become the weakest link of my system, as well as the crappy speaker wire.

The little Miccas will almost completely drown out the PSW10 when I play them loud, even with bass heavy music. Now keep in mind the small 4" woofers will not go down to sub-bass frequencies, but they play what they can hit with authority and clarity. I am listening to them now and should mention even though I have not played them a full 20 hours or whatever to fully "loosen" the drivers, I am hearing sounds in my music I was not hearing before with a big name branded "studio monitor" called the AV40. I suspect the amp has something to do with that, as the drivers of the AV40 seem of decent quality, but they must use cheaper electronics to keep prices down.

The MB42X/TP22 combo is far and away better than the AV40, in my opinion, and with sale prices can be had for not much more than the AV40 and is still cheaper than the next level of powered monitors or bookshelf speakers. The MB42X seem to have a fuller sound across their range, sound just fine and detailed at lower volumes and really start to shine when you give them some power. I like the magnetic grills- makes it easy to remove them and watch the little woofers work (they really like to move when turned up) and the speaker looks very clean with and without the grill as there are no holes on the face of the speaker, but really I don't think one should worry too much about how a speaker looks for obvious reasons.

I was trying to keep this short, but if I am taking the time to write a review, I feel it's worth offering all of my feedback to help people make their decision. The build quality seems good, but they are quite a bit lighter than I expected when setting them up and that made me skeptical of their performance ability...until I turned them up. Again, not of much concern but worth mentioning. the 42X is lighter than the satellite AV40 speaker- the one with no amp inside. I think the cabinets are not as thick material.

People have talked about box resonance, standing waves, this, that and the other technical terms the hard core "audiophiles" like to throw around. I would not label myself as such, but do appreciate a high quality sound system and this should be more than satisfactory for anyone looking for good sound quality at a reasonable price. Micca got this speaker right and the price is why they get 5 stars from me. I would probably give the speaker itself 4 stars as a 5 star speaker will have even more range. Again, you are looking at $200 or more for just the speakers. This setup was less than $200 for everything except speaker wire since I had some laying around.

They need a more powerful sub. I have my eye on the Dayton Sub-1000, which effectively doubles the power of the PSW10, and should be good for a mix of music and movies. The Sub-1200 looks nice as well, but I think the 10" should be a good match for my setup and I don't need super loud room shaking bass, just enough to fill out the bottom end and hit hard in movies or bass heavy music. That comes out to almost $300 even for a very nice sounding desktop or bedroom system- both in my case. Some have said the speaker could even be used as a studio monitor, which I do not doubt.

Finally, everything I have mentioned here was purchased through Amazon and the service has always been great. Prices are always competitive and shipping is usually very fast, even the free shipping. This order (speakers, amp and cable) was an exception due to a delay with Amazon and my bank processing the payment- these things happen. One phone call to Amazon got that cleared up and they sent my package over night, which was not requested by me at any time. Mostly, I was just calling to make sure everything was in stock, etc. because the order had not shipped for a couple days after placing it, which doesn't happen often in my experience here. They explained everything to me, then said it would be delivered the next day- still free shipping. Thanks again Amazon for the service and offering so much helpful information through the website itself and allowing us to post our feedback.

5 star service rating for the Amazon team!

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

David The Nerd

... these speakers for about 5 months and I'm very happy that I bought them

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015

Color: BlackStyle: MB42 Standard Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

I've had these speakers for about 5 months and I'm very happy that I bought them. I payed only $30 for a refurbished set of both speakers, $20 for a lepai LP-2020A and $10 for speaker wires. In total, that's $70 for a great set.

The reason I'm giving these 4 stars instead of 5 is that one of the speakers had a "loose" connection in the back. The terminal quickly became loose and rattled after only a day of use. The other speaker arrived healthy and is still completely healthy. Eventually, after 2 months, the terminal fell off COMPLETELY. The speaker still works, but I have to make sure the terminal stays in the socket; I've resorted to using tape to hold it in, and it works fine. I probably could have returned them when it first broke, but I was too satisfied with the overall quality and a little too lazy to go through the process of returning them.

That aside, they're are very good things to be said about these speakers. These are probably the best speakers I've ever heard.

