Cambridge Audio Minx M5 Multimedia Speaker System $187.96 Delivered Normally $399 @ GraysOnline (eBay)

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• 

  sane on 05/09/2016 - 22:16

  Got this system in front of me here. External DAC and decent sound quality. The price is basically what the usual price was outside Australia anyway.

  http://www.trustedreviews.com/cambridge-audio-minx-m5-review

• 

  Kanasuke on 05/09/2016 - 22:35

  -5

  for speakers normally priced at 400, why do they still have subwoofers. i thought a good pair of speakers dont need subwoofer and u dont want subwoofer if possible

  • 

    lurking on 05/09/2016 - 22:56

    subwoofer helps with the low end that smaller drivers would struggle to produce, and generally speaking the less wide frequency range an individual speaker driver has to produce the clearer it can be. (Hence why there are tweeters, midrange and subwoofer speakers etc)

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 05/09/2016 - 23:04

    +17

    i thought a good pair of speakers dont need subwoofer

    Even great speakers can benefit from a good subwoofer.

    and u dont want subwoofer if possible

    Yes, you do.

    Audio-enthusiast here. Good-quality front-speakers will have four drivers; two 6" low, one 6" mid, one 1" high. This will be good down to around 50Hz but with reduced sensitivity below 100Hz. A piano can generate frequencies down to 28Hz. A bass drum can generate frequencies down to 20Hz. You can hear those low frequencies, but you won't hear them on the front speakers. The front speakers simply can't generate those low frequencies.

    That's why you need a sub-woofer. Something that can generate the frequencies between 20Hz and 100Hz with enough “oompf” that you can hear it. One 12" subwoofer can push more air - therefore more volume at lower frequency - than four 6" low drivers combined. And because your subwoofer has been designed correctly - the correct sized enclosure, the correct vent lengths - it can generate decent volume all the way down to 20Hz without distortion.

    Once you have a subwoofer you realise how much better the music can sound. I don't mean "doof doof" music. I mean the piano sounds better. The drums sound better. The bass guitar sounds better. Once you have tried a subwoofer, you notice when it's missing. You suddenly realise how awful stereos can sound without subwoofers. They sound tinny, light, and empty without a subwoofer. The subwoofer is not optional. It’s an essential component.

    Now that said, this Cambridge system is a mini desktop system. The "sub" is only 6” and it’s making up for the tiny 1” fronts. Don’t expect too much from a mini system. They’re OK for the price, but the laws of physics still apply.

    If you do buy a sub-woofer, get at least 10”, preferably 12”, and don’t get suckered in by a subwoofer that sounds “loud”. Any crap subwoofer can make boom-boom noises and shake the windows. But a great sub-woofer will add the missing low-frequencies and complement the front-speakers. The sub-woofer makes up for what the front-speakers lack. It should sound like part of the system.

    • 

      Kanasuke on 05/09/2016 - 23:46

      +6

      i see thanks for the write-up. i was thinking cheapo PC speakers (I'm using $40~ ones atm) that sound horrible and had always thought the existence of the subwoofer was mainly there to 'hide' the bad sound. it makes sense now

      • 

        terrys on 06/09/2016 - 09:15

        +3

        Another consideration is power use/utility. At 100Hz, the sound-wave is 3 meters in length between the peak and the trough, at 50Hz, it is 6 meters. Where the wavelength is longer than the distance between your speakers, you cannot 'localise' the sound so there is no observable stereo separation. Having two speakers pumping out these frequencies means you can get phase interference between then affecting the sound. It also takes a lot more power to 'push' the lower frequencies for the same subjective volume as it does the higher frequencies - think of how loud a mosquito sounds when whining in the dark, compared with the further carrying but quieter drone of a bee.
        Pumping the > 75 Hz amps down to a single woofer takes a large load of the mid/tweeter speakers and allows the energey to be used more efficiently, while allowing for a larger woofer that can really be anywhere on the soundstage, leaving far smaller mid/high range speakers that can be easier to position.

    • 

      virtual81 on 06/09/2016 - 10:33

      Why do "good quality speakers" specifically have to have four drivers?
      And why do they specifically have to be 6" ?

      Some of what you write does make sense, but a good part of it also doesn't.
      Maybe consider re-writing your post?
      Not trying to be an ass, but step back, look at your post and hopefully you'll see where i'm coming from.
      Still thumbs up for having a go at informing.

      ::edit::
      It's a pity the detail is behind a paywall, but the 'Majestic' speakers in Silicone Chip magazine have a pretty flat response from 20Hz to 20KHz, and only have 2 drivers.
      This style of speaker sacrifices the 'fashion' of slim tower speakers for real performance and sound quality, even without a sub woofer.

      My best answer for 2.1 speaker systems are that they are a great way to cover more of the audio range without having to have large left/right speakers.
      Great for desktop use without imposing on the desktop space.

    • 

      sane on 14/09/2016 - 13:27

      Something to note about the way the Minx speakers work. At high frequencies they are akin to flat panel speakers, with the sound being produced across the front of the active surface. At low frequencies the entire active surface moves back and fore to shift the air; it's not clamped at the circumference.

      Obviously they aren't going to shift as much air as a 12" conventional unit (and why they have the sub) but they do shift more than you'd think, and more than a conventional small unit would produce.

      http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/131711-balanced-mode-radiato…

• 

  Dealayed on 06/09/2016 - 09:09

  How do these compare to the logitech z623?

  • 

    virtual81 on 06/09/2016 - 10:49

    Got a set of z623's for the GF's computer a while ago.
    They're OK i guess, but not outstanding.
    I'm going AFK for a bit so will fire them up and have a better listen and see of i can give a better 'off the cuff' review.
    I'm sorry I can't provide a comparison to the speakers in the OP.

    • 

      virtual81 on 06/09/2016 - 19:56

      Listened to the z623's properly, yeah, they're very good for the price.
      Probably underrated them a bit earlier.