I've had several sets of the MB-42Xs for a few years. They really set the budget audio world on fire! Also check out the Micca OoOs, also (barely) sub $100. Twin 3" woofers, but the bass will surprise you. Very refined speakers for the price, and the finish is much nicer.
I modified my Dayton T652 Air and found the tweeter with inverted polarity. I replaced the crossover cap with a 5ufd polypropylene(TRW). I reinforced the box and replaced the terminals with 5-way binding posts. I stuffed the cabinet with fiberglass insulation. I'm really pleased with the quality of sound. They don't sound as nice as my Adam A7X monitors, but have a similar lifelike sound. Not bad for $45 + $20 in parts. With a addition of a 12" (88lb.) homemade subwoofer I built; I think this low Buck system is quite listenable. The amp is a Dayton DTA-2.BT2 2.1 class D BT amp with subwoofer.
Hi Nemo, man, for this review series you really knocked yourself out keeping the fairness and objectivity high. Thank you for the continued integrity! So, any time I happened across a list showing any one of these three speakers on a best buy list...I would cringe at the notion that any of these three had any tolerable musicality at all. Interesting that the smallest speaker would also provide the best possible fun so hooray for the Micca MB42X. The Micca is probably a type of speaker that I would put in the back of my Jeep and have some music fun while traveling down the Texas highways. Thanks Nemo!
Ahaha, yeah seeing those top lists is what got me curious about these ultra budget speakers. They are tolerable for sure though considering the price, the Micca with the right amount of EQ'ing are actually something i could listen to in a secondary system and be happy because you can trim the top and add more bass to them. The B652-Air was okay too but you can't do anything to make it better or tailor the sound, it's just going to sound a little grainy at times no matter what and it's never going to have bass. If under $100 is someones budget the Dayton and Micca are the best they can get, but they're even close in terms of SQ to the $229 Emotiva B1. Just the best you can get at under $100. It's like saying "these are the best $20 headphones", they're going to suck the least basically lol.
I've had the Daytons for a bit and have them paired with a cheap Kinter Tripath amp. They sound good, warm almost, and no distortion when turned up. Vocals and horns sound nice as well. I listened to the Miccas at the record store and they do have really nice output and soundstage.
Im thinking about the Klipsch R-41M or the Micca. Which one would you choose and why? I think Klipsch would be a better option but i want some good front speaker for a good price. I own a H/Kardon sub and receiver, what do you think?
i'm gonna level with you man, for the money these speakers aren't that bad, but they're pretty shit overall, they're under $100, it's hard to expect much. If you can scrounge up a little more cash I'd recommend saving for the Emotiva B1+ which are $249, if you really want one of these you can have my Micca MB42X, just pay shipping (maybe like $15-$20), assuming you're in the US :p
Excellent review. The Micca MB42x costs about 120$ here in Amazon, India. I kind of like this for it's size and weight, but as for the amp is concerned, does it require a demanding amp?. Already I have my Marrantz paired with Mission Lx series for my hall. This will be for my desk with PC. I have a Sony car stereo amp which by the way has plenty of DSP controls including a Sub-out, hence I don't want to invest money there. I am planning to pair these Micca with it Now should I be worried about the sensitivity being 85db. My amp is rated at 55wpc @4ohm Thanks
Hey man amazing review. I had a question. Which one should I go for my desktop setup and also suggest the best amp for the suggested speaker under 100 dollar.And also I'll add a subwoofer to the amp.
@@naimhossainfahad884 I'm sorry brother I'm not sure. I don't have any experience with amplifiers under $100, cheapest one I know that is good is the Arylic A50.
I am planning for dolby atmos 5.1.2 setup... 1. Micca mb42x-c for center and 6 micca mb42x for fronts,surrounds and heigh Or 2. Micca mb42x-c for fronts and center. Micca mb42x for surround and height.. Does using center for left and right good or bad? Does it deprove dolby atmos accuracy? I'm a noob .plss explain..
@@josaphcj7199 I think using 3 center channels up front would be funny looking and center channels are usually tuned differently to focus more on speech so it might sound odd.
