If you buy an amp and these speakers you then have an amp, and the option to try a buttload of non-powered speakers if you want. You can definitely calculate the price as amp + speakers, but the next pair of speakers will then "be cheaper" because you don't need an amp, you already have one. Personally I would vastly prefer the flexibility of being able to change out speakers or amp separately.
@nsotelo5 жыл бұрын
what amp do you recommend for a versatile setup where i can swap out speakers every now and then?
@jashan17414 жыл бұрын
Nicolas Sotelo Jds labs atom is great
@ojastushar81234 жыл бұрын
@@jashan1741 that's a headphone amp, with way lower output than any speaker amp. what are you even saying?
@dilipg83894 жыл бұрын
Any stereo amplifier Denon/Onkyo/Yamaha for the budget and Marantz for a little bit more. Crown for even more cheaper amps but with much less bells n whistles.
@andersonmccutcheon90114 жыл бұрын
There is something about your setting, lighting and editing that make these reviews really stand out experience wise. They are very pleasant. If I want to show someone a review of gear, I always use your videos, kind of "trusting" that the experience of the person I refer to you will be good. Wish you all the success in the world.
@marcelradzaj32425 жыл бұрын
Just got a pair and matched em up to the Loxjie A10 and an 8" sub. Heavenly near field sound. As Josh said they create a great image within their "bubble", and when you're there it's really really nice. With separate DAC, preamp, and subwoofer my tab came just short of $500... for the desktop system.
@antoinep97335 жыл бұрын
Lighting and shot set-up skills off the chart Mr Valour 📈☑️
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Antoine.
@NomadeDigital5 жыл бұрын
Micca, one day they'll have resellers in europe... Hey Joshua, where is the Music review Monday ?
@xnerdlabs66635 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the thorough review but why you stopped at mentioning competing powered speakers at this price tag? I'd love to see your comment (or review) of budget Edifier speakers...like r1700bt. thanks.
@kozmiczian Жыл бұрын
Got a pr of these, love them . . . For success, place a high pass filter in the line with a sub, or subs in my case, I have two 8" self powered 85 watt subs. Together w/ the filters, there's no stress on the miccas, the filters set at 100 hz, relaxes their presentation, improves midrange clarity and imaging. It like having a huge system w/ improved output. I drive with the Emotiva BAS-X using the Shit modi 3e. For the money, hard to best. Get a pair, you'll love them, if set up properly, use stands, and good interconnect.
@danielp1215 жыл бұрын
So what do you recommend over these? If we do not need power/amp? 😅
@EdWilsonPhoto5 жыл бұрын
MB42 was Micca's happy accident...a low end speaker with good sound...the "x" just made good into outstanding
@BigDavos3 жыл бұрын
Im building a Micca 5.1 setup. I allready use the MB42x as pc speakers and there magical. The day that Micca creates tower speakers will be a day or joy and happiness
@YoYo-uh3xj3 жыл бұрын
This guy just wings it. He did even give us any other recommendations on Amps and speakers.
@ntuananh20115 жыл бұрын
10/10 would recommend ppl these, especially with the price.
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
Wish these puppies were available right now :/ - I am sure they will be back.
@Puffy-pu4ci5 жыл бұрын
Back in stock this morning.. ordered my set!
@jeffreyepiscopo5 жыл бұрын
I think you missed something pretty important with these. Male vocals are the biggest improvement besides bass response. They added a bit of weight and heft to male vocals, that really makes them stand out.
@BigDavos3 жыл бұрын
Hey Josh , I have a micca MB42X 5.1 setup with matching center, should I upgrade to the RB Lineup?
@g.fortin32287 ай бұрын
Think this might just be the new mate for my old Adcom amp. Should sound sweeeeet. Thanks for the review.
@hellothere272 Жыл бұрын
These things are basically passive JBL 305’s. Love my pair, and with clean amplification (with, say, an Aiyima A07 for $65) I like them better than the 305’s because they don’t have that infamous tweeter hiss. For anyone considering the JBL’s (which are on sale for like $250 right now) you might be better off getting the Micca’s even if you don’t have an amp. Unless, maybe you need powered studio monitors with the right inputs for an audio interface or something.
