Sound:
The sound is very detailed, and crisp. There are no muddy spots, and everything comes through very loud and solid. The highs sound great, and bass is not lacking. The 5 inch low end speakers will put out enough bass to shake my desk and rattle loose objects. I only have lower end monitors to compare with, but I have heard many different speakers, and these are most definitely clear and excellent sounding.
Feature:
No features. Power cord and no slip stick on surface for bottom of speakers included. Back inputs are 1/4 or XLR, neither of which are included. Wouldn't expect that, but would be nice. Agree with the other reviewer here, the tweeter needs a grill or protection. The 'woofer' is kevlar and very sturdy, but the silk dome tweeter looks like it could very easily get destroyed.
Quality:
Nice weight, volume knob and on/off switch are very solid. Slick black surface and kevlar woofer look nice, and the connections are all very solid. It definitely feels high quality and durable.
Value:
Compared to other monitors in it's price range, there is no doubt that the BX5 is the bang for the buck.
Manufacturer Support:
Haven't dealt with them.
The Wow Factor:
Basing speaker purchase on aesthetics is idiotic.
Overall:
I'm sure I will own these with a possible sub upgrade, but they have plenty of bass for everything. When I do upgrade it will be because I can afford much much more, not because they lack anything.
31 of 32 people
(96.88%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
Good for the price, but the low end lacks without the use of a sub.
Feature:
Again, good for the price, but don't expect too much.
Ease of Use:
Very easy to use.
Quality:
Works fine, and haven't had a single prob. with them since I first bought them 2 years ago.
Value:
It's good for the price...and a great set of monitors for a beginner, but you'll find yourself needing to upgrade about 6 months into it. I know I did.
Manufacturer Support:
I never had to use the support, so i'll just assume they're good.
The Wow Factor:
They're good monitors for starters. Again, you get what you pay for.
Overall:
Low end lacks. Great great great set for beginners, and hi's are pretty crisp. After a while, my ears got tired of the sound coming out as they just weren't providing enough detail to my mixes, so I upgraded to Mackie's .... but these will definately get the job done, if you have a high budget however, don't waste your time with these.
12 of 14 people
(85.71%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
The sound, as of right now, is nice and full, clear, crisp, and accurate. The highs aren't as shrill as others might say, but if you cut out anything above 2khz in a mix, it's gonna sound VERY dull in comparison. Sometimes, your ears may get tired from listening to songs with lots of crashes, but you shouldn't be listening to songs like that very loud on monitors like these anyway. The mids are apparent, but maybe just a tad softer than the highs. An EQ could fix that, but there is hardly a difference. The only frequencies lacking are the low-end where mainly deep bass and those thumping kicks are heard. I recommend you buy a subwoofer to get a full range of sound. Don't get me wrong, though, these speakers have a lovely punch to them. I'm listening to some Hip-Hop right now, and the bass and kicks sound very tight. At lower volumes, everything can still be heard evenly. It is very easy for me to work with these monitors late at night (in my room) while everyone else is still sleeping. I've used this for music, movies, and games. So far, they sound alright for games, good for movies, but the best for music. In all mediums, you can hear a lot more going on than you would with other computer sound systems. Love it.
Feature:
It didn't come with a cable, which I'm not used to, but amazon helped out with its "Frequently Bought Together" section, and it lead me to a good RCA to 3.5" cable. Both speakers come with their own volume knob which feels nice and precise. A little book called Overdub: A Guide to Studio Monitors came with the monitors containing helpful information on setting up a studio at home.
Ease of Use:
The only reason I took a point off this section is because of the break-in period. The speakers sound good, but I think it's going to take well over 24-hours of use to get a proper break-in. Also, I don't mind having the on/off switch being on the back of the speakers, but someone else might.
Quality:
No grill attachment for the woofer or tweeter, but since the woofers are Kevlar, that is a bit more excusable. The speakers seem like their built strong, but don't bring anyone you don't trust around them. I'm fine with the way they look, but I've seen better looking speakers. I'm also a little worried about these breaking and then M-Audio's tech support being less than helpful. Not much else to complain about here.
Value:
For what I paid for it, the value is excellent! If you are running on a tight-low budget, go for these. For what it's worth, you will not be disappointed.
Manufacturer Support:
So far so good. I'm hoping no issues will come up in the near future.
The Wow Factor:
They're okay in this department. They aren't polished like a grand piano, but they aren't overdone. It looks nice paired with other equipment, and I really like the look of the Kevlar woofer, though. That Kevlar is sexy.
Overall:
I conclude that these speakers will sound incredible to anyone who is taking their first steps into professional audio monitoring and music producing. They will sound especially amazing to the open minded. For professionals already in the game, I recommend looking into the Yamaha HS80s. Remember though, speakers that sound horrible to one person may sound exquisite to another. People say that the best way to test is going down to your local audio store and listening, but I didn't do it that way, and I'm still satisfied with my purchase. Don't worry so much about the people who will say that something else is way better, because there will always be better. I regretted buying these at first (someone told me I should have got the HS80s,) but after giving these a chance, I realized that I don't need anything else right now. The M-Audio BX5a monitors sound superb! Just make sure you buy a sub for a fuller musical experience! Good luck and happy listening!
