M-Audio BX4-120-Watt Powered Desktop Computer Speakers/Studio Monitors for Gaming, Music Production, Live Streaming and Podcasting (BX4 Pair)

The speakers sound good when they are working. But one speaker often doesn't play sound, and this is a major deal breaker. I've checked the cables and it's an internal wiring problem.

I really like this, for the price, it's great quality with really good sound quality and range! My only complaint is the Front Face Cover falls off after having used it since purchase.

Great product

💯👍

Great ! Really good sound and more than enough power for a home studio. The cord connecting the two speakers could have been longer. Other than that, almost, perfect.

The M-Audio BX4 studio monitors are an excellent budget-friendly option for beginners and home studios. They deliver clear mids, crisp highs, and controlled bass that works well in small rooms. The sound is balanced enough for music production, podcast editing, and casual mixing, though deep bass lovers may want a subwoofer. Their compact design fits easily on a desk, and the front bass port helps with placement near walls. Multiple input options and a front headphone output add convenience. Overall, BX4 monitors offer great performance, ease of use, and solid value for small-scale audio production.

They sound really good and have the key features required for a desktop system: Front panel On/Off/Volume control and headphone outlets. The Microphone input is a convenience, but probably won't be used for serious work. On the rear is the stereo RCA and 6.25mm connectors, so the speakers can be used for other functions, eg plugging in a keyboard or guitar. Also present are small Bass & Treble tone controls. A convenient feature is a switch to set the box with the controls as the left speaker or the right speaker, which allows for better flexibility in setup. To get better sound than what one gets from the computer built-in sound, I spent a measly $30 on a SoundBlaster USB to analogue converter, into which the speakers are plugged. The speakers could do with some kind of grill covering the drivers and really benefit from foam pads to sit on, which help reduce resonance and angle the speakers better (all speakers should have this)

So… I have been using monitor speakers for years for my PC sound needs, they are self-powered so do not need an amp and tend to have minimal footprint. I have my PC connected to my lounge TV and my PC use is generally done via the couch with Bluetooth mouse/keyboard. I am not a sound engineer or video editor so am not overly fussed about "flat" sound on my speakers for accurate reproduction. I want my speakers to fill the room with sound, be of good build and provide a good soundscape for music, movies and the occasional gaming session. I have ASD so have been cursed with a keen ear for sound defects, crackles, hums and general distortion. I prefer high quality MP3 (high bitrate FLAC) as opposed to streaming as I can hear the sound difference and find it makes a difference when you crank it up. I have traditionally paired my monitor/active speakers with a sub to give the set up some lovely warmth and thump and have an external soundcard with phono outputs to eliminate any interference from inside the PC case. I use the FX-Sound app in place of any bundled soundcard apps as it enables me to switch EQ for optimal listening experience – anyone who watches movies on PC can tell you how voice can become faint with general settings. What I had previously: I bought my last set of monitor speakers in about 2010 – a second hand set of M-Audio AV30s. They did the job quite nicely but did need the sub as they lacked any thump. I kept this setup over the years as it met my needs perfectly, I used the best cables I could and tweaked everything as well as I was able. However, after 16 years of use and no previous problems, the speakers decided to give up the ghost. Maybe was just age or a connection finally melting (they were on almost every day for hours) but they started to buzz and my admittedly shoddy knowledge of speaker repair failed me. What I wanted: I therefore decided to look for suitable replacements. To find something at least as good or better on my limited budget (under £100). The speakers had to meet my needs (as listed above) and hopefully last another 16 years. As am sure you have seen (you are reading this review after all) the choice of speakers is huge. I briefly considered bluetooth options but as my PC has this and I am a bit of an audiophile I decided it was unnecessary and added an extra potential for wear down the road. I felt comfortable with M-Audio as the previous pair lasted so long. I looked at other, well-known brands and weighed them against these ones in terms of specs, price and personal experience. I looked at some of the more unknown brands, which seemed to offer good value but instinctively I felt might not have the build quality. So why these ones? Ultimately these speakers seemed to off the best deal for me, I liked the fact that they featured built in high/low adjustment and seemed to be well insulated from interference. They had the right wattage to fill my large lounge and enough inputs to be versatile. I liked the look and the fact that they were a brand I trusted. Lastly, the price was right. So, any good? Well off the bat I was pleased by the good packaging, they included all the cables one might need – I did have to buy a longer 1/8 inch audio cable as my speakers need to be 4 meters apart (4M, 3.5mm to 3.5mm Stereo Aux Cord). Luckily the speaker to speaker cable was standard and only cost £3. After setting up and attaching the (included) foam pads to the bottom of the speakers I wired up my system to the PC and sub. I kept the sub off and tested the speakers with movies, streaming and music (*note, turn these speakers on by turning the volume knob). I adjusted the low and high slightly to suit my taste and found that even with the sub off they had a nice warm sound with a nice bit of thump. I am sure this will improve as the speakers wear in a bit (turns out this is a thing). After turning the sub on I was treated to the full potential of my setup and found that with some small adjustments was able to produce a well-rounded, room filling sound with the speakers only quarter full. They are certainly loud enough! The highs and lows seem accurate and with the right EQ settings (thanks FX Sound) I was able to hear good detail on everything I tried. The build quality seems good, and I did not notice any hum or unwanted noises when no audio is being fed to the speakers. I was able to turn them way up without hearing any distortion save the rattling of objects on my table… In conclusion, I would recommend these speakers as good value for money and quite suitable for anyone wanting to upgrade their PC sound from “PC Speakers” to something a little more professional. I would imagine that you would have to spend a lot more money before you had any noticeable difference in sound quality. Only time will tell how long they will last but so far so good.