[aalien]

Hmm. As I live far away from the cities, I won't get the opportunity to listen to something in a store any time soon.

You seem like someone who knows what you are talking about.

Do you know of a system (not much over the price of the MM-1) that would fit music where the producers didn't use high quality equipment (Music like on the link I posted earlier).

What I want is a detailed, clear and full sound across the frequency spectrum (as in lows, mids and especially highs).
Is there anything you can recommend?

 

[acolonna]

I'm no wine expert here. I'm the sort of guy who can appreciate some good Italian strong red, but will sometimes find it hard to get accustomed to the more noble varieties.
And I'm definitely not the guy who knows many labels by heart.

In other words I simply do not have the culture to point you somewhere.

I can tell you that before diving into the MM-1 bet (I did purchase them online without knowing if I would have liked them.. but hey this is Italy and it's damn hard to test drive rare things, especially if they've just hit the market!) I was interested in the FH007 (with matching subwoofer). I was driven purely by looks (I still don't know how they sound).

They do look impressive (I'm a product designer and as much as I'm not for "design objects" per se, I am a sucker for good looking artifacts), but I've heard they have a particular mid-range which might put you off.

 

[techenvy]

so are these mainly suited for classical,,
does the bass punch or is it more neutral?
 

 

[techenvy]

Quote:

tried these out. not bad at low to mid volumes. gets kinda harsh at higher volumes.

rather get dyna for a more detailed and full bodied sound

which dynaudio  bookshelf speakers have the most punch?
 
thanks

 

[endless402]

mc-15 if you're looking for something around this price. little bit more expensive but worth every bit.
 
otherwise if you've got the money, try out the focus 110a. good midrange active speaker
 
 
also check out focal's computer speakers. good choice, slightly cheaper. comes with a half decent sub.

 

[bcwang]

What I want to know if the speakers need to be DSP'd through the usb input to sound good.  Like if I were to drive this thing with a $500 dac is it going to sound as good or better than when driving it through usb using the MM-1 internal DAC + DSP?

 

[acolonna]

In my opinion the internal DAC/DSP does a great job already.
I have also connected my iPad through the Apple Camera Connection Kit, which provides a true digital out via USB (this will let you use the MM-1's remote control with the iPad too!!!!!!!!!

I have never tried the analogue line-in yet, but I've heard that you can notice quite a difference, as the DSP chokes a little, trying to smooth out level peaks.

I am getting used to the sound of my Grado HF-1's and I must say these little B&W's do lack the punch when listening to your favorite radio song. But they have the unbeatable quality of extremely realistic presentation.
So I now use them only for acoustic and classical music, favoring my HF-1 headset, coupled with my Headroom Micro AMP for the badass electronic, rock, and pop music.

 

[bcwang]

Sometimes you don't want to use a computer which is when analog in becomes important.  I'm considering these but the analog in must be no worse than the USB side, and preferably better if driven by a better DAC.
 
How is the headphone amp portion?  hiss with IEMs?  quality as a DAC?  I assume there is no line-out and the only way to use the DAC built-in is with the headphone jack out or just listening to the speakers themselves.

 

[acolonna]

Well from what I could hear the headphone out was pretty good, but I must admit I am already happy with my MacBook Pro internal headphone jack.
No hiss in either case. I'll give it another go with my HF-1's, but they lack the detail on the high end to really tell what's going on. That's how I like them with my iPad and the average radio music, so they don't showcase lame recording artifacts.
They are actually on the opposite end, compared to the MM-1's. I would need some studio 'phones to give you a useful response.

 

[bcwang]

What do you use as a source to your headroom micro amp?  How does the mm-1 internal amp compare to the headroom micro?

 

[Jazz1]

Would these be considered "near field" speakers then? I've got a small home office in which I've had to resort to headphones to do all of my music listening so that I don't disturb the family. I don't need loud music, just great sounding as I sit near my iMac. It looks like these might be perfect for my needs.

 

[bcwang]

Indeed they are nearfield speakers.  I think the cable connecting the two speakers together is no longer than 1 meter.

 

[acolonna]

Sorry, I didn't get notified of your responses.
 
The MM-1's are specifically designed for near field listening. What's even more, they appear to be specifically designed for low volume listening.
If you think about it, it is quite a remarkable skill, as many rigs will need natural volumes (which result being comparatively very high) to achieve the best results.
 
The astounding clarity of mid-highs and especially the high range makes for an extremely detailed low volume listening experience.
Mind you these are NOT hi-fidelity, but they indeed are highly pleasurable to listen to! What I mean is that the dynamic equalization will work it's magic (and usually will feel a bit like the "vocal" EQ in an iPod). Now that is a good thing when the volume is low, or if you are listening to opera. It will be less good if you are listening to rock or pop music at high volume levels.
 
I don't know if you will have a chance to understand what the MM-1's are really capable of in a shop.
 
You will be most impressed when your wife and kids are sleeping, it's after midnight, and you are sitting at your desk.. you are working, and the music is on... but basically at the minimum possible volume. That is when it hits you: you can hear EVERY detail.. the moisture on the lips of the singer.. the rough skin rubbing the guitar string.. I mean, it is mind blowing!

 

[YoengJyh]

Hi acolonna,
 
I am not sure whether u are still using this forum or not. Could you reply me in yoengjyh@yahoo.com? Thanks.
 
Anyway, i would like to ask you how good the B&W MM1 Speaker? Cause i intend to buy one, but i found out that Focal-xs speaker is impressive too.
 
Any idea/advice for them?
 
Thanks
YoengJyh

 

[acolonna]

Dear YoengJyh,
 
I still have my B&W MM-1's and they are my one and only rig at home. When I want to listen to some loud music I rock my Grado HF-1's!
 
At this point the only way I can describe the MM-1's is in terms of versatility. The value for money you get with the MM-1's is less than with other (cheaper) computer speakers or monitors.
That is because the MM-1's are FANTASTIC for intimate acoustic and vocal music. They are FANTASTIC with superior recordings (talking lossless >16bit recordings taken with the best equipment and the right setup).
I mean.. for sheer resolution of the high end, the MM-1's aren't like anything I've heard in my experience. They are mind-blowing.
 
BUT... feed them some rock music, even electronic music... and try to pump up the volume... and you will quickly see (or hear) their limits.
ALSO... those 128bit MP3 files that have seemed OK until the day before, will be stripped naked by the MM-1's... exposing every single compression artifact or range cutoff.
 
So at the end of the day, if you can ramp up the volume without having the neighbors at your throat... get something else.
Instead, if you think you will listen to them after work, at evening time... and will have to stick to the minimum volume level, the MM-1's will give you an amount of detail you would never expect!