Monsoon MM-700 Speakers
By Mike Vande Ven Jr.
http://homepage.mac.com/giantmike/
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Manufacturer: Monsoon Audio Systems
Price: $149
Requirements
Any Mac
Headphone Jack
Specifications
Satellites: 4 X 8 inch dipole radiating planar magnetic
Amplifier power: 44 Watts
Total system power: 2 x 11 Watts, Satellites, 22 Watts, Sub-woofer
Crossover: Active, 3rd order at 250Hz
Woofer drive unit: 5.25-inch cone, Xmax = +4mm (per DUMAX measurement)
Woofer cabinet: 6.9 liters, tuned to 65 Hz
System frequency response: 50 Hz to 20 kHz
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The Monsoon MM-700 speaker set combines the powerful midrange of two flat panel satellite speakers, with the boom of a sub-woofer, all for an entry level price. But don't let the price fool you, these speakers sound like a multi-hundred dollar system.
Set up:
Setting up these speakers was a little more difficult than most speaker sets. This is mainly due to the volume control puck, and the traditional stereo speaker connections. Not only do these features make it harder to set up, but the flat panel technology requires some tinkering to find the "sweet spot." Don't worry, the small manual is very effective and informative. It will guide you through each step with ease.
Usage:
The hardest thing about these speakers, like all flat panel speakers, is finding the sweet spot. It takes a lot of trial and error to find just the right spot, where you can hear everything in all it's glory. When the sweet spot is finally found, a piece of tape on your desk for reference is invaluable. If you ever bump the speakers, you can realign it them in a snap.
One great feature that this set has which is absent from any other speaker set is the "puck." The puck is a small device that resides on the extra long wires between the sub-woofer and computer. It contains a volume control dial, and a very useful mute button. If you ever need to quickly turn down the sound, this mute button is a life saver. Plus, when you need that booming sound again, just click the mute button, and your volume is back to where it was, no fiddling with the dial.
One thing I did not care for was the placement of the power switch and the Bass control. Both of these are located on the backside of the sub-woofer. I disliked crawling under my desk each time I wanted to turn the speakers off, that I bought another surge protector with a power switch. The Bass control isn't as bad. You just set that to the way you like it, and forget it.
The most amazing thing about these speakers comes through in games. Most speaker systems need a 3D sound card to produce real 3D sound, but not these. Monsoon systems has come up with a way to produce true 3D sound, without the need for an expensive sound card. For example, while playing Myth II: Soulblighter, if a dwarve's ale bomb blows up behind you, you will be able to pinpoint where it was just by the sound. This is an invaluable asset for playing games online.
Then, there is the sub-woofer. The MM-700 speaker set may not have the largest or most powerful sub-woofer in the world, but it is very effective. You can feel every little bit of Bass shaking you from this little black box. In fact, this sub-woofer is more than strong enough to make your entire house shake if it's cranked all the way up.
And last, but not least, there is the issue of style. With most speakers, you want to hide them, or at the very least, not have people look at them. But these things scream look at me. With entirely black .25 inch wide flat panel satellites, and a compact black sub-woofer, people will be drooling at the mere sight of these speakers. Even the volume control puck is stylish.
Problems:
I didn't encounter a single problem with these speakers. Most flat panel systems can get ruined from excessive handling, because the speakers are not protected. But Monsoon came through here too. They built a very stylish cage around the speaker itself, which keeps it from getting damaged if you drop them or someone handles them the wrong way.
Conclusion:
The Monsoon MM-700 speakers sound great. The flat panel technology has come a long way in the past few years, and these speakers prove it. I have not found a single set of cone speakers that have a quality level anywhere near these speakers, especially for the price.
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Pros: | Cons: |
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Excellent 3D sound
Low price
Volume control "puck" with mute button
Protective cage around satellite speakers
Very stylish
Small but powerful sub-woofer
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Awkward setup
"Sweet spot" is very small
Power button is on the back of the sub-woofer
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Rating: 9 out of 10 Mac Faces.
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