I'm big into headphones and have listened to expensive pairs, but I'm rather inexperienced when it comes to speakers. I've owned a set of Genius SW-G2.1 and they're pretty good for gaming (they cost around $50-$60. These Miccas sound way better). My dad also owns a set of $200 Bose speakers (similar to the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker, but I'm not quite sure it's the same), and I think these Miccas sound better. The miccas have a fuller sound to me and a little more clarity in the highs, but it could just be that I prefer the micca's sound signature. Also, before I got these speakers, my dad let me try Bose laptop speakers which were Bose Companion 2 Series II and the miccas sounded a lot better. My dad heard them both and he agreed that these Micca bookshelf speakers sounded muuuch better (he has a bit more experience with speakers than I do).

When I first got these, I paired them with the Lepai LP-2020A. You will need to buy speaker wires if you want to use these speakers at all. The Lepai amp will allow you to play music from your laptop, phone, ipod, etc anything that uses a 3.5mm female connector.

. When I first plugged these into my laptop, I was not impressed at all. Later, however, I found out that my laptop's sound was broken and was basically delivering a really weak, recessed bass to whatever I plugged into it. To confirm this, I connected the Miccas to my classic Ipod and the sound was muuuuch better.. The bass wasn't super boomy like you would expect from a larger pair of speakers, but it was there and it sounded tight and good. Compared to other speakers I've listened to, these have a bit of a bright treble, but it's not too much.

I got curious and decided to throw my Fiio E07k headphone amplifier into the mix. Even though the fiio is designed for headphones and not speakers, it should theoretically work since it produces a good, flat sound. So I connected the fiio amp to my laptop via usb (the fiio is a DAC, so it replaces my laptop's s***ty sound) , then connected its output to the lepai amp. Aannnnd, oh boy it actually sounded really good. The bass was much more present than before. The EQ settings on the fiio allowed me to boost the bass a little bit, fitting my tastes.

After a little more experimentation I realized that if I raised the volume too much when using the fiio amp, the blue light on the lepai amp would start to flicker and eventually, the lepai amp would fail completely and shut off. If I then lowered the volume just a bit, the lepai amp would return to life. I'm not quite sure why this happened, but I'm guessing the fiio amp delivers way too many watts to the lepai amp, a little more than it can handle. BUT, in order for this to happen you have to pump it up to a really loud volume.

When I removed the fiio amp from the set up, the lepai could get a lot louder. However, listening to music at those levels is very uncomfortable for me. I do like to blast these speakers at a loud volume when I'm alone that would disturb everyone in the house.So "those levels" are really, really, loud and probably uncomfortable for most people.

Overall, I'm very happy with these speakers. I love their looks. I listen to all kinds of music: rock, metal, EDM, classical, pop punk and they all sound great. I found that the mids on these speakers really make vocals shine. Accoustic music sounds REALLY good on these. And if I boost the bass just a bit, EDM sounds really good as well.

Additionally, I like to use these speakers sometimes when I produce music. They're not as good as my best headphones, but they help me hear my music in a different perspective and help when I'm trying to work on mixing and mastering.

If you have space for these speakers, don't waste your money on bose laptop speakers. Get these.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

AndrewA

Best bang for your buck...and for your ears!

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016

Color: BlackStyle: MB42 Standard Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

After reading various reviews on Amazon, and comparing prices with other brands, I recently purchased a set of these speakers (Micca MB42) to replace an ailing set of "Universal" speakers (that's the brand - seriously!) I use on my computer. Most of my music listening is done on my computer, and it is important to me that whatever speakers I purchased sounded good and worked well with my sub (from an old Cambridge Soundworks 2.1 system).

Make no mistake, these speakers are it!

A bit larger than my old speakers, the ebony laminated wood grain cabinets really complement my computer system nonetheless. The laminate is attached on all sides; even the back edges of the cabinets are silky smooth (many low-cost speakers leave the rear edges rough). The front covers are held in place via friction fitted metal pegs (not plastic pegs like some speakers). The silk dome tweeter and carbon fiber woofer of these speakers give them a classic, yet sexy high-tech appearance that says "expensive", even though they cost less than a dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant! I haven't looked inside the cabinets yet to see if there is any poly-fill; for such a low-cost speaker, I wouldn't expect it - but these have already surprised me. Maybe they will again when I get around to looking!

