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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tremendous value, Incredible sound, May 10, 2009
This review is from: Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight) (Electronics)
I needed a set of stereo speakers that would fit and look good in my bedroom. Sub-woofer was not an option because of space and wife acceptance factor considerations. The need was to upgrade the poor sounding system that came with my value 37" Vizio LCD TV.
I considered Audioengine 5's or 2's, but their size and price was not acceptable. My third runner up was M-Audio Studiophile AV40's but was a little too big still. My second runner up was the Creative T-40s. Then I found these (Boston Acoustics MM220) for an astonishing $38 (now $33)!
I went to the local Fry's store and saw the T40's. They are larger than the MM220s (probably because the T40's have the transformer inside). I liked both the T-40's and the MM220's, but my wife unfortunately did not think much of the T-40's. Furthermore, the T-40's online and in the store were 4X pricier then the MM220s (online).
THE TRANSFORMER: Contrary to what some reviewers say, I find the "brick" transformer highly desirable. It is a rule of thumb in audio amplifiers that the larger and heavier the transformer, the better the sound (specially class A/B ones). So the size and weight of the transformer was a good indication. Furthermore, the transformer is MUCH SMALLER than a decent sub-woofer. I had no problems hiding the transformer under my bedroom's furniture (commode). Obviously having the transformer outside the speaker, allows for a smaller design. And in fact, the MM220's occupy less square footage than the competition. Therefore I picked the MM220's.
SOUND: At $33-$38 (even at $99) you will find a hard time finding a better 2.0 stand alone system if you want the smallest form factor and decent sound. As a reference I have in my living room a Yamaha HTR-6160 (aka RX-V663) powering a 5.1 Mirage nanosat system. I have also auditioned Martin Logans, all sorts of Klipsch speakers, B&W systems, Polks, Infinity, Definitive, Energy, higher end Mirage (OMD-15s, OmniSats, Prestiges) ... you named it. These MM220 will not be superior to my 5.1 system nor any of the above mentioned systems. But for a small bedroom, the MM220 @ the price range, will give any of the above a run for their money. I also auditioned low end computer speakers from Logitec and Insignia (Best Buy), and they definitively sounded low end (really boxy and lacking mid-range, i.e. probably an upgrade to laptop speakers that cut off at 300 Hz, but most TV speakers would likely sound better)
As far as the MM220 is concerned, the sound is not fatiguing nor does it distort at high volumes. They obviously cannot be as loud as some the above systems, but they can be loud enough so my wife hears my music clearly all the way to the kitchen. The bass is good enough to cover well most of the audible range (including percussion and bass instruments clearly and distinctivley). Note that very similar products by Philips (MMS 321 and 322) claim a lower cut off at 50 Hz, which I believe this system can achieve. However, I doubt this and similar systems will give you powerful response bellow 60Hz (Audioengine 5 is an exception, but @ $325 and given their size, they are really not in the same class). What this means is that while audio will be great and clear, it will not necessarily shake your living room as any system with an active sub-woofer going bellow 40-50Hz would. Again, audible sound is decently covered though. Sound detail is good, and unlike monitors, these set is well suited for MP3s (not too revealing). They do reveal really poor quality recordings (as they say garbage in, garbage out).
WIRELESS INTERFERENCE: I have my wireless networked XBOX 360 next to these speaker and I have no problems picking up interference. I also have a wireless phone in the room. Again no problems.
I highly recommend this system for applications where real state, decent audio performance, budget, and WAF (wife acceptance factor) are important.
Bottom Line: For a few bucks you will notice an upgrade in regular TV (or computer) audio, and you will enjoy decent music playback (better than most iPod systems out there). If you paid $30 something bucks, consider that this is about what you will spend filling up your gas tank.
*****UPDATE Feb 26, 2010*****
This set may (may not) be discontinued and recently has gone up in price to ~$90. At ~$90, the system is still fairly good IMHO, but their awesomeness/price factor goes down compared to when they were $30 something bucks.
The nice things about this system is that you get a decent size speaker (not too big, not too small for an over the bedroom commode application), come with a decent amplifier already, are two way (tweeter + 2x small woofers + passive radiator) and most importantly: sound great. However, for $90 there are other options from reputable companies in this class of audio system:
1) The Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technolgy PROS: good sound, CONS: still a little more expensive and larger in size.