The exact comparison I was looking for, thank you! I did have a question outside what you discussed in the video though. This video focused mainly two channel music listening, but what about using these as rear speakers in a home theater? You briefly mentioned the Polk are better for home theater, can you elaborate on that? My LCR are the Klipsch RP-600m and RP-504c. I'm leaning towards the Miccas for the size (Wife thinks rear speakers will be in the way), but I'm concerned they won't be able to keep up. Is it worth trading the size of the Miccas for the Polks?
I think the miccas would be good for surround channel use as they project into the room very well and have a sharper sound. If you want to know more about the polks i get into it pretty heavily on the review i did for the T15 only, it should be linked in the description.
Have you considered looking at the Sony SSCS5's? I know they retail well over $100, but they dropped below $80 last Christmas. I picked up a pair last year and I'm a huge fan. I'm using them for the Stereo in my office and enjoying them alot. Very well-rounded sound imo.
No, Sean at Zero Fidelity did a great review on them already and they didn’t have my curiosity so I probably won’t check them out anytime soon. It is seriously amazing to see a 3-way at that price though.
Great review - For a home theatre set up I'm thinking of pairing the mb42x as front L/R with the polk t30 center speaker on my old pioneer vsx 522 (80w per channel) - Any opinion on this? Am I better to stick with the matching brand (ie all polk or all micca)? I've heard a lot of good things about the t30 and it's currently on sale on amazon (as are the t15's) but I do like the Micca's
Matching LCR is highly recommended brother. You might be able to get it to sound good but also maybe not so it’s a risk. If it doesn’t work out then you wasted the money :( i would try and find matching lcr even if it cost a little more. Or buy the t30 knowing it won’t match perfectly and you are okay with that :)
@@NemoPropaganda Great thank you. Polk advertise how well they all pair together so that plus the Amazon bargain price I think it's a sale. Thanks again for the great reviews.
Hi Nemo, first of all thanks for such an informative video.. really liked it. I am from India and planning to buy set of front channel speakers for my living room home theatre setup. My options are either Micca mb42x or Pioneer SP-BS22. I know Pioneer will be better. But in India, Pioneer cost twice at around 200 USD compare to Micca at 100 USD. Is it worth with this price difference to go for pioneer? My living room size is 19x11 with seating position is straight 10 feet away . I have a passive subwoofer yamaha ns-swp20 part of my home theater. Please help me choose the right one. Thank you in advance. Cheers!!!
Hi Jyoti! You are correct that the pioneer is the better speaker but i think the sharper top end of the Micca will make it the better choice for theater use and despite it’s small size it projects a big and forward sound which will help for theater use also. If you have EQ adjustments add about 4db bass to the miccas and they will sound even better. If you’re going to spend $200 the Emotiva B1 at $229 is the best option in my opinion.
Recently purcahsed the Miccas and waiting for them to arrive. Just curious,if my amp does not have tone controls, What is the best way to adjust bass. Should i download an equalizer program as these will be desktop speakers?
Hi, have you ever listened the pioneers by andrew jones? also congratulations for your videos, even an english beginner like me can understand the videos (sorry for my english by the way)
Hi Carlos, yes i have listened to them many times as my good friend owns the floor standing version. He has them connected to a Yamaha RS202 amp and they sound great. For the price it's really amazing, i just wish they had more bass but you can fix that with a subwoofer.
I have them with subwoofer but i find them a little "bland" i know that can and should be a good thing but i like my speakers to have a little more character.
If I'm looking for speakers to put up on top of a kitchen cabinet (so around 7ft high in a room with lots of hard surfaces), would you recommend the Polks? I want something with a full sound from just the two speakers and a cheap amp. I care about mids and vocals mostly. Or maybe the Sony Core's on sale for $73?
Eeeee the Polks are not full sounding at all my brother. I don’t think any of these 3 will be a good option for that honestly. The micca will be awful with too many hard surfaces and the dayton like the polk isn’t very full.
@@pilotdog68 So it definitely would help them sound good in that kind of placement but cheaper speakers are rarely full sounding. At their current price I'd say just buy them and try them, you can always send them back and maybe in that kind of orientation they will sound more full than they did in my room.
Great review, and I’ve been looking at all of these speakers this weekend. just bought a used Yamaha receiver and I have an extra Polk sub, so I’m replacing a cheap soundbar in my game room - just need two cheaper speakers. I’m leaning towards either the dayton T or B 652 air or spending just a little more and doing the Jamo 805 for $200.
