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M-Audio DX4 Active Nearfield Monitors
Brings high-fidelity to desktop monitoring. Perfect for desktop music, games and DVDs. Front-panel volume control.
"excellent value, brilliant sounds"
Feature:
phono to 1/4 inch jack included for instant use (until i got my new pro sound card where i just used the phono sockets with no convertor) the sub and tweeter are effective and i think that because theres no cages on it you get a slightly better sound. luckily for me i read on the internet about being careful getting them out of the box and i have had no problems since.
Quality:
the solid mdf type material definately makes these monitors quite strong. the only problem is the speakers subs n tweeters could be pressed in by accident, however i have never had that problem :D
Value:
excellent value, i got mine for £105, about $210, and im very pleased with them, although i know people who have got them for £50, that £105 has been the best £105 i have spent on summin
Desirability:
they look great, give excellent sounds, are cheap, solid and well worth paying cash for
Sound:
theses are great, i have had mine for about 2 months now and they have given me great results time and time again. I produce hard dance/trance/techno/hardcore professionally and as i didnt have too much of my budget left i decided i would give these a try.Obviously as i produce music with a great amount of bass i need to be able to hear it clearly and these monitors give me just that... when i bought them i thought they would be bigger, i got them out of the box a bit dissapointed, but i was soon suprised at the excellent wuality of these
Ease of Use:
plug them in, turn them on, and done.... easy enough to use, and has a mid boost button on the back....
Support:
m-audio are a great company, i have had to contact them over previous purchases and they have been excellent
Overall:
i am going to use these for years to come,i havent had a problem at all with these and they have been perfect
phono to 1/4 inch jack included for instant use (until i got my new pro sound card where i just used the phono sockets with no convertor) the sub and tweeter are effective and i think that because theres no cages on it you get a slightly better sound. luckily for me i read on the internet about being careful getting them out of the box and i have had no problems since.
Quality:
the solid mdf type material definately makes these monitors quite strong. the only problem is the speakers subs n tweeters could be pressed in by accident, however i have never had that problem :D
Value:
excellent value, i got mine for £105, about $210, and im very pleased with them, although i know people who have got them for £50, that £105 has been the best £105 i have spent on summin
Desirability:
they look great, give excellent sounds, are cheap, solid and well worth paying cash for
Sound:
theses are great, i have had mine for about 2 months now and they have given me great results time and time again. I produce hard dance/trance/techno/hardcore professionally and as i didnt have too much of my budget left i decided i would give these a try.Obviously as i produce music with a great amount of bass i need to be able to hear it clearly and these monitors give me just that... when i bought them i thought they would be bigger, i got them out of the box a bit dissapointed, but i was soon suprised at the excellent wuality of these
Ease of Use:
plug them in, turn them on, and done.... easy enough to use, and has a mid boost button on the back....
Support:
m-audio are a great company, i have had to contact them over previous purchases and they have been excellent
Overall:
i am going to use these for years to come,i havent had a problem at all with these and they have been perfect
"Perfect for the price, BE CAREFUL NOT TO POKE THE TWEETERS!"
Feature:
These DO have 1/4" inputs (contrary to another reviewer's claim -did he review the wrong product?) bal/unbal, RCA inputs, a mid-boost switch (not sure why, i keep it off) It's own volume control and 1/8" headphone out which bypasses the speakers. I wish it had a mute or a toggle between cans & speakers, but eh. It's got all the ins & outs you need in this price range.
Quality:
They are really good at being what they are. Just watch out you don't poke the tweeter cone in.
Value:
This is it for the price as far as i know
Desirability:
compact, good sound, good price, cute little speakers. The blue LED could go though. i put tape over mine.
Sound:
Sounds accurate. Sounds great for the price.
Ease of Use:
Plug them in, hook up included speaker wire, plug in your input source and you're done. I only give them a 9 because IT'S VERY EASY TO PUT YOUR THUMB THROUGH THE TWEETER WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF THE BOX! the master speaker that has the amp in it is much heavier than the passive sattelite so you may be surprised and re-grip instinctively thereby pushing the tweeter cone in like a "diet, cola, other" button. This happened to everyone i know who owns these. Be careful. But they still sound fine. (!)
Support:
never used it
Overall:
just what i wanted, except for that easily poke-able tweeter on the active side.