The sound? Gorgeous. When I unboxed these, I noted that they felt decent and solid - I was confident that there wouldn't be any rattling when playing at higher volumes. I can't say that I have pushed them yet, but at the volumes I have played them, they performed flawlessly. While the bass from these aren't bone rattling (which I would never expect from speakers this small), low-end reproduction was there. Where these speakers really shine are in the mid-range and high sections; both areas are clear and bright. I have no doubt that these would make for excellent use as front and rear surround speakers on a 5.1 or better home theater system. The range of both seem incredible to my aging ears, and they matched up perfectly with my small sub. I wasn't able to perceive any "holes" in the range nor in the crossover with the sub - but then again, I am not an audiophile, just an ordinary listener of my music.

Other notes on this system: It came packed very well. You had your normal Amazon packaging with filler air-bags, and inside the outer box is the Micca box holding the speakers. The speakers are wrapped in plastic bags, and place between two foam (not styrofoam, btw) cushions that protect the corners; the Micca cardboard box is made of fairly thick material. Short of extremely rough handling, they are packed very well for the trip. Mine arrived with not a single scratch.

The manual that comes with the speakers is very basic - but after all, these are speakers; if you are buying them, you likely know how to hook them up properly. I did like the fact that they mentioned proper gauges of wire for the length of the wire run, which is an important thing to know so that attenuation is kept to a minimum. My speakers use the amp in my subwoofer, and are a scant few feet distant, so I use fairly small gauge solid-core wire - nothing fancy (and certainly not "oxygen free" as far as I know!). The 5-way binding posts allow for easy connection, though I did find that having adequate lighting was necessary to align and fit the bare ends of my wire into the side hole (after which tightening down the post secured them). Connections would likely be far easier with bullet connectors or spade lugs, but my old speakers used spring connectors, so all I had were bare ends to work with. If you are using multi-stranded wire, be sure to tightly twist the ends to ease insertion (if you decide to use bare ends as well); you might even tin the twisted end with solder to make a solid end for easier insertion.

Finally - make sure you check to see if you can get your set via Amazon's "refurbished" option - that's what I did. If perfection is your need, then go with "brand new" - but if you don't mind possible imperfections and/or missing parts, then refurbished will save you even more money on an already low-priced speaker system. All mine were missing (according to the manual) were the "feet". Since I was placing these speakers on a desktop, I wanted to make sure they were "decoupled" from the surface, so I ended up picking up some 1/2" dark felt "dots" from the hardware store and putting them in place.

Again, I am very pleased with this purchase. These speakers are top-of-the-line for the bookshelf or desktop, with a bargain price that you shouldn't pass up.

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Irwin Electronics

5 Stars Out of the Box and Keeps Getting Better!

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018

Color: BlackStyle: MB42 Standard Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

Right out of the box, connected to 20-watt Leppy amp, these are great sounding speakers. Not amazing, but very good indeed. Great bass, crystal clear highs. They have about 8 hours of break-in time as of this review. I understand they need about 40 before they truly become amazing. I connected my old 100-watt receiver and these really came alive! If you're on a budget, a $20 Leppy amp sounds great. If you have something more powerful, these will have your neighbors dancing. As surprising as the bass is for a 4-inch woofer, the tweeters are where these REALLY shine! The woven carbon fiber and tuned port give deep, punchy, room-filling bass, without being boomy or artificial. The sound is very natural. My old ears are terrible, so I shouldn't comment on the high-frequency response. But I can hear
EVERYTHING like I haven't heard in years! I used to be a Bose fan, but more recently I've been listening to JBL. Klipsch is known for their horn tweeter. I'd be foolish to compare inexpensive Micca to Klipsch. So call me an old fool. These are hands down the best sounding speakers I've ever purchased... and they're not even broken in yet! I'm using these as a second little stereo in my office. They'd be great in a garage, workshop, bedroom, dorm, apartment, anywhere you want small speakers. They do sound good enough to be your primary living room speakers.

