Review of Micca MB42 speakers

SCG - 21 JAN 2013

Pros:

  • Amazing sound quality
  • Small size
  • Price

Cons:

  • Inefficient
  • Low power rating
  • Unattractive Cabinets

The Micca MB42 is an incredible speaker at any price let alone $49.95 for a pair. When a friend asked me to audition his new pair of speakers he paid $50 for I didn't expect much. My first impression of the Micca was that it was rather cheap looking and very small. Aside from the banana jacks on the back there was no evidence that it was anything other than a low budget speaker. But when I hooked them up to my Harman Kardon and played some Depeche Mode through them they sounded like much more. They sound big. This is a 4-inch woofer that puts out bass like a 10. A small dome tweeter that rings out over waveguide designs. Let me take a chance to explain to you the setup that was used in this test. The reciever used was a Harman Kardon HK3490. The source was Spotify digitally fed to the HK from a WDTV live. I also hooked a pair of Klipsch Quintet III front channel speakers for comparison. Right away the winner was clear. The Micca beat the Klipsch in almost every possible way. The highs were stunning. Female vocals were reproduced flawlessly. The low end response was clearly visible in the vibrations I felt in my couch as I listened to bass heavy tracks. The depth of the soundstage was equally impressive. Although the Miccas didn't present a wide stage they did project a deep one. The MB42 loved slow easy music and as I listened to Nirvana Unplugged I couldn't ask for a nicer presentation.

Fast and complex tracks were a different story. Any techno, dubstep, or rap fans should look into other bigger speakers. The Micca's seem to have trouble getting all the sound out evenly, but I doubt anyone would confuse these with house party speakers. I found myself wanting to turn them up more and more, but hesitated due to their extremely small size. The HK3490 is not a weak amplifier and I was scared for the little guy. But the Micca never showed any signs of distress even while driving them at above reference levels. Loud. Loud enough to fill my living room and home with distortion free music. I paired it with my Cerwin Vega CLS15s subwoofer and they synced up perfectly. I only regret not trying them using the subwoofer's crossover to block some of those scary low end frequencies. I believe that if the high pass crossover cut low bass from reaching the Micca's one could get alot more worry free volume out of them.

The Micca MB42 is a terrific speaker at any price. I compare them with Quad bookshelfs. They really are on that level in terms of sound. In terms of beauty, they kind of miss the mark in my opinion. The dull black finish is retro I suppose but with all the modern satallites with molded cabinets these speakers look out of place. The grilles are transparent so a little cherry vinyl on the sides and you're good to go. I can recomend these speakers to anyone who is looking for something better than good at an affordable price.




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