Mackie CR3.5 3.5″ Creative Reference Powered Studio Monitors with Tone Knob and Location Switch — Active Speakers for Music Production, Desktop Computer, Gaming, HiFi Listening
$99.99
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Mackie CR3.5 Creative Reference Powered Studio Monitors combine professional-quality sound with a tone shaping knob for moving from studio reference to casual listening to party mode. Featuring a selection of inputs and switchable desktop and bookshelf modes, these speakers give you clear, powerful sound in any space. Use the tone control knob to adjust the sound, beginning with the transparent quality you expect from professional studio monitors, then gradually adding more excitement with boom-ier bass and added sparkle. Whether you’re using them for business, pleasure or both, Mackie CR3.5 may be the only speakers you ever need.
Mackie CR3.5 Creative Reference Powered Studio Monitors combine studio-quality sound with a tone control, making CR3.5 the best studio monitors, gaming speakers and party speakers, all wrapped into one.
Connect CR3.5 to just about anything. Hook up audio interfaces and playback devices with TRS and RCA connectors. Play gaming consoles and PCs with the 3.5 mm input. There’s even a built-in headphone output.
Use the tone knob to shape the sound, starting with the transparent response you expect from studio monitors. Turn the knob to gradually boost the bass and add high-end sparkle, perfect for immersive gaming, casual listening or all-out partying.
Flip the location switch between desktop speaker mode and bookshelf speaker mode to optimize CR3.5 for wherever you place them. Use desktop mode for listening up close (like in the studio) and bookshelf mode for listening at a distance (like from the couch).
Mackie CR3.5 monitors combine a silk dome tweeter and a 3.5″ woven woofer for clean, articulate sound with plenty of low end. For enhanced bass that rumbles the floorboards, connect your speakers to the CR8SBT subwoofer (not included).
9 reviews for Mackie CR3.5 3.5″ Creative Reference Powered Studio Monitors with Tone Knob and Location Switch — Active Speakers for Music Production, Desktop Computer, Gaming, HiFi Listening
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amantae –
First (and Second) Impressions
Literally just started listening after setup. Up and running (iMac M4) was a breeze. I’m running it on Bluetooth for now, a few days. Then I’ll connect via the supplied RCA connectors to hear any difference. Those, combined with the short speaker wire, means a setup just like in the brochures: nothing very far from each other. Luckily, the prime speaker is close and handy. But I used a lot of 14-gauge copper speaker wire to move the passive speaker to the other side of the very small room. And don’t forget some proximity to a power strip. Yes, these speakers deliver on sound, superbly. But you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to find full-range speakers that don’t sledgehammer you with bass. Along with my conclusion speakers like these must be powered. USB doesn’t cut it. It started when Sony “improved” bass on WalkMan and DiscMan. Then ear buds improved drastically. The false standard for quality sound and auto sound was BASS. So what happens? Give ’em BASS. Beats? BASS. These speakers deliver in all ranges and any input can be tuned with a simple equalizer program. There’s a lot of junk out there! These are quality. The solid enclosures do one thing: Deliver all the sound OUT! No bouncing around in there. Rock On!UPDATE: Add a star. Have spent most of the time finding Equalizer software. I won’t review those, they’re all quirky. Cliffhanger: The speakers sound better if you can run 3.5mm out, RCA in my case. Provided. No sweat, Bluetooth is just fine. But the direct connect just seems to have more meat on it, in all channels. Techie to me: DUH! I have a very small and close setup, even having to adjust Balance because I’m closer to one speaker. The advantage of that is the physical immersion in the sound. And these things are pure to the lowest volume, “1”. Or I can just use the iMac speakers with the morning news.High performance with usability and versatility. I lusted after Klipsch (kinda personal), even created an account, but they wouldn’t answer my three emails with questions. Whatever the name, these are perfect for what I wanted. And I did a TON of research for my unique setup.