***UPDATE*** Everyone here says these need about 40 hours to break in. I played them about 16 hours Saturday and Sunday. That's 32 hours. Add in a few hours each Thursday and Friday and I've hit that number. I can now retract the power statement. My vintage amp needs service. The pots are bad and it sounds like a summer thunderstorm. Until my contact cleaner and fader lube get here, I reconnected the Lepy Amp. The speakers are just as alive. Perhaps the receiver woke them up. A friend of mine does an Internet Radio Show every Saturday and Sunday at noon. Even with the little Lepy amp I could crank up the volume and hear these throughout the house! The bass is strong enough to resonate the walls. The highs are so bright and crisp, even muted in another room it was still very listenable. Sound that big from such a small speaker is nothing short of amazing. Add into the equation the fact that I'm driving these with a $20, 20 watt x2 amp and it's unbelievable. I'm not an audiophile, but I used to be. Don't let the Lepy amp fool you. The original TA2020 chip, while very low power by today's standards, was classified as an audiophile chip. The Lepy amp is using the same circuit as designed by Tripath and includes Texas Instrument's improved version of the TA2020 chip. The Lepy is very small, very low power, and very inexpensive. But it is an audiophile quality Class-T amp. It will drive these Micca speakers without breaking a sweat. I did replace the power supply with a 6 amp supply though. A worthy $11 upgrade. An audiophile-quality system that sips the tiniest bit of power and costs less than $100? Yes, it IS possible. These Micca speakers are at the heart of it! The last piece of the puzzle is the audio source. An old iPhone connected to wi-fi for streaming is a great start. The DAC in the iPhone is not audiophile quality, but it is very good. A $99 Dragonfly USB DAC makes a wonderful upgrade. I use an old laptop. I installed Linux Mint XFCE and use it only for streaming Spotify, Pandora, Slacker, other Internet Radio Stations, and my own CD collection ripped to high-quality AAC files. It sounds great with it's built-in DAC, but the Dragonfly is on my list.

Update: Forget the Dragonfly - Overpriced. Instead, I found this: Signstek HIFI USB to Coaxial S/PDIF Converter Convert Digital to Analogue Signal Mini USB DAC PCM $22.99! The same DAC can be found under the names Muse, Q5, and others. These incorporate a renowned DAC chip, with decent supporting circuitry. It is a fairly simple process to upgrade the capacitors, but I have not found it necessary.
There is an old computer term, GIGO, Garbage In Garbage Out. This applies to audio as well. With the DAC in place, even my old restored vintage receiver sounds good. You may not notice the subtle flaws in the sound, but once they're amplified, these speakers will faithfully reproduce them. With pristine audio feeding the system, you get pristine sound out. My restored receiver was ready for recycling. I'm glad I gave it one more shot with the DAC in place. If your Miccas do not sound amazing, you better check the source material. These speakers are so clean and clear you will notice the limitations in the source.

Update: I've had these for 2 years now, and they play streaming music all day, every day. The slight bump in the upper bass range has turned into a full-blown resonate response around 125-150 Hz. They do, or will, require equalization. I use a software EQ and pull that nearly all the way down. That being said, many people say these require a sub. While a sub would do the same thing, and provide even more bass, these will surprise you. They are rated down to 60 Hz. I can bump up the 50 Hz band and these little guys kick! Going down to 35 Hz they'll begin to distort. That's just too low for a 4-inch driver. Still, a little bump at 50 and you can actually feel it, AMAZING! They like power too. If you using a decent receiver or amp, you should be good. Many, myself included, are powering them with a Lepy 2020A. 20 amps may not sound like much, but back in the day, most receivers were 15 amps. They had huge power supplies and plenty of reserves. They could power large speakers and shake the walls. The Tripath chip, at 20 watts, was a little monster. Using the Signstek DAC, they just didn't play as loud as my big receiver. I have a Fosi Audio DAC Q4 that I was using on another system as a headphone amp. This little couple came together and were married recently. The result is audiophile bliss. I have the power back to be heard throughout the whole house. The Lepy can really show what's it's capable of, and the Micca's reproduce it from deep bass to highs my ears can barely hear. In case you're wondering about the vintage receiver the Fader cleaned the pots and restored the audio to its original glory, but leaking capacitors could be allowing DC voltage on the output. This would burn out the voice coils in the speakers and headphones. Recapping it is not a job I'm ready to undertake at this time and the Lepy's portability gives me more options.
To X or not to X? That is the question. I did 2 things to correct that 125-150 Hz resonance. I'm pleased to report it worked! One, I ordered the crossover kit direct from Micca. $29.99 which converts the MB42 into the MB42X. Does it make a difference? Yes. Is it a massive change? No. The change is subtle, but they actually DO increase the high frequency output and improve the clarity. Is that what flattened the upper bass bump? I'm not sure. To install the kit you must remove the drivers. Not that big a deal, 4 screws each. When reassembling, Micca's instructions say to make the screws snug but to not over-tighten. I'm not sure how much this will help in the long run, but I applied thread lock to each screw. I figured with the vibration of these little woofers and the lack out torqued down screws I might be asking for trouble. This I believe has helped the most. Ensuring the woofers are securely attached to the box with no room for vibration. Are the crossovers a recommended upgrade? At ~$30 for the pair, yes. Would you be sorry you saved that much on the 42 vs, 42X? No. I also prefer the wood grain of the 42 over the flat black 42X. You can always upgrade later. How difficult is the kit to install? Do you have to solder the connections? If you can plug in a lamp, you can install the kit. No soldering required, plug and play.

