Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Active Multimedia Speakers - Best mp3 speakers site, right here

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T. Mannello “Luxuriously abundant minimalist” (Thousand Oaks CA) –

  

Oooh my Goodness are these speakers are spectacular. Once upon a time I wrote the longest review on Amazon ever comparing the Bose Companion 5′s with Klipsch THX and a set of Logitechs – all 2.1 speaker sets. The Bose Companion 5′s won out for their bright clarity, surround effect, rich bass etc. They pleased me immensely… for about a year. What I started noticing, across every set that I have since then tried, was that I just got tired of listening. Silence prevailed. Music that doesn’t sound amazing can only be tolerated for so long, especially if you’re not nuts about the song and I found that I could only take it in small bursts. I have now listened to probably 20 different ipod docks and self powered speaker solutions, have taken home 10, (and returned 7) and truly there is no sound quite as clear and perfect as these speakers.

I wanted to step it up from those first three units I tried and brought home three of what I thought would be the next top of the line contenders: AudioEngine’s A5bookshelf speakers, Focal’s 2.1 system with subwoofer, and the B&W MM-1s. I had them all connected for a week at the same time to my iMac via USB and stereo mini plug. Song by song, hour by hour I listened, and felt the music sitting, standing, dancing, working out. Sometimes I changed between the speakers several times within one song, back and forth, listening, feeling the following: Jazz like Diana Krall and Ray Charles, Rap like Fabolous and Missy Elliot, Oldies like Four Seasons and Elvis, R&B like Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera, tribal, dub, lounge like Thievery Corporation, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, soundtracks, musicals, classical, rock, Spanish Guitar like Ottmar Liebert, Spa music, a tiny tiny hint of country or Ozzy Osborn and even Disney soundtracks. I covered the spectrum I’d say. Nothing came close to the sound of the B&Ws.

Here’s what I found:
The AudioEngine A5′s are powerful. They deliver hard hitting bass and seem to be very clear – until you hear something better. Their application is more for a party if you ask me. Zero tolerance for low volumes and very boomy sounding compared to the rest… but I’d keep them if I had a different application- like maybe a pool party. The Focal’s – a $600 speaker system on the Apple site (much less on amazon) were also powerful and had a really really clean amazing sound… until you play the MM-1s and it sounds like someone is holding their hand up to the mouth of the artist as they try to push their voice through the other sounds. That and I realized I had other systems to do what this does.

Adjectives for the MM-1s: Brilliant, clear, perfection, balanced, desirable, delicious, pleasurable, shocking, powerful, harmonious…
I simply cannot get enough of these speakers.

A few fun facts:
- If you live in an apartment they have the added bonus of not disturbing your neighbors at loud volumes because there is no subwoofer yet the bass still cranks. You can listen louder and longer.

- I thought I had rediscovered music a year ago but this is not the case. Every other system to date, while it may have been able to go a little louder, or handle deeper bass, or give me that up-in-the-club-feeling, simply cannot give the detail, clarity of sound, spaciousness and all out deliciousness to listen to as these speakers do.

- I wanted to clear even more clutter from my desk and floor and lose the subwoofer from the Bose. This setup allows you to have 2 s m a l l, elegant, sexy speakers on your desk without any other clutter or unnecessary wires.

- They’re tuned specifically for up close listening and do sound best as such, but quality is not lost when filling the room with sound or standing 20 feet away

- The remote is a nice bonus and the volume control interacts with your full system volume so you’re not constantly adjusting speaker volume against computer volume- there is just one.

- This system has a built in DAC to make your sound soar

- Love that the remote is wireless! Why are wired remotes even made anymore.

- They do not distort at full volume- unless you have a poorly recorded piece of music

Bowers and Wilkins.
It’s important to remember who these people are (something I didn’t know when I bought the MM-1s) B&W are one of THE definitive heavy hitters. $2000 bookshelf speakers, $15,000 (and up) for floor standing speakers. Most of what we listen to is recorded on B&W equipment and so forth. This company knows sound and they deliver it masterfully – their goal being to deliver exactly what the artist intended without any adjustments.

They decimate the competition.

If you looooove rap and hip-hop, R&B and pop as I do you will *think* you want the other set that pumps more deep bass and maybe goes a little louder. You will…

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Michael J. Anderson “pharmer” (Minneapolis, MN USA) –

  

If you can afford these speakers, treat yourself. The sound is beyond anything I’ve heard from computer speakers. I think the built-in DAC adds significantly to the sound quality. You will notice a difference if you run audio into the aux in jack vs. the USB; the USB connection is far superior because it utilizes the DAC. These B&Ws aren’t cheap, but if you have an ear for quality, you will appreciate them. I also own the Bose Companion 3 speakers, which are fabulous. However, the B&Ws offer far superior detail.

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Mmmm.

Perspective. I’m spoiled. And possibly a loon. For years I’ve been buying nicer and nicer “computer speakers” for games (and beeps). Next to them are a pair of 20 year old B&W Silver Signatures (amped by a Sonos ZonePlayer, please no purist hate mail, it’s pretty good, really) (for music).

A few weeks ago the latest incarnation (Creative GigaWorks T40.2) suddenly started emitting a sound rather like an astronaut’s popcorn machine. Four days after the 1-year warrantee ran out, it turns out.

One prodigal moment of retail therapy later, I had ordered a pair of MM1′s.

I should probably point out that after a week or so of emails back and forth, Creative decided to replace the T40s after all. Rather gracious, really.

And now, a few days later, I’ve been listening to the MM1s for a couple of hours. They’re freakishly nice. I think computer speakers are done. These are they. If you can afford them, buy them. Presumably if you can afford ridiculous toys like this then your time is worth rather a lot too. Don’t spend any more of that on this topic.

I even tried comparing them to the Silver Sigs. Miraculously the MM1s are … ok, well, they’re not as good. Apparently I got a bit caught up in the moment. But maybe that’s the point; they inspire delusions of grandeur.

They also get perfect marks when it comes to “logistics”. They’re small. They carry around their own amps and DACs. No subwoofer cube under the desk. They take a digital (USB) signal, so you don’t have to listen to your hard drive motor. And they look sharp, without looking Apple.

Although I just might be starting to tire of blue LEDs.

And Dragon Age and StarCraft sound great. Just cranked up the audio channels to max and sat in the cantina listening to other people stirring their drinks. Lovely.

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