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
exceptional sound for the money--especially when you take the time to set the different adjustments to suite your room. i have had my bx5's for awhile and was pretty happy with them. today i just recieved the SBX8 sub-woofer and together the system pretty well blows me away. i have e-drums, bass (including 5-string), guitars--all running through POD XTLive, synthesizer so i've just been playing around with everything and it's like they are brand new instruments to me because the Sub allows these speakers to do what they were really built for. i used to have to turn the level down when playing bass because you could really rattle the speakers but with the SBX taking all of the abuse these things really shine. with sub-woofer i would rate the sound as an 8.5
Feature:
the ability to tune them to your listening environment is really the only feature other than good drivers that you can ask for. ohh, the little blue light is a nice touch too.
Ease of Use:
plug them in, turn them on. of course to get the most out of them you should spend some time optimizing the eq functions on the back.
Quality:
mine have ripples in the vinyl that covers the box at the corners--not enough to cry about unless you are truely a perfectionist. also, one arrived with a tweeter dome collapsed--i used some scotch tape to pop it back out and it's been fine ever since. also, mine have been on since i bought them except for when i'm on vacation and no problems yet.
Value:
the pair are a pretty good value--add the sub-woofer and you've got a great monitoring system for $500.
Manufacturer Support:
i've dealt with M-audio support for other products and would say that they are pretty average.
The Wow Factor:
at the time i bought these there weren't many choices in this price range. i'm happy with them but i don't lust after them.
Overall:
i don't think i'll upgrade these until they break. if that happens i would consider M-Audio again--probably the 8".
3 of 6 people
(50%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
Very impressive power for a pair at this price. The Bass is much more powerful than the previous version BX5's. The tweeters have a silk covering and the speaker is made from Teflon.
Feature:
I do not understand why these monitors or any of these high end monitors for that fact do not have some type of grill or protective bracket for the tweeter and speaker. Why would you leave such a delicate material such as "silk" exposed like that. I'm affraid to move or handle these monitors for this reason.
Quality:
This thing needs a protective grill or bracket for the tweeter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Other than that the overall construction is good and durable.
Value:
Great quality for the price!
The Wow Factor:
The BX5's look better than these in my opinion
Overall:
I plan to keep this for many years
3 of 7 people
(42.86%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
They sound great, but . . .
Feature:
The features are what you would expect. Balanced XLR and 1/4" input.
Quality:
These things suck. Both of mine died out of warranty and I take extremely good care of all of my equipment. M-Audio would not budge on the the warranty, but wanted $100 a piece to fix them. The amps broke and just started buzzing on them, about 6 months apart from each other. Don't buy the new one's either, same thing.
Manufacturer Support:
I own a bunch of M-Audio stuff and thier support is awful. I have tried to call in for issues related to these broken monitors, and also for my Firewire 410. For the FW card, I just sat on hold for about 45 min and just gave up. They do have cheap, and sort of good products, but, in the end, M-Audio stuff is usually just not worth the savings.
5 of 7 people
(71.43%) found this review helpful. Did you?
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound:
I'm sure that professionals will not buy these monitors for their studios for various reasons, but for the rest of us (especially beginners), the sound quality on these is top notch. Not obtrusive in any way. Very flat and pleasant.
Feature:
Everything that you really need. XLR, 1/4 " inputs, and voltage switch, volume knob. Again, for the vast majority of people out there, these monitors have more than you really need.
Ease of Use:
Plug them in, turn them on, turn up the volume. Does it get easier?
Quality:
Very well built. Solid, heavy, and made with quality materials. If you take care of them, they're built better than you need. I do agree with some other reviewers though...could use some grills over the tweeter and woofer. I'm a lilttle hesitant to move them. But it would not deter me from buying these (obviously).
Value:
I got these for $250. At that price, they're a steal. At $299 they're a great deal. For what you get and the sound quality...buy them.
The Wow Factor:
Very sexy. Come on, kevlar woofers? Silk tweeters? They look great!
Overall:
I am satisfied. Granted, I am a novice and only record vocals and podcasts...but music and other recordings come through with detail that I have missed for all these years.
2 of 11 people
(18.18%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
Ive been shopping for monitors for a while and had a chance to listen to these tonight. I write experimental electronic music so Im looking for something with decent bass presence and a nice high end. What I found was almost no bass to speak of and a very mushy midrange. When compared to the KRK's I listened to later (in the same price range) there was a world of difference. I suppose it depends on what kind of music you are making and what kind of sound you are looking for, but for me M-audio just couldnt cut it.
3 of 11 people
(27.27%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
great!
Feature:
yeah
Ease of Use:
no hassle
Quality:
Both of mine are broken after a not uncommon Little "turbulence in my car trunk.
The problem is a frail sheet of aluminum(?) to which the super heavy magnet is attached (by 4 tiny screws) behind the coil.
What a piece of junk that sounded ephemerally great!
Value:
no
Manufacturer Support:
no
The Wow Factor:
sexy
Overall:
?
1 of 9 people
(11.11%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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