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Philip G Sodemann

Great satellite and surround speakers for the price!

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2014

Color: BlackStyle: MB42 Standard Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

Great satellite and surround speakers for the price!

OK. The MB42. Overall this is a great speaker for the price and is better than anything I found for a pair of speakers priced at 60 bucks. There are certain things about it that make it stand out for the quality of sound that you will be getting. First, it has a Kevlar woofer and that is why you can get 100 watt max power out of them. Kevlar makes the woofer extremely durable to take the wattage and the neoprene surround is better quality than foam. Second, the tweeter is a silk dome element, which is better than fabric, polypropylene or Mylar, so it gives a better smoother high range. So, the sound is better and more realistic. These type of drivers are more prevalent in higher priced speakers. And it is tune ported for better bass response. It also excepts banana plugs for a more solid connection with speaker wires and have gold plated connectors for even better connectivity. 16 gauge is recommended in the manual. The cabinets are 3/8 inch MDF board for rigidity and high density to keep the internal resonance of the cabinet down so the sound doesn’t get colored by the vibration of the cabinet and helps to keep the standing waves inside the cabinet from leaking out which can cancel out bass response. The baffle (front wall is ½”) so, they knew what the where doing. Again resonance dampening Now the cons for this speaker. (The frequency range really means “range.” Even though it’s specified to get down to 60 cycles per second, it doesn’t mean that the low point will be just as loud as let’s say 90. (I tested them.) The speaker comes into full volume at around 125. So, do not expect them to go as low as you might think. I mean flat response. If you turn the bass up by bass control or equalizer, they will definitely come alive in those areas, I mean real good!. Most acoustic music is alright as is, but I would recommend subwoofer. Also, the tweeter is ¾” and not 1 1/8 inch like most silk dome tweeters, so they are not as smooth as the larger, but to me they are smooth enough for me.) Also, the crossover which governs where the woofer begins to die off in the high range and where the tweeter takes over is only governed by a single capacitor. The transition isn’t as good as a crossover network, but is adequate if you are not stingy as far as how consistent the volume is over the entire frequency range. As far as quality, I just got them, so I don’t know. (IF you want them to last, don’t drive them beyond their endurance! Who knows what will happen. But if you have a reasonable volume… they do fine and easy… Yet, the way they are designed, it is easier to replace the drivers since the woofers and tweeters are all surface hung. This gives wider options of replacement drivers for them. (I like to upgrade speakers.) FYI IMPORTANT: At the Miccastore site, you can change them from MB42’s to MB42x’s for they sell the better crossover networks separately for that very purpose so you can upgrade them. (IF you need help on changing the crossover, just contact me…) or, solid red is + for the woofer, and solid green is + for the tweeter… the others…well there is no other connection. The crossover comes with an hex wrench, so no tools are needed. Just undo everything and put it back the way it goes. The crossover is 2nd order. It basically means that as the woofer dies out in the upper ranges of the middle frequencies and it falls rapidly. Then the tweeter rapidly takes over. So, in the middle frequencies, you get a better tighter transition which improves frequencies that are in the vocal ranges so the midrange sound more real and the volume over the entire range is consistent. ($29 and free shipping.) Again something found in more expensive speakers. I replaced the crossovers and they now sound so sweet. Also, I used acoustic insulation. The walls are only 3/8, so they do have mid gain in that area. Just add some fiberglass insulation, or acoustic insulation, or even batting material for quilts or something… and fill it lightly so the air pressure can easily escape the port. So, over all, for the price, they make great surround and satellite speakers if you use a subwoofer (Or turn up the bass on your stereo…) And compared to other speakers at the same price range which are usually, paper or poly con woofers, Mylar tweeters, particle board cabinets and cheap wire connectors, these speakers definitely stand out for the money…

5 people found this helpful

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C L Hinds

Leader of the pack!

