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Small, cute, but good sounding desktop speakers

I think I read it applied to their micro and mtm but that the micro pro had been improved but to be further researched.

Anyone tried the Edifier m60? Erin made a very positive review of mr3 but every comparison I found online for the m60 vs the mr3 had the mr3 clearly winning, and are about the same size as kanto ora. No waveguided tweeter though. But less than half the price in Europe where Kanto speakers are expensive.
Someone has shared their in-situ measurement and they don't look that bad for a cheap speaker.

Interestingly, these are more expensive than MR3 & MR4. don't have any BT connectivity but they have separate amplification for bass and tweeter.
 
I think I read it applied to their micro and mtm but that the micro pro had been improved but to be further researched.

Anyone tried the Edifier m60? Erin made a very positive review of mr3 but every comparison I found online for the m60 vs the mr3 had the mr3 clearly winning, and are about the same size as kanto ora. No waveguided tweeter though. But less than half the price in Europe where Kanto speakers are expensive.
I’ve got the M60 being delivered on Friday. Will post pics/comments after using them for a couple days. Every review I’ve seen praises them, so we’ll see if they live up to the hype.
 
Yesterday, my Vanatoo Transparent Zero Plus speakers arrived. I set them up and liked the sound. Today I connected an old 100W 8" Kenwood sub (please don't judge me, it's what I had sitting on a shelf in my basement. :) ) and I like them even more.
I disabled the crossover on the sub, set the level to mid and let it rip. I haven't performed an REW sweep, but I'm happy with the setup right now.
 
Yesterday, my Vanatoo Transparent Zero Plus speakers arrived. I set them up and liked the sound. Today I connected an old 100W 8" Kenwood sub (please don't judge me, it's what I had sitting on a shelf in my basement. :) ) and I like them even more.
I disabled the crossover on the sub, set the level to mid and let it rip. I haven't performed an REW sweep, but I'm happy with the setup right now.
I don’t use a sub for mine (they are, technically, my third system), but I LOVE them. Underrated, for sure.
 
So I ordered Kanto Oras on Amazon and tried them today.

They are absolutely dead silent, great.
They don’t sound bad. Rather balanced. Wide sweet pot. No major flaws.

But they still sound like small desktop speakers. Bass is there but lacks extension. Mid bass/low mids are lacking clarity, I feel like they might lack a bit of damping, and there is a slight box resonance. Imaging is ok but still rather stuck to the speaker.

My Focal XS Book, while slightly bright in comparison, and having way too much noise, sound markedly better. They have less bass but more bass extension that makes them sound less constrained. They sound more precise at all frequencies like they would be better dampened. And sound seems less stuck to the speaker.

But they also are more than double the volume in size.
 
Here is just an alternate solution that I chose:
Focal Sib Evo 2
zel6.jpg

Driven with a Logitech Z906
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There is no hiss and the sound is powerful.
The connection to the motherboard is using a SPDIF optical cable.
DTS is going through if needed.
The only improvement would be to replace the class D amp for the front speakers with a model more audiophile.
But for a computer, it is far sufficient.
 
So I ordered Kanto Oras on Amazon and tried them today.

They are absolutely dead silent, great.
They don’t sound bad. Rather balanced. Wide sweet pot. No major flaws.

But they still sound like small desktop speakers. Bass is there but lacks extension. Mid bass/low mids are lacking clarity, I feel like they might lack a bit of damping, and there is a slight box resonance. Imaging is ok but still rather stuck to the speaker.

My Focal XS Book, while slightly bright in comparison, and having way too much noise, sound markedly better. They have less bass but more bass extension that makes them sound less constrained. They sound more precise at all frequencies like they would be better dampened. And sound seems less stuck to the speaker.

But they also are more than double the volume in size.

The matching sub for the ora’s is only £250
 
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Maybe... D3V?
(Just imagine Adam with no bass reflex port issues lol)
What I really appreciate is USB-C digital input.
What I really don't - analog is only balanced TRS.
But still lovely AMTs and FLATTER THAN UR T-series FR:cool: lol
 
View attachment 427467View attachment 427466
Maybe... D3V?
(Just imagine Adam with no bass reflex port issues lol)
What I really appreciate is USB-C digital input.
What I really don't - analog is only balanced TRS.
But still lovely AMTs and FLATTER THAN UR T-series FR:cool: lol
I agree with TRS statement 100%. There are also TRS/RCA adapters at reasonable cost.
In order to be able to connect them to my main system, I purchased TRS male to XLR female adapter and they are stunning!
Forgot to mention that is not a permanent solution for the main system, I was just curious to hear them that way. That is what edit was about.
 