Hey Chris, I'd just get the B652 Air and skip the Jamo for now and instead save a little more cash and go for the Emotiva B1+ in like a year or something. That'll be a much bigger upgrade.
@@NemoPropaganda thanks for the reply, money isn’t a huge issue but I just don’t want to spend a ton since this was kind of a spur of the moment thing and I dont need my wife killing me since she was fine with just the soundbar and sub in that room, lol. I might want tower because I really don’t have a good spot for bookshelf, plus I love the look of tower speakers. Still doing some homework and will decide soon, but the Jamos seem to have good reviews and $200 for a pair is a pretty solid price
@@chrisg8820 I totally get it, I'm the opposite where I love the look of bookshelves, for that reason I don't really have any recommendations on floor standers since I haven't experienced any, hell I've never reviewed a floor stander but if you do have more of a budget you can just skip the subwoofer and go for the Polk R500, that line is absolutely incredible but that's significantly more money. At the end of the day if you have a sub-$500 soundbar nearly any pair of speakers will be an upgrade.
@@NemoPropaganda I already have a wired Polk sub that was hooked up to an old Vizio soundbar, so yes I agree, any speakers with a receiver will sound better, so I’m sure I’ll be happy with whatever I decide.
Very helpful and insightful review! Now since the Polk T15 are better suited to be placed off axis from ear level, be it above or below, which placement actually sounded better, a higher or lower placement?
Higher always sounds better to me vs lower. Higher sounds more exciting and normal. Personally i would put them as close to TV level as possible, it feels more real to me that way vs the TV being mounted up high and the speakers down low.
@@NemoPropaganda i did, but they just won't do.it. and.i actually like the regular miccas for certain uses but i've had them for like 3 years and i'd like something else
Have you reviewed the Micca RB42 Reference Bookshelf Speakers, they are significantly more expensive, about $150 for a pair, but I wonder if it's worth the higher price tag. Personally, I'm just interested in/need a small speaker for my setup and the price comes in second to sound quality, well, staying within let's say $200/pair. Also, it's a good thing you picked one in the end, I hate it when reviewers don't, a reviewer who is noncommittal is wasting the viewer's time because people are comparing these speakers and want to know which ONE to buy. Yeah, viewers might have a different opinion based on their own preferences and what's important to them, and they should make their own decision based upon those considerations using the information you point out in your review, but I like that you state what you would do and tell us why, I respect you for that, and thank you.
Thank you brother, it's hard sometimes to make a decision like when i did the subwoofer trio comparison all 3 subwoofers were so different i really couldn't pick one and all 3 of them were seriously really good! But in a situation where 1 product is better than the rest i promise i will always say that. No i have not heard the RB42, the brown color is a big turn off for me, i know it sounds silly but i just don't like the look.
@@NemoPropaganda Well, based on this video and some other reviews I've watched, I bought the Miccas, the MB42X's, and decided to save some money. I put the savings towards a small desktop Bluetooth DAC/amp. You might also consider the company "Singing Wood," their passive bookshelf speakers are about the size of the Miccas, but are under $60, and they come in beechwood as well as black, no dark brown. Well, I guess I can say that I actually bought both speakers, first the Singing Woods a few days ago, then the Miccas just a few hours ago because I couldn't find any info on the Singing Woods other than the few Amazon reviews which were mostly positive, but limited. I've seen a lot of good reviews of the Miccas and couldn't pass them up, I got a used pair for under $70 on Amazon and I'll see how they compare to the Singing Wood speakers then send one pair back. God bless Amazon for the ability to do such things, and thank you for your review, it was helpful to me in making my purchase decision.
@@NemoPropaganda With kids running around making noise and whatnot, I haven't had a chance to get them set up and properly A-B them, but I did get them both set up and was able to listen for maybe 30 minutes or so(not back to back) before chaos ensued. Anyway, I would just say that my initial impressions were that I was very impressed by the Singing Woods and extremely disappointed by the Miccas. In terms of build quality and finish, there's little comparison, the Singing Woods look and feel better in every regard, much higher quality, while the Miccas just look and feel cheap, in spite of being more expensive. I also prefer the dimensions of the Singing Woods more too, they're just a bit narrower and deeper making them look taller from the front, while the Miccas are slightly wider and look fat by comparison. The only advantage the Miccas have is the magnetic grills, but the Singing Woods come with footpads on the bottom of the speakers which work well for me and I like. While I haven't had the time or ability to do some really critical listening, with the little time I've listened to them, the Singing Wood speakers also sound better in my opinion. The Miccas sound "thin" and lacking of body/soul while the Singing Woods have a slightly fuller, richer tone, maybe slightly more detailed as well. Although I cannot give a detailed analysis of the treble and bass, soundstage, imaging, et cetera, at this point I am leaning heavily towards returning the Miccas and leaving a sparkling review of the Singing Woods on Amazon.