@jeffrielly4 жыл бұрын
I like to know when Micca are going to make towers as well as subs I have a pair of the mb42Xs for computer speakers and I love them because of just how good the sound and apeal to those of us who don't have thousands to spend on speakers, I'd love to do a 7.2 home theater system using their speakers, but I want to get 2 towers for the larger sound stage combined with a hires receiver so I can combine a home theater, and music listening system into an "all in one" entertainment center since I'm short on space
@BigDavos3 жыл бұрын
Same here , I feel like they will one day
@jeffrielly3 жыл бұрын
@@BigDavos yeah, I'm in a condo so my living room (err great room?) is about a "mid sized" room. It's about 13 x 20
@jeffrielly3 жыл бұрын
@@BigDavos what would you say in regards to the Dayton Audio mk442 for towers in the mix for a 7.2 system?
@hi-fihaven22575 жыл бұрын
Great review! Nice looking speakers, really like that cabinet. Nice looking build quality. Awesome price tag, great bang for the buck.
@noon65 жыл бұрын
Awesome review! Would be interesting if you had the Pioneer bs22 or the Dayton B652 Air to compare them to. Would be a cool comparision considering their similar price point.
@zblus5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the vid!! At the end you mentioned that if we need to buy an amp for the rb42s, considering the cost of the amp, there may be better powered monitor options. So, which powered monitors did you have in mind?
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
Still waiting on this....
@mmahal3 жыл бұрын
They are now Available in India on amazon for a premium. There isn't a big market here for audiophiles. Are they still worth $220 USD?
@c.s.herman860Ай бұрын
Good for desktop or no? I've heard they are bright and don't measure very well
@ioan17615 жыл бұрын
Would you say that these are more worth it than the Mackie CR4 if you count in the cost of an amp?
@daviddrake6875 Жыл бұрын
Joshua: Do you think a Marantz 2230 can handle these? A Dynaco Stereo 70? A Sony TA-3200F?
@fottan5 жыл бұрын
hey josh. i love your reviews. you could use a ruler with metric and imperial scale. a lot of people would be very grateful. thank you and keep up the good work!
@ggonee5 жыл бұрын
They said they would restock mid to late June.....
@sumeetagarwal65614 жыл бұрын
How would a100+ rb42 compare to the swam m10 and edifier rt1280 that I currently have? Would the a100+rb42 be a meaningful upgrade?
@astrotrance4 жыл бұрын
Here's hoping Micca makes an MTM version of this speaker. Woofers are like pistols, in that two is always way cooler than one. Which speaker would be better for relatively low-volume, near-field listening?
@JisMortal5 жыл бұрын
One thing to add, the price (as of right now, and however long this restock lasts) is $130 USD. This is a special introductory price that Micca will be offering for the first and second batch of these speakers. The first batch is out, and yesterday the second batch came in and once these are gone the price will be raised to $150 USD.
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
and he mentioned that if they did a powered version at 160$ would be perfect, so at 150$ unpowered these may not be worth it? maybe?
@JisMortal5 жыл бұрын
Drav Fio if they do a powered version, it would start at $180 USD. I doubt any less, they do need a good amount of power and the msrp is 150. Although, right now they sit at 130.. at least before they run out of stock.
@ftlaud9114 жыл бұрын
Love the channel. You present products very well. Purchased a set of RB42's on a budget home theatre setup since I already have a receiver and sub. Space is very limited. Not expecting the world. Been using TV speakers because I was going to use in wall and waiting on the right larger TV purchase. Looking forward to hearing them.
@AexoeroV4 жыл бұрын
Hey, how do you like them?
@ftlaud9114 жыл бұрын
@@AexoeroV - They sound great!! They are power hungry (not efficient) so the more power the better (using 75w). I was blown away how much sound they throw out for being so small. Extremely pleased with the performance especially for their price. They produce a good amount of bass and the highs are crystal clear. I set my LPF to 120hz so I can still use some of their bass since I am only running a 2.1 setup. Highly recommend and I am picky. Only negative is they scratch easy (fake wood). They are solid and heavy for their size with evidently 3/4 MDF which is super thick. Buy them and you will be happy. Just don't expect a 8" woofer, but they easily punch way above what a 4" woofer can do.
