When comparing Dayton Audio B652-AIR vs Mackie CR3, the Slant community recommends Mackie CR3 for most people. In the question“What are the best bookshelf speakers for $100?” Mackie CR3 is ranked 4th while Dayton Audio B652-AIR is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Mackie CR3 is:
It’ll be easier for you to position the main speaker as you prefer. At the back of the main speaker is a switch that allows you to select if the main speaker will be left or right channel. The other speaker will automatically be set to the other channel.
Specs
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Pros
Pro AMT for treble
The AMT replaces the conventional diaphragm tweeter. The AMT doesn't suffer from many of the response issues of diaphragm tweeters, so it plays up to 40KHz with a very clean transient response and smooth detail.
Pro Woofer is well controlled for this price range
Like the plain B652, the woofer only has one major spectral peak near 3KHz. Although none would be preferable, the B652 woofer has better clarity than many due to its fast decay time.
Pro You can select what channel the main speaker will be
It’ll be easier for you to position the main speaker as you prefer. At the back of the main speaker is a switch that allows you to select if the main speaker will be left or right channel. The other speaker will automatically be set to the other channel.
Pro Clear sound with good bass levels
The highs are clear and have okay detail. The mids are not very forward but they sound natural and full. The bass is quite powerful and will give music a boomy and thumpy feel.
Pro Two analog input options to choose from
You’ll have some flexibility as to the source devices that you can use with these speakers. You can choose between TRS or RCA inputs.
Pro Loud volume output
Despite the small size, these speakers can output good volume levels, enough to fill a small room with sound.
Pro Foam isolation pads included
Excess vibrations from the speakers to your desk won’t be too much of a big issue. Instead of stick on rubber feet, the CR3 speakers come with foam isolation pads which are quite good at minimizing vibrations.
Cons
Con Brilliant treble
The treble is set very bright for this speaker.
Con Simple crossover
There is just a resistor and capacitor in series with the tweeter, and the woofer handles a significant portion of the mids. A better crossover would control the woofer peak in the mids.
Con No room compensation controls
You’ll have to take the extra time and effort to properly position these speakers. There are no bass compensation controls to adjust low-end output when positioning these speakers near a wall, so it’ll be much harder for you to get the proper bass response.
Con Bass can overpower the overall sound
The overall sound can get boomy and muddy. The bass is quite powerful so on bass-heavy tracks, the details of the music may be washed out.