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.

7 of 9 people found this useful

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.

16 of 17 people found this useful

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

16 of 16 people found this useful

I'm not sure where all the whining about low bass and white noise originates, has to be either defective speakers so go exchange them, or written by Bose and Klipsch employees. First, anybody expecting DEEP LOW BASS from 2.0 speakers needs to get realistic and go buy a 2.1 speaker system, and have fun with the extra wires. I have ZERO white, black, or blue noise emanating from mine, and I just gave up on the iHome USB powered speakers because of the high pitched whistle when plugged in. These speakers are fantastic and produce bass better than the Bose system in my '12 Nissan which wasn't as good as the Panasonic system in my '05 Honda. I have these hooked up to a mid-2010 iMac and when turned up 3/4 I can hear the music fine from my den to my kitchen in a ranch home. The bass is fairly deep although gets maybe a little boomy when the iTunes equalizer is up high on the 32 through 125 levels. For Mac speakers these are awesome, if you want symphony sound filling up a large room or entire house please invest in a true audio component system.

4 of 5 people found this useful

These speakers sound so full and rich, amazingly accurate, just phenomenal. These are the best computer speakers that I have ever owned. I can say this with a lot of knowledge because I have had Bose speakers and other such as Polk Speakers for many years. B and W is the best of the best!

9 of 10 people found this useful

I have extensively tested the MM-1 ($500), Focal XS 2.1 ($600), and Millenia CT ($700) speaker units over the past few days and found that the MM-1s delivered the most detailed and high quality sound out of the three speakers and I believe it's the best in the price range.

In comparison, the other speakers almost sounded slightly muffled when switching over. The MM-1s are really a different listening experience and really great.

The downside of the MM1-s is the lack of bass. It's still got great bass, especially if you have Boom, but it just doesn't compare to the groundshaking bass of a subwoofer since this is only a 2.0 unit.

Despite that fact, the MM-1s still win over the other two speaker systems in my book. Especially since with a mac, using the Audio MIDI Setup you can add a subwoofer to the MM-1s ultimately making them the full package and better than the Focal and the Paradigm. I picked up a Corsair SP2500 subwoofer and use it with the MM1-s and am enjoying the best listening experience of my life with music, games, and movies.

I highly recommend this unit.

10 of 11 people found this useful

Best speakers i ever owned for the computer.. I bought my dad an A7 for Christmas and was blown away.. These are such a step up from Bose it is not even funny. I like not having the big woofer as well.. I wish I had there surround for my TV. maybe next year. Bowers and Wilkins is the new level of perfection for sound docks and speakers.. I love there range and how they don't get distorted like Bose. I like my music LOUD. I listen to jam bands, jazz, fusion. classic rock. and you hear much much more with these speakers than a Bose unit. I will NEVER buy Bose again. the Price is more than justified in these speakers as well as the A7

8 of 9 people found this useful

I bought these a couple of years ago. I've auditioned big B&W speakers and found that they have a truly accurate sound. MM-1 speakers have the same sound profile. I suppose what's truly amazing about these little speakers is their bass response. I had a Klipsch 2.1 system before. They were great. However, the MM-1 system provides a fuller sound throughout the spectrum. They are perfect for a bedroom or den.

16 of 18 people found this useful

I just got mine couple of days ago and I can't stop listening to music. I was a little unsure about getting them, specially for the price tag, but after listening to my fav music I don't have any regrets!! the sound is just amazing -

56 of 59 people found this useful

PRODUCT: Very nice packaging and great size. The design of the speakers are great, very clean and simple, yet modern. The Right Speaker has a very sleek brushed aluminum strip around the speaker which includes the Power Button, +/- Volume Buttons and in the rear, a headphone and 3.5mm Aux jack which is nice. The bottom of the right speaker is the inputs for power, USB and to the left speaker, I thought this was very smart to keep wires as clean as possible. The build quality is very nice, you'd expect so for $500. Includes a wireless remote control which is also nice. Overall, a very nice looking speaker and very nice construction.

SOUND: WOW. They sound amazing. I played both lossless FLACs and compress MP3s and both sounded unreal. These speakers ability to reproduce instrument sounds from the Cello and Violin from a local group called "The Piano Guys" was simply amazing. The lows they were able to make from the Cello, blew my mind. These speakers are simply amazing to sum it up, but are they worth $500? Uhh… that's hard to say. I would suggest they are more worth $300-$400 tops. However these speakers are amazing and if you can afford them, you won't be disappointed unless you're use to perfect audiophile setups.

23 of 24 people found this useful