Time for a different budget speaker - since some are buying Micca, I decided to try something different.
Stellar Labs bookshelf (5" woofer) - said to be 11 inches deep
with 5/8 inch cabinet. Not bad for the price.
They showed up early today - Fedex is still nice/good.
They did come packed nice for a cheap speaker - and looked
to have potential - speakers were factory wrapped in plastic to
protect the vinyl black piano finish - the box is 11 inches deep,
they are 5/8 inch thick with corner bracing under the front baffle,
poly-batten on the left and right panels - a 6 part crossover that
is mounted an a separate board and glued to the bottom panel.
And, bumper feet were in place on the bottom.
The bass is nice, tight, clean and articulate - the treble is smooth
and not sharp with no extra sssszzzz - however, they do miss the
mark in the midrange - they are forward, aggressive and somewhat
shouty sounding - and regular speaking voices are somewhat thin
and nasal sounding. This unbalance midrange annoys me and brings
ear fatigue. Looks like the woofer and weak crossover work is how
they missed the mark.
They are still nice for a garage or kids room - if one wants to DIY,
the box is nice and worth the price with a decent tweeter.
Looks like they will make their way to Goodwill - it is rare to find
something under $100 that one is able to tolerate. Sony Core and
Pioneer (2) are not easy to trump and worth spending more.