What’s insanely small and costs way too much? A diamond. What else? Bose’s new Computer MusicMonitor desktop speakers — but they sure are shiny with their silvery aluminum finish. Bose cleverly combined two ingenious ideas and added a little DSP magic to make what are quite possibly the finest speakers of their size. Of course, all that science costs money: These tiny speakers will run you $399 a pair, and a travel case costs an extra $59!
Full review after the jump.
Brushed-aluminum cases are all the rage these days thanks to Apple, but Bose took it a step further and used stiff metal to help dampen vibrations. Each silver-grilled speaker measures a barely-there 4.8 by 3.8 by 2.5 inches and is angled about 15 degrees upward, which is handy for a desktop or low table.
Inside each speaker is a small tweeter and a pair of opposing passive radiators — woofers that move in opposite directions — squeezing air (sound) between them and out .5 by 2-inch slots on either side. That means bass and mids get dispersed horizontally, while the tweeters shoot the highs and upper mids straight out front. Combined with the sturdy enclosure and a DSP chip that beefs up the bass and the highs, this gives the Computer MusicMonitors surprisingly clear and full sound even at top volume.
The speakers match my MacBook Pro perfectly, which should help move a lot of these in Apple Stores. They also look pretty well-coordinated with the new aluminum-faced iMacs… or any silver/gray metallic computer, for that matter.
Setup is very simple: Plug the left speaker’s audio cable into the back of the right speaker. Note that the cable is not removable from the left speaker and has a proprietary connector, so you can only have the speakers a maximum of 6 feet apart. Of course, unless you have a truly enormous desk, this isn’t a big deal.
The AC power cord connects to the back of the right speaker, but the wall-wart plug is insanely huge. That’s partly because it has an integrated cable winder — good for travel, not so good for crowded outlets or power strips.
You can hook up any audio source to these speakers via the included eighth-inch to eighth-inch audio cable, though I was a bit surprised to see the cables connectors aren’t gold-plated. For nearly $400, you’d think Bose would spend a couple extra bucks on a classier (and less corrosion-prone) cable.
The included remote control is a simple three-button job. It handles power on/off and volume up/down, and that’s all she wrote.
I certainly wouldn’t call the sound “reference quality”, but it is very musical — meaning it’s warm and pleasant to listen to even though the sound isn’t as accurate as a good studio monitor. The overall sound is best for music listening, though the speakers aren’t bad for some types of movies. Gamers and action movie fans may not be impressed, though, since there isn’t a whole lot of low rumble.
Acoustic jazz like John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” sounds crisp and clear with bouncy bass and sparkly highs, though the piano gets a little lost during horn solos. Classical music retains a surprising amount of depth and richness, whether it’s a full orchestra or solo piano.
Rock fares very well on these speakers. Bands like Cake, the Killers, and Led Zeppelin all have plenty of crunch and thump, while guitars and effects pan, swirl, and shriek like they should. R&B and soul tracks do pretty well too; Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Erykah Badu’s vocals all come through loud and clear, and the bass has only a little of that typical “Bose bloat.”
Electronica often has parts that are so deep, nearly all small speakers have trouble handling them. Bass Mekanik’s Faster, Harder, Louder and the Gorillaz self-titled album both have some impressively low bass, and the MusicMonitors basically choked, though you I could feel them vibrating when I touched them. This is exactly what makes these a poor fit for games and movie explosions.
Volume-wise, these will fill a small room (think dens or home offices) and don’t distort appreciably even at top volume. But they’re definitely made for near-field listening while you’re sitting at your desk.
Overall, it’s hard to recommend these given their high price and lack of versatility. The main thing they have going for them is their tiny size, which Bose seems to think will appeal to laptop and desktop users alike. But perhaps they haven’t heard the venerable Klipsch ProMedia 2.0, which are damn impressive portables and cost under $100.
The science behind these speakers is pretty cool, and Bose learned from its Herbie Hancock-hawked Wave systems that blinding people with science can actually sell products. Still, Bose should have included a subwoofer output and cut the price in half if they wanted a runaway hit. Lucky for them they can sell just about anything on the Bose name alone.
When I first hooked up my new Bose Computer Monitor speakers to my Apple 15in G4 laptop, I was not too impressed. The highs were okay but the bass was weak. I tried ramping up the bass using the equalizer in iTunes and it did not help much. Then I switched on the SRS iWow plugin and voila! sound was transformed and the bass is kickin’. If you are not satisfied with these speakers it probably is not the speakers fault but what you have as your sound source.