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2015

Color: BlackStyle: MB42X Advanced Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

Over the past few months I have been on a quest for the best budget audiophile bookshelf speaker system. So far I have tested the Fluance SX6's, Dayton Audio B652's, B652-AIR's and these MIcca MB42X's. The Micca are an incredible value and one of my top picks.

DESIGN

Some would call the design of MB42X's understated, boring even, but it's not terrible. They are your typical MDF speaker boxes with a flat, vinyl black coating. The 3.5 woofers step the look up a bit with carbon fiber. The tweeters are behind a vinyl dome and look nice as well. ONe of my favorite design elements is the magnetic speaker covers-which snap into place with a satisfying 'pop' sound. The MB42X's certainly won't win any design awards, but their understated design will look nice on most desks or speaker stands.

One final note about their design, I really like the fact that they accept banana plugs. I'm not a huge fan of the spring-type wire jacks on most cheaper speaker (e.g. the Daytons). I was able to easily fit Aurum double-screw-type banana plugs into these speakers. This touch just makes the speakers seem a little more expensive than they actually are.

SOUND

This is the reason we spend hours researching the internet reading reviews such as this one. What does this speaker sound like? Is it worth dropping the asking price on it? With the MB42X's the answer is an emphatic "YES!" To date I have not heard speakers that sound this good for less than $100, let along $80! They have beautifully crisp highs and get quite low for their size. I was able to get them down to 40Hz with a little distortion, but 50Hz was absolutely spot on! I was amazed at the lows they could produce for such a small speaker with only a 3.5" woofer. I think the fact that they are ported helps a lot here. I had mine about 12" from the wall and I found that was about a close as one would want them in order to get the most out of their woofer and port.

Where these types of speakers usually fail is in the mid range. Since they are basically a tweeter with a small sub they often struggle to produce accurate mid-range frequency. Although not perfect the Micca's are one of the better mid-range producing speakers I've heard for this price. Vocals are clear and smooth while tenner and baritone instruments really shine with accurate reproduction. As I type this I am listening to "Born To Run" by The Boss and Bruce's voice sounds like I imagine it would if I was in the studio. The tenner sax is clear and fills my 12x14' bedroom.

Beyond this, the MB42X's produce and amazing soundstage. When I played "Royals" by Postmodern Jukebox Scott Bradlee's voice sounds like it is coming from center stage. The band sounds as if it is behind him with the piano on back right and the drum kit on back right. I can close my eyes and just imagine I am at a Postmodern Jukebox concert! Pretty impressive for a speaker of this size and price.

The MB42X's aren't perfect thought. They don't get as loud as speakers with a larger woofer and box. Some may feel that they don't push the decibels as much as they would like. I am quite happy with their volume. They fill my 12x14' room with plenty of wall-shaking sound.

CONCUSSION

If you have $80 to spend on bookshelf speakers the Micca MB42X's should be on the top of your list. Don't be fooled by their size, they sound a bigger than they actually are. Out of all the bookshelf speakers I've testes so far the Fluance SX6's are my favorite, but these are VERY close second. If you don't need extreme volume save a few bucks and pick up the MB42X's.

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Dan

Researched for months, settled on the Miccas. Best investment to date.

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2014

Color: BlackStyle: MB42X Advanced Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

After owning the Logitech X-530 for nearly a 9 years I figured it's time for me to upgrade to better sounding speakers. I've spent many months researching on different types of speakers and realized that there aren't any good computer speakers. Before the Logitech X-530 was released, Harmon Kardon, Altec Lansing, and Creative were among the top brands to buy. Sadly most of computer speakers today are made with plastic and comes with a muddy subwoofer. Spending $30 for cheap speakers will just give you cheap sound when it comes to listening to music but might be adequate for gaming. Spending $100 seems to be the best value overall if one were to purchase the Klipsch Promedia or Logitech X-623 since their speakers are great for gaming and movies. Spending $200 for the Corsair SP2500 or Logitech z906 is way out of my league.