They look like "healthy" MR3, like someone decided to make the same speaker but not ugly AF:D
Ain’t just fugly, mate. They sounded awful. I mean truly awful. Dull, muffled bass with very little treble to balance it. The app was useless. It offered 5 or 6 preset EQs that made little difference. Very disappointing experience. So, I’ve tried the M60, D3V, and Kanto Ora. None of them were as good as my 3+ year old iLoud Micros. I might try the Vanatoo T0+ next… or maybe just stick with my iLouds.
 
I’ve tried the M60, D3V, and Kanto Ora. None of them were as good as my 3+ year old iLoud Micros
Hmm, I thought D3V must be better than Micros. How would you describe them in a nutshell and in comparison?
Not surprised about Edifier tho, especially cheap ones.

Btw I think you are one of those who helped me to decide which speaker will be T5V upgrade in my case - currently waiting for ordered A7Vs :)
Was also thinking about KH 120 II and 8030C but decided to avoid risk of being disappointed.


P.S. Maybe you could try LP-UNF if they're not too large. Almost everyone praise them; may be a hype tho.
 
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Ain’t just fugly, mate. They sounded awful. I mean truly awful. Dull, muffled bass with very little treble to balance it. The app was useless. It offered 5 or 6 preset EQs that made little difference. Very disappointing experience.
Odd. Were the tweeters working at all? I would never entirely rule out assembly issues on inexpensive speakers, including the silly kind.
So, I’ve tried the M60, D3V, and Kanto Ora. None of them were as good as my 3+ year old iLoud Micros. I might try the Vanatoo T0+ next… or maybe just stick with my iLouds.
Maybe the next thing going on the shopping list should be a measurement mic instead. Without one, you're just flying blind.
On a side note, actual elevation from the desk beats tilt any day of the week.

Also keep in mind that the iLouds probably are the only ones out of these with dynamically adapted bass response - and perhaps for good reason, as this can apparently cause noticeable artifacts during music playback at elevated levels. The D3Vs for example expect you to choose a fixed tradeoff between bass output and level handling instead.

Otherwise the iLoud Micros definitely are on the short list of good 3" class speakers already. If you aren't bothered by the aforementioned artifacts, the potential hiss / power supply noise or the lack of digital inputs (or balanced ones), the upgrade potential is somewhat limited. IK recently released the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro to fill the gap between them and the MTMs, but that's twice the price, too (even if one of their MEMS measurement mics for ARC is included).
 
So I ordered Kanto Oras on Amazon and tried them today.

<snip)

My Focal XS Book, while slightly bright in comparison, and having way too much noise, sound markedly better. They have less bass but more bass extension that makes them sound less constrained. They sound more precise at all frequencies like they would be better dampened. And sound seems less stuck to the speaker.

But they also are more than double the volume in size.
But that's to be expected of course.

If you want something larger than the ORA but (potentially?) smaller than the Focals, have you tried the ORA4's?
 
iLoud Micro Monitor Pro to fill the gap between them and the MTMs, but that's twice the price
1739466965696.png

But there's definitely more... speaker, at least physically :)
450 EUR/pair + mic now in the EU, definitely a good option, and such self-calibration IMO - if it works properly - is an amazing thing. No Sonarworks, no proprietary software and/or "special" speaker versions. All that "Hey man, wanna calibrate? Plz give us $300" seems a bit off for lack a better word; what's next, a good frequency response by subscription? DETAIL ENHANCEMENT PLAN + PREMIUM LOW BASS:D
 
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Okay, a heads up and a question or suggestion to Mad Max.
I have so far on my desk the Focal XS Book, Kanto Ora, Edifier M60 and Edifier MR3.

Look and feel wise, the Focal look the best, the Kanto Ora look premium but out of plasticky platic, the Edifier M60 look rather nice and have a better feel than the Kanto Ora, the Edifier MR3 look and feel utilitarian, could be worse. I prefer the front volume control on the Ora and the MR3 vs the top buttons of the Edifier M60 that though work well. Kanto ORA and especially M60 don't have a very long cable joining the speakers but hey they are supposed to be PC speakers. The MR3 use good old speaker cable between them so you do you. Ora and M60 have USB inputs. Ora, MR3 and M60 have bluetooth. The ORA and M60 are tiny speakers. The MR3 starts being not tiny. Only the M60 include stands, though they all need ones (except the Focal which are already tilted).

Now sound wise,

- The Kanto Ora was the ones I liked the less. Too warm sound, not controlled enough bass, and way not enough resolving (ability to hear details, different voices and articulation of instrument inside the songs). The mids balance is nice, but lacking from high mids IMO. Zero noise when not playing anything. Directivity is stellar you can move all you want they always sound the same (within reason). Soundstage is nice, both inward and outward.

