M-Audio

T
he BX5 has established
itself as a reliable and
affordable compact
two-way monitor,
maintaining its
popularity through a
number of updated
and restyled versions. Its latest
incarnation carries through many
common features from recent editions,
including a one-inch silk-domed
tweeter, fi ve inch woven Kevlar woofer
(both magnetically shielded) and vinyl
laminated MDF cabinet. Once again
it uses a rear ported design to
improve bass extension, and further
rear panel elements include Volume
control, XLR and TRS jack inputs and
three Acoustic Space bass settings
(Flat, -2dB and -4dB) to help
compensate for the monitor position
in the room. Much like the recent
BX5 Carbon, you can connect both
XLR and jack inputs simultaneously.
For these D3 models, the onboard
Class AB bi-amplifi cation has been
upgraded, now delivering 60 Watts
and 40 Watts to the LF and HF units
respectively; the crossover is now set
at 2.5kHz (rather than 3kHz on the
Carbon); and the front baffl e has had a
makeover. The two-part design retains
the familiar M-Audio styling, with a
rubberised feel to the speaker surround
section. There’s an improved tweeter
waveguide providing broader dispersion
for a wider listening sweet spot.
A/B-ing the BX5 D3 with some
considerably more expensive monitors
shows them to be pretty revealing,
and after an hour or so reacquainting
myself with their sound, I feel I could
easily deliver good, reliable mixes on
them. Overall, the BX5 D3 is a solid,
compact performer with some useful
features, a good track record, a reliable
sound, and one of the best compact
affordable monitors out there.
When I tried the last BX5 Carbon
model, I felt it was a bit too full in the
low mids, but this isn’t the case with
the D3, which is good news. Even so,
the bass port still delivers somewhat
hyped lower frequencies, and even
with a good half a metre between the
rear port and the back wall, I had to go
for the -2dB Acoustic Space setting.
In fact, I’d say the Flat setting should
be reserved solely for circumstances
where you have the monitors free
standing in an open space.
Looking back at my notes for the
BX5 Carbon, I reckon the D3 sound
smoother in the top end. Yes, they are
still bright and lack any form of HF
tweak, which is a shame. I didn’t fi nd
them particularly fatiguing, though,
and I think that the new waveguide
does help deliver a broad sweet spot.
The BX5 D3 includes an array of
protection circuits (current limiting,
over temperature and transient
protection). Even so, it remains
surprisingly loud for its size, just like
its predecessors.
THE PROS & CONS
+
Compact, robust
and stylish design
New tweeter
waveguide delivers
broader sweet spot
Improved amplifi er
output for both
HF and LF drivers
Low frequency trim
to compensate for
monitor position
Magnetically
shielded
-
No high frequency
EQ option
FM VERDICT
9.2
The D3s are the best looking
and best sounding BX5s ever.
These diminutive monitors
remain one of the best
budget designs you can buy
Overall, the BX5 D3 is a
solid, compact performer
with some useful features
he BX5 has established
itself as a reliable and
affordable compact
two-way monitor,
Overall, the BX5 D3 is a
solid, compact performer
M-Audio BX5 D3 | Reviews
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FMU321.rev_maudio.indd 89 12/07/2017 12:32