Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight)
by Boston Acoustics
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Boston AcousticsModel: Horizon MM220
Color: Midnight
Product features:
- Powerful two-piece 80-watt system with compact slim contoured design for great sound and great style
- Second stereo input ideal for use with any iPod or other portable media player
- BassTrac audio processing for rich clean bass at any volume
- Dual 2-inch high-output, high excursion drivers with single passive radiator
- Midnight color with onyx grill
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (3.3 Feet/1.0 Meter)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to Mini-B Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight)
Customer Review: Tremendous value, Incredible sound
Summary: 5 Stars
I needed a set of stereo speakers that would fit and look good in my bedroom. Sub-woofer was not an option because of space and wife acceptance factor considerations. The need was to upgrade the poor sounding system that came with my value 37" Vizio LCD TV.
I considered Audioengine 5's or 2's, but their size and price was not acceptable. My third runner up was M-Audio Studiophile AV40's but was a little too big still. My second runner up was the Creative T-40s. Then I found these (Boston Acoustics MM220) for an astonishing $38 (now $33)!
I went to the local Fry's store and saw the T40's. They are larger than the MM220s (probably because the T40's have the transformer inside). I liked both the T-40's and the MM220's, but my wife unfortunately did not think much of the T-40's. Furthermore, the T-40's online and in the store were 4X pricier then the MM220s (online).
THE TRANSFORMER: Contrary to what some reviewers say, I find the "brick" transformer highly desirable. It is a rule of thumb in audio amplifiers that the larger and heavier the transformer, the better the sound (specially class A/B ones). So the size and weight of the transformer was a good indication. Furthermore, the transformer is MUCH SMALLER than a decent sub-woofer. I had no problems hiding the transformer under my bedroom's furniture (commode). Obviously having the transformer outside the speaker, allows for a smaller design. And in fact, the MM220's occupy less square footage than the competition. Therefore I picked the MM220's.
SOUND: At $33-$38 (even at $99) you will find a hard time finding a better 2.0 stand alone system if you want the smallest form factor and decent sound. As a reference I have in my living room a Yamaha HTR-6160 (aka RX-V663) powering a 5.1 Mirage nanosat system. I have also auditioned Martin Logans, all sorts of Klipsch speakers, B&W systems, Polks, Infinity, Definitive, Energy, higher end Mirage (OMD-15s, OmniSats, Prestiges) ... you named it. These MM220 will not be superior to my 5.1 system nor any of the above mentioned systems. But for a small bedroom, the MM220 @ the price range, will give any of the above a run for their money. I also auditioned low end computer speakers from Logitec and Insignia (Best Buy), and they definitively sounded low end (really boxy and lacking mid-range, i.e. probably an upgrade to laptop speakers that cut off at 300 Hz, but most TV speakers would likely sound better)
As far as the MM220 is concerned, the sound is not fatiguing nor does it distort at high volumes. They obviously cannot be as loud as some the above systems, but they can be loud enough so my wife hears my music clearly all the way to the kitchen. The bass is good enough to cover well most of the audible range (including percussion and bass instruments clearly and distinctivley). Note that very similar products by Philips (MMS 321 and 322) claim a lower cut off at 50 Hz, which I believe this system can achieve. However, I doubt this and similar systems will give you powerful response bellow 60Hz (Audioengine 5 is an exception, but @ $325 and given their size, they are really not in the same class). What this means is that while audio will be great and clear, it will not necessarily shake your living room as any system with an active sub-woofer going bellow 40-50Hz would. Again, audible sound is decently covered though. Sound detail is good, and unlike monitors, these set is well suited for MP3s (not too revealing). They do reveal really poor quality recordings (as they say garbage in, garbage out).
WIRELESS INTERFERENCE: I have my wireless networked XBOX 360 next to these speaker and I have no problems picking up interference. I also have a wireless phone in the room. Again no problems.
I highly recommend this system for applications where real state, decent audio performance, budget, and WAF (wife acceptance factor) are important.
Bottom Line: For a few bucks you will notice an upgrade in regular TV (or computer) audio, and you will enjoy decent music playback (better than most iPod systems out there). If you paid $30 something bucks, consider that this is about what you will spend filling up your gas tank.
*****UPDATE Feb 26, 2010*****
This set may (may not) be discontinued and recently has gone up in price to ~$90. At ~$90, the system is still fairly good IMHO, but their awesomeness/price factor goes down compared to when they were $30 something bucks.
The nice things about this system is that you get a decent size speaker (not too big, not too small for an over the bedroom commode application), come with a decent amplifier already, are two way (tweeter + 2x small woofers + passive radiator) and most importantly: sound great. However, for $90 there are other options from reputable companies in this class of audio system:
1) The Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technolgy PROS: good sound, CONS: still a little more expensive and larger in size.
2) JBL Duet Speaker System for Portable Music and PC - White (Pair) PROS: are cheaper, CONS: deficient in bass extension.
3) Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist BASS 2-Way Speaker for PC and MP3 (Black) PROS: have more bass extension (reportedly down to 40 Hz), CONS: high frequency response cuts off at 18kHz, and are not as accurate in the midrange as the MM220s (better for movies than music). However, I wouldn't worry too much about the 18kHz cutoff. If you are over 20 years old I would be surprised if you can hear past 18kHz anyway. I also like the presentation of the MM220s more, but for $50 vs $90, I would definitively give these ones a serious audition.
4) Klipsch Groove PM20 2.0 Speaker System (Black) PROS: well regarded quality speakers. CONS: larger size and price (getting close now though)
All of the above are 2.0 systems for space sensitive applications.
Description of Boston Acoustics Horizon MM220 Multimedia Speaker System (Midnight)
Ideal for use with any computer, as well as any iPod or other portable media player, the compact MM 220 system delivers powerful room-filling sound yet requires very little space. The MM 220 system features a 1/2" tweeter, with advanced dual high-output 2" drivers for rich, realistic audio, and a 2" passive radiator for surprising bass from a 2-piece speaker system. In addition, a dynamic bass enhancement feature delivers full satisfying performance at any volume, and a headphone output affords quality private listening.Digital Cameras & Photo Categories