Customer Reviews

M-Audio StudioPro 3 Desktop Audio Monitors

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I've been listening to a wide variety of music on these audio monitors for about a week (from rock to classical, studio to live recordings, acoustic to electronica) . I have them placed about 30 inches apart and about 24-36 inches in front of me (depending on how I'm sitting). They are hooked up to my Powerbook using a 3.5mm to RCA cable.

I would describe the bass as being "tight", meaning it doesn't trail off into a deep rumble that you feel in your bones. The bass is just enough so that you notice it's there, but not so much that it rattles the windows in your house. The bass is more accurate than overpowering. The bass boost does what it says, however it still won't reach those really low frequencies. If you're looking for that deep booming thump to fill a room, I would recommend getting a 2.1 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. But if you're looking for clear sounding bass around 100Hz and will be sitting within a few feet of the speakers, these will suit you just fine.

Treble and mid-range are crystal clear, even at louder volumes. So clear in fact that it will bring out the compressions artifacts (clips, pops, warbles) of poorly encoded mp3's even at 128kbps. Stereo channel separation between the speakers is very good. You will hear distinct instrument placement and nuances that you may not have heard before on typical computer speakers (depending on the source material).

Few things I wish were different on these monitors: Bass reflex ports on the front instead of rear, variable bass control, visible indicator on the volume knob, louder headphone output.

Aside from these minor gripes, the StudioPro 3 is a solidly built product that produces rich sounds. Recommended to those who are producing their own home recordings or looking to upgrade from their tinny computer speakers.

Before I bought the SP 3, I had also considered the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 speakers. Though they sounded good, the bass on the SP 3 sounded better to me as well as the clarity at lower volumes. Also, the Klipsch requires a heavy power brick, whereas the SP 3 has no external power brick. And the SP 3 was $15 cheaper, so it was a better overall value in my opinion.

The previous review says a lot, and I agree with what is said. I also considered the Klipsch, but read some so-so reviews on it. Personally I like things crisp, clear, and hate distortion in the music. I like Bass, and thumping Bass, but not all the time, it can give you a headache after not very long. These Speakers you can listen to all day, and NOT feel audibly fatigued.
They have Bass, but just like other reviews have said, it's tight and you can actually hear different tones in the low end. Mids stand out well, and I don't think the highs are tinny. For not very much money at all, you can hear ALL of the music. If you want loud music with lots of Bass, you should be hooking the other channels of your sound card up to your stereo, as I do.

If you search the internet for "m-audio" and "studiopro 3" you will find that I am not the only person that noticed that the right channel is much quieter than the left channel. If you do not have a balance control on your player you will probably not be happy with these speakers. I bought these specifically for mixing but with without an external balance control they can't be used for that purpose. I purchased a Sennheiser HZR-62 Stereo Volume Control from Amazon which is a simple in line balance/volume control to keep on my desktop... problem solved.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews, because of them I purchased these speakers and am totally satisfied. My ear is not trained, knowledgeable, or refined, and many of the reviews were over my head. All I knew is that I have trouble enjoying music when there is too much bass (so I did not purchase the more expensive M-Audios) and that I was not enjoying listening to iTunes on my iMac. These speakers are wonderful, I can hear the highs and lows and all the small wonderful in-between things. I recommend them without hesitation. If you are sitting at your computer dissatisfied with the quality of the music you purchased, DVD's you are playing, or TV shows you are watching - these are what you need! And, if you are like me and your hearing is getting a bit "blurred," these are the most wonderful thing that can happen to your ears to make them feel young. As I write this I am listening to Tab Benoit's new album, Power of the Ponchartrain, and I can actually hear the Triangle in the background - it's been a long time. Buy and enjoy, you won't regret.

I've tested a number of speakers for there different areas: Living Room, Office, and my Desk at Home.

After trying (and returning a number of well reviewed choices) I settled on the following:

Desk at Home - M-Audio StudioPro 3 Desktop Audio Monitors
These simply have the best sound and imaging of everything I tried except the higher end M-Audio reference speakers. No MP3 is going to sound ever as good as a CD through a component stereo(or an LP, but don't get me started). But I am amazed at the quality of these speakers. They wouldn;t have the power to fill a living room, or even an office. By the time you're 6'-8' away from them, the imaging settles out a bit. But for your desk or as satellite speakers for a TV that didn't come with great ones already, they are perfect. They are a little bigger than many desktop speakers overall, but since many desktop speakers are oddly shaped with leaning towers and wide stands, they actually don;t take up as much more footprint comparatively. The volume and headphone jack and aux in are all on one of the speakers, very handy for access and for plugging in your iPod at your desk. I tried several of the higher end M-Audio speakers, and while I found them to be even better with more power and clarity, it just wasn't enough better to justify the additional size and expense.