@AexoeroV4 жыл бұрын
@@ftlaud911 thanks, im not expecting this to be very bassy, i just want to have fidelity, nice sound, crisp highs! I ordered them and the RB42C center channel. I'll use them in stereo mode for music and when watching movies in 3.0 and later i want to build a 5.1.2 Atmos system. I'll power then with a Denon X1600H, I'll have them in a small room.
@ftlaud9114 жыл бұрын
@@AexoeroV - You are going to be very happy. Was looking at center channel, but have limited space. Actually layed the RB42's sideways inside stand under TV. Less than ideal and they still sound great. Will eventually look into some rears, but for now they work perfectly. Have to keep the CFO happy. Otherwise I would have a 5.1 setup already. She actually commented about having rear speakers so will take her up on the approval. Not the best performance, but I like wall and ceiling speakers for clean look.
@AexoeroV4 жыл бұрын
@@ftlaud911 cool, i ordered some Micca Covo S speakers for surround and Atmos, they are small little cubes, i can get a nice clean look with them and good for small rooms. All speakers will go to a friend in US and he will ship them to me by sea to Europe so it will take some time until I'll have them but i hope its worth the wait and shipping hassle.
@angellotomic4 жыл бұрын
Nice job. Can you help me. Am I hesitating between the Micca RB42 or the EDIFIER R1700BT? I would use them via a PC and an integrated sound card on the motherboard. And they would be used for music, movies and video games... TNX
@yamafanboy5 жыл бұрын
The RB42-X is going to be the carbon fiber cone variant of these speakers to reduce cone flex at high volumes and it will cost about $190 a pair
@diamondsprince3 жыл бұрын
considering these for my first vinyl setup
@taxi6154 жыл бұрын
Is this a significant upgrade from the mb42x? Im looking at them just wondering if they are 60$ better
@d3tach3d5 жыл бұрын
They all sold out within a week of there first launch and no tellign when the next round of these will come in. I recommend looking at the newer model of the Dayton MK402 with the crossover upgrade. They are suppose to rival these at 60 bucks (half the price). They use the same drivers.
@drowninggames5 жыл бұрын
If Micca just distribute to the EU/Open an e-store over here, it'd be nice.
@@hi-filuggage13 around 450€ incl shipping for a 130€ speaker. That's a premium!
@hi-filuggage135 жыл бұрын
andtheywillknowus supply and demand
@JayJayYUP5 жыл бұрын
Hello Josh :-} I have no proper speaker setup, and am going in fresh (I do have a headphone setup and all that, but my living room speaker game is non existent). Would you recommend these speakers, and going out trying to hunt for a well performing power amp which will no doubt be more expensive than these speakers (as well perhaps needing to find a pre-amp), or the T1 Encore's from Vanatoo? Those T1E's look great, and I know the price difference is not even close. But in terms of performance like overall sound quality for a medium living room, what would you go for if each were unpowered speakers? But also if you had to factor in, an all-in price, which would you go for? (The T1E's look like they have an insane amount of creature comforts).
@avapire23593 жыл бұрын
at 1:39 that b roll of the speaker makes the image look inverted if you look at it wrong
@minhthang934 жыл бұрын
How to compare it with JBL 305p mkii, now JBL price is drop now.... Thank you
@jasobobo15325 жыл бұрын
If I could get an opinion: I already have a sub and amplifier but can’t decide if I should get a pair MB42X-Cs or the RB42
@mitsuracer875 жыл бұрын
RB....
@tech4life8842 жыл бұрын
You say that you know how songs are recorded and where you expect the sounds to come from. How do you actually know where musicians recorded their songs inside the studio, warehouse, garage or basement they recorded the song in?. Unless you personally know the artists, you can't know where the artists were placed or if they recorded one at a time in the same spot and then it was all mixed together. Music doesn't have imaging. You can imagine something is there but that doesn't mean it exists in reality.
@timschutte69245 жыл бұрын
What you said doesn't make any sense. Bring back the X ? The RB 42 has a crossover so the X designation does not apply. That was used because Micca updated their other line of speakers is all that meant. This new speaker is awesome but requires way more power to drive because of low sensitivity
@rancosteel Жыл бұрын
Play Herbie Hancock's Headhunters album through them sound great.
@ciscomoto5 жыл бұрын
Decent review Josh, liked the bass differential description. You sound very nasally here - cold or different mic?