- The Edifier M60 are a bit too bright, and lack a bit of bass extension. I would say they can get fatiguing. The mids are bright coloured and not very much to my taste. But they are resolving, you can hear pretty much everything that you need to hear. The M60 and the Ora are pretty much polar opposites with the Ora being too warm with good mids but lacking precision and the M60 being too bright with less flat mids but offering some precision. Bass wise the Ora have a ton more, but given how lously they are reproduced, heh, they are not of much use. Zero noise on mine like the Kanto Ora. However they are more directivity challenged. The sound will change when you move even within reason. Soundstage, they don't project well a center image, making them sound hollow. However they project very well outward. They have a bit of a Yamaha monitor speaker sound.

- The Edifier MR3 are by a huge margin the winner. They have good mid balance, and good spectrum extension in general, maybe a bit rolled off on the very highs. The highs are a bit less resolving than the Focals which were clear winner in the precision game so far, and they are generally speaking a bit less resolving and impactful on transients but still better than the Ora and M60. Bass is good, with more extension than the M60. I would say they have more bass extension than the Kanto Ora. Though they have less bass quantity but the Ora were too bass bosted IMO. More bass quantity than the Focals also. The bass control is not bad. I could wish more control but I think you'll only get it with bigger speakers. Directivity wise they are OK, their sound will change a bit when you move but acceptable. Soundstage wise, they have a center image and they project outward. I could want a tighter central image and wider soundstaging but I really can do without, they are good enough.

- I was also playing with the Kef Eggs HT3001SE that definately have merit, especially in transient and impact, and soundstage well especially outward and in depth. However bass was lacking and while you could EQ boost it, and the speakers didn't respond with distortion or port noise unlike the B&W M1 Mk1 I tried earlier, you didn't really get much more out of them than what they are capable of. What they are capable of doing is well done. But there's a bit a mid weirdness that I'm not sure about. However they are very placement sensitive. I tried them in a table in the middle of my room and they were awful. They need a wall not too far behind them. They were still in my shortlist until I plugged the MR3 in. The MR3 got them out of there I'm not even sure I'll plug them back to compare them again.

The MR3 are winners by such a margin it is not fair play. And they are the cheapest of the bunch. The Kanto ORA are 400€ in EU. The MR3 where 100€. The Focals were 500€ and they are the only ones that can trade blows with the MR3, winning in the precision, transient, impact from the mids upward, but losing in the bass extension and with an annoying amplifier noise.

My unscientific conclusion of all this would be that you need speakers a bit bigger than absolute minimum if you want good sound.

Now I'm on the fence of either just keeping the MR3 and enjoying them or finding used Focal CMS40 to benefit from improved highs from the mid highs and maybe a bit wider sweet spot. Focal being known for their tweeters and the waveguide seemingly more sophisticated.
But they will be vastly more expensive even if used (and still OK price), and while they might sound better there is no guarantee about it they might as well lose vs the MR3. Will probably just keep the MR3.

MadMaxx if you haven't yet tried the MR3, I encourage you to do so. You might be able to give us comparison to other small studio monitors of the 3 inch class.
As far as studio monitors, no they are not what I recall of my Genelec 8030, but they are not in the same class size and price wise. But from memory I would take the MR3 vs quite a few small monitors I heard. I would put the MR3 in the worthy studio monitors to listen to.
But if you don't like the MR3 I'd also like to hear from you.
 
I have listened to them a bit more.
I might have been a bit over enthusiastic, though my conclusions remain the same.

The high mids and highs that were a bit thin and lacking resolution vs the Focals, well, yeah they definitely are not up to Focal level by a large margin. The brushes sound like « tch » you don’t get the texture and detail of the brush. But Focal is known for their tweeters (and are 5 times the price). It might be possible to eq them to flatten the high mids.

The sound is good but they are to be listened at quite low volume. They don’t get loud, and pushing the volume a bit makes the sound loose bass precision from the low mids downwards (woofer performance limitation).

They are a dirt magnet. The mdf has a « cheap 90s speaker » granite finish that attracts dust and so does the dome tweeter.

But still, I think these are very very good desktop speakers. Way better than Ora and M60. Way better than Bose companion 2 and minimonitor.

But! These are 5 liters cabinets. So are my Focal XS Book. The Ora and M60 are 2 liters cabinets. And the Bose are even less. This is a size more comparable to the Ora 4 or iloud MTM. They might not be the winners in their size category. In the price category though you won’t beat them.

Edifier should make a premium version of these with a better tweeter, active crossover like the m60, in a cabinet made like the m60.

Having found a used pair of Focal CMS 40
with a damaged tweeter (that I will change) for a very fair price, I will make room on my desk to get better sound. Hoping they won’t hiss.
 
Okay, a heads up and a question or suggestion to Mad Max.
I have so far on my desk the Focal XS Book, Kanto Ora, Edifier M60 and Edifier MR3.

