Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Speakers

I had been using the Companion 5's for two years before the MM-1's. I never thought I would find a computer speaker that would make my $400 Bose speakers pale in comparison.

Initial Impressions:
- The soundstage produced is amazing. It was like the 2D sound created by the Bose suddenly became 3D on the MM-1's.
- Because it lacks a subwoofer, the bass is not as powerful as the Companion 5's. This is not to say that it lacks bass. I found the overall sound much more balanced and detailed. It made the Bose sound like the heavy bass was just covering up the inadequate mids and highs.
- The speakers really shine at higher volumes with more pronounced bass.
- Gorgeous design and impressive build quality. Much thought was put into the design like the cable management system on the bottom of the speakers.

I also want to compare these speakers to the Zeppelin Mini. I had been using the Mini as a computer speaker for five months and found it to be quite good. However, I felt that it lacked bass, even though it produced mids and highs much better than the Bose. It made me skeptical with the MM-1’s bass, but I have found it much better than the Mini’s.

At $500, I was not going to settle for a speaker that was just "amazing for its size." They had to be freaking good, period. These are also the best computer speakers I've ever heard and purchased. I recommend spending the extra $100 over the Companion 5's and do your music justice with the MM-1's.

This is a really good speaker set for computers.
The reason is that it contains an excellent DAC.
So, if you are going to use the set only with computers,
it is worth the price. However, if you are also going to use
ipod, you have to use the audio input jack. And the MM-1
will be just like normal speakers which should sound lesser
than $200 speaker set. In this price range, I think that it should
at least provide ipod interface, so that it can draw digital
signals directly from ipod and use the DAC to produce
excellent sound. So, I think that this product is only half done
at full price. I expect that MM-2 will provide ipod interface.

MY SET-UP:
- home office, roughly 200 sq. ft.
- I sit roughly 3 ft. from the speakers - they are set up in a traditional manner, 4 ft. apart at the edges of my business desk.
- I use all the included cables (thick gauge USB cord included)

MY MUSIC:
- 65gb of almost exclusively electronica: techno, house music, progressive, chill-out (BT, Moby, Delerium, Deep Dish, Sasha) - music that demands full range and bass capability; also music that is programmed precisely - easily able to identify messy compression or sloppy delivery.
- Music almost exclusively played via iTunes
- Most of my music files are CD rips, iTunes purchases or other audio. I listen to 85% 128-192 kb audio, with some VBF files, WAV (1411 kb) and AIFF files.

MY AUDIO EXPERIENCE:
- I am a high-end audio enthusiast.
- I am familiar with B&W for their Nautilus range.
- I have not owned any other computer speakers before; Bose, etc.

WHY I BOUGHT THESE:
- Wanted the best sound I could find without the need for amplifiers or sub-woofers - price did not matter.
- Wanted to avoid a sub-woofer set-up - didn't want to give up the real-estate on the floor, nor cause a disturbance elsewhere in the house.
- Wanted a smart-looking, top-sounding package.

MY IMPRESSIONS:

Both myself and my enthusiast friends have been blown away by the capability of these speakers. Of course you understand you're talking about USB, computer-generated, compressed audio (this is no concert hall or mixing studio), but your standards also go up when you're judging B&W products. Despite this, I have NO complaints to offer about these wonderful speakers!

The range is as FULL as you could ask for - despite no separate sub-woofer, I get all the richness I can ask for, and my music is know to be very demanding. The delivery of sound is beyond CRISP and TIGHT. Jaw dropping delivery, especially for 128kb music. I can turn these up until I'm uncomfortable, and the sound does not distort or break up. And what a remarkably SMALL and BEAUTIFUL package. They're about the size of a Venti cup from Starbucks, or a wide-mouth mason jar.

Five stars, zero second thoughts.

I'm a musician, mainly dealing with classical music. I listen to a lot of orchestral, and piano music, but I listen to many other modern genres as well. Here's what I think about the speakers:

Pros:

-Brand ;-)
-Small, good looking, well-built
-Easily loud enough to fill most rooms, and sound doesn't distort even at high volume
-Lots of bass, surprising for something this small

Cons:

-Price; you can get a home theatre for that price
-Top of the right speaker can get uncomfortably hot, because the amplifier and power is all there. Worries me a little, because these are quite expensive, so longetivity is a matter of concern.
-Red light, which tells you the speakers are on 'standby" can't be turned off. I personally find that quite annoying.

Generally speaking, these are very good speakers, they can easily give most 2.1s a good thrashing. However, to really do these speakers justice, you need FLAC quality music as the lack of quality of 128kbs tracks are very revealing when played on these speakers.

These B&W MM-1's with the Nautilus derived tweeters make for a VERY impressive
pair of computer speakers. (Zeppelin Mini does not have them)

Just like regular B&W speakers, and burn-in period is needed to round out the sound on these.
Let them play when not home at a decent volume, to get the mids and tweeters the best they
can be. Do this for several weeks, when possibly)
So it is possibe that some of the high end tinniness that may be experienced, will smooth out
over time.

While these small speakers will NOT sound like a pair of $5k B&W Speakers being
driven thru $7k in Audio Research Tube amps.... But for $500 they do over perform on the
computer that is in your life everyday!

