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Mackie MR524 Active 2-Way 5” Studio Reference Monitors $478 for The Pair Delivered ($239 Each) @ Sounds Easy

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Ok these are powered studio-monitors.
Standard price elsewhere $559 Delivered for the pair. RRP $638.
If you are looking for the coloured sound and/or ease of use of conventional powered speakers you can stop here.
(These do not have Wireless audio built-in. You will get the best sound/signal level with balanced XLR or TRS cable connection.)

If you know what you are doing and have the ability to set these up properly for mixing and/or prefer a flat sound signature, you could consider them even for casual listening with the correct dac/pre-amp.

Mackie MR524’s for $478 for the pair delivered (this deal).
Mackie CR5’s (5 inch) are $458 for the pair at JB HiFi (not available for delivery)
and around $389-$400 for the pair delivered at other stores.
(*worth noting CR series seems to have a build quality issue where heat from the amps damages circuits & switches begin to malfunction + loss of sound).

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MR524 – 5" Powered Studio Monitor
Combined LF/HF continuous, per channel into 4 Ohms wattage targets.
Rated Power Output:
• 50 Watts of Bi-Amplified Class A/B Amplification
Frequency response:
• 45Hz - 20kHz @ (-10 dB)
• 57 Hz – 20kHz @ (-3 dB)
Inputs:
• TRS 1/4 inch input (balanced/unbalanced)
• XLR input (balanced)
• RCA input (unbalanced)
High Frequency Filter:
• +2dB / 0 / -2dB
Acoustic Space Controls (low-freq filter):
• Whole Space (positioned away from the walls)
• Half Space (positioned against the back wall)
• Quarter Space (positioned in a corner)
[equivalent to 0 / -2dB / -4dB]

I have never owned or listened to these MR524’s.
Z reviews said they are similar in sound to JBL LSR305.
So I would say great wave-guide, flat response, with a tiny bump in the low-end, and slightly better sound than LSR305’s due to Class A/B amps (especially at lower volume levels as mentioned by Zeospantera).
For mixing, have heard they are particularly good for electronic/dance music.
Would be a possible option to the LSR305’s for casual listening (the JBL’s seem popular for casual).
They are Bi-amped, Class A/B amplified so I suggest avoiding running them extremely loud at maximum volume for long periods as the Amps produce more heat than Class D amps.

Comparison to:
JBL LSR305: https://youtu.be/PbUhXtRk9W8
Yamaha HS5: https://youtu.be/Qmax6VqSmYc
Mackie CR5: https://youtu.be/xUJ6vcsaoG8
*these will only be of any use if you know what the compared speaker sounds like.

Based on the video Mackie’s sounds similar to JBL but more open/transparent high-end,
Yamaha flat overall from mids-down right to bottom of the low-end with known sibilant high-end.

Related Stores

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closed Comments

  • +1

    hmmm are these considered to be an upgrade from M-Audio AV40?

    • Sorry I cannot comment on user experience, after a quick search AV40 seems to be in a different price range ($195 for pair).
      I would consider the JBL’s and these Mackie’s to be toward the entry level price range ($200 - $300 per single). I have not heard/read about monitors below this price range.
      Noticeable differences in specs (4” vs 5” woofer, 20 watts vs 50 watts RMS) and the AV40’s having metal mesh grilles on the drivers, Mackie’s have no grills. But specs aren’t everything.
      Sound is subjective & I have not heard the MR524’s or AV40 in person, so I can’t say how they compare.
      Your use case may also dictate the pro’s and con’s (speaker size, headphone jack/grill’s needed or not [to protect drivers], volume levels needed, how they will be used [mixing specific genre of music/ casual listening]).

  • I have pair of Event TR8 in as new condition
    $300

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