Moving on, I started looking into bookshelf speakers from Budgetphile, Noaudiophile, and Z Reviews on Youtube until I settled on the Micca MB42x paired with the SMSL SA50 amp. Unfortunately that combination set me back $150 even though I told myself I wouldn't spend more than $100. The reason why I went over budget is because of my dissatisfaction with Klipsch Promedia. I did managed to get a good deal on it and tested it out at home but ended up returning it. Even though the bass from the subwoofer was boomy and punchy, the speakers lack midrange. When I played Battlefield 4, shooting a rifle didn't have any frontal impact. When it comes to listening to music, vocals sounded distant even though I was listening to Trance music. I tried some bass heavy music like Dubstep, Trap, and Electro House and it just seemed weird that I didn't get any of that live feeling. The Logitech X-530 sounded better with the midrange obviously because of its center speaker but the subwoofer is terrible.

On the other hand, the Micca MB42x is just worlds apart from the computer speakers I've owned. The MB42x has a warm and neutral sound signature. The highs aren't sharp, the midrange is pronounced, and the lows are weak but accurate. I know that Trance music isn't a good indicator of testing the sound so I used the acoustic sounds of Emma Hewitt's Starting Fires album in both FLAC and MP3. With the MB42x, I could actually distinguish the difference between the two codecs. It was something I couldn't done with my Logitechs. FLAC was more enjoyable in a sense I could hear all the subtleties of the smooth guitar riffs and the imperfections of Emma's voice. Listening back to MP3s, it sounded artificial like the recording was done in front of a computer than a studio. Going back to Trance and mainstream commercial progressive house music, I can hear the right words coming from the vocal tracks like Coldplay - A Sky Full of Stars, Darren Tate vs Jono Grant-Let The Light Shine In (Tenishia Remix), and The Thrillseekers feat. Stine Grove-Anywhere With You (Solarstone Pure Mix).

Now what the MB42x lacks the most is bass. This was expected since these are only bookshelf speakers. Trying to listen to bass heavy songs like Clockwork - BBBS, Martin Garrix - Animals, Cosmic Gate - Crushed (Mark Sixma remix), and Andrew Bayer - Once Lydian sounded really terrible. It makes you want to cringe when you expect "the drop" to come. It's still enjoyable to listen to especially if the low frequency sounds doesn't go below 60hz. Also gaming isn't any good with these speakers unless there's bass. Someday when I have more cash, I will invest in a active subwoofer to remedy the missing low ends.

I did have the chance to test the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR along with the Micca MB42x side to side and came to the conclusion that the Micca's sounds better overall. The Pioneer's highs are sharper and they extend better with low frequencies. The midrange though seem slightly hollow but not recessed. I think the Pioneer's do better with movies and dance music since they have a larger driver than the Micca's.

I didn't get a Lepai or Topping amp only because the SMSL SA-50 is rated at 4A and supposedly the TDA7492 is better than the TA2020. I can't say for certain because I haven't use a TA2020 amp yet but 4A gives me more headroom for louder sound.

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Joe

Clearly one of the best "budget speakers"

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022

Color: BlackStyle: PB42X Powered Bookshelf SpeakersVerified Purchase

I got tired of reading endless forums about the "best budget desktop speakers" so I decided to purchase the following and compare them in real life against each other: Neumi BS5P | Micca PB42X | Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX | Edifier R1280T | Bose Companion 2 Series III | Edifier G2000.

I am not an audiophile, I am not technical. I have played instruments my whole life and run sound in some amateur settings, so I'm guessing I have a slightly more critical ear than the average listener, but definitely not of those truly dedicated to hi fidelity listening. I don't know proper terms. I took these notes kind of haphazardly, but they are listed in order of best to worst after personal testing. I intend to play games and listen to music with a slight preference towards gaming as I have another speaker system for music that I can use for music.