--Think the amp located inside the right speaker, may be a bit too powerful for the
four drivers. So turn up the volume but not to the max--
If you use Itunes, the EQUALIZER does indeed make a difference with these MM-1's.
In some music passages, not using the EQ will make for a purer method.
But in general the Itunes Eq, makes these have a much bigger sound-stage, deeper bass
and just an overall more powerful amazing experience!
Note: I use the rock eq mode, then slightly customize it to LOWER the upper three freq so it is
smoother sounding and also slightly reduce the bottom end. Will take time to perfect......

Like another person posted here the due create a bit of vibration, when playing low freq.
B&W needed to make these MM-1 even 'heavier' then they are.
In the perfect world, B&W would have made a slighter larger, three way speaker.
(2 Small Low-2 mids-2 tweets) It would be worht it B&W :)
The details in the mids are impressive, could be further improved on a future model.

(forget the Bose Companion 5 model, the MM-1' trounce them) Bose does not know
what they are doing, other then smart marketing.

I convert all music on Itunes to Apple lossless files (done easy), using files
of this size really make the MM-1 wildly shine!



Bottom line:
While further improvements & tweeks should be made to the 2Gen B&W MM-1 in
the next few years, nothing comes even close to these computer speakers.

Place them the proper distance apart, use apple lossless playback, the
USB port to take advantage of the built-in DA converter and use the Eq on itunes
often and be prepared to be b l o w n a w a y.

p.s click on the apple itunes: Visualizer pick a Radiohead or Pink Floyd piece ........

I've had the $400 Bose Computer Music Monitors since they were released in 2009 and I've been sorely disappointed; now I agree with the poor reviews of many Bose products you see on the web. Somehow, they sounded great in the store but just couldn't give me the volume and sonic range I was craving at home.

I've only had these B&W MM-1s for a few hours and it's as if the music I am hearing is completely new. I can hear vocals, background, orchestrations, and highs and lows that I have not heard coming out of my iTunes in years. All I can say is, if you are able to afford these, go for it and don't waste your money on anything less.

songs with strong vocals. I'm a B&W enthusiast - I own 3 Signature 8NT powered by a Krell amp and processor with 2 Signature 7NT rears and 2 Velodyne subs. I like it loud and I like it clear - my Signature series deliver. I just bought an iMac and have been dying to find the right speakers - jumped on the MM1s. My 600 song iTune account ranges from Il Divo to NWA with everything in between. The MM1s are so rich on Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline - live but lack any real bass on songs designed for a 2.1 system. Will I keep these? Probably. I'm missing my Klipsch 2.1's right now for that low end bass but I can definitely tell the difference on songs where vocals are a premium.

Pros:
-Unbelievable sound for guitar, piano, and especially vocals. They come alive.
-Imaging is the best I've heard.
-Gorgeous, non-intrusive design.

Cons:
-Not great for electronica, dubstep, ambient, or house music.
-Truly desk monitors. You need to sit right in front of the speakers to get proper sound. Sound quality quickly deteriorates as you move farther away or off center.
-Do not work well in large rooms.
-Price.

Note: These speakers are so precise that they will make poor quality audio (mp3, youtube, etc.) sound even worse. Highly recommended for audiophiles who have the majority of their digital collection in 256kbps AAC or Apple Lossless.

Yes, these are expensive compared to the competition. But these speakers will most certainly please if you enjoy great stereo sound without a lot of coloration. They also do a good job on movie soundtracks for movie watching on your computer. If your looking for great booming bass, or artificial 3D sound you will be disappointed in theses speakers.

These are near field speakers, meaning they sound best when you are sitting within 3 or four feet in front of them. The soundstage they produce is the best I've heard for desktop speakers.

Can they fill a bedroom or smallish living room with decent sound? Well yes they can.
But the MM-1's aren't going to give you party level amplification.

As they say use the right tool for the job. As a desktop speaker the MM-1's deserve a high rating.

My only complaint is that the speakers do not go into standby mode when my mid 2010 27" iMac sleeps. The latest greatest firmware update for the speakers did not fix that issue.

Finally, the handsome remote feels and looks great but the control buttons are smallish.

I have NEVER felt compelled to review anything, not even my car. That alone should tell you how strongly I feel about these. I do not consider myself an audiophile, but I like to think I have good taste. I've owned a number of Bose systems, Bang & Olufsen bookshelf speakers, and some AKG headphones.

Initially, I steered away from these because of the size. I'd rather have something larger (with presumably better sound) for the same price. I went to an Apple store in Atlanta and listened to a set of these. The store (as usual) was packed, noisy, and horribly distracting.

The first thing I noticed was the BASS. Yes, these have bass! No, it doesn't shake the walls, but it's there. It's tight, punchy, and distortion free even at higher volumes. The highs were clear and had much more definition then the competing Bose Companion 20 set I also listened to (which were good as well). They did get pretty loud, in my opinion. An Apple employee turned them up so high, that another employee there (from across the room), asked us to turn them down because he was trying to sell MacBooks!

I bought them. At home, where it's (relatively) quiet, the above qualities were even more apparent. They look beautiful on my desk, and blend in nicely to any interior. Very tasteful. The speakers are also well made, and have a good heft to them.

One last thing I was impressed by. Bowers & Wilkins website is superb! The support section is frequently updated, and they even had FIRMWARE UPDATES for these speakers, which were a breeze to install.

Look beyond the price and listen to these yourself.