In this demo the Mackie's seem more full. The presonuses seem more aimed at high notes, less full... Somewhat lighter overall. That's a personal preference. However, the presonuses have high and low potmeters on the back and the Mackie's do not. How do we know to what those high/low potmeters were set during this test? Do you remember?
Instruments sound more natural on the E3.5. Listen to the snare during Boom Bap Hip Hop for example. The e-guitar in Full Speed gets a bit lost when the band starts to join the main theme. The singer on Long Drive doesn't sound as lively on the CR4. I'm glad I picked the E3.5.
Wow finally some who shares my view. For everyone else it always seems 'all about da base' and let's forget the fact the CR4s are not as nice a pair of speakers to listen to and mix with, just listen to dat base man.
Is it worth to pay extra 50 bucks to get Mackie CR4 instead of Presonus E3.5? That is the quastion we will try to answer today. Starting, as always, with build quality and features, Presonus pulls slightly ahead of Mackie. E3.5 feels a bit more solid and looks better IMO, plus it has tone controls for bass and treble which CR4 lacks, so You will have no option to tune CR4 to Your liking. Soundwise Mackie shows significant advantage, especially in midrange and treble quality. Mackie sounds more natural and nuanced than E3.5, CR4's voice rentidion feels more natural and smoother, and there is more air in the soundstage it creates. Presonus suprisingly is capable to slightly beat Mackie in terms of bass quality, E3.5's bass is tighter and less boomy than in CR4. Mackie CR4 is clearly a better speaker in this comparison, for most of the part worth the 50$ extra over E3.5, but it is not perfect, especially in the bass reproduction it is a chore. If You consider them for music production than cosider pairing them with some good headphones to monitor bass properly. Presonus E3.5 is a solid proposition for less than 100 dollars, but it is also the inferior product compared to CR4 soundwise. What do You think? Which one would You choose and why? Let me know in the comments below! Cheers!
hi there, first of all i want to thank you for all these effort and quality videos. you do really help us all to decide. secondly i need your opinion about this subject that i was had to face recently. i have a pair of Presonus E3.5 and i've got an email from amazon like this: "Device can deliver higher voltage than the CE standard. Please stop using the affected items." so bacause of that probably i will return the product but if i do this i dont know which monitor should i buy. im a newbie dj and and also im trying to produce some music. so that i want a monitor nothing is boosted (especially the bass) as flat and accurete as eris 3.5. i paid them 100€ and i can pay 25-30€ more max. so what would you recommend me to buy? After E3.5 will Mackie CR4 suit for me? (i guess not) i'll be waiting your answer. thank you already. (ps: I am open to the suggestions of other people reading this comment, thank you.)
I see the CR4 is still troubled by the boxy muffled bass which made me avoid the CR3s. It's like there's a hump in the frequency response around 200Hz; the exact same frequency I tend to cut in my mixes to start with to avoid a boxy bass.
Bass is more in Mackie n clarity in presonus from what I heard in my earphones. Can you suggest which one is better for metal music listening n production both. Or any other alternative for these.?????
Interesting. Despite PreSonus has less bass, but still much better clarity. I can recognize instruments much better. Mackie sounds bassy, but everything that is lower than 300hz just mixed. For accuracy, probably PreSonus much better, but for fun and evening party probably Mackie (they would be great.. the only concern annoying ~200hz hump)
I'd say I'd like it "in the middle" - 3.5 voice playback is too much "in your face" and can get a bit nasal, while CR4 is missing a bit of clarity in that zone. Wondering, if 3.5 backside correction knobs could help with taming those highs and get more similar sound to CR4? Or it's hopeless and I should go for CR4, even when I like Presonus look and size better (and sometimes those very detailed mids might be actually useful)? Also, I hope that maybe 3.5 does not sound that shrill in real life - microphones always tend to record slightly more tinny sound, no matter how good they are.
in the end your trying to buy studio monitors that capture the actual sound of the recording with no color, the 3.5 seems to do better but lacks some bass, the mackie has some color and has bass but i cant tell how drastic the color would effect it. personally i was leaning towards the 3.5 cause i wanna be accurate
I'm not an audiophile by any means but I don't like the muffled bass on the CR4s. Could be just how my ears are made though, I have a tendency to cut out boxy/boomy bass out of the music I listen to.