High level takeaway: the true battle is between the Neumi BS5P and the Micca PB42X. Between those 2 speakers, either would be the right choice of all these options depending on your intended use. I ended up choosing the Neumi because I am going to be playing games quite a bit, and they provided much better low end to fill out a lot of the sound effects. If I were choosing a speaker just for music listening, I would have gone with the Miccas as they have superior mid/high/vocal clarity. The Miccas have a good enough sub that I wouldn't be missing the low end on most music, but if I wanted to, I could just add a sub to fill out the lows on the Miccas (for edm type music).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Neumi BS5P 75-Watt $139.99 - My personal winner
Pro:
- Sounds full and satisfying right away
- Great bass (almost as good as the dedicated sub on the Klipsch, definitely better than all other options without a dedicated sub. I've got adjacent neighbors so I won't ever go sub heavy anyways, so don't need a dedicated sub with the power these pull)
- Decently clear mids/highs, though this is less defined than the Miccas. These get better after doing the firmware update, and get it much closer to the Micca's clarity, but still not quite as good
- Bluetooth pairing quality stays really high (doesn't make a difference for me)
Cons
- Mids/highs/vocals still just not as good/clear/crisp as the Micca
- Much larger than the other options (might be a pro if you're looking to fill a room with more volume - I'm not looking for that)
- Need to update the firmware to get better mids/highs than out of the box (minor inconvenience but might scare some away)

Micca PB42X $109.99
Pro:
- Really nice, crisp/clean mid/highs (better than everything else) The vocals are bright and shiny, unrivaled by any other of these options
- Doesn't seem to add much coloration (but this also leads to it feeling slightly emptier than the 1280T, could be good or bad)
- Pretty good bass for what it is (far better than the G2000 and Bose, worse than the others)
- It comes with a 2 part dc cable that's longer than others, and a longer mp3 cable than others (doesn't really matter, but it's nice)
- Fairly flat (might be a good or bad thing for usage)
Con:
- Getting really nit picky just to find differences, but the connection cable on the back is a twisty, rather than a poke as the Edifiers have. Twistys just seem less stable/more exposed
- Mids/lows start to sound more tinny in comparison to the mids/lows of the neumi, leaving a somewhat less satisfying feeling
- Ultimately this feels a bit emptier than others with better subs, but is also definitely crisper/clearer

Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified $144.99
Pro:
- Great sound out of the box
- Great bass (only one with a dedicated sub, so that should be obvious)
Con:
- Decent mid/highs, but still not as crisp/clear as the Miccas

Edifier R1280T $129.32
Pro:
- Beautiful aesthetic
- Good sound out of the box , there's not the obvious tinny sound of budget speaker
- Volume, bass, and treble knobs
- I'm satisfied with the sound immediately (I grew less satisfied with the sound the more I A/B compared to the Bose due to the coloration. I then adjusted the tilt of the speakers and it seemed to fix this coloration issue and bring more clarity to the mids/highs)
- It's really minor, but the power plug is a plug and not a brick like all the others
Con:
- No sub out option
- Definitely colors the sound to fill in the space more (which could be a pro for some people too). Ends up adding a layer of mud to the overall sound
- The mids/highs are really just muddy due to the coloration

Bose Companion 2 Series III $149.00
Pro:
- The mids/highs are nice and bright and clear
- Really compact if you don't have a lot of desk space00
- I'm satisfied with this sound out of the box
- Seems not to color the sound (certainly not nearly like the R1280T), feels more accurate
- Has an upward tilt so it seems to naturally position for the sweet spot
Con:
- Only a volume knob so no automatic control over bass/treble (I assume there's eq software that would fix this?)
- Bass is a bit lacking (probably would be satisfied with the amount of bass if I weren't comparing against the others)
- Something feels emptier about these speakers against the 1280T and Micca

Edifier G2000 $109.99
Pro:
- Decent bass and presence
- The LED light is kind of nice
Con:
- Stupid startup car sound is absolutely childish and obnoxious
- The LED light stays on (I think you can turn it off but who's going to go through the hassle of turning it off and on if you have to hear the stupid car sound at every startup)
- Still clearly sounds like a budget speaker with a constant of tin/noise
- Bass can wash out pretty easily at medium volumes
- It crackles at other certain sounds like my incoming email ping
- Not satisfied with this sound out of the box

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Dudeman

Great Center Channel

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

Color: BlackStyle: MB42X-C Advanced Center SpeakerVerified Purchase

Love this center channel! Great upgrade to my home theater setup as I never had a center before. Would recommend if you want a great sounding center without spending an arm and a leg.

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