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
Cold 🥶 the back end luckily
@ciscomoto5 жыл бұрын
@@JoshuaValour Get well soon Josh.
@iggypopisgod93 жыл бұрын
i highly doubt there will be an X model. this is their Reference line . however, there might be a replacement model down the line with better parts
@jerrycurls885 жыл бұрын
Bought these the day Zeos reviewed them on his channel. These are nice little speakers. Build quality is very good considering price. The sound is also pretty good. Just dont expect miracles. The low end can never match a larger speaker. The highs are nice but can be a bit bright. I'm using them on my desk and they are a significant upgrade from my old polks.
@lvm1115 жыл бұрын
OMG, Z isn't BSg when he always says his review is gonna make them sell out! Naw! lol
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
Do they really do a good job in the bass even this small? I want to get them but I am kinda skeptical about the 4" driver.
@jerrycurls885 жыл бұрын
@@davido810 They produce a good deal of low end for such a small driver. But like i said, dont expect miracles. If you have a sub, you're golden. I use them on my desk and they produce enough bass for my purposes (mainly music and games). I go to the man cave when i want serious low end. I have a set of Elac UB5's and a 10" sub there. I just ordered a Crown XLS 1502 to give my speakers some more juice @ 4ohms. Excited to see if the dedicated power will make the speakers sing.
@iggypopisgod9 Жыл бұрын
@@jerrycurls88 most reviews claim the tweeter is a bit soft...lol
@brydon105 жыл бұрын
What amp are you using to drive these?
@taxi6154 жыл бұрын
I got the smsl as300 great product and if using headphones is a most the smsl ad18 has a 3.5mm in front
@mark-ferns3 жыл бұрын
any idea who is the distributor in Mumbai,India unlike the online purchase of amazon..have written to Micca ..but no valid reply from them
@Jon-ik5pt4 жыл бұрын
I'm a complete noob here, but will the JDSlabs Element II be enough to power a pair of the RB42's?
@tatialo374 жыл бұрын
Great video!!! Getting back into audio and these are cheap because I am cheap!!!
@raymondberry59654 жыл бұрын
I discovered the Covo have the same sonic signature but in a smaller package.
@bluematrix500111 ай бұрын
Hi, I am looking for a small speaker with a 4 inch woofer or less that sounds decent or representative of a consumer speaker, this is for a 3rd reference for mixing, do u think this speaker is good fr that? and which amp is good for them? also considering would buy an amp like the Fossi V3 that is like $100 which active speakers in that price range do you think is better than this combo?
@leeweber855 жыл бұрын
I own a pair, and while they are great sounding speakers, they are still “small speakers” and IMO they only work for smaller rooms. Combine that with needing to buy a decent amp, they aren’t exactly the value I was expecting. Currently I have mine in the bathroom, but they would likely work well on a desk or in a bedroom too. They didn’t work in my very open living room.
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
I am glad I did not buy them two days ago when there were like 10 left on amazon. I almost pulled the trigger but I watched this review again and something told me that their size and the cost of an amp would put them against other 300-450$ speakers. So now I am back to 0 and searching for other options. I kinda want something with at least 6 inch drivers.
@keganoneil53395 жыл бұрын
Why do you have them in the bathroom
@leeweber855 жыл бұрын
Kegan Oneil because that’s the only place they work where I need music. Bought them to replace my main living room speakers or replace my rear channels and they didn’t work for either application in the living room.
@keganoneil53395 жыл бұрын
No just why do you have dedicated bathroom speakers
@iggypopisgod9 Жыл бұрын
@@keganoneil5339 bathrooms have horrible acoustics....lol
@iggypopisgod93 жыл бұрын
@$150 powered Jamo 801 are an intriguing option as well
@sil3ntscr3amlx5 жыл бұрын
Hi Josh, would a SMSL AD18 be a good amp/dac to setup with these as soundbar replacement?
@CP-vg4vy5 жыл бұрын
For Sure, no soundbar can come close to that setup.
@AIRFORCEFREAK15 жыл бұрын
Have you done a powered speaker review?
@bkrc1235 жыл бұрын
What powered speakers do you suggest over these? Thanks!
@edwardallenthree5 жыл бұрын
I'm having trouble getting these to work in the room I bought them for, which isn't large but is too open for these, with an open kitchen next door. I'm moving these to a smaller room.
