Also worth noting, how much bass are you seriously expecting out of 3" domes

small but full sound great bass responses

I don't need to mix in the 400 watt sub either because these thing push out more than enough bass on their own.

Clear highs and impressive bass response.

Based on the comments, I thought the bass would be worse than it is, but it isn't bad really.

Distorted bass, muddy mid/high, far from clear

These Mackie CR3's do have amazing bass response for how low they can go though

The only complaints I read when I was searching for speakers was (a) They didn't have enough bass and (b

It's only during certain bass frequencies but distracting

The only deficiency is that the bass gets muddled at higher volumes, which is to be expected in a small, ported speaker.

the kicks and bass sucks soo bad

good quality stereo, medium bass

Bass might be too overpowering, but for music, they’re perfect

Fatigue usually sets in after an hour or two of listening just because the bass is so exaggerated

Pros:-Lots of input connections (1/4", 1/8", RCA)-Decent sound for high-range frequenciesCons:-Terrible bass response

The bass is pretty good for music (not optimal for talk radio, but decent)

The bass is pretty good for music (not optimal for talk radio, but decent)

I had high hopes after reading a Wirecutter recommendation, but I was *very* disappointed in their anemic bass output

High quality, good bass, clear treble, but lacks the overall "large" sound I was looking for

Reading the reviews for the CR4's (there was only one CR4 LTD review before I had made my purchase) gave me the expectation that the bass was lacking, so after plugging the speakers directly into my motherboard's audio port I was prepared for what I heard

Don't expect crazy bass response, but it's acceptable for the price.

The only complaint is the bass is a bit lacking, but the mids and highs are crystal clear

In terms of the frequency response, I don't claim to know anything about sound even though I play, record, mix, and master music and have a degree in Audio Technology, but from what I've read the response is fairly flat and there seems to be an overwhelming amount of people saying that there's poor bass response.

, Bass is clean, highs are where they ought to be

They don't have the bottom end power that my HK set has, but the bass is still pretty good for the size of these speakers

The bass is really good

However, at low volumes and when an EQ is not available (i.e., listening to Pandora through your iPhone), the bass is not quite loud enough for my tastes, but that is to be expected with only 5" woofers.

The bass is a little lacking

Buuuut the bass just sounds bad.

I can see bass being a problem with EDM or PC

The bass is a little strong but not too bad.

The bass is adequate for my applications and setup: home office, music listening, audio and video editing.

The bass is reasonably precise, but significantly bloated

Even without the amplifier distortion issue, I was struggling to tolerate the boomy and undefined bass of these speakers

I will not purchase a sub since there is enough bass for my taste.

At a very low volume they have good sound quality but when you turn it up even to 1/3 of full volume the bass gets distorted

these don’t handle bass really well, the highs are high and the miss sound

Music lovers who enjoy music with clean, well mixed, but not overwhelming, bass will not be disappointed.

The sound on these is really clear but the bass is not enough for production purposes

Crystal clear loud bass and wonderful warm trebles

Upon first getting these speakers, I loved the clarity of the speakers, where the highs and mids are crisp, even though the bass was a little lacking

Good sound, good bass.

Skip the 3in and go for 4in if you still want the great sound and powerful bass.

It started popping and making a very very muddy bass

I gave them a 4 star rating because the bass, although not terrible, is weak compared to a 2.1 system

The sound is full with great low end and bass .

These speakers were easy to connect to my PC and have superb sound for their size with good bass and non-tinny treble.

Only with the very deepest bass do these speakers struggle.

Crystal clear loud bass and wonderful warm trebles

Music lovers who enjoy music with clean, well mixed, but not overwhelming, bass will not be disappointed.

As others have pointed out, the bass is somewhat lacking, but that's understandable given their small size

I even punch my 5 string bass trough them and can "just" handle that low B note.

Crisp clear audio, fantastic bass, and they get LOUD when you ask them to, these guys have provided music for more than a few house parties over the three years I've owned them

If you're wondering if the bass is good enough, it may depend on what it is you want

The only drawback is a void playing back deep bass.

Bass is not overly aggressive, which was the case with the Logitech system at high volume

The bass was fine if I was sitting 3 feet in front of the speakers, but get up and walk out of the room and all you would hear is mids and treble.

Aim the speaker directly at your head, and every bit of range (save muddy bass levels that bookshelf speakers don't have a shot at, really) sounds great

The bass can get a little sloppy but can be reigned in via equalization.

My only issue is that the bass is a little bit lacking

They're great, hold a nice bass and perform as you would expect from a reference speaker - all at a great price

The bass was awful

When I first fired these up I was psyched... so much sound from two little boxes with exceptional bass

Even with the 3" speaker it deals a rich bass and for the

the bass is powerful while the mids and highs are clear and distinct

Ultimately, it is a bad balance of muddy treble and weak bass

I find myself hearing a bass guitar actually sound like a bass guitar rather than an ambiguous bass line

The bass is very deep and the highs are crisp and clear!