These DO have 1/4" inputs (contrary to another reviewer's claim -did he review the wrong product?) bal/unbal, RCA inputs, a mid-boost switch (not sure why, i keep it off) It's own volume control and 1/8" headphone out which bypasses the speakers. I wish it had a mute or a toggle between cans & speakers, but eh. It's got all the ins & outs you need in this price range.
Quality:
They are really good at being what they are. Just watch out you don't poke the tweeter cone in.
Value:
This is it for the price as far as i know
Desirability:
compact, good sound, good price, cute little speakers. The blue LED could go though. i put tape over mine.
Sound:
Sounds accurate. Sounds great for the price.
Ease of Use:
Plug them in, hook up included speaker wire, plug in your input source and you're done. I only give them a 9 because IT'S VERY EASY TO PUT YOUR THUMB THROUGH THE TWEETER WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF THE BOX! the master speaker that has the amp in it is much heavier than the passive sattelite so you may be surprised and re-grip instinctively thereby pushing the tweeter cone in like a "diet, cola, other" button. This happened to everyone i know who owns these. Be careful. But they still sound fine. (!)
Support:
never used it
Overall:
just what i wanted, except for that easily poke-able tweeter on the active side.
"A Textbook Case of Studiophilia"
Feature:
Although they come with TRS jacks, a digital optical jack would have been infinitely more useful. My G5 seems to have a slightly noisy analog output (1/8"), but does have an optical for the asking. Similar speakers by Edirol, Roland and others have managed to include optical at roughly the same cost per pair. I think M-Audio could have made the relatively inexpensive leap, opening up the possiblity of 2 inputs (!) This would be handy for listening to my Mac output, and switching to another source such as my Playstation, or a direct mixer feed. Still, it didn't talk me out of them.
Quality:
These are solid, good-looking and feel like pro-grade components. The logo decal seems a little cheap. Barring my accidentally kicking in the woofers (there are no grills), these ought to last forever...of course, these are near-field, small monitors, so too much pre-amped signal could do them some damage, but most computers and small mixers shouldn't be a problem for them.
Value:
Seem like a good value sound-wise, but could use that optical input.
Sound:
My first listen to these monitors was with them on my desktop (with about 4 feet of separation, two feet in front of me). I hooked them up to the 1/8" output of my G5, and previewed some mp3s and aifs from iTunes. The highs and mids came across with great clarity and separation, even at high volume...but the lows, particularly the low-lows were virtually nonexistent until I did a fairly extreme eq tweek in iTunes. Even with the tweek, however, I wasn't satisfied and became a little dismayed (resulting in several chimp-like facial contortions). Then I realized that M-Audio placed the resonator holes on the back of the speakers...as my desk is about 6 feet from the wall of my studio, I thought I'd try them against the wall (with about 3 inches of space behind). Voila! Big, fat, punchy bass! It's really quite a different listening experience altogether. If you have a wall - use it.
Support:
Have not dealt with M-Audio, but I have dealt with their former brand, Midiman. Super folks who once let me come get a midi gadget from them directly when the stores had run out.
Although they come with TRS jacks, a digital optical jack would have been infinitely more useful. My G5 seems to have a slightly noisy analog output (1/8"), but does have an optical for the asking. Similar speakers by Edirol, Roland and others have managed to include optical at roughly the same cost per pair. I think M-Audio could have made the relatively inexpensive leap, opening up the possiblity of 2 inputs (!) This would be handy for listening to my Mac output, and switching to another source such as my Playstation, or a direct mixer feed. Still, it didn't talk me out of them.
Quality:
These are solid, good-looking and feel like pro-grade components. The logo decal seems a little cheap. Barring my accidentally kicking in the woofers (there are no grills), these ought to last forever...of course, these are near-field, small monitors, so too much pre-amped signal could do them some damage, but most computers and small mixers shouldn't be a problem for them.
Value:
Seem like a good value sound-wise, but could use that optical input.
Sound:
My first listen to these monitors was with them on my desktop (with about 4 feet of separation, two feet in front of me). I hooked them up to the 1/8" output of my G5, and previewed some mp3s and aifs from iTunes. The highs and mids came across with great clarity and separation, even at high volume...but the lows, particularly the low-lows were virtually nonexistent until I did a fairly extreme eq tweek in iTunes. Even with the tweek, however, I wasn't satisfied and became a little dismayed (resulting in several chimp-like facial contortions). Then I realized that M-Audio placed the resonator holes on the back of the speakers...as my desk is about 6 feet from the wall of my studio, I thought I'd try them against the wall (with about 3 inches of space behind). Voila! Big, fat, punchy bass! It's really quite a different listening experience altogether. If you have a wall - use it.
