 ""M"ediocre-Audio" | 2009-09-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2WYF4POBUXL2O |
Maybe I was expecting something more from a company known for making equipment geared toward pro audio needs. I know the low price point for these reference monitors should have kept my expectations at bay but they really don't sound better than my $50 HK speakers that came with my computer system 4 yrs ago. I am doing minor voice over work and music creation and need good monitors with an at-home budget.
The AV30s are self powered so you can crank up the volume pretty loud and still sounds clear. The Bass Boost switch is a joke: Flipping it on is what the sound should be like normally and off shouldn't be an option unless you like flat sound. They are great for casual listening to music or watching movies on your computer but DEF not great for monitoring any real audio like music recording or voice-over work. They have that same "hollow" sound like some cheap boom-box speakers produce. I played some test recordings and every style of music in different positions in my home studio to make sure it wasn't the audio source or room environment but always similar results.
Things I liked about the AV30s: Built in amp, solid build, different inputs, came with all cables, pads, affordable price.
Things I did not like: Mediocre sound quality, power switch in the back, large size for desktop use.
All in all, these monitor speakers are a good deal. Just not the sound quality I need or expected from M-Audio. I have already returned back to Amazon. I will have to bite the bullet and spend the $$$ on higher quality monitors.
By the way, what's up with the price on Amazon being higher than on msrp on M-Audio's own website? |
| |
 "good mid-range and highs, but subpar bass" | 2009-09-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2DDSIIIS689UM |
I've had these the AV30's for about 3 weeks now, and I have been disappointed with the sound after reading so many good reviews. I like the mid-range and high-end they put out. The sounds are crisp and clear. My son watches skateboard videos, and the sounds of the boards hitting rails and wheels hitting concrete are tight and impressively clear. On music, vocals are okay, but not exceptional. The worst performance is at the low end (with or without bass boost). It's hard to describe sound with words sometimes, but these speakers produce what I would call "cheap-sounding" low end. Something - the drivers or the cabinet enclosure - is not up to the task. Perhaps it is the particle board enclosures, but the low end is muddy and artificial sounding. This comes into play on movie soundtracks and music with a lot of low-end. Overall, I find the speakers not acceptable. I'm planning on returning these and checking out the Klipsch Promedia 2.1's.
UPDATE: I've just returned from Best Buy after listening to the Klipsch Promedia's in the store. The AV30's seem better now by comparison. Firstly, the build quality of the AV30's is superior. As for sound quality, the Promedias have a less offensive low end, but not as good midrange and high end. The Promedias produce kind of a bland, balanced sound that isn't so bad, but is not very exciting either. On balance, I found that I didn't want to give up the high quality of what the AV30's did well. I guess it's not easy to find superior sound quality at this price point. For others who don't mind the extra size and weight, I suppose I would point them in the direction of the M-Audio AV40's, which have gotten stellar reviews, and presumably improve the bass available from the AV30's due to their larger woofers. |
| |
 "Studio quality at a bookshelf price" | 2009-07-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: AE38OIQK19U1M |
I recently got a hold of a BOSE brand wave radio, and had it hooked up to my laptop for enjoying my music library. Upon selling the Wave Radio, I bought these speakers at my local best buy for just under $100 and let me say, I'm positive these deliver the BOSE quality; I turn up the volume quite loud, and I enjoy every instrument of a track just as it was recorded. I love a wide range of music, mainly classic rock, indie, SKA, jazz, and piano rock. I've also watched some movies, and the sound detail is amazing. No loss of bass/treble balance at high levels. These pack the power of a much more expensive pair of speakers. Don't settle for less, especially because these are magnetically shielded not to mess up any of your electronics (computer, laptop, cell phones, iPods etc.)
Bottom line: attractive look, easy to adjust, comes with numerous cables ensuring connectivity. Only con being they get a little warm after use, make sure not to leave on when not in use. Five stars. |
| |
| "Less than I had expected" | 2009-07-10 |
| - Reviewed By hbutz-dot-com |
I've been downgrading my computer speakers over the years. First I had a 4.1 THX system. That dropped to 2.1 after switching to the Mac which didn't support them. After blowing out my 2.1 system in just 2 years, I went with these speakers aka 2.0 because, after all, I'm just using them as computer speakers. I've owned other "bookshelf" style speakers and expected these to exceed the quality of others which I've had in the past.
