Description
Product Description
CR Series Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors offer studio-quality sound with cosmetics that compliment any desk whether you’re making music, creating content, or just relaxing to your favorite tunes. CR3-X 3” monitors feature a sleek design with a brushed-metal panel and distinct outline. Convenient front panel headphone out and volume control make daily use easy. Flexible rear panel inputs include balanced 1/4″ TRS, 1/8” Stereo, and RCA. High-quality cables are included in the box to get you up and running quickly. Upgrade your listening experience with Mackie CR3-X monitors.
From the Manufacturer
CR Series CR3-X – 3″ Multimedia Monitors
From the manufacturer
CR-X Series Multimedia Monitors
Studio-Quality Sound for Everyone
CR Series Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors offer studio-quality sound with cosmetics that compliment any desk whether you’re making music, creating content, or just relaxing to your favorite tunes. The sleek design of CR-X features a brushed metal panel and a distinct outline that stands out. Available in a vast range of sizes from 3” to 8” with Bluetooth option plus an 8” subwoofer with Bluetooth, CR-X has the perfect match for your needs. Upgrade your listening experience with Mackie CR-X Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors.
Professional Speakers that Fit Your Lifestyle
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Home StudioMackie knows studio monitors, and every bit of that experience was poured into the CR-X Series. Excellent sound, affordable, and sleek looks make these perfect for small home recording studios. |
Content CreatorsLooking to make it big on the internet? You bring the talent, we’ve got the gear. What better place to start than your audio. An accurate representation of what your videos, podcasts, and more will sound like is crucial to creating great content. |
GamingCR-X is perfect for desktop gaming when you need to give the headset a break. Crisp highs mean you’ll hear every footstep, and balanced lows and mids will keep you immersed in every element and storyline. |
Desktop / Bookshelf SpeakersSometimes it’s nice to just relax and hear your favorite music while you sip your favorite drink. One way to make it not so fun is when the sound isn’t quite up to par. CR-X brings you closer to your music with full, faithful sound for all music styles. |
Features
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Sleek LooksBrushed metal faceplate, textured cabinet, and classic CR green will upgrade the look of any desk. |
Flexible ConnectionsStandard models are equipped with 1/4″ balanced/unbalanced and RCA, and 1/8″ Aux inputs. Bluetooth models allow for easy wireless streaming. (See model details for specific input availability) |
Front Panel ControlWith the volume/power knob on the front panel, you can easily dial in the perfect level. |
Connect Your HeadphonesNeed to listen even closer? CR-X monitors have a headphone output built-in and it’s right there on the front panel. Plugging in headphones will also automagically mute the speaker output. |
Learn More
CR3-X Multimedia Monitors
CR3-X 3” monitors feature a sleek design with a brushed-metal panel and distinct outline. Convenient front panel headphone out and volume control make daily use easy. Flexible rear panel inputs include balanced 1/4″ TRS, 1/8” Stereo, and RCA. High-quality cables are included in the box to get you up and running quickly. Upgrade your listening experience with Mackie CR3-X monitors.
Included With Each Pair
- 1/8″ to stereo RCA cable
- 1/8″ to 1/8″ cable
- Speaker wire (for connecting main speaker to the other)
- Pro Tools | First recording software and Mackie exclusive Musician Collection plugin bundle
Key Features
- Professional studio-quality sound
- Sleek cosmetics
- Flexible Inputs – 1/4″, RCA, 1/8″
- Front panel Power/Volume control
- Front panel headphone output
- 50 watts of clean, articulate stereo sound
- 3″ polypropylene-coated woofer and .75″ ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeter
Louis G. Reaves –
Very satisfied with the sound and ease of use.I use it to stream music and attend church meetings on ZOOM. I listen to several Jazz channels during the day and have been very satisfied with the unit.
Hoopy Frood –
UPDATE 4 Month In: HISS – But still Great!! Metrics Below (3-Inch)UPDATE: The “Dreaded” Hiss!!I love these monitors! Yes, they hiss as so many complain about. But these are budget speakers and the hiss is so slight, it is hardly a detriment. I’ll reduce the rating from 5 to 4 for the hiss. Original review below. Again I love these and, for the price, can’t complain one bit. Now for the actual hiss data (I’ve never seen that on any other review):Listening position: These are desktop a mere two feet from me.Hiss Volume (subjective): the same regardless of volume setting, any cable configuration, or no audio cables hooked up. VERY quiet. Far quieter than a computer fan. I am playing ANY audio whatsoever, even at the lowest volumes the hiss is inaudible.Hiss Volume (Metered): My sound level meter’s lowest band is 60dB (measures above 50dB). A versus C weighting did not have any appreciable difference. Used the Fast Response setting. NOTE: I HAD TO HOLD THE SOUND METER **ONE INCH** AWAY FROM THE TWEETER DOME FOR THE HISS TO BE LOUD ENOUGH TO MEASURE IN THE 60dB BAND – Powered Speaker: 53dB – Passive Speaker: 57dBAgain that’s at ONE INCH away from the tweeter dome. It is below 50dB (where my meter stops registering) just 3-4 inches away. I’m listening from two feet away. Now I have a raging case of tinnitus (high frequency ringing) so I’m not going to be as sensitive to the hiss as normal hearing people. I can hear in my listening position at two feet. At four feet I can’t, though I’d expect most people could in a quiet room. My meter doesn’t do any lower than 50 dB so I can only guess that the sound level is around 40 dB at two feet and probably falls to the 30 – 20 dB range at three to four feet and beyond. Just a guess. Someone with a more sensitive meter can check :)Still this is a very quiet hiss, these speakers sound AMAZING, and they only cost $90! I really don’t see how anyone could complain. If you need perfectly quiet powered speakers for professional recording, why would you be looking at the CRX line?These are perfect for the bookshelf, computer desk, or mini bedroom recording studioORIGINAL REVIEW:I only just received these (CR3-X, 3 inch, non-bluetooth) as monitors for a little recording “nook” I’ve setup in my bedroom (approx 10 ft x 15 ft).I had low expectations for a powered monitor that was this small. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Some users are complaining about hiss. UPDATE: I finally confirmed hiss, took a long time because it’s so slight – details above.All I know is these tiny speakers CRANK. Unbelievably loud for such a small setup! And they sound beautiful! They really wake up with a little power behind them. I have no way of evaluating their frequency response other than to just listen. They seem very linear, no booming or blooming as far as someone who’s willing to spend only $90 for powered monitors can tell 🙂 If you need ultra high fidelity, why would you be looking at budget monitors?!They’re tiny, inexpensive, and they will definitely be able to irritate anyone within two rooms of you if you turn them up! What more could you want?! I’m already in love with only an hour of listening and I haven’t even used them as recording monitors yet!As I use these over time I will update this review. But out-of-the-box I am tremendously impressed at the quality for the price. I have no idea what the bigger versions are like… but if I needed bigger monitors I’d probably not be looking at a budget line. The 3 inch are perfect (so far) and exactly what I needed. Thank you, Mackie!!
Matt Conner –
Great little speakers!Sound quality is huge for 3” woofers. Exactly what we were expecting for our 8 year olds room. Plugged in a n echo dot, ready to roll.
Brian Fischer –
Great quality feel and soundGreat sound quality from such a small speaker.
Amazon Customer –
Good sounding little monitorsJust as in most cases, the Mackie quality seems to be very good. Great sounding for a small monitor with good base response. I haven’t used them that long yet but they seem to be built to last. Happy with the purchase.
marvin s. –
They are ok but I need them to be louder for the moneyI like the price I didn’t like the loudness of the speakers
Collin –
Perfect GiftI bought this for my friend’s birthday. He loves it and we’re both very impressed with the sound quality. I will say they have more bass than I would like but if you have an amp thats very fixable. Still, I highly recommend these for the price.
j –
work perfectlysound quality is pretty good and the durability is also pretty good.
EmbeddedFlyer –
These are disappointing with audible hiss but at least better than most no-name speakersThese are better than anything from Logitech and especially all the no-name Chinese junk speakers at this price but that’s not saying much. They will play rather loud for their size without completely distorting or falling apart which could be a plus for some.First off you power these up and there’s an audible kind of digital hiss regardless of what you have connected or not connected. The Class-D digital audio amplifier is obviously low quality if you can plainly hear the digital hash. You have to be close to the speakers to hear it but these are, after all, desktop speakers so you’re often going to be close. I can plainly hear the hiss sitting in my office chair. That’s a hard FAIL Mackie that your competition doesn’t suffer from.Next up better desktop monitors are bi-amped with separate amplifiers for the woofer and tweeter and an electronic crossover. Not these. They use a simple passive crossover for the tweeter and just a basic 2 channel low quality class-D amplifier. They’re also not very phase accurate in the process resulting in weird spatial imaging.Unlike in the PreSonus E3.5, the tweeter dome is also unprotected and could easily be damaged by curious fingers especially from a child. Mackie seems to be assuming these will be used in a pristine adult studio environment?Comparing these to the slightly more expensive and near identically sized PreSonus E3.5 monitors the Mackie speakers will play louder without falling apart but they’re otherwise similar. Some might argue the PreSonus are arguably more accurate if you don’t push them hard. The PreSonus also have a front panel input jack which the Mackie speakers lack.Comparing both to the similarly sized JBL 104-BT there’s NO comparison. The JBL’s reach much lower with real instead of fake tubby bass, have a more balanced sound, and are much less fatiguing to listen to. They’re also much heavier with higher build quality and offer more features including Bluetooth and mixing more simultaneous input sources. They won’t, however, play as loud.JBL (a Harmon company) has massive R&D resources that shame Mackie and PreSonus so it’s no surprise they can make much better desktop monitors but they are, admittedly, more expensive. Still, as a consumer what matters most with speakers is how they sound. And, of the 3, the Mackie CR3-Xs play the loudest but it’s a harsh boom box sort of loud. The slightly more expensive PreSonus are more polite and don’t hiss like the Mackie but they fall apart at higher volumes and are even more fatiguing to listen to than the Mackie speakers. Ultimately if you value sound quality and features the JBL 104-BTs completely crush both the Mackie and PreSonus speakers despite being very similar in size.There are also lots of posts regarding the Mackie CR3-X’s failing just outside of their minimal1 year warranty. So that’s something else to keep in mind. I usually don’t recommend extended warranties but with these failure prone speakers it might prove to be a good option as Mackie seems to have made them as cheaply as possible in China hoping most at least don’t fail in the first year or customers toss them in the trash when they fail. Once upon a time Mackie was a really high quality manufacture but not anymore as these speakers clearly demonstrate.
Anthony Saucedo –
Sounds greatThe media could not be loaded.