Neither Micca MB42 nor Polk Audio TSi100 were recommended by experts this month
On 2 May 2024 (6 days ago) we went through 80 Speakers expert endorsements , however neither Micca MB42 nor Polk Audio TSi100 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Speakers received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at Kef LS50 or other critically acclaimed Bookshelf Speakers of this month.
For reference, Kef LS50 received 5 endorsements this month, from ZD Net (13 Feb 2023), T3 (1 Mar 2024) Gear Patrol (5 Jan 2024) and 2 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys | ZD Net | Pitchfork | Wirecutter | T3 | Gear Patrol | Rolling Stone | The Master Switch | What Hi-Fi | hifioasis.com |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1539 | Kef LS50 | - | 4 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | - |
N/A | N/A | $70 | Micca MB42 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | Check price | Polk Audio TSi100 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? It's here
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys |
ZD Net | Pitchfork | Wirecutter | T3 | Gear Patrol | Rolling Stone | The Master Switch | What Hi-Fi | hifioasis.com |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1539 | Kef LS50 | - | 4 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | - |
2 | - | $449 | Q Acoustics 3020i | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 9 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
3 | - | $700 | Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
4 | - | Check price | Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 | - | 5 | - | - |
5 | 7 | - | 9 | - | - |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [7]
- with a score: 2
- without a score: 5
Highest score by Doom Squad Music | 90 |
Average score based on 7 reviews | 85 |
Lowest score by CNET | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
Expert reviews [5]
- with a score: 2
- without a score: 3
Highest score by AudioRumble | 90 |
Average score based on 5 reviews | 85 |
Lowest score by HomeTheater Review | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- The MB42 is a demonstration of our designers’ love for the classic compact bookshelf speaker. Handsomely styled with simple contours and modern design cues, the MB42 is easy to place and blends into any room or decor. Its enhanced audio capability makes it a great fit with a wide range of usage scenarios, including living room stereo, home theater surround sound, office background music, or computer desktop sound.
- Read more
- Recommended amplification: 20 100 (watts/ch)
- Equipped with one 5.25 inch dynamic balance bilaminate composite woofer
- Equipped with one 1 inch silk/polymer composite dynamic balance dome tweeters
- Pair of high performance bookshelf speakers
- Read more
Tweeters produce the highest frequencies in sound, typically anything above 2,000 Hz. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. But, for some guidance, consider that a larger tweeter (measured by diameter in inches or millimeters) will likely be louder and able to disperse sound over a larger area.
Speakers with midrange drivers (i.e., at least three-way speakers) have a distinct advantage over two-way speakers. Adding a midrange driver to the mix allows tweeters and woofers to focus on the sound waves they’re best equipped to produce—high tones and low tones respectively. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. The human voice and most instruments fall into this range. For more sophisticated listeners, or for those who truly want the best sound reproduction, a midrange driver is crucial.
The woofer is the driver that is responsible for low frequency sounds and bass - crucial for well-rounded, booming sound. It is the biggest driver in size, and is usually shaped like a cone. When reviewing different bookshelf speakers, you will often see a measurement in the product name, starting as low as 4” and ranging to 6 ½” or more. This measurement refers to the diameter of the woofer. A general rule of thumb is a bigger woofer means louder, more powerful bass. But, as with any speaker metric, this number alone doesn’t describe the loudness of the speaker and should be taken into consideration with other measurements such as sensitivity, which describes the loudness of a speaker per watt.
- Banana plugs
- Spades
- Pins
- Stripped bare wires
- Faux wood grain finish
- Superior build quality
Micca MB42 are a very popular and one of the cheapest options. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Micca MB42X-C or M-Audio AV42 .
Micca MB42 were released in 2013. There are a lot of newer speakers on the market. Show newer Speakers
Micca MB42 are $229.01 less expensive than average speakers ($299).