@CP-vg4vy5 жыл бұрын
Maybe is your amp, these speakers have a low sensitivity.
@AustinGreer895 жыл бұрын
I see those ethers at 1:08! Hope to see a review on those soon!
@davdidit63 жыл бұрын
Arylic A50, with these or the Emotiva B1+?
@crazyprayingmantis55965 жыл бұрын
I really don't need more speakers but I want a pair of these. Living in Australia makes it hard though
Does this sound batter then the airmotiv B1+ ? I know it's not a fair comparison given the price bit can anyone inform me about the quality and the difference is it different enough to justify the 100$ cost
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
You would recommend other speakers like which ones????🤨
@noon65 жыл бұрын
Dayton B652 Air's or Pioneer bs22 are these speakers competitors from what I've seen online. Have a suss.
@CP-vg4vy5 жыл бұрын
@@noon6 ill say these Micca's are better than both the pioneer and dayton, the crossover in this thing is amazing.
@thatf_inguy82204 жыл бұрын
These or the klipsch r41m? I cant find a clear answer or comparison anywhere but price and specs between the two are almost exactly in line
@randallmilton4 жыл бұрын
ThatF_inGuy these. Hands down. Love the klipsch, especially the tweeters, but these are special.
@hifiman45623 жыл бұрын
GR Research just critiqued these. Check out their channel.
@ez1ollie4 жыл бұрын
Is there some adapter I can use to connect these my dac/amp that only have RCA outs
@arthurwatts16804 жыл бұрын
I must be on crack, Josh - I thought I heard you say the MB42X bookshelf speakers were *powered* ?? I don't own a pair but I see nothing in the product description that tells me they have an onboard amplifier - the *PB42x* you reviewed were powered, but I didn't think either MB42 was powered. I think I need a Bex and a good lie-down - thanx for the review :D
@mykandrew3 жыл бұрын
The vinyl bubbled on mine :(
@brydon105 жыл бұрын
I'll tell you right now. Review the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. You will love them. Andrew Jones is a magician.
@VoltageLP5 жыл бұрын
RB-42 vs Overnight Sensations?
@amanieux5 жыл бұрын
do you have a recommendation for powered speaker for near field desktop usage (music listening at low volume) thanks
@The_Story_Channel4 жыл бұрын
These, I had a pair and sold them which I strongly regret. They were the best desktop speakers that I ever owned for playing at low volume and sounded just as good at high volumes. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hdWlndyq1a6XaGg.html
@brucebillb5 жыл бұрын
I have gehshelli enog2/archel for headphone dac/amp. Would I need a separate stereo speaker amp for theese? Should I do away with the archel amp and find a speaker and headphone compatible amp instead?
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
You have a very good Headphone system and I would recommend getting a separate amp for the speaker as getting a speaker/headphone combo amp to run these speakers at the correct power will be hard to find and expensive.
@gozoomdaddy5 жыл бұрын
Is not the PB42x basically the same speaker only powered ?
@kencooper20595 жыл бұрын
No, the PB is the powered version of the MB-42.
@joshg3384 жыл бұрын
What do you recommend for an amplifier
@taxi6154 жыл бұрын
I got the smsl as300
@vaf36145 жыл бұрын
Hello, what Headphone Amp can you recommend me for under 200$. I have a decent dac (The Dac of the Sabaj D4), but I need more power for my headphones. What headphone amp(s) can you recommend me?
@davido8105 жыл бұрын
JDS Labs Atom
@vaf36145 жыл бұрын
@@davido810 yes, already saw that one. Its 160EUR here in Germany. Sadly you cant buy the Liquid Spark here
@timschutte83105 жыл бұрын
, I'm not sure if you understood your own comment bud? you said you were wondering if they were gonna bring back the X model. well, all that means is that a particular model does in fact have a crossover, well they do so they don't need that designation. the only reason that Micca used it was because their first speaker, mb42 did not have a so called crossover, just a capacitor on the tweeter in fact. Micca decided to upgrade the mb42 to the mb42X with a crossover. the RB-42 does have a crossover, in fact a very good one. this is why they are Not sensitive and need more power to run. the more components in a crossover, the more power needed to run said speaker. get it right man before making a video bro.