2) JBL Duet Speaker System for Portable Music and PC - White (Pair) PROS: are cheaper, CONS: deficient in bass extension.
3) Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist BASS 2-Way Speaker for PC and MP3 (Black) PROS: have more bass extension (reportedly down to 40 Hz), CONS: high frequency response cuts off at 18kHz, and are not as accurate in the midrange as the MM220s (better for movies than music). However, I wouldn't worry too much about the 18kHz cutoff. If you are over 20 years old I would be surprised if you can hear past 18kHz anyway. I also like the presentation of the MM220s more, but for $50 vs $90, I would definitively give these ones a serious audition.
4) Klipsch Groove PM20 2.0 Speaker System (Black) PROS: well regarded quality speakers. CONS: larger size and price (getting close now though)
All of the above are 2.0 systems for space sensitive applications.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sound, nice size, light wgt but just not enough bass or fullness, June 5, 2008
This review is from: Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight) (Electronics)
I ordered these Boston Acoustic Horizon MM220 ($99)and Creative T40's ($125) 2.0 speakers of similar size and cost.
The reason I didn't give them 5 stars was the huge brick transformer that is required to power and use them as well as the lack of control for bass/treble. They had a nice rich sound and the bass was good for what they are, however, they could use just a bit more. For movies they were excellent though as good as the creatives for my testing. That big brick transformer kept killing it. The Bostons also have the great rubber feet that are very flexible and absorb allot of the shaking. As when I had them cranked they were in full shaking mode but no loss of quality sound nor did they move at all from where they were positions on the glass table top.
I liked the fact that the Creative T40's had the bass and treble controls and no big brick transformer unit to power them. Each require separate power, however, the Creatives have a small footprint plug and no transformer like brick..
On the other hand the Creative speakers are about an 1 inch taller, wider and heavier. I felt they had a deeper sound from bass being it could be adjusted on a easy to reach front dial control.
One key thing to remember these are not 5.1 or 7.1 and you don't have a sub. This type of speaker is made for your computer desktop/laptop/ipod/gaming at a average level of good quality sound and volume. I have a 7.1 channel system for my HD TV and stereo for when I need or want intensity. I feel these small size speakers are really good for my purposes. I will use them when I travel, even though they are heavy. I will have quality sound for music and blue-ray on the laptop where ever I am.
I liked the Bostons sound better when watching the movies, with some music I felt they just needed more bass when I tested, the Creatives sound great with either music or movies. I would keep the Bostons if I needed another pair as they have a full rich sound but the brick and no control of bass/treble kind of helped me make my decision. If you want lighter smaller speakers and the speakers are not going to travel you may want the Bostons as they are $25-$30 cheaper in cost and look nice and provide good sound. I suggest finding a retailer to listen to them both or buy both and return the one you like least. Sound is very personal to everyone and each have different ears and what they like when they hear music or movies.
I am only using these types of speakers for a Sony Vaio laptop. I tested each set with music and movies to determine my choice. I would NOT recommend these personally but as I have said I suggest allot of testing in stores or via friends. Make sure to use the music, movies, games you enjoy to really take the speakers to the test for your pleasure.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very hard to beat for the price., June 6, 2009
This review is from: Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight) (Electronics)
I was seriously considering the Bose Companion speakers for about $90 - $100. The Companions are attractive speakers, however, they only have a single driver per enclosure. The M220's have 4 drivers per speaker and offer a truly wide range that includes substantial bass (especially considering there is no separate subwoofer). I have these set up with my 23" Samsung TV that has fairly unimpressive sound. These speakers provide simply awesome sound (given their limited size) for television applications. I simply connected them to my Samsung's headphone jack (included) and am able to adjust the volume right from the television remote.
Those of you considering these speakers, let me tell you that it is hard not to be impressed (again, given their limited size). I agree with another reviewer that stated the weight of the remote amplifier is not a negative... in general, heavier amps tend to contain better quality internal components. These amplified speakers provide clear and fairly powerful sound that is more than enough to fill any average size room.
In closing, these speakers are excellent in their own right... but given the very low price, I rated them with 5 stars. Price is a factor in speakers, and if these were priced at a thousand dollars, then I wouldn't give them 5 stars. At under forty bucks, I'd give them 6 stars if it was an option.
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