@@mydogskips2 That's awesome, i love that more ultra cheap stuff is good! Are you listening to the Miccas flat or did you add 3-6db of bass to them? They really need that or yes they will sound very thin.
@@NemoPropaganda Well I appreciate your opinion but don't take it the wrong way I'm more concerned about the sound. I see everyone buying those svs atmos and I just wonder can I do better for less.
@@donjaun540 Usually it's hard to do better for less, the fit and finish alone on the SVS atmos speakers are superior. The only cheaper one that should be as good is the Emotiva A1 which are $100 cheaper for the pair. Personally I would not use any of these speakers for Atmos and would instead opt for the Emotiva A1. The main reason being the Micca is tonally unbalanced and may have too much bass, the Dayton is too large, and the Polk is too large.
Well, I just watched another video review, and now wonder about the Neumi BS5 bookshelves, they're also under $100/pair. The guy in the video says he likes them a lot more than the Miccas which makes me wonder what I should do. My only issue is that they're physically larger than what I'm looking for, I mean, I am literally trying to build a system on a ledge, maybe about 40 inches wide, but only 4 inches deep, and ideally for under $200 to start, I might add a sub later. I've tried a soundbar, which is actually the perfect form-factor for such a space/setup, but as I thought, it's just not satisfying for me at all, it sounds mediocre at best, no imaging, no soundstage, pretty much a plasticky sound without any soul. I HATE soundbars, always have, to me they're not really made for music, but for tv and movies.
I've had several sets of the MB-42Xs for a few years. They really set the budget audio world on fire! Also check out the Micca OoOs, also (barely) sub $100. Twin 3" woofers, but the bass will surprise you. Very refined speakers for the price, and the finish is much nicer.
I modified my Dayton T652 Air and found the tweeter with inverted polarity. I replaced the crossover cap with a 5ufd polypropylene(TRW). I reinforced the box and replaced the terminals with 5-way binding posts. I stuffed the cabinet with fiberglass insulation. I'm really pleased with the quality of sound. They don't sound as nice as my Adam A7X monitors, but have a similar lifelike sound. Not bad for $45 + $20 in parts. With a addition of a 12" (88lb.) homemade subwoofer I built; I think this low Buck system is quite listenable. The amp is a Dayton DTA-2.BT2 2.1 class D BT amp with subwoofer.
wow, that's a nice diy/upgrade!! I'm always wanted to do something like that but I usually end up breaking stuff lol.
My chosen cap is 4 uF and add 0.3mH coil to woofer, leave tweeter polarity reversed, otherwise the 4KHz would phase cancel
Hi Nemo, man, for this review series you really knocked yourself out keeping the fairness and objectivity high. Thank you for the continued integrity!
So, any time I happened across a list showing any one of these three speakers on a best buy list...I would cringe at the notion that any of these three had any tolerable musicality at all. Interesting that the smallest speaker would also provide the best possible fun so hooray for the Micca MB42X. The Micca is probably a type of speaker that I would put in the back of my Jeep and have some music fun while traveling down the Texas highways.
Thanks Nemo!
Ahaha, yeah seeing those top lists is what got me curious about these ultra budget speakers. They are tolerable for sure though considering the price, the Micca with the right amount of EQ'ing are actually something i could listen to in a secondary system and be happy because you can trim the top and add more bass to them. The B652-Air was okay too but you can't do anything to make it better or tailor the sound, it's just going to sound a little grainy at times no matter what and it's never going to have bass. If under $100 is someones budget the Dayton and Micca are the best they can get, but they're even close in terms of SQ to the $229 Emotiva B1. Just the best you can get at under $100. It's like saying "these are the best $20 headphones", they're going to suck the least basically lol.
Micca has a nice crossover inside.
👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼🔊
I have the Polk in my patio with a Polk sub.
I've had the Daytons for a bit and have them paired with a cheap Kinter Tripath amp. They sound good, warm almost, and no distortion when turned up. Vocals and horns sound nice as well. I listened to the Miccas at the record store and they do have really nice output and soundstage.
Your reviews are pretty thorough, I enjoy them a lot
Thank you for the kind words!
Great review series… I just ordered up those Micca mb42x to give them a shot 👍👍
Nice video!
I have the Polk. What happen if you add a sub? Sound improve or is better idea go for new bookshelf speakers with more low freq response ?
If all you want is more bass then yes add a subwoofer for sure! It will have way more bass than upgraded speakers will.
Get the Polk PSW 10 , cheap, great build and very nice tight not boomy bass.
Thanks for the info , much appreciated . I am ordering a couple sets of the Polk for my home theatre 👍🏻
Glad i could help :)
Im thinking about the Klipsch R-41M or the Micca. Which one would you choose and why? I think Klipsch would be a better option but i want some good front speaker for a good price. I own a H/Kardon sub and receiver, what do you think?
i'm gonna level with you man, for the money these speakers aren't that bad, but they're pretty shit overall, they're under $100, it's hard to expect much. If you can scrounge up a little more cash I'd recommend saving for the Emotiva B1+ which are $249, if you really want one of these you can have my Micca MB42X, just pay shipping (maybe like $15-$20), assuming you're in the US :p
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for replying👍🏻
@@NemoPropaganda did you ever get rid of the speakers?
@@loveracing1988 I still have the Micca, you want them? You can have them for free, just pay shipping.
@@NemoPropaganda sure I'd take them. Thank you! They would be miles ahead of the onkyo htib speakers I'm currently using. PayPal email?
Excellent review. The Micca MB42x costs about 120$ here in Amazon, India. I kind of like this for it's size and weight, but as for the amp is concerned, does it require a demanding amp?. Already I have my Marrantz paired with Mission Lx series for my hall. This will be for my desk with PC. I have a Sony car stereo amp which by the way has plenty of DSP controls including a Sub-out, hence I don't want to invest money there. I am planning to pair these Micca with it
Now should I be worried about the sensitivity being 85db. My amp is rated at 55wpc @4ohm
Thanks
Hello! 55w should be no problem. They didn't seem hard to drive when i played them.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks, would you recommend the powered version of MB42x instead?. Any chance that you reviewed them?
Sorry i have not.
Hey man amazing review. I had a question.
Which one should I go for my desktop setup and also suggest the best amp for the suggested speaker under 100 dollar.And also I'll add a subwoofer to the amp.
Micca MB42x and EQ the hell out of them. Or save up and get the PSB P3.
@@NemoPropaganda which amplifier should I go for under 100 dollar
@@naimhossainfahad884 I'm sorry brother I'm not sure. I don't have any experience with amplifiers under $100, cheapest one I know that is good is the Arylic A50.
I am planning for dolby atmos 5.1.2 setup...
1. Micca mb42x-c for center and 6 micca mb42x for fronts,surrounds and heigh
Or
2. Micca mb42x-c for fronts and center. Micca mb42x for surround and height..
Does using center for left and right good or bad? Does it deprove dolby atmos accuracy? I'm a noob .plss explain..
I would do option 1 :)
@@NemoPropaganda can u explain why? Plss..
@@josaphcj7199 I think using 3 center channels up front would be funny looking and center channels are usually tuned differently to focus more on speech so it might sound odd.
@@NemoPropaganda love u dude. U replied as quick as lightning..
@@josaphcj7199 Aye! No problem brother, we all start somewhere :)
The exact comparison I was looking for, thank you! I did have a question outside what you discussed in the video though.
This video focused mainly two channel music listening, but what about using these as rear speakers in a home theater? You briefly mentioned the Polk are better for home theater, can you elaborate on that?
My LCR are the Klipsch RP-600m and RP-504c. I'm leaning towards the Miccas for the size (Wife thinks rear speakers will be in the way), but I'm concerned they won't be able to keep up. Is it worth trading the size of the Miccas for the Polks?
I think the miccas would be good for surround channel use as they project into the room very well and have a sharper sound. If you want to know more about the polks i get into it pretty heavily on the review i did for the T15 only, it should be linked in the description.
Have you considered looking at the Sony SSCS5's? I know they retail well over $100, but they dropped below $80 last Christmas. I picked up a pair last year and I'm a huge fan. I'm using them for the Stereo in my office and enjoying them alot. Very well-rounded sound imo.
No, Sean at Zero Fidelity did a great review on them already and they didn’t have my curiosity so I probably won’t check them out anytime soon. It is seriously amazing to see a 3-way at that price though.
Great review - For a home theatre set up I'm thinking of pairing the mb42x as front L/R with the polk t30 center speaker on my old pioneer vsx 522 (80w per channel) - Any opinion on this? Am I better to stick with the matching brand (ie all polk or all micca)? I've heard a lot of good things about the t30 and it's currently on sale on amazon (as are the t15's) but I do like the Micca's
Matching LCR is highly recommended brother. You might be able to get it to sound good but also maybe not so it’s a risk. If it doesn’t work out then you wasted the money :( i would try and find matching lcr even if it cost a little more. Or buy the t30 knowing it won’t match perfectly and you are okay with that :)
@@NemoPropaganda Great thank you. Polk advertise how well they all pair together so that plus the Amazon bargain price I think it's a sale. Thanks again for the great reviews.
@@drmickmach9922 Anytime Mick, I'm happy to help! I hope it sounds great for you!
Hi Nemo, first of all thanks for such an informative video.. really liked it. I am from India and planning to buy set of front channel speakers for my living room home theatre setup. My options are either Micca mb42x or Pioneer SP-BS22. I know Pioneer will be better. But in India, Pioneer cost twice at around 200 USD compare to Micca at 100 USD. Is it worth with this price difference to go for pioneer? My living room size is 19x11 with seating position is straight 10 feet away . I have a passive subwoofer yamaha ns-swp20 part of my home theater. Please help me choose the right one. Thank you in advance. Cheers!!!
Hi Jyoti! You are correct that the pioneer is the better speaker but i think the sharper top end of the Micca will make it the better choice for theater use and despite it’s small size it projects a big and forward sound which will help for theater use also. If you have EQ adjustments add about 4db bass to the miccas and they will sound even better. If you’re going to spend $200 the Emotiva B1 at $229 is the best option in my opinion.
Bro now micca mb42x price dropped chk now in Amazon India already I booked micca mb42x
Which would be better for watching movies. I want the clear vocals and I have a powered sub. Thank you
Micca for sure would be better for that.
Recently purcahsed the Miccas and waiting for them to arrive. Just curious,if my amp does not have tone controls, What is the best way to adjust bass. Should i download an equalizer program as these will be desktop speakers?
Yes absolutely use a software solution. No need to spend any money on an external eq or dsp if it’s desktop use. Enjoy!!!! :)
Hi, have you ever listened the pioneers by andrew jones? also congratulations for your videos, even an english beginner like me can understand the videos (sorry for my english by the way)
Hi Carlos, yes i have listened to them many times as my good friend owns the floor standing version. He has them connected to a Yamaha RS202 amp and they sound great. For the price it's really amazing, i just wish they had more bass but you can fix that with a subwoofer.
I have them with subwoofer but i find them a little "bland" i know that can and should be a good thing but i like my speakers to have a little more character.
@@urbanrunoff i can see that for sure, the sound is a bit too "tidy" perhaps.
If I'm looking for speakers to put up on top of a kitchen cabinet (so around 7ft high in a room with lots of hard surfaces), would you recommend the Polks? I want something with a full sound from just the two speakers and a cheap amp. I care about mids and vocals mostly. Or maybe the Sony Core's on sale for $73?
Eeeee the Polks are not full sounding at all my brother. I don’t think any of these 3 will be a good option for that honestly. The micca will be awful with too many hard surfaces and the dayton like the polk isn’t very full.
@@NemoPropaganda I see. I was hoping the off-axis thing with the Polks would help
@@pilotdog68 So it definitely would help them sound good in that kind of placement but cheaper speakers are rarely full sounding. At their current price I'd say just buy them and try them, you can always send them back and maybe in that kind of orientation they will sound more full than they did in my room.
Great review, and I’ve been looking at all of these speakers this weekend. just bought a used Yamaha receiver and I have an extra Polk sub, so I’m replacing a cheap soundbar in my game room - just need two cheaper speakers. I’m leaning towards either the dayton T or B 652 air or spending just a little more and doing the Jamo 805 for $200.
Hey Chris, I'd just get the B652 Air and skip the Jamo for now and instead save a little more cash and go for the Emotiva B1+ in like a year or something. That'll be a much bigger upgrade.
@@NemoPropaganda thanks for the reply, money isn’t a huge issue but I just don’t want to spend a ton since this was kind of a spur of the moment thing and I dont need my wife killing me since she was fine with just the soundbar and sub in that room, lol. I might want tower because I really don’t have a good spot for bookshelf, plus I love the look of tower speakers. Still doing some homework and will decide soon, but the Jamos seem to have good reviews and $200 for a pair is a pretty solid price
@@chrisg8820 I totally get it, I'm the opposite where I love the look of bookshelves, for that reason I don't really have any recommendations on floor standers since I haven't experienced any, hell I've never reviewed a floor stander but if you do have more of a budget you can just skip the subwoofer and go for the Polk R500, that line is absolutely incredible but that's significantly more money. At the end of the day if you have a sub-$500 soundbar nearly any pair of speakers will be an upgrade.
@@NemoPropaganda I already have a wired Polk sub that was hooked up to an old Vizio soundbar, so yes I agree, any speakers with a receiver will sound better, so I’m sure I’ll be happy with whatever I decide.
grt review man. helped a lot. thanks
Glad i could help brother, did you decide on anything?
Very helpful and insightful review! Now since the Polk T15 are better suited to be placed off axis from ear level, be it above or below, which placement actually sounded better, a higher or lower placement?
Higher always sounds better to me vs lower. Higher sounds more exciting and normal. Personally i would put them as close to TV level as possible, it feels more real to me that way vs the TV being mounted up high and the speakers down low.
Nemo Propaganda Reviews Cool. Makes sense. Thanks. Along with Higher positioning, Straight ahead or Toe in with these T15’s?
I’d do straight ahead but experiment, your room could be different there.
I could only get the MB42 over the X here in Canada. Hopefully they still turn out decent as surrounds. Thanks for the review man.
I think you can buy the crossover separately if you want to upgrade them to the X spec :)
A question, can you actually Buy the crossover? I live in México and micca just won't ship here.
@@lamecasuelas2 yes, it's $30 on their website, have you tried emailing them?
@@NemoPropaganda i did, but they just won't do.it. and.i actually like the regular miccas for certain uses but i've had them for like 3 years and i'd like something else
Damn. Do you have a friend that can ship them to you?
Hey,
Could you please say which can I pick for surround( mainly for movies)
Polk t15s& t30s or
Taga 806s &806c
I'm sorry I've never heard the Taga :(. It looks nice though.
Have you reviewed the Micca RB42 Reference Bookshelf Speakers, they are significantly more expensive, about $150 for a pair, but I wonder if it's worth the higher price tag.
Personally, I'm just interested in/need a small speaker for my setup and the price comes in second to sound quality, well, staying within let's say $200/pair.
Also, it's a good thing you picked one in the end, I hate it when reviewers don't, a reviewer who is noncommittal is wasting the viewer's time because people are comparing these speakers and want to know which ONE to buy. Yeah, viewers might have a different opinion based on their own preferences and what's important to them, and they should make their own decision based upon those considerations using the information you point out in your review, but I like that you state what you would do and tell us why, I respect you for that, and thank you.
Thank you brother, it's hard sometimes to make a decision like when i did the subwoofer trio comparison all 3 subwoofers were so different i really couldn't pick one and all 3 of them were seriously really good! But in a situation where 1 product is better than the rest i promise i will always say that. No i have not heard the RB42, the brown color is a big turn off for me, i know it sounds silly but i just don't like the look.
@@NemoPropaganda Well, based on this video and some other reviews I've watched, I bought the Miccas, the MB42X's, and decided to save some money. I put the savings towards a small desktop Bluetooth DAC/amp.
You might also consider the company "Singing Wood," their passive bookshelf speakers are about the size of the Miccas, but are under $60, and they come in beechwood as well as black, no dark brown.
Well, I guess I can say that I actually bought both speakers, first the Singing Woods a few days ago, then the Miccas just a few hours ago because I couldn't find any info on the Singing Woods other than the few Amazon reviews which were mostly positive, but limited. I've seen a lot of good reviews of the Miccas and couldn't pass them up, I got a used pair for under $70 on Amazon and I'll see how they compare to the Singing Wood speakers then send one pair back.
God bless Amazon for the ability to do such things, and thank you for your review, it was helpful to me in making my purchase decision.
@@mydogskips2 I've seen those, they look a lot nicer, what do you think so far?
@@NemoPropaganda With kids running around making noise and whatnot, I haven't had a chance to get them set up and properly A-B them, but I did get them both set up and was able to listen for maybe 30 minutes or so(not back to back) before chaos ensued. Anyway, I would just say that my initial impressions were that I was very impressed by the Singing Woods and extremely disappointed by the Miccas. In terms of build quality and finish, there's little comparison, the Singing Woods look and feel better in every regard, much higher quality, while the Miccas just look and feel cheap, in spite of being more expensive. I also prefer the dimensions of the Singing Woods more too, they're just a bit narrower and deeper making them look taller from the front, while the Miccas are slightly wider and look fat by comparison. The only advantage the Miccas have is the magnetic grills, but the Singing Woods come with footpads on the bottom of the speakers which work well for me and I like.
While I haven't had the time or ability to do some really critical listening, with the little time I've listened to them, the Singing Wood speakers also sound better in my opinion. The Miccas sound "thin" and lacking of body/soul while the Singing Woods have a slightly fuller, richer tone, maybe slightly more detailed as well. Although I cannot give a detailed analysis of the treble and bass, soundstage, imaging, et cetera, at this point I am leaning heavily towards returning the Miccas and leaving a sparkling review of the Singing Woods on Amazon.
@@mydogskips2 That's awesome, i love that more ultra cheap stuff is good! Are you listening to the Miccas flat or did you add 3-6db of bass to them? They really need that or yes they will sound very thin.
Infinitey all the way!
Your choice for atmos?
Out of these 3? The Micca because it's the smallest so it will look better :)
@@NemoPropaganda Well I appreciate your opinion but don't take it the wrong way I'm more concerned about the sound. I see everyone buying those svs atmos and I just wonder can I do better for less.
@@donjaun540 Usually it's hard to do better for less, the fit and finish alone on the SVS atmos speakers are superior. The only cheaper one that should be as good is the Emotiva A1 which are $100 cheaper for the pair. Personally I would not use any of these speakers for Atmos and would instead opt for the Emotiva A1. The main reason being the Micca is tonally unbalanced and may have too much bass, the Dayton is too large, and the Polk is too large.
Can u plss comapre this wih taga harmony tav 606 v3. I am like super confused. I have a small room..
sorry brother but they are not available in my country :(
@@NemoPropaganda would u recommend floor standing speakers for a 8' x11' room
@@josaphcj7199 I don't think room size matters for floor standing vs. bookshelf, it's just what you like :)
@@NemoPropaganda tq for the info. I am a noob in home theatre. That's y..
Kindly do a review on Goldwood AA351B
I probably won't, at that price I would say just buy them from Amazon and return them if you don't like them :D
Well, I just watched another video review, and now wonder about the Neumi BS5 bookshelves, they're also under $100/pair. The guy in the video says he likes them a lot more than the Miccas which makes me wonder what I should do. My only issue is that they're physically larger than what I'm looking for, I mean, I am literally trying to build a system on a ledge, maybe about 40 inches wide, but only 4 inches deep, and ideally for under $200 to start, I might add a sub later. I've tried a soundbar, which is actually the perfect form-factor for such a space/setup, but as I thought, it's just not satisfying for me at all, it sounds mediocre at best, no imaging, no soundstage, pretty much a plasticky sound without any soul. I HATE soundbars, always have, to me they're not really made for music, but for tv and movies.
I havn't heard the Neumi speakers but it sounds like the Micca is perfect for you!
Maybe demo those all head to head.
not my style but i appreciate the suggestion :)
In Germany Polk T15 is 120€ 😔
oh man that's too expensive, how about the Micca?
I got one on sale for 79 Euro inlcuding shipping in germany. Either this or the DALI Spektor 1 Esche which blew my budget.
1/3rd into the video just talking about finish lol
It matters to a lot of people. Did you watch the rest?
Hey, thanks for this. Really informative.
Glad it was helpful :)