Which one is better for home DJing? Btw, they will be just like a refrenece because I already have studio monitors to work on. And if you have some idea for other pair of reference speakers in this range of price, let me know. Thanks in advance.
Doesn't it sometimes sound too much "in your face" and shrill, when listening to vocals? Can it be tuned down to sound more similar to CR4 but not that dull? I'd say, somewhere in the middle would be the sweet spot.
Based on the headphones I used to judge... The Mackie’s had a rich, full sound. The Presonus’ had harsh highs. Both sounded like they struggle with bass. For me, Mackie was clear winner here, but not something I’d buy.
They both sound very dry. The Mackies have a hint of more bass presence but still very weak. It makes sense because the Mackies have bigger woofers and more space to fit them. Overall, the Mackies sound fuller and seem to have a better staging. But they're made to emphasise highs to the detriment of other frequencies. None of them are worth buying, imo. Maybe if you already have a subwoofer, it might be ok. But you're paying mostly for the brand. For 100-150 bucks you can get better speakers that have better low frequencies. You should try some new music. :P
In terms of sound balance and quality, I'd say Edifier R1800T3 are worth their price. I found them for under 100 euros in my country, on a discount sale. If you find them at about 150, they might not be worth it. The Eris do look better, but that's pretty much what they have going for themselves. The looks and the balanced inputs on the back. You're paying for Presonus branding otherwise, mostly. The powered version of the Micca PB42X might also be worth checking out, though at least on paper they seem to have less low-frequency response than Edifiers. It also depends on your preferences, if you don't need a lot of bass, maybe you'll be fine with the Mackies, or if you already have a subwoofer. It's best if you can go to the store and test them yourself. If not, I think @Digital Stereophony said he was planning on testing the R1800 Edifier too in a couple of weeks. I mean, if you want proper bass, neither of these two are good options. Edifier speakers are cheaper or just as cheap and have way better bass. Though, they don't look as good as these speakers (like the Eris E3.5). And, as far as I know, entry-level Edifiers only have RCA connectors on the back and sometimes an optical input. So, no balanced inputs, like the Eris. So, there are some trade-offs that you're making if you pick one over the other.
They seem to sound almost similar to me. The 1800 maybe sounds a bit more balanced and has more bass response. Bear in mind that the R1800T in the video is the old generation, there is a new one called R1800T III. I don't know how good the current generation of R1700 is, so not sure if they still sound the same. Digital Stereophony said he will make a new comparison between these speakers, maybe this month. For me, bluetooth is not important, sound is the most important quality in speakers. But maybe other people are interested more in extra features. I don't need to stream music from a bluetooth device, I think the best sound source is still a wired one. There are some very expensive DACs (like the Matrix Mini-i Pro 2S) that can offer high-quality Bluetooth sound, but most users will not pay 600 euros for such a DAC and use it with a 150 euros pair of speakers.
In this demo the Mackie's seem more full. The presonuses seem more aimed at high notes, less full... Somewhat lighter overall. That's a personal preference. However, the presonuses have high and low potmeters on the back and the Mackie's do not. How do we know to what those high/low potmeters were set during this test? Do you remember?
Instruments sound more natural on the E3.5. Listen to the snare during Boom Bap Hip Hop for example. The e-guitar in Full Speed gets a bit lost when the band starts to join the main theme. The singer on Long Drive doesn't sound as lively on the CR4. I'm glad I picked the E3.5.
87detto 🤔im confused between them do you think i should go with the Presouna E3.5 ? 👀
Wow finally some who shares my view. For everyone else it always seems 'all about da base' and let's forget the fact the CR4s are not as nice a pair of speakers to listen to and mix with, just listen to dat base man.
@@jonvincentmusic ignorant "Neanderthal"
@@jonvincentmusic which position were the high and low knobs on these speakers located at, do you think? On the 3.5s...
Is it worth to pay extra 50 bucks to get Mackie CR4 instead of Presonus E3.5? That is the quastion we will try to answer today.
Starting, as always, with build quality and features, Presonus pulls slightly ahead of Mackie. E3.5 feels a bit more solid and looks better IMO, plus it has tone controls for bass and treble which CR4 lacks, so You will have no option to tune CR4 to Your liking.