Amazon Customer –
Mackie has won my loyalty from M-Audio
I had M-Audio speakers for years, because that’s what we had at work. I watched a Top 10 Amazon speakers review on Youtube, and of the speakers that were in that video, these sounded the best to me. I am happy to say: they’re way better than my M-Audio were. They sound better, and they’re a lot more user-friendly and have nice little aesthetic touches that give it that extra edge.Connectivity and SwitchesUnlike M-Audio, which have a dedicated Left and Right Speaker, the Mackie has a dedicated connectivity and power speaker. With the flick of switch, you can put this main speaker on either the Left or Right side of the desk, and…only send Left or Right Stereo signals to it as you assign it. This is incredibly convenient for the creator or avid listener with a more customized setup or need for more customization.It comes with an Aux 3.5mm-to-Red/White Stereo Out cable.The Work/Play Tone SwitchI am not a professional audio person, but I can tell the difference. For my listening purposes, I have always preferred studio flat because I consider it to be, “The way the producer/artist intended for it to be heard.” It is the most noticeable on songs with heavy bass and electronic effects, like KPop or Hip-Hop. It brings the bass sounds all the way forward so it’s loud and in your face without depreciating sound quality or peaking.Size is great. I got the 4.5″ speakers for an extra punch. They fit fine on my desk, which is not an oversized desk. Build quality is excellent. They’re sexy, sleek, and well-made.
E. R. –
For desktop gaming, these are the superior option.
I own both the Presonus Eris 3.5s (which in terms of both price bracket and performance, should be considered Mackie’s closest competitor). And, to me, the sound quality of the Mackie product is simply better for desktops, providing a fuller, flatter sound, as opposed to Presonus’ more punchy acoustics. I have heard it said repeatedly that the Eris possesses a slight edge when it comes to studio music production, but IMO if you’re going to be doing that, you really want to invest in professional quality monitors in the 350-400 dollar price-range (it has also been repeatedly pointed out that the Presonus Eris’ 3.5 version 2.0 is in every way inferior to the 1.0, so if you cannot get the 1.0s [Amazon only sells the 2.0], that’s also something to consider).But for having the speakers 2-3 feet from your head, and for small-room “presence,” Mackie definitely wins out – everything from the base to the treble is just more robust. They also weigh more than the Presonus monitors, seem to be made out of a higher-quality plastic, have the option to swap arrangement (so the powered speaker can become either the left or right-dominant), and feature a switch to alter sound behavior depending on if they are intended for desk or room-wide sound production.So, yeah – Mackie wins.
Balazs .CS –
Fantastic Sound in a Compact Package!
The Mackie CR3.5 studio monitors truly exceeded my expectations. For their size, the sound quality is outstanding—clear highs, balanced mids, and surprisingly solid bass for 3.5-inch speakers. Whether I’m mixing audio, watching movies, or just enjoying music, they deliver crisp and detailed sound.Build quality is excellent, with a sleek, professional look that fits perfectly on my desk. I love the front panel volume knob and the convenient headphone and aux inputs. Setup was a breeze, and the included cables made it even easier to get started right out of the box.These are an amazing value for anyone looking for budget-friendly studio monitors that don’t compromise on performance. Highly recommended for home studios, content creators, or anyone who appreciates quality audio in a compact form!
Mauro Godoy Prudente Filho –
Som perfeito e cristalino, funciona muito bem o bluetooth
Alejandro –
Buen producto
Elmar Roese –
Produto em otimo estado chegou antes do previsto satisfeito
Gokul –
Got this from the seller “Sonotone”. The product came is amazing packaging (both the package and speakers are super heavy) and the speakers are out of this world. The impact they give can’t be understated, the first time I booted them up, my heart literally was beating from those bass notes. The clarity was great, sound quality was amazing, it had amazing quality, functionality was pretty simple and easy to understand! It was value for money when compared to it’s competitior yamaha hs8 which was literally x2 the price.For me, the major issue with these is their size, they are too big and take up sooooo much of your desk, highly recommend to get a bigger desk or just place them on their own stands not on your desk.
Stephane Gauthier –
Excellent clear and crisp sounding speakers for making music!😎👍