Support:
Have not dealt with M-Audio, but I have dealt with their former brand, Midiman. Super folks who once let me come get a midi gadget from them directly when the stores had run out.
"low budget have to have"
Feature:
for the price it gives you what you need
Quality:
years havent had a prob with
Value:
if you on a low budget deffintley recommend getting these
Desirability:
they look nice but would look nicer if they were bigger
Sound:
for the size they are real nice had them for few years already and i love them
Ease of Use:
just get your 1/4 trs and plugged them to the mpc hooked up both speakers and they were good to go
Support:
ill leave it 10 because i havent need to contact them
Overall:
overall i think they are the best for the price
for the price it gives you what you need
Quality:
years havent had a prob with
Value:
if you on a low budget deffintley recommend getting these
Desirability:
they look nice but would look nicer if they were bigger
Sound:
for the size they are real nice had them for few years already and i love them
Ease of Use:
just get your 1/4 trs and plugged them to the mpc hooked up both speakers and they were good to go
Support:
ill leave it 10 because i havent need to contact them
Overall:
overall i think they are the best for the price
"Accurate budget monitors for the fledgling studio."
Feature:
Having the standard balaned TRS inputs is nice, but XLR or even digital input would be better.
Quality:
M-Audio has always made high quality products, this is no exception.
Value:
For the money, these speakers are great. If I had it to do all over again, I might spend a little more money.
Sound:
Great small monitors for the price. Nice flat sound, good separation with mids and highs. Low end is a little weak, and drops off precipitously at around 80-100hz. Not good if you're expecting a lot of bass. I use these for mixing live perfomances of acoustic instruments, so no problem there.
Support:
Never had any problems contacting them with this, or other products. If you need a helping hand, these are the folks to use.
Having the standard balaned TRS inputs is nice, but XLR or even digital input would be better.
Quality:
M-Audio has always made high quality products, this is no exception.
Value:
For the money, these speakers are great. If I had it to do all over again, I might spend a little more money.
Sound:
Great small monitors for the price. Nice flat sound, good separation with mids and highs. Low end is a little weak, and drops off precipitously at around 80-100hz. Not good if you're expecting a lot of bass. I use these for mixing live perfomances of acoustic instruments, so no problem there.
Support:
Never had any problems contacting them with this, or other products. If you need a helping hand, these are the folks to use.
"Definitely exposed the problems in my mixes and well worth the price"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:The included 1/8inch to RCA cable (used to attach sound card to speaker inputs) is far too short to be of any use at all.
Quality:
Cabinets could probably withstand a missile attack. It's a problem that the speaker cones are so unprotected though I'm told so-called real monitors don't put anything in the path of the sound. I was lucky I actually read the warning in the manual to keep thumbs away from the front of speakers when unpacking. It would have been very easy to put thumbs through the cones and I'm considering a small force field or electric fence to keep pets and kids away.
Value:
I paid under $200USD; every other so-called professional reference monitor I could find (local stores and mail order) was at least $350USD. I'm keeping a close eye on them after reading other reviews here saying they died in 2-3 weeks time but so far, one week after buying, I cannot find anything to complain about.
Desirability:
They've got a somewhat "cool techno but we mean business" look. Biggest imp-act is when your friends hear the sound that come out of them and start looking around for your "real" speakers.
Sound:
These monitors do exactly what more experienced producers told me was critical in mixing music. I get back exactly what I put into them; "a flat response across the spectrum", as they say. Was able to solve a lot of the annoying, perplexing problems that plagued my mixes by finally being able to HEAR problems like muddy sounds around 300-500Hz, missing midrange in final mix because cheaper monitors exaggerated what came out of my sound card. Only criticism is they tend to be a bit bassy if you don't get them up and away from your desk with speaker stands. Also makes a huge difference if you follow the placement instructions EXACTLY (equilateral triangle at ear level)
Ease of Use:
So far these live up to the reputation they had -- I get back the sounds I put into them. Anything wrong in my mixes; it's my fault now, not the fault of the cruddy monitors I was using before, with all their unrealistic "enhancements" to midrange frequencies.
Support:
This is the first M-Audio product I've purchased other than some accessory cables and such from the local store. They've got a good rep and these live up to it, though I'm a bit dismayed to see they're manufactured in China when adverts clearly give the impression of "quality European/American engineering".
