Mackie CR8-XBT Studio Monitors Review
Up Close
The subwoofer in the Mackie CR8 range is a separate item, but as you can see from both the photo that graces the top of this review, and the pictures below, it’s designed as part of the same set, even down to the packaging.
Even though this model is Bluetooth compatible, you need some cables to tie everything together and give you options, and the Mackie CR8-XBT has you covered.
Although it is something of a generalisation, you can usually tell whether something is a speaker or a studio monitor by the simplicity of the design. Speakers are designed to grab the attention, to look good when next to your sound system and, let’s not kid ourselves, look flashy and expensive. Studio monitors on the other hand are designed to sound as good as possible with the minimum attention paid to design and all of the R&D money spent on build quality and internals. It’s a different ethos, and whilst the green rim might not be to everyone’s taste, there is no denying the Mackie CR8-XBT are purposeful to behold.
We love the dancing Push To Pair button. We might be old but it reminds us of the old 2Tone logo beloved of early Ska bands. Plus any opportunity to not have to faff about with complicated pairing systems is one we’ll gladly take. Just give us a big button and we’re ready to go.
The Monitors have a big bass port for those of you who want to shake the pictures off the walls. Don’t let the relatively small mid-range speaker fool you into thinking that these are not exceptionally well balanced sonically. Connections are simple enough with balanced and unbalanced options ensuring you can plug pretty much everything into these and get an accurate reproduction.
Sometimes when a subwoofer is a separate item it is easy for the designers to get carried away because they’re usually tucked away from prying eyes. Mackie deserve a lot of credit for sticking with a harmonious aesthetic, meaning it all looks like a single item when together, or letting you put it on full display without making it look like a hodge-podge of separate designs.
There are all the usual connections one would expect to find on the rear of the subwoofer, as well as options for reversing the polarity and deciding where the crossover point lays. Those of you who have a masochistic streak will definitely enjoy the option to adjust the Subwoofer output level. Dialing it up to 11 will rattle your fillings loose.
Each of the CR8-XBT speakers might only be approximately a foot square but don’t let them fool you into thinking they can’t peel the ears off your head. If you’ve ever wanted to replicate the old Maxell advert, you’ve come to the right place.
