PROS: Inexpensive, decent sound.
CONS: Bluetooth requires both speakers to be connected to each other.
PRICE: $99
We get a lot of speakers to review, and they vary from exotic high-end units to inexpensive models that won’t break the bank. Samson’s MediaOne BT3’s fall into the latter category.
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They’re not huge, housing just a 3-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. The business end is in the back, with power and speaker connections. The only real controls sit on the front: a volume control, headphone out, and aux in. Everything is encased in the industry standard black satin cabinet. The real bonus is that these are Bluetooth enabled, meaning the option to go wireless from the sound source is available. The only downside is that the speakers need to be connected to each other, just not the sound source.
The pair retails for $100, and is meant to be used as a multimedia speaker, meaning for home recording, as well as a set for an entertainment system. So for that first set of speakers for someone looking to get into home recording, it’s the perfect gateway.
For home studios they are reminiscent of the old Yamaha NS-10’s that used to be the industry standard for recording. For tracking they make a great set of reference monitors; knowing if your mix sounds good on these, you’re on the right track. For an entry-level studio, it’s a good deal. When being used as part of a home audio system, the sound quality is decent; as always, EQing to taste depending on the music and application makes a difference. The only real downside is the Bluetooth function requires the speakers to be connected to each other.
FEATURES
- 2-way active monitors with rear-vented, precision-tuned port enclosures
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 3-inch copolymer woofers
- 1-inch silk dome tweeters
- 15 watts per channel RMS, 30 watts per channel Peak
- Front panel LED indicator, level control, headphone output & stereo input
- Passive crossover design for linear response from bottom to top