Soundwise Mackie shows significant advantage, especially in midrange and treble quality. Mackie sounds more natural and nuanced than E3.5, CR4's voice rentidion feels more natural and smoother, and there is more air in the soundstage it creates. Presonus suprisingly is capable to slightly beat Mackie in terms of bass quality, E3.5's bass is tighter and less boomy than in CR4.
Mackie CR4 is clearly a better speaker in this comparison, for most of the part worth the 50$ extra over E3.5, but it is not perfect, especially in the bass reproduction it is a chore. If You consider them for music production than cosider pairing them with some good headphones to monitor bass properly. Presonus E3.5 is a solid proposition for less than 100 dollars, but it is also the inferior product compared to CR4 soundwise.
What do You think? Which one would You choose and why? Let me know in the comments below! Cheers!
hi there, first of all i want to thank you for all these effort and quality videos. you do really help us all to decide.
secondly i need your opinion about this subject that i was had to face recently. i have a pair of Presonus E3.5 and i've got an email from amazon like this: "Device can deliver higher voltage than the CE standard.
Please stop using the affected items." so bacause of that probably i will return the product but if i do this i dont know which monitor should i buy. im a newbie dj and and also im trying to produce some music. so that i want a monitor nothing is boosted (especially the bass) as flat and accurete as eris 3.5. i paid them 100€ and i can pay 25-30€ more max. so what would you recommend me to buy? After E3.5 will Mackie CR4 suit for me? (i guess not) i'll be waiting your answer. thank you already.
(ps: I am open to the suggestions of other people reading this comment, thank you.)
In my country....presonus eris 3.5 is 15$ expensive
Presonus costs 160$ in my region whil the makie CR 4 costs 120$.
I see the CR4 is still troubled by the boxy muffled bass which made me avoid the CR3s. It's like there's a hump in the frequency response around 200Hz; the exact same frequency I tend to cut in my mixes to start with to avoid a boxy bass.
yes and bass frequency response end at 55hz for both - so there is no real advantage from the 4" woofer for mackie
I think as far as audio mixing for a small home studio goes I think I'd have to lean towards the 3.5s
Which one is good for gqom music 🤔👀
Yamaha HS8 vs KRK Rokit 8 G3 and
Yamaha HS8 vs JBL LSR308
Please! Thanks!
Bass is more in Mackie n clarity in presonus from what I heard in my earphones.
Can you suggest which one is better for metal music listening n production both. Or any other alternative for these.?????
Not sure if I would settle on any of these but I prefer the Presonus for metal based on this video.
Which is better for direct connection from digital piano/keyboard?
Interesting. Despite PreSonus has less bass, but still much better clarity. I can recognize instruments much better. Mackie sounds bassy, but everything that is lower than 300hz just mixed. For accuracy, probably PreSonus much better, but for fun and evening party probably Mackie (they would be great.. the only concern annoying ~200hz hump)
I'd say I'd like it "in the middle" - 3.5 voice playback is too much "in your face" and can get a bit nasal, while CR4 is missing a bit of clarity in that zone. Wondering, if 3.5 backside correction knobs could help with taming those highs and get more similar sound to CR4? Or it's hopeless and I should go for CR4, even when I like Presonus look and size better (and sometimes those very detailed mids might be actually useful)?
Also, I hope that maybe 3.5 does not sound that shrill in real life - microphones always tend to record slightly more tinny sound, no matter how good they are.
in the end your trying to buy studio monitors that capture the actual sound of the recording with no color, the 3.5 seems to do better but lacks some bass, the mackie has some color and has bass but i cant tell how drastic the color would effect it. personally i was leaning towards the 3.5 cause i wanna be accurate
Thanks. While looking for Eris 3.5 in local stores, I found a really good deal on Eris 4.5, so I got them. Thus far, I'm very happy with the purchase.
I'm not an audiophile by any means but I don't like the muffled bass on the CR4s. Could be just how my ears are made though, I have a tendency to cut out boxy/boomy bass out of the music I listen to.
At this price range which monitor do you think is best??
Which one is better for home DJing? Btw, they will be just like a refrenece because I already have studio monitors to work on.
And if you have some idea for other pair of reference speakers in this range of price, let me know.
Thanks in advance.
Which one to choose for music production and mixing
CR4 gets my vote
Which one should I buy for music production and mixing?
Neither. Try E4.5 instead
I think the E3.5 are better for music production. It sounds way more detailed.
Doesn't it sometimes sound too much "in your face" and shrill, when listening to vocals? Can it be tuned down to sound more similar to CR4 but not that dull? I'd say, somewhere in the middle would be the sweet spot.
Broooo can anyone pls tell I have 2 options only mackie cr4x Bt vs presonus eris 3.5 bt which one plls tell
Pre-sonus, a no brainer. especially there more cheaper in price too.
Based on the headphones I used to judge...
The Mackie’s had a rich, full sound. The Presonus’ had harsh highs. Both sounded like they struggle with bass. For me, Mackie was clear winner here, but not something I’d buy.
Which one should I buy for vocals mixing ?
E3.5
Which one would be a better option for just song listening?! I do prefer a bit bass tbh. Thanks :)
Mackie CR3 or CR4 has more bass.
Let me know the best studio monitors for beginners in under Rs 15k ?
eris 3.5 !! 👍🏻 is enough !!
For mix/master rap voices who's better !?
Neither will be very good, CR4 will be better though
i find Mackie play more from the reverb, the sound is deeper and have more room information.
For home Djs Mackie, more bass and trebles, for mixing Presonus, much more flat sound.
swissonic asm 5 vs jbl lsr305
YEA!
Just bought the 3.5's...only 110$/pair .. :)
my eris 3.5 are going into trash shortly after this.......gotta get 4s, presonus ofcource :)
size matters, 3.5 sound......dead?
Can u do Rockville ASM5 vs the Eris 3.5
why is rockville making those.... ugh...
anyway don't waste your money on those.
Admin help me
Swans mk100 vs Mackie
I cna not tell how Mackie compares with Swans speakers because I have not tested them. All I can say is that I am not a fan of Mackie CR line...
They both sound very dry. The Mackies have a hint of more bass presence but still very weak. It makes sense because the Mackies have bigger woofers and more space to fit them. Overall, the Mackies sound fuller and seem to have a better staging. But they're made to emphasise highs to the detriment of other frequencies.
None of them are worth buying, imo. Maybe if you already have a subwoofer, it might be ok. But you're paying mostly for the brand.
For 100-150 bucks you can get better speakers that have better low frequencies.
You should try some new music. :P
In terms of sound balance and quality, I'd say Edifier R1800T3 are worth their price. I found them for under 100 euros in my country, on a discount sale. If you find them at about 150, they might not be worth it.
The Eris do look better, but that's pretty much what they have going for themselves. The looks and the balanced inputs on the back. You're paying for Presonus branding otherwise, mostly.
The powered version of the Micca PB42X might also be worth checking out, though at least on paper they seem to have less low-frequency response than Edifiers.
It also depends on your preferences, if you don't need a lot of bass, maybe you'll be fine with the Mackies, or if you already have a subwoofer.
It's best if you can go to the store and test them yourself. If not, I think @Digital Stereophony said he was planning on testing the R1800 Edifier too in a couple of weeks.
I mean, if you want proper bass, neither of these two are good options. Edifier speakers are cheaper or just as cheap and have way better bass. Though, they don't look as good as these speakers (like the Eris E3.5). And, as far as I know, entry-level Edifiers only have RCA connectors on the back and sometimes an optical input. So, no balanced inputs, like the Eris. So, there are some trade-offs that you're making if you pick one over the other.
Here 1700 sounds better than 1800 th-cam.com/video/WcQtzXxtAqo/w-d-xo.html and BT version has a bluetooth. What do you think about it?
They seem to sound almost similar to me. The 1800 maybe sounds a bit more balanced and has more bass response. Bear in mind that the R1800T in the video is the old generation, there is a new one called R1800T III. I don't know how good the current generation of R1700 is, so not sure if they still sound the same. Digital Stereophony said he will make a new comparison between these speakers, maybe this month.
For me, bluetooth is not important, sound is the most important quality in speakers. But maybe other people are interested more in extra features. I don't need to stream music from a bluetooth device, I think the best sound source is still a wired one. There are some very expensive DACs (like the Matrix Mini-i Pro 2S) that can offer high-quality Bluetooth sound, but most users will not pay 600 euros for such a DAC and use it with a 150 euros pair of speakers.
Presonus 👍🏻
Mackie without a doubt
WINNER MACKIE CR4.