All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Throw away those cheesy computer speakers. Reference monitors are the real deal. Created for audio pros to size up sound, these high-end models are finally making it to the desktop. The best have built-in amps calibrated for near-perfect balance, and they�re shielded against electromagnetic interference.
SPLURGE
Mackie HR824
Used by the audio producer of The Sopranos, these attractive, THX-certified powerhouses each feature an 8¾-inch polypropylene woofer and two amps that deliver 250 total watts of in-your-face sound. Bass response nearly defies the laws of physics, reaching down into subwoofer territory. A row of switches on the back of each speaker compensates for the distortion caused by walls and corners.
$1,700 a pair, www.mackie.com.
BEST BUY
Alesis M1 Active Mk2 Bi-Amplified
These new speakers are based on the Alesis Monitor One system, a fixture in home recording studios everywhere. The M1 adds 100 watts of dual-amped power per box and an updated 6½-inch carbon fiber woofer for flatter, cleaner response. Their sound quality isn�t as full as the Mackies�, but flank your flat-panel screen with this pair and you�ll switch off your living room stereo forever.
$649 a pair, www.alesis.com.
OVERRATED
KRK V4
KRK�s more expensive models are faves among pros, and its entry-level monitors live up to their lineage on most counts. However, the V4�s 4-inch woofer and 45-watt-per-channel amps are less room-filling than other makes. Worse, bass response drops drastically below 65 Hz. KRK�s suggested S8 subwoofer ($599) adds the missing low frequencies, but raises the total price to nearly that of the better-sounding Mackies.
$598 a pair, www.krksys.com.
PLAY
Viditar God
�It�s The Abyss Meets Armageddon!�
Maximum Control Cam
Exit Transmet
Manga for the Masses
The Box Scores
Where�s the Cube?
The Trash Talktionary
A Shooter�s Fantasy
Desktop Primping
Some Healthy-Looking Numbers
Bucking the System
reviews
Untethered Typing
Files at Your Fingertips
Desktop Dynamos
Down for the Count
Shopping Cart
