Worth A Closer Look & Listen

Review of Micca MB42 speakers

WAE - 23 JAN 2013

I began my analysis by just looking at these eye appealing bookcase speakers with great curiosity. What have we here that looks so crisp and in cufflinks? Opening the grille my eyes were captivated by the centerpiece of this speaker – the 4” carbon fiber mid-range and its likely companion, a .75” silk dome tweeter.

OK, we immediately acknowledge that this is not going to run with the gusto of what I am already using for my primary system, namely a pair of HI-VI TN28 super tweeters, coupled to two Philips bookshelf units each with 2” ribbon tweeter and a 5” midrange, then backed up by powered Onkyo SKW204 subwoofer. But a good reference system is need if one wishes to endeavor to conduct speaker reviews.

Below is the existing reference system, the Philips MCD908, which is equipped with a vacuum tube preamp coupled to a true Class-D power amplifier churning out a clean 75 watts of power per channel.

Reference System:

- PHILIPS MCD908

- ONKYO SKW204

So the question is, how much sound can the Micca MB42 deliver for its design and cost? Well, the answer is plenty, especially if you are a student on a budget, or a person who wants a pair of generally good sounding bookcase speakers on their workstation or you want to improve the sound of that MP3 player, radio or iPOD that seems to be lacking use. And there are plenty of places where this speaker set can fit in, because it is definitely not a surface hog. And so it is that smaller is better, because not only do you have affordability, but you have good looks, and great sound for less real estate.

- The MICCA MB42

Let’s look at the quality of these speakers. First build, which is solid, with great attention to primary construction. Then we have trim, which gives us the speaker lugs on the back, the tight fitting speaker grilles, and quality hardware to mount the speakers. Notice all these elements reflect a respect for workmanship. Second, we consider the 4” mid-range speaker. The cone is carbon fiber and is supported by a rubber composition surround that allows it to move to its fullest ability, like a young pony on the open range. Third, the .75” tweeter, which is a silk dome design, providing proven performance in the marketplace for the past 35 years. Nothing to sneeze at here either. So what we are saying is we have a speaker here that has all the right stuff to make it as successful as can be made for the role that it will play in your office, dorm, bedroom, living room etc.

How it sounds matters too. Considering that size and economy is the primary goal, this speaker is nothing less than stellar. While using it, I was able to get enjoyable sound quality for material of all types from several different sources. These included Bluetooth audio from my Motorola Razr Smartphone, CDs, DVDs, radio, and my iPOD MP3 player. How would I characterize that sound? I would call it smooth, warm and full. The speaker never kicked or showed signs of excessive knocking in its bass. I could not detect a weak area in its performance envelope or presentation.

After the straight, “take it as it comes” review, I decided to go exploring. I connected a parametric equalizer and went through the material again. Surprisingly, the speakers gave enough to cause intrigue. But then when I turned up the volume to the “strong” setting, the MB42’s started to sound their best. So I pushed them a little more and they sounded even better. So I wondered, “What was going on here?” Grant you they were fairly loud, but they sounded tons livelier, indeed no longer smooth and polite, but mighty! So yes, with the MB42 we are bound by size, but all things considered, these speaker are absolutely the surprise of the party.

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