Well... I used to be a big fan of tuned port speakers. The first thing I've noticed was a hollow box sound. The bass sounded like someone was beating on a drum. There was an annoying echo at the low end. I plugged up the rear ports with foam and that made it sound less annoying, but I didn't like the sound. From within iTunes I used the equalizer to get a good sound by ear, but other applications and games did not use the iTunes equalizer. I did not like the way they sounded.
I purchased an inexpensive external equalizer, Behringer Ultra-Compact 9-Band Graphic Equalizer FBQ800, which did the trick. It's a wonderful equalizer, but now I needed to calibrate my sound system. An SPL meter was the same price as the equalizer; but, fortunately I found an SPL meter app for my iPhone for less than the price of a cup of coffee. I had to hunt around for a tone generator for Mac which produced the 9 frequencies found on the equalizer. With the speakers at 75% volume and protective headphones I calibrated my system. I was somewhat surprised at what I found.
A tone generated on OS X 10.4 on a Mac Mini through these speakers produces a flat-line response ranging from +12db at 125hz to -12db at 8khz. The equalizer was perfect for getting the kinks out. Below 100hz, there was a rapid fall-off from +12db to below -12db at 63hz - not surprising.
What this all means - the speakers have no bass response below 125hz and the high end frequencies are all in the mud e.g. I think those tweeters are just painted on. After you iron it all out, you are left with a set of mid-range speakers. meh. I had really expected to get more for the price.
The best sound I get is when I turn the computer volume to full then turn up the gain on the equalizer until the meter reads 0db. The handy placement of the volume control makes it a cinch to quickly adjust for various applications.
Onto the design features - very well designed. All the controls are on the left side, perfect for this right-handed person who can operate the mouse while adjusting the volume (and equalizer). There's an aux input and headphone jack on the front of the left speaker. On a switched outlet, the speakers come up quietly and turn off quietly.
|
| |
| "Car speakers?" | 2009-06-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1M01B31FBUGAP |
I purchased the mAudio AV30's with a very special task in mind. I'm a pit orchestra conductor/piano-keybds for musical theatre, and my gigs take me long hours on the road. Unfortunately for me, my 1990 Chevy G20 Van with 192K miles on it is not very adept at accepting modern gear!
There is no CD nor DVD player, so I bring my laptop along. After running around some electronic stores looking for USB powered speakers, there were none with ENOUGH power to overcome the wind of a van screaming up the US interstates. I had ALMOST purchased the 6W JBL Duet II when I came across the mAudio AV30.
INSTALLING THE GEAR:
Since I'm trying the HEAR over the van noise, volume and crystal clear sound were my quest. The mAudio is AC powered (because it needs more power than the mini speakers that can run USB or batteries), so I purchased a 200W DC/AC inverter for $25.00, plugged it into the lighter plug, then attached by AC power supply for my laptop and the AV30 powerline and fired it up.
My speakers are positioned TERRIBLY for true stereo soundfield, on is about 2' from my head on one of the arms of the passenger seat, the other approximately 2' further on the OTHER passenger seat arm. They are protected from vibration by the arm padding, and secured in place by a clever application of two wire hangers, bent into a secure position.
THE SOUND!
Like several of the other reviewers have noted, my cleanest sound (given the close proximity of the two speakers) was about 75% on my Dell Laptop, and 50% on the AV30. Bass Boost OFF. The sound is remarkable and easy on the ears. No clipping, no "ear wear" from the sound being too intrusive.
If you think about it, at $99.00 for the speakers, and $25.00 for the AC inverter, you get MUCH superior sound to either "car speakers" from the car audio section of the store, or the MUCH more expensive "computer speakers" in the "computer specific" speaker aisle.
I had just a half a day to purchase and install, so I will probably reset the speakers more appropriately in the future (so I can once more have a passenger ride with me!), but for the immediate task at hand: amplifying a laptop audio to a near audiophile level (what do you want for $99?), this is a SUPERB setup.
Also, there's no chance of losing laptop power, nor the speakers (or both if you use a USB setup) in the middle of a trip, nor having to buy special amplified 12V speakers (I'm not sure if there IS such a thing).
RECAP:
So, for the cost of $125.00, I get a magnificent soundstage and no anxiety from constantly checking the "battery level" of the meter to "ration" how much listening I can do while traveling to and from the theatres to ply my wares. It's quite a deal and a KILLER "bang for the buck." If you're looking for great sound in your vehicle on a budget, these speakers strike the best size/sound for the job!
Will it handle the extreme heat and cold well? Dunno, but THAT'S what the $14.95 extended BestBuy warranty was all about! (TIP: Tape the receipt/warranty to the back of the unpowered speaker, and it will always be with you when you need it!)
|
| |
International Available
