Pros
$131 shipped
USB connectivity - plug and play worked instantly on my PC laptop
Very good sound quality / accuracy
Speakers are a bit larger than I expected (H 10.625" x W 7.25" x D 8.75"). Of course, I should have paid closer attention to the specifications!
Headphone output, volume/power knob is on the front of the right speaker
Left speaker does not require it's own power cord (slaved to the right)
All cables needed were included
Cons
Bass leaves a little to be desired / "bass boost" takes away too much clarity when engaged so I left it off.
Finish - the headphone output plug extends about 1/8" from the monitor, a bit poorly done though it's not loose.
XLR cable - fairly short, only allows for about 2-3 feet of separation (not really a "con" in a nearfield situation).
Partial list of music used for evaluation:
- Johnny Cash "Beans for Breakfast"
- Matthew West "When Love Comes Home"
- Marcus Miller, Silver Rain (CD)
- Sonny Rollins, Way Out West (CD)
- David Bowie "Space Oddity" & "The Man Who Sold the World"
- Bobby McFerrin "Freedom is a Voice"
- Iron and Wine "Tree by the River"
- Johnny Horton "North to Alaska"
Brief Observations:
Extremely clear definition between left and right speakers. Voices were precisely in the center.
Johnny Cash's voice comes out with authority.
Marcus Miller's CD was very powerful (though I have not been able to listen to this on my reference / home system).
The bass line in "I'm An Old Cowhand" from Way Out West is almost faint (even on JBL PRX635s powered by a Yamaha P7000s). It came through on the M1 520s; overall, better than expected.
During Bowie's songs, I was able to distinctly hear specific instruments and effects from each speaker.
"Freedom is a Voice" has a pretty strong bass line - it came through but a bit weak (again, for nearly all my evaluation I left the "bass boost" set to off).
"Tree by the River" - Outstanding reproduction of the brother and sister duo.
Conclusion:
I can't comment on the long term reliability of these speakers as I just got them but the sound "out of the box" is not at all bad. Perhaps a bit fatiguing at louder volumes. The size might be a bit large for your desk, but these put most common computer speakers I've heard (without a sub) to shame. Caveat: I've heard some MAC folks have trouble with the USB interface.