The sound is clear..and have some good bass

High quality, good bass, clear treble, but lacks the overall "large" sound I was looking for

This isn't to say that the bass is lacking on these Mackies - its there and its adequate to let you know its there, and enough for you to enjoy

I think the bass is very good.

The bass is pretty good for music (not optimal for talk radio, but decent)

bass is very good for the size of the speakers

My perception is the opposite - I thought the bass was overdone and the lower frequencies seemed quite muddy to me when playing source material straight without any equalization

much cleaner and tighter bass, and smoother up the spectrum as well

The sound quality is heaven and the bass is unreal

They have a fantastic bass response without distortion

First off, the Mackie CR5 studio monitors sound excellent (mind blowing for the money, really) and they easily meet my requirements for crystal highs, clear mids, solid bass (read on about the bass in my write-up below), and they maintain their sound integrity at fairly loud volumes

Other than that they have great bass, for a 3" driver its phenomenal

These speakers are great, has warm rich bass with lots of power to spare

They may not have enough bass if you are making beats or whatever but for rock and other music they are perfect for my needs

good bass response

Crystal clear dialog when watching streams, smooth hitting bass

It's just the bass sounds awful.

I wanted a clear sound and decent bass without a subwoofer, as my office mates are not "all about that bass

The bass is phenomenal for 3 inch speakers

I was scared by online and YouTube reviews saying there wasn't enough bass and other issues

Solid bass.

They sound great even with just the CR3 verison, enough bass for me and the mids and highs are very clear

perfect size for what I needed and boy to they BANG! great volume, great bass, multiple output options(rca,1/4'', and aux

Clear sounds with great bass

These give me the clear midrange, clear highs and punchy bass I needed to get better mix

Bass is not overwhelming (if you're

The sound is crisp, clear, good bass that's not over powering

My only problem is that you can't control the bass from the speakers and there are songs that need adjusting because the bass on these is quite strong.

Beautiful bass response with flat, uncoloured highs.

The bass makes my desk shake a bit and that is awesome

the headphone jack destroys the quality of the headphones and the bass is really lacking.

With everything else sounding so good, the strangled bass is a complete distraction.

You can hear the highs and mids really well and the bass is exceptional

If you're looking for deep, loud bass, go for the 4 or 5 inch model

The bass, the treble, the wattage power were all spectacular - but what amazed me the most what the powerful clearness of the sound - it beat any pair of computer speakers I have had to this date, even my Sony stereo system is not as clear as these speakers

Very good bass that doesn’t rumble and really sounds great across the house

They do have some bass, enough to be enjoyable to listen to, but it's not as if you don't notice the lack of deeper bass

The monitors are good but the bass is weak

The bass is clean but definitely lacking in the low end.

There is no obvious coloration - the bass is clean not muddy, the mids are smooth and pleasant unlike most speakers designed for computer use, the highs are clear without being shrill

They have a nice bass sound

but this bass is slightly rattly which I don't like.

Not only was the bass punchier and clearer, but the mids and high were more distinct and pleasing

The highs are nice and crisp, the mid range isn't at all drowned out and lost, and there is some decent low end bass

Crisp, clear sound with excellent bass for the size

My favorite features are the excellent bass (of course) which comes through clear, as well as the fact that these speakers sound great at low volumes

sick bass response and great overall

However, if some bass is important I would recommend looking around at options with the passive radiators, I think there are a few options in the same price range with those and that probably look a little bit better

Bass is tight and highs are crisp.

The speakers work OK but the heavy bass is intense and no way to adjust it.

Some people might miss having bass/treble controls

These don't have a good bass 'bump', but they aren't really designed to

good mid bass and top

Clear bass, mid and treble...

I live in a Condo and share a wall with a neighbor, their is enough bass in these that i'm sure my neighbors are not a fan of me... plenty of bass for me.

And, in country music, my favorite, the bass is critical.

Not bad for desktop, accurate mid tone, bass is a little lacking.

Anyone not getting enough bass should try this first, but you will get a lot more than low end as the sound takes on a whole new dimension

Crisp, clear highs and midrange, adequate bass

The bass sounds great, I love it!

It sounded pretty good for movies and Netflix and such, I loved the deep bass from the sub

Superb sound -- rich yet tight bass, clear highs, defined midrange -- wonderful for music listening while you work at your computer!

Nice full sounding bass

The bass is very strong, not over powering or fake sounding, but really perfect and clear

These speakers provide much more bass than I expected, leaving my subwoofer to only handle songs with intense bass

Most people who would buy a computer speaker would like a 'wow' factor, and this usually means a disproportionate bass response relative to the size of the speaker

so both pairs are plenty loud and have enough bass for my liking

Mackie should not market this as a clear sounding monitor with good bass response because it is not

I am amazed at the crisp sound quality, very responsive bass, no distortion, no rumble; and very distinct highs

I've been using them for media production for 8 months and they have powerful bass, great sound clarity and volume.