Overall:
I looked carefully at the reviews of the DX-3, a less expensive product in this line, and went with the DX-4 because owners of both consistently rated this as a real entry-level pro reference monitor while the 3 appealed more to computer gamers and the MP3 download crowd. I took that to mean the 3 enhanced or altered the signal sent to it by my sound card, and this was exactly what I DIDN'T want. If I can get several good years out of these I'll count myself lucky to have this good a sound at such a low price.
"Tiny, tinny and of questionable quality"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:ok
Quality:
The righ speaker on mine began shorting out a month or so after receiving the monitors. I have to fiddle with the headphone jack repeatedly in order to get the speaker to work. Curveballls thrown by life prevented me from following up with return and repair before the warranty period was up, so I am stuck with these tiny, tinny, defective speakers.
Value:
nc
Sound:
Disappointed in this product. But you get what you pay for. These are inexpensive, small and I am kicking myself for not spending more for some larger monitors. If you are recording and trying to get a mix down, these speakers will make your life difficult. I do a preliminary mix on these monitors, burn the track to a disk then take it to my stereo system to get a more accurate reading on the sound.
Ease of Use:
ok
Support:
nc
Overall:
I was dissatisfied with this product from day one, then really displeased within a month or so when one speaker began shorting out on me.
"Tiny in sound as well as in stature. Beware quality issues."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:I like the built-in headphone jack
Quality:
My monitors short out on a daily basis. I have to repeatedly stick a mini plug in and out of my headphone jack to defeat the short. Simply pounding on the table on which they sit is enough to short them out. This defect happened without any mis handling and within months of my purchase (due to some personal crisises, I was unable to get them shipped back for warranty repair - yes, I know this is MY problem - but they are defective nonetheless).
Value:
If they work, they are a decent low cost alternative, but I'd suggest saving your money and getting some larger monitors.
Desirability:
n/c
Sound:
You get what you pay for. These are 4" speakers and really hold little of the girth required to monitor your mixes. Tinny and bland.
Ease of Use:
What's so hard about using a speaker?
Support:
I inquired about my problem with some specific questions, but got only some canned answers and an invitation to return them for evaluation.
"Not good for mixing!"
Feature:
Missing 1/4" inputs - only has RCA R/L or stereo 1/8". Only one amp for 2 speakers instead of 2 amps.
Quality:
Not exactly what you'd expect from a "Professional Desktop Monitoring System." Sound fidelity was generally poor. Fairly cheaply made in general.
Value:
These are pretty inexpensive so value is relatively high. Like I said they're probably great for listening to iTunes or gaming just not for mixing.
Desirability:
Spend just a little more and get some decent studio monitors.
Sound:
Make sure you read the description - these are basically glorified computer speakers. They are most definitely NOT accurate studio reference monitors. I've tried using them for mixing GarageBand songs and they're very bassy. Mixes I made on these monitors sound very different (meaning terrible) on other music systems or with good headphones.
Ease of Use:
Very easy to use.
Overall:
I suffered with mine for around 6 months of use before I gave them to my little brother. I'm mixing with headphones while searching for new monitors.
Missing 1/4" inputs - only has RCA R/L or stereo 1/8". Only one amp for 2 speakers instead of 2 amps.
Quality:
Not exactly what you'd expect from a "Professional Desktop Monitoring System." Sound fidelity was generally poor. Fairly cheaply made in general.
Value:
These are pretty inexpensive so value is relatively high. Like I said they're probably great for listening to iTunes or gaming just not for mixing.
Desirability:
Spend just a little more and get some decent studio monitors.
Sound:
Make sure you read the description - these are basically glorified computer speakers. They are most definitely NOT accurate studio reference monitors. I've tried using them for mixing GarageBand songs and they're very bassy. Mixes I made on these monitors sound very different (meaning terrible) on other music systems or with good headphones.
Ease of Use:
Very easy to use.
Overall:
I suffered with mine for around 6 months of use before I gave them to my little brother. I'm mixing with headphones while searching for new monitors.
"read reivews before buying"
Feature:
these are basic monitors no more no less
Quality:
i thought it was great well i guess i learned my lesson do a little reasearch before actualy buying the prodduct
Sound:
this product was great until they blew up about 3weeks after buying them
Ease of Use:
it great until they give out
these are basic monitors no more no less
Quality:
i thought it was great well i guess i learned my lesson do a little reasearch before actualy buying the prodduct
Sound:
this product was great until they blew up about 3weeks after buying them
Ease of Use:
it great until they give out
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