@MA-jz4yc5 жыл бұрын
Review the ath MSR7's please
@edwgillespie5 жыл бұрын
Ether cx thoughts? 1:07
@adrums_8975 жыл бұрын
If only they were actually in stock right now! Haha
@Puffy-pu4ci5 жыл бұрын
Back in stock this morning!
@lucasdiniz20535 жыл бұрын
whats the song name @0:11?
@sparrowblaise5 жыл бұрын
can you review "Matrix Audio Element X" next pleeeeaaase
@johncapone88435 жыл бұрын
can these be connected to a PC through a dac/amp?
@ggonee5 жыл бұрын
Yes
@sampkf79194 жыл бұрын
yes..too much hype...for the size and price they are great! but you really need a subwoofer.
@vanvideo5 жыл бұрын
Would these pair well with a micca origain? Given that's just about 50w per channel
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
At a desk, it’s “OK”. I actually used the origain for a bit. But if you can, I would get just a little more power.
@vanvideo5 жыл бұрын
@@JoshuaValour Cool, man. Thanks. Any suggestions on a good amp pairing?
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
@@vanvideo Budget?
@vanvideo5 жыл бұрын
@@JoshuaValour Maybe around $150-200. But if I can get something better for lower, that would be great. :)
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
@@vanvideo If you need powered, maybe JBL 30X (the massdrop version are $175) when they are on on drop.
@kozmiczian Жыл бұрын
They need 50 wpc, to shine.
@abc123s1003 жыл бұрын
Anyone ever get a chance to try these with an SMSL Q5 Pro?
@timschutte69245 жыл бұрын
, dude, the same can be said for any speaker made on the planet. I think your just trying to be sophisticated for the camera, no offense. Take the Jamo line of speakers, they have a very specific frequency response. Its curved like a big V. So when you say the speaker is forcing the music to sound a certain way, well every speaker on the planet is made in a different way
@BennyKsBandwidth5 жыл бұрын
One day my review skills will be at your level... I hope!
@jordanhart97084 жыл бұрын
RB42 vs OoO
@1980raj3 жыл бұрын
not sure why most of the reviewers don't play demo at least once in the review.
Thumbs up. These speakers are cheap. But you still need to buy a powerfull pricey amplifier to get the most out of them. So the whole system with these speakers isn't cheap. Zeos gets thumbs down.
@CP-vg4vy5 жыл бұрын
well, what price do you think is pricey?
@BunnyslippersEUC5 жыл бұрын
@@CP-vg4vy If you need to send 100watt to these speakers, then you would need to spend at least 200euro/dollars on an amp. Which isn't cheap for lots of people.
@xTG14x5 жыл бұрын
RB42C hype
@CodeVenomSnakes4 жыл бұрын
Me too.
@Cithulu15 жыл бұрын
Aww, you had me until you mentioned they aren't powered. Damn. I was so ready to recommend these to a friend in the market for powered small bookshelf speakers.
@s7robe2975 жыл бұрын
I’m telling you the hype is real. Just get a good integrated amp and you’re set. That’s one of the best low budget system I can think of atm.
@lorcro20005 жыл бұрын
The only real benefit of powered is convenience, and even then, normal speakers aren't that convenient. And they're more flexible, you can replace either the amp or the speakers separately.
@lvm1115 жыл бұрын
Perhaps one day all speakers will be wireless. Cause really, who wants to mess with real audio gear? Wires are a much better value currently. And require no bluetooth connectivity complications. I'd get some new friends! lol
It's like you took a course on how to make KZfaq videos and just went for it. Blaa
@atoz65525 жыл бұрын
2 ads in the middle of a 10 minute video? I'M OUT
@JoshuaValour5 жыл бұрын
There shouldn’t be 2 :( let me look into it.
@jumpship883 жыл бұрын
I already have a bunch of crap on my desktop so I cant get an amp. I wish theyd make these with an amp. ffs
@timschutte69245 жыл бұрын
, you are so way off on your thinking about bookshelf speakers. No bookshelf speaker on the planet can produce the frequencies of a powered subwoofer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not one speaker ever made can do that, BOOKSHELF we are talking about here. They are NOT supposed to anyways. That's why you go with a 2.1 system. That means a powered subwoofer and a pair of good BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS