Alesis M1 Active 320 USB | Full-Range Studio Monitor Desktop Speakers with Bass Boost (Pair)

Call me easily impressed, but I just got these babies tonightand plugged 'em right in to my HP notebook, switched over to themas primary sound device, two seconds install, and they are phenomenalas far as I'm concerned. I'm sure they'll require some burn-in time,but man, for a budget pair of USB monitors, or even just to use asa pair of primary PC speakers for everyday usage, these obviously rock!Yeah, the bass might not be overpowering but they sound tight as hell, clean,transparent, and have that crystal clarity that a good pair of monitorsshould have. They are compact, reasonably light although the right speakerthe primary controller one, has a bit of weight to it, but they fit injust fine on my smaller PC desk no problem. I'll come back later on herein a month and see if the sound has burnished in or not. But so far, I'msuper impressed with these Alesis monitors and would recommend them withno reservation to anybody trying to build a small home studio, or hobbyists,or just anybody that wants some solid and pro.-level home audio systemfor their PC, or old-school setup, or whatever it might be. They are attractive,compact, well-designed, easy to use, and the packaging and instructions/documentationare well-executed and well-thought out.The USB is what sold me on these particular speakers: so useful, fast setup,and no software hassles to speak of as long you are using a reasonablyrecent PC or MAC or whatever your machine might be. Plug 'em in, plug the USB in,and the interconnect L/R speakers and you are off and running! You do nothave to be an audio engineer to use these and enjoy immediately. Which just rocks,what can I say. Your average home theater system is a lot more complex thanthese, that's for sure. They also have PLENTY of power...for a small room it'sdoubtful you'll ever turn the main knob up past say, 12 or 1 o'clock, the poweris that massive. And mind you we're talking about monitors with what, a 3"woofer and small tweeters, basic 2-way setup? Alesis has hit a home run here,methinks. I'm sure their top of the line would be better, but if you want tospend $500-2000 go ahead. Not necessary unless you are doing absolute pro. workand need the top shelf pro. models. Otherwise these will kick your arse!One thing that strikes me about these is in a small room like I'm using them in,the punch and clarity and sheer impact is so concentrated, who the hell needsa massive subwoofer! And, the bass extension switch really does add a niceextra bass punch, and it's not muddy at all to my ears thus far. So they deliverwhat Alesis promises, a rare thing in pro. audio these days. A lot of new headphonesfor example do not deliver what they promise performance-wise, but these monitorsdo for sure. If you want to hear your music with total punch and clarity andtransparency, these should be at the top of your home recording/listening shopping list!

There are a lot of cheap 3"monitors to choose from these days. And the reality is that speaker technology today far exceeds that of my youth. The sound that comes out of small boxes today is truly impressive. That said, how do you decide?I have had a few sets of small monitors. My job requires them. I have had Mackie CR3s, - a fun speaker that is ultimately not very good for monitoring. I have had monoprice - incredibly flat but with poor reliability. I have tested AV32s, as well. At this price point, there are always trade offs. Many are good, but none great. In the end you may decide to buy based on features as the deciding factor as there is no perfect speaker at any price, let alone a C note. That said, where does this set land?I overly stressed and critiqued and reviewed small monitors knowing the above truths. In the end,I bought these Alesis based on size, a volume knob that doubles as a power knob (a must in my book) and the added flexibility of USB - though admittedly, I don't use it - yet anyway. But I really got more than I bargained for. These are truly little gems in terms of acoustic acumen, too. There response is incredibly smooth and linear while still managing to have sparkling highs that are lively but never harsh. They have a great vocal range without either the dreaded u shaped sound signature, or overly efficient and resonant and forward mids - both common in speakers this size. And if you want to make sure the bass isn't getting out of hand on larger systems, flip the bass boost. Unlike others, this boost works well within its range without too much muddiness - just a pleasant and present bottom end. I actually leave it on all the time - it's a bit exaggerated as expected, but keeps my audio tracks from getting too boomy. It is more accurate with it off, but still a useful tool. The only sonic downside is their of axis response. It is pretty terrible. The sweet spot is super sweet but terribly small and hard to achieve in a work desk environment. I guess those wave guides around tweeters help out more than I was want to admit... Get the speakers up and pointed at your ear holes to be truly impressed. Otherwise, just good.One other small thing - the 1/8th inch aux plug is in the back of these cabinets instead of in the front. I see this is a extremely minor infraction for two reasons: they have a superior USB interface, and I just leave a small cable plugged into the back and running to the front door when u want to plug in an aux source. That way the cord is always at the ready, but hidden as well (if need be.)Pros:Smaller than other 3"cabinetsLinear responseDynamicLively highsnatural tonal rangeUseful bass boostLoud with minimal distortion at peakPrecise sound stageUSB interfaceVolume/power knob comboDetachable power cordCons:Terrible off axis response/Minuscule sweet spotTacky product badging

Realmente se adaptan para la producción musical y masterización básica, son buenos y muy accesibles por el precio.Se adaptan a cualquier equipo y tanto la función usb como conectarlo a un interface, da la misma resonancia clara y audible.

these are exactly what I needed for myself thanks a lot

Pour compléter mon interface Audio Yamaha AG03 et respecter un rapport Qualité/Prix équivalent.Absolument conforme aux promesses décrites.Je recommande vivement.

Se espera de Alesis productos que correspondan con el renombre de la marca y no estas cajas de malísima calidad.El sonido que producen esta bocinas es de muy baja calidad para ser anunciadas como monitores para estudio.Existen mejores bocinas en el mercado de Avid o Mackie con precios similares y que superan por mucho la calidad del material con que están hechas y producen mejor sonido que estas bocinas Alesis.

Son et connectique surprenant pour un très faible encombrement. L'enceinte de droite fait office d'interface audio pour un enregistrement directement dans votre PC.