They offer a balanced listening experience, while the 3" drivers provide ample bass

They have very clear highs and mids, and if you have an EQ you can dial in some fairly solid, punchy bass with just the monitors alone

Although the Rokits had a better bass response they were a LOT harsher in the treble frequencies (ear fatigue onset was about an hour) than these are and they sounded a little muddy and cluttered in the low mids which these don't

If you want wall shaking bass for THX surround-sound movie experience, these will not be enough

Interestingly, as stated above, with an EQ and at moderate and higher listening volumes, the bass is fairly good

The bass is a little lacking, but I can live without adding a subwoofer for now

But personally, I rather have quality than harsh, distort bass.

The bass still felt lacking, but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as before

Either these people are smoking an exorbitant amount of crack cocaine, or they want the bass response to peel the paint off of their walls, because I've had NO issues making out the bass.

I do recommend going larger though and more power, but I love bass!

Bass is right where it needs to be, as well as mids and highs

These are good speakers - but - I feel they try to punch out too much bass which can sound messy starting at mid volume

I suspect that individuals complaining of a lack of bass are coming off of cheap 2.1 systems that artificially boost the bass

Yes, they have more mid/prescence detail than typical full range playback systems, but lack bass response.

These speakers sound great for the size, sound is full with great bass

I'm pretty amazed with the volume these can can reach, and the bass output as well.

The bass is strong and not overbearing I have tried to get the treble a little more brilliant through EQ

For all of those people who are saying the bass is weak, I urge them to take 3 steps backwards from the speakers and then re-evaluate

The bass is so lacking that kicks completely lack punch and 808 bass drums sound like kicks

Super crisp highs and mids, decent bass for no ext

Super crisp highs and mids, decent bass for no ext

They are the perfect size to sit on my desk on either side of my monitor...big enough to have reasonable bass, small enough to not hog all the space

Some people complained that the bass was not good enough, but I think it's perfect

it is crisp clear and has a decent bass

You have very clear and audible highs (but not tinny, just right), a soft yet punchy bass, and a very good crisp sound in between

Word of advice though - seal the rear ports for more honest and accurate bass, with more punch and deeper response

The 3-piece computer speaker systems available all have muddy, boomy bass, terrible mids, and low clarity highs, and they do not maintain their integrity at loud volumes (and those are the $100+ systems).I wanted something relatively powerful, with clear sound that maintained high quality sound at relatively high volumes for everyday listening.

said it lacked bass........are you insane?

Great clarity but no bass at all at low volume.

The heavy bass can be booming with a drone sound if you push them

Great clarity but no bass at all at low volume.

If bass is important to you, you could supplement these with a

It won't be a 5 star if you expect loud blasting bass and speakers that typically are designed to make music sound better

Not bad for desktop, accurate mid tone, bass is a little lacking.

The bass obviously could be better, but for a home studio they are perfect.

They do not add extra bass or anything else to "sweeten" the sound

Regardless, these have fantastic audio reproduction once you find your sweet spots, and the bass is lacking BUT accurate

I thought they lacked bass when I first listened, but for how loud I generally listen to music, these are absolutely perfect

The sound is clear and crisp, the bass is nice but not overpowering

The bass on these is pretty weak

They have excellent sound, good bass, hearing things in songs I did not hear before!

Almost, I comment, because the products that they have for their iTouch and MP3 players are capable of a little better bass.

In fact, with an EQ to dial in the frequencies and at moderate and above listening volumes, the bass is completely adequate, and very nice sounding.

The vocal replication was great and the bass wasn't muddy like with some of the monitors I have used

The sound has bright, shiny highs, appropriate mids, and full, round bass

Definitely has great bass and great highs

The only complaints I read when I was searching for speakers was (a) They didn't have enough bass and (b

was too loud b/

, etc.)For studio monitors they aren't completely transparent and don't have a razor flat frequency response, but if you already have good ears and experience with recording then these are great "B" monitors or primary monitors if it's for home recording and demos, etc

Like most studio monitors the CR3s benefit from a break in period as well as from proper positioning.

and then it should work as you hook it up

If you are on the fence on which size model to get I think I would recommend the 4" as they go down to 70Hz which I feel is an important low frequency not to ignore.

I'm sure basic users would be impressed as

However, these speakers don't handle loud volumes well, and whenever a louder than normal track was played or one with heavy bass, things fell apart again

The sound quality was still just as good as when I bought them and they never gave me any issues whatsoever

money- Cabinet made with MDF Wood instead of plastic- Great for gaming/ TV speaker upgrade- Flat frequencyCons- Not as loud as

These speakers have a clear and good high end, but lacks the lows (as to be expected from a smaller speaker)