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M-Audio BX3 Monitor Review

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 160 87.4%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 13 7.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 7 3.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 3 1.6%

  • Total voters
    183
Maybe it would be fun to make a junk "studio monitor" listening test including these, Eris 3.5 and JBL 104, and iLoud Micro/Genelec 8010 as "plastic/tin can premium edition":)
Results may be a bit surprising IMO

Smallest Glenelecs be like:
- knock knock!
- who's there?
- ehm that's "bass"
 
I'd spend more and get a Kali LP6 V2 (400 usd a pair).

Or the Adam t5V, or the JBL 305, there is of course lots of options, but the real question is, can you spend that little? I was joking earlier about the reference designation but We have to keep in mind that many young people do all their listening trough a 100 $ Bluetooth speaker, like, a lot of people. Even me, if I am out for a Petanque or some other outdoor stuff, I will bring my JBL Charge and still able to enjoy the good music, even knowing that it's certainly not Hifi and being used to much much better. Not critical listening is suitable for some applications. Well for some people, that's the sound they are used too. Wondering, is it really objectlively worst than my tiny JBL BT beer Can looking speaker?
 
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Without taking it apart, I'd suggest that this is a 'powered passive' speaker with the stereo amp in one box and a 'speaker output' to the other of the pair?

Me suggesting passive, it seems the bass driver is run wide open and the tweeter maybe just has a cap on it to bring it in, hence the huge overlap and cancellations? I bet it wouldn't take much expense to roll the bass-mid driver out lower to minimise these effects?

The port though is a different matter, but as these would be sat on a desktop or wall bracket? and arguably with no isolation from the desktop surface, I'd arguably block the port and be done with it...

As for the JBL305 hissing (not that I'd probably notice these days) and bearing on mind the hf is lightly shelved up rather than tilted, surely an inline resistor to the tweeter of a nominal value could help reduce it's level a touch, cutting the hiss down by a small but beneficial amount? Not an ideal, but we're talking incredibly cheap speakers here where compromises rule absolutely!
 
Or the Adam t5V, or the JBL 305, there is of course lots of options, but the real question is, can you spend that little? I was joking earlier about the reference designation but We have to keep in mind that many young people do all their listening trough a 100 $ Bluetooth speaker, like, a lot of people. Even me, if I am out for a Petanque or some other outdoor stuff, I will bring my JBL Charge and still able to enjoy the good music, even knowing that it's certainly not Hifi and being used to much much better. Not critical listening is suitable for some applications. Well for some people, that's the sound they are used too. Wondering, is it really objectlively worst than my tiny JBL BT Can like speaker?
I think these are different use cases. If you and me and kids want to have a barbecue and some background music then sure a 100 usd Bluetooth speaker works great for that, and there is no replacement in versatility x price.

But I think people buying this expect high fidelity, actively listening to music either for enjoying or working on music (home studio). And for this second category it is not satisfying, and honestly, these people are served a lot better by 100 usd IEMs until they can save money and get better monitors, like the Kali LP6 V2 I mentioned.

In my opinion these M-Audio don't belong in any part of the audio journey. But hey, tons of people bought them and reviewed them positively, so what do I know? :)
 
I think these are different use cases. If you and me and kids want to have a barbecue and some background music then sure a 100 usd Bluetooth speaker works great for that, and there is no replacement in versatility x price.

But I think people buying this expect high fidelity, actively listening to music either for enjoying or working on music (home studio). And for this second category it is not satisfying, and honestly, these people are served a lot better by 100 usd IEMs until they can save money and get better monitors, like the Kali LP6 V2 I mentioned.

In my opinion these M-Audio don't belong in any part of the audio journey. But hey, tons of people bought them and reviewed them positively, so what do I know? :)
I've had hands on the BX-4 and the large one, and none are any good at all. I will say they once made some good soundcards for desktop PC's.
 
It's an insult to call this a monitor ffs M-Audio.
Any logitech speaker will probably behave better.
They wanted to compete with Creative I guess...
 
I think these are different use cases. If you and me and kids want to have a barbecue and some background music then sure a 100 usd Bluetooth speaker works great for that, and there is no replacement in versatility x price.

But I think people buying this expect high fidelity, actively listening to music either for enjoying or working on music (home studio). And for this second category it is not satisfying, and honestly, these people are served a lot better by 100 usd IEMs until they can save money and get better monitors, like the Kali LP6 V2 I mentioned.

In my opinion these M-Audio don't belong in any part of the audio journey. But hey, tons of people bought them and reviewed them positively, so what do I know? :)
Don't get me wrong, I would pay more too, and I did for my computer speakers, but I think you underestimate the number of use cases for tiny cheap powered speakers. I remember way way back I used to work as a soundman on cruise ships and used to lug some cheap edirol boxes in my luggage to at least have something in my cabin to hook up my laptop to. Something very similar to this in size and price and probably not better Heck, at the moment they are selling this for 100$ CND (so about 70$ USD) for a Pair. at Best Buy Canada. That's 35$ per speaker.I mean really you expect fidelity? Me I see someone listening to youtube while doing stuff on his computer. IEMs are great but you don't have the immediacy of just having speakers always ready to play when you want to hear something. I wouldn't wear IEMs all day it would drive me nut. Everybody need some speakers, A lot of people have no money. I mean, no money at all. Some people listen to music trough their phone speaker dunked in an empty cup to increase the bass a bit...
 
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I got mine on sale on Amazon for $90 I think.
I think you sould clarify that it's for a pair for the benefit of everybody (no s on speaker(s) for the review, and no s on mine(s) on this answer. this is a stereo system, it makes a big difference in relative to what alternatives people suggest.
 
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"Reference" has become a pseudo audiophile BS buzzword IMHO. It means not much - something you can refer to, good, bad or whatever. So, if I refer this "thing" to my grandma's tube radio, it's probably a lot better :D
Not at all... because grandma's tube radio, at least looks really cool!
 
Without taking it apart, I'd suggest that this is a 'powered passive' speaker with the stereo amp in one box and a 'speaker output' to the other of the pair?
No need to take it appart, on the photo there's a jack labeled "Output to passive speaker"
 
I've had hands on the BX-4 and the large one, and none are any good at all. I will say they once made some good soundcards for desktop PC's.
I'm still using M-audio transit.
It works for more than 15 years.
 
This appears to be better in that segment. Without the balanced inputs.
 
Doesn't look like it slipped through quality control. Or it missed, on the assembly line, the programming of the DSP inside, e/g no filter for the bass/mid driver?
 
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