Thanks for the iWow tip! It not only helps with the Bose speakers but really increases the quality and output of music from the macbook’s teeny speakers. Thx
These are excellent speakers for a laptop. **But** they sound **much much better** with a **grade “5″ Minicable from Audioquest (about $125)** rather than the cheap minicable which comes with the speakers. Incredibly rich sounding difference. Have so hooked up a set at home and also on my desktop computer at the office. Excellent sound – acoustic/light jazz music. (Don’t need thundering bass 1.5 feet from my ears.) Small speakers are convenient. Well worth the bucks!
I took a quick look at Audioquest’s site.
They as much as say, “Who you gonna believe — us or your own lying ears?”
Their advertising slogan should be, “Audioquest..because you’ll believe anything.”
As usual, good advertising doesn’t mean a better product.
Though audio quest’s products do have a lot of nice features… You won’t notice a real benefit in the audible spectrum. Though solid conductors will help with what they call “strand interaction”… this happens well above the human (or even a bat’s) audible spectrum (think MHz). The same goes for PSC+. Where nicks in the cable can wreak havoc on high frequency signals, these are also WELL out of anything the human hear can detect (again thing HIGH MHz-GHz range, not sub 20Khz range). The thing that WILL get better BASS from the system is (as Pete said) is use a 3.5mm interconnect with a larger conductor. Also, the addition of a gold plated plug is a VERY small (read insignificant) difference. It is almost entirely aesthetic. Though gold’s resistance is about 3 times better than the nickel (or in some cases Beryllium-copper connectors. The size of the connector coupled with the length of the (normally copper) cord makes the connector plating a moot point. Just look for a cord from a reputable company (Not Monster either). Other than that it’s either the source or the speaker to blame. Sorry for the rant… I’ve just gotten tired of people talking about people spending (a lot) more money on cable than what they need to. But if spending that much on a cable makes you feel good…. I’m selling Silver conductor Power cables for computer…. Will make you computer run twice as fast…. (I’m joking)
Hotel Morro de Sao Paulo Bahia Brazil
Hotel Morro de Sao Paulo Bahia Brazil
Hi does any one know about the this bose speakers the Real W rms and the THD thanks.
I would buy these speakers in a heart beat if the price is reduced to 299.99
My website needs strong speakers in order to fully demonstrate its power, and the Bose Musicmonitor can do just that!
Wow just tried this with Studio Sound FX Plugin and was gobsmacked at the sound quality!
QO Labs are the Bose of the Audio Software world (imho), they are a perfect match, best of both worlds.
It is like doubling the power and clairty. You can reach out and touch the singers, real life!…Everyone must try this!
Studio Sound FX for Winamp
Great work, Craig
whats the specifications….nor the website bose mentions it nor anyone else…hellllloo..i am not stupid..till i knw watt and rms..no way i am goin fo it..hello bose..cant trick me u.
I have just received my Music Monitiors direct from Bose. I am disapointed! I too own many Bose products including the fab new SoundDock Portable…I love all my Bose speakers but I cannot justify spending £300 on these! Play them with the supplied Bose demo CD and they sound impressive but play them with Pop or Dance or R&B and the inbuilt limiter (or whatever you want to call it) goes mad! Every drum beat causes them to dip in volume so you get a compressed ‘pumping’ effect and that is only at moderate volume. A direct comparison to the Bose Companion 2 (which is what I was going to replace with the MusicMonitor reveals they have more clarity and accurate mid than the C2’s but lack the upper bass and volume (which is also not great) of the C2’s and cost 3 times more dosh. If you are traveling around and considering these as ultra portable speakers from heaven, you will feel let down…your £300 will be better spent on the Bose SoundDock Portable which also has an input for your Laptop…it’s awesome.
Gary Gee
Producer for the Music Factory Entertainment Group
intelligent feedback like this is absolutely it. thanks very much for the thought, testing, experience, and ca$hola you buoys put into this. it’s appreciated. believe it.
i’m truly shocked people are willing to pay 400 dollars for these. if you’ve never heard of speakers like mm-1000 or realistic minimus i guess you could easily be fooled into buying mediocre speakers for 400 dollars.
mm-1000 aren’t made anymore but sometimes show up on ebay where they go for less than 200. realistics go for way less than 100.
the suck up (or total retard) who wrote this review is probably being blackmailed by bose. remember, bose sues magazines that give their products bad reviews.