Look and feel wise, the Focal look the best, the Kanto Ora look premium but out of plasticky platic, the Edifier M60 look rather nice and have a better feel than the Kanto Ora, the Edifier MR3 look and feel utilitarian, could be worse. I prefer the front volume control on the Ora and the MR3 vs the top buttons of the Edifier M60 that though work well. Kanto ORA and especially M60 don't have a very long cable joining the speakers but hey they are supposed to be PC speakers. The MR3 use good old speaker cable between them so you do you. Ora and M60 have USB inputs. Ora, MR3 and M60 have bluetooth. The ORA and M60 are tiny speakers. The MR3 starts being not tiny. Only the M60 include stands, though they all need ones (except the Focal which are already tilted).

Now sound wise,

- The Kanto Ora was the ones I liked the less. Too warm sound, not controlled enough bass, and way not enough resolving (ability to hear details, different voices and articulation of instrument inside the songs). The mids balance is nice, but lacking from high mids IMO. Zero noise when not playing anything. Directivity is stellar you can move all you want they always sound the same (within reason). Soundstage is nice, both inward and outward.

- The Edifier M60 are a bit too bright, and lack a bit of bass extension. I would say they can get fatiguing. The mids are bright coloured and not very much to my taste. But they are resolving, you can hear pretty much everything that you need to hear. The M60 and the Ora are pretty much polar opposites with the Ora being too warm with good mids but lacking precision and the M60 being too bright with less flat mids but offering some precision. Bass wise the Ora have a ton more, but given how lously they are reproduced, heh, they are not of much use. Zero noise on mine like the Kanto Ora. However they are more directivity challenged. The sound will change when you move even within reason. Soundstage, they don't project well a center image, making them sound hollow. However they project very well outward. They have a bit of a Yamaha monitor speaker sound.

- The Edifier MR3 are by a huge margin the winner. They have good mid balance, and good spectrum extension in general, maybe a bit rolled off on the very highs. The highs are a bit less resolving than the Focals which were clear winner in the precision game so far, and they are generally speaking a bit less resolving and impactful on transients but still better than the Ora and M60. Bass is good, with more extension than the M60. I would say they have more bass extension than the Kanto Ora. Though they have less bass quantity but the Ora were too bass bosted IMO. More bass quantity than the Focals also. The bass control is not bad. I could wish more control but I think you'll only get it with bigger speakers. Directivity wise they are OK, their sound will change a bit when you move but acceptable. Soundstage wise, they have a center image and they project outward. I could want a tighter central image and wider soundstaging but I really can do without, they are good enough.

- I was also playing with the Kef Eggs HT3001SE that definately have merit, especially in transient and impact, and soundstage well especially outward and in depth. However bass was lacking and while you could EQ boost it, and the speakers didn't respond with distortion or port noise unlike the B&W M1 Mk1 I tried earlier, you didn't really get much more out of them than what they are capable of. What they are capable of doing is well done. But there's a bit a mid weirdness that I'm not sure about. However they are very placement sensitive. I tried them in a table in the middle of my room and they were awful. They need a wall not too far behind them. They were still in my shortlist until I plugged the MR3 in. The MR3 got them out of there I'm not even sure I'll plug them back to compare them again.

The MR3 are winners by such a margin it is not fair play. And they are the cheapest of the bunch. The Kanto ORA are 400€ in EU. The MR3 where 100€. The Focals were 500€ and they are the only ones that can trade blows with the MR3, winning in the precision, transient, impact from the mids upward, but losing in the bass extension and with an annoying amplifier noise.

My unscientific conclusion of all this would be that you need speakers a bit bigger than absolute minimum if you want good sound.

Now I'm on the fence of either just keeping the MR3 and enjoying them or finding used Focal CMS40 to benefit from improved highs from the mid highs and maybe a bit wider sweet spot. Focal being known for their tweeters and the waveguide seemingly more sophisticated.
But they will be vastly more expensive even if used (and still OK price), and while they might sound better there is no guarantee about it they might as well lose vs the MR3. Will probably just keep the MR3.

MadMaxx if you haven't yet tried the MR3, I encourage you to do so. You might be able to give us comparison to other small studio monitors of the 3 inch class.
As far as studio monitors, no they are not what I recall of my Genelec 8030, but they are not in the same class size and price wise. But from memory I would take the MR3 vs quite a few small monitors I heard. I would put the MR3 in the worthy studio monitors to listen to.
But if you don't like the MR3 I'd also like to hear from you.
Thanks for the nice review of several speakers! I'll look up the MR3. Im also thinking about trying the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro. Amazon has them on sale for $450 and I've got a $200 gift card that I need to use before it expires in March.
 
Yes I’m interested to hear about these! And also know if they hiss. Iloud micro pro are bigger than the iloud micro but still very small, with included tilted stand, speaker grilles, calibration… a very interesting package indeed. In the EU they are over 600$ though.
 
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