Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Speakers

I bought these to replace some Logitec 2.1 speakers that sounded OK but were bulky and had too many cables. These things sound much larger than they are and their sound is much more accurate than the logitec or my computer's built-in speakers. I imagine this is because they have a better DAC built-in. Also the nice thing about them being USB is they will turn off with the computer - though they do not auto-power on.

Would highly recommend these.

I've had a pair of awesome MM-1 speakers for about 6 months and just bought a new 27 inch iMac with fusion drive - when I play back audio through the MM-1s the sound is really muffled. They still work a treat on my MacBook Pro.

I've not contacted B&W which is my next stop. I wonder if it's got to do with USB 3 on the new iMac.

Anyone having similar problems and found a solution yet? I'll post here again if I learn anything.

As you would expect, since this is a tiny speaker and there's no defeating the laws of physics, so this speaker is not going to compare to a larger sub + satellite system or larger powered speakers.

I'll summarize the important points
- The build quality is outstanding. They feel solid and I like the fact that they are all covered in a cloth like material and the speaker drivers are protected by a perforated plastic grill, so there is no way you can accidentally damage the drivers behind the cloth covering. The top is brushed metal and they are little jewels of metal and cloth
- The sound is outstandingly clear, the tweeters convey an airy sound so you can hear the shimmer of cymbals, and the midrange is solid so you can hear vocals with clarity
- The bass response is limited, they probably convey bass detail down to about 90Hz by my ear, and thanks to B&W sound processing, it manages to stay full sounding even at slightly lower volumes. Because of their DSP processing which tailors the sound quality at any given volume, the sound is clear even when you start cranking it and the circuitry works hard to make sure the sound doesn't break up prematurely, but there's only so much the little drivers can do, so in the end, the speaker is very satisfying considering its size but don't expect miracles....you won't mistake these for much larger speakers that cost a fraction of the price.
- The speaker emits a slight hiss that isn't that noticeable except in a quiet room, but some people who has younger ears may find it slightly too evident
- The right speaker gets astonishingly warm even with no music playing so it's probably eating up lots of power. This is a bit surprising considering that this speaker uses digital amps
- The remote is small but handy

All in all I like these and if they were $300 I'd recommend them for anybody who wants a premium ultra compact setup, but at $500 I only recommend them if you absolute want something cool and stylish in your fancy office tbat takes up a minimal of desk space. Right now there are plenty of competitors that offer more bang for the buck sound quality wise. If you don't need a built in USB DAC, I would look at the Focal XS Book, Paradigm A2, PSB PS1, NHT Superpower which are all regular powered speakers which can play louder and cleaner, offer more usable bass response, and offer refined sound as well

If your looking for uncompromising, unforgiving, spine tingling clarity that seems to wrap you in a bubble of sound... Buy these.

If your looking for full on bass, buy something with a big, neighbor abusing sub woofer.

Standard windows sound drivers don't let you turn up the bass at all so download the HD drivers from realtek website and the bass becomes more than acceptable for most users, while maintaining unbelievable clarity.

I've never really cared for high quality sound because I did not know what I was missing. All that has changed.

I'm very impressed with the quality and sound of these speakers. They have great range and plenty of power for a desktop speaker. They might not be big enough to carry an entire room but are perfect for my home office. I'd give them six stars if the price point was $400 but what the hey. You should buy these speakers and enjoy.

these speakers. where to start. they are so easy to set up, took less that 3 minutes including unboxing! the clever usb connection really improves sound quality, bass is outstanding, treble and midrange are clear and precise. however they dont fill a pretty big room well at all, really only meant for use when you are less than 2 metres from them. these are certainely worth the moeny, yes its a lot but they really do deliver! cant believe the bass, reassuring weight, build quality and easy of use. even the remote is well made, nice touch.

These things are great. I recently purchased the new iMac and noticed the speakers weren't all that great. I needed something small and clean, also wanted something that would sound great. I stopped in at the Apple store and listened to the Bose systems there and wasn't all that pleased. They had these setup on a Macbook Air for demonstration and they sounded pretty nice. I figured let me try these and if they aren't all that I will return them.

I cant believe how great these sound when I hooked them up at home. Theres no sub, less wires, no clutter and they look great with my setup. They sound amazing and I am so happy I bought them. I was concerned about the bass issues since there was no sub but once I played some of my own tunes I liked and it sounded awesome and I am extremely satisfied.

I got these for Christmas and was really disappointed.
No depth, all this money and real tinny sound.
I would NOT recommend these to anybody I know.

excellent sound quality and they look good sitting beside my iMac.

only minor complaint is sometimes the mac doesn't recognize they're connected as external usb speakers. have to unplug and replug a few times.

would buy them again though.