Living Room - Logitech Z-2300 THX-Certified 200-Watt 2.1 Speaker System
This system had the best overall power of everything I tried. Everything else sounds good when you're close enough to the speakers, but as you move away it gets pretty weak. For the living room you definitely need a 2.1 system. Even the M-Audio StudioPro 3 Desktop Audio Monitors, which seem the be the best of the 2 speaker systems couldn't handle a real room. As mentioned in a number of other reviews, the subwoofer unit is larger than others out there. I expect that's part of the reason these have good power. Make sure you've got a good place to hide it. Sound is very good comparatively. Nothing is going to sound like a real 200w component stereo, but this comes pretty close. I find that the imaging, or perceptual soundstage is a little lacking, not as clearly defined as with the JBL Creature II 3-Piece Powered Speaker System or the M-Audio Studio 3. This got better when I added 6' RCA cable extenders to the satellite speaker wires which allowed me to separate the satellites a bit. But still not great. The volume knob thing is nice, and it's nice to have both volume and bass adjustment handy. I guess you could have easily put the controls on one of the satellites like everyone else though. The headphone jack on the volume control seems pointless to me, but maybe you'll like it. What I wish was that you could have an aux input on the volume thing to plug in your ipod or something else.

Office - JBL Creature II 3-Piece Powered Speaker System
These 2.1 speakers don't have the total power of the Logitech Z-2300, but they have much clearer and better imaging. Since my office is smaller than my living room, and shares a wall with someone, I don't need as much power. These were perfect. The high end is crisp, and the subwoofer clean. The volume control on the satellites is handy, but the bass adjustment is on the subwoofer. I thought this would be an issue, but you actually kind of set it and monkey with it a bit in the beginning, and then leave it alone. The satellites are much smaller than the Logitech and less cheesy looking, which makes them nicer on your desk. I have to say again how killer the sound is. Imaging is great, and it's crazy how they manage to do it with those tiny satellites.

There you have it. Enjoy

Michael Peachey

I bought one pair and the right speaker was distorted. I am an audiophile nerdy in enough ways so I tested various outputs... all that stuff before returning it. I actually held onto it while they sent a replacement, so that I could just plug in the right speaker of the new system. It too was distorted! I eventually replaced the whole thing. Still... distortion.

I'm just saying if you are a musician and you think you are saving a penny... these won't work for you.

I mean, if you listen to classical music it will (should) make you want to punch yourself in the face.

Otherwise, I suppose they are ok expensive computer speakers. I'm mad because if that distortion weren't there the rest of the spectrum and the referencing is great.

I sent an email to m-audio and received no response (two weeks ago), and have been on hold for the past 40 minutes (c'mon people) with their customer support. Not good.

What are the chances that I received two in a million defective products?

I can't believe no one has mentioned the crackly distortion in the upper range. Impossible to listen to any clean music, classical or other wise. If you listen to rock (which I also do) you might not notice.

Totally unacceptable as "monitors"

These seem to be solid, honest speakers. They won't win any design contests. (They look pretty solemn next to my iMac).
The very highest and lowest may be thin but, for my use as computer speakers, they are fine. They are more than accurate enough to reveal the difference in various compression ratios. The bass is tight and controlled. I can see how these may not be 'boomy' enough for some gamers. The high-end is lacking slightly to my preferences but, the sound is not taxing on the ears.
There are minimal controls: A on/off Volume Control and a Bass boost switch. ....that's it. I do appreciate the aux. input and headphone jack. And, I like not having to deal with a sub-woofer.

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Horrendously amateur video review. Enjoy!

I read the reviews here before buying them locally. I noted the reviews observing the defects of a crackly - distorted right channel, and reduced volume in the right channel. I figured after several months, and geography of distribution would have eliminated the chance of me getting a defective set. I was wrong. Same problem, distorted right channel and reduced volume (as measured with a sound level meter, down about 2 db) right out of the box. Exchanged for a second set, same problem!

The store staff were obviously annoyed at my returns, but it wasn't my fault. Their display set was defective too, but they just buried their heads in the sand and refunded my credit card. I don't blame them, 3 defective speaker sets they have to return to their distributor, or lose money on.

I'm very disappointed, as the speakers have good build quality, and had good sound at low levels (when not distorting).

M-Audio needs to monitor their Chinese manufacturing plant(s) for quality control, or their business will suffer, especially with products marketed to professionals. These are not aimed at the cheapie plastic toy computer speaker market.

I filed a polite trouble ticket on their website, so at least they know they have a run of defective product, and can solve the problem.

Okay, so I've been planning to buy these monitors for a long time and I finally got the money to get them. I read all the reviews, disregarded the ones that mentioned problems because I figured those individuals just got lemons. Well.... I guess Im a lemon head because Im sitting here listening to one amazingly sounding good speaker, while the other cracks and punches if I can even hear it at all. Im so mad that it hurts. These speaker(s) sound awesome, at least the one with the amp in it (left), hence the reason I provided two stars. But the fact that the right speaker doesnt work is really disappointing. I was really looking forward to making music on these, but I cant even listen to my cds right now because the cracking and going in and out is so annoying. Please M-AUDIO, fix these speakers!!!!! Theres no reason why they should be doing this.

Basically, my advice to everyone, do not buy these speakers. Unfortunately they are flawed, and I will return these and maybe get the Studiophile AV-20's. Lets hope they work!