M-Audio BX8 D3 Monitor Review

[Mikul]

Ok I ordered over the weekend I will report. A few years ago I had an eris e8 and later a jbl lsr 308 and they were fantastic. We'll see how the first impressions are with the bx8

 

[capslock]

Got a used pair in mint condition, manufactured July 2021. Gave them a quick listen (first mono, then stereo) with them sitting on the floor away from the walls in a largish room. I tried no eq but I was defintely not very impressed. Female voices sounded like they were coming out of a tin can. Bass was powerful but not impressively deep. Playing with the -2 / -4 dB switch at the back didn't help the impression.

While my current main speakers are LS 50 with EQ and diy closed box subs in the corners, I have done this quick and dirty listening with a number of speakers so I have some experience. The last speaker that visited me was a diy ported Purifi 8in alu cone + SB tweeter without waveguide. It had none of the tinny sound, and bass sounded more natural to my ears. So its not that I fundamentally dislike a two way with a high XO point.

I will give the BX8 another chance with better placement and EQ, but I am not expecting much at this point.

 

[Gabe33]

I have a pair of these plus the smaller bx5's d3 , the bx8 are flatter with the -4db bass eq at the back , the midrange is scooped in the 2k region . My biggest issue with these pair of speakers is the bass , its not as fast & detailed for an 8 inch monitor , the bass on the bx5's is way too exagerated , exaggerated is an understatement

 

[capslock]

Do you think the broad dip around 2 kHz gives rise to the tinnyness? Amir wrote that the overall sound got too bright when he tried to EQ the dip so he leveled the peaks higher up.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I would:
1. Try taking some FR measurements
2. Verify that woofer cones are moving freely when pushed (power off)
3. Watch for any assembly issues that could compromise the seal - I don't particularly trust things built at the height of the pandemic. You should be able to plug the port tightly and not hear any "farts" anywhere when playing bass notes.

My biggest issue with these pair of speakers is the bass , its not as fast & detailed for an 8 inch monitor , the bass on the bx5's is way too exagerated , exaggerated is an understatement

Seems to be quite EQable though.

M-Audio BX5 D3 | Active Monitor | Measurements, Teardown & Subjective Impressions

The M-Audio BX5 D3 is rather ubiquitous among budget studio monitors, so I thought it only fitting that I purchase a unit and publish the first complete set of measurements. This monitor typically retails for approximately €80 but I paid only €60 for this particular unit, so it has the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

(Note, I would EQ the bass a bit differently and try to flatten them out to about 50 Hz instead of letting them roll off as high as shown. PEACE should be helpful since it can import a FR graph to display in the background as you tweaking settings.)

 

[Gabe33]

Do you think the broad dip around 2 kHz gives rise to the tinnyness? Amir wrote that the overall sound got too bright when he tried to EQ the dip so he leveled the peaks higher up.

Do you think the broad dip around 2 kHz gives rise to the tinnyness? Amir wrote that the overall sound got too bright when he tried to EQ the dip so he leveled the peaks higher up.

Yeah i think the 2k region could be why they sound so thin , i would describe it as lifeless / unmusical . I tried fixing this with sonarworks and it helped but i noticed that my mixes were too scooped in the 2k region and too bassy . Adding eq to the scooped higher mids makes the speakers sound shouty and bright , which is why my mixes were scooped in that region . The bass can also get slow & muddy in an untreated room , a front port would have helped , but i dont think m-audio want to take the risk of designing a front port , i mean they cant even design a good rear port

 

[Gabe33]

 

[Gabe33]

View attachment 317877

 

[SivKiv]

By the way, there are a number of "BX8" speakers for sale out there but seem to be another series with round waveguide rather than the square one in the model I tested.

Those seem to be a new generation of the BX8, likely a replacement, which would explain the discontinuation. Might wanna consider picking a pair up then.
Edit: A close look reveals they may actually be a previous generation.
Edit 2: Yup, they are a previous generation. Apologise for bringing this up then haha. Maybe a D4 next then perhaps.........

 

[dedobot]

Im about to trigger of bx8 d3 + Tangent preamp ii . Will report the outcome.