Speakers are a dime a dozen—you can find them anywhere. That doesn’t mean that all speakers are made equally though as they clock in at different prices, with different sound quality, and various sizes. When you’re looking for the best powered bookshelf speakers, you might find yourself with too many options, with one of those options being the Micca PB42X speakers. Before you buy them though, we tested them out to see how they work.
Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers
If you’re looking for a set of bookshelf speakers that won’t break the bank, you can’t go wrong than the PB42X, which comes in at an affordable price compared to some other options, and with a built-in class D amp that makes the sound even clearer.
At a glance, this is what you’re getting when you buy these Micca speakers:
- The 4 inch carbon fiber woofer is made of a balanced woven carbon fiber, which provides you with a stronger bass sound, although you may notice that some of the higher bass is overemphasized at times
- Includes a silk dome tweeter for a smooth treble
- Thanks to the structure of the speaker, you get a strong base with very little distortion if you’re playing them at a low sound. The louder you get, the more distortion you might hear in the quality of your music
- The crossover is highly optimized to give you a more dynamic and balanced sound
- Include a built-in class D amplifier
- They have a compact, easy-to-understand design that makes them perfect for most people, and that fits into any room decor
Features
What makes the Micca PB42X so special? That’s what we thought about when we took them out of the box to set them up, and that’s what you’ll be looking for before you make your purchase.
Minimalist Style
First off, you’ll notice right away that the PB42X is a little more minimalist compared to some of your other options. The volume is mounted on the back so that the speakers look clean—which means that they won’t appear to be cluttering up your space. This also means that they’ll look good any bookshelf or desk.
Honestly, we first looked at the PB42X and got the impression that they were the type of speakers that weren’t trying all that hard to look good. They sort of have a budget kind of look to them, with low-key cabinets, a simple black finish, and even removable magnetic front grilles. Even without those grilles, there’s nothing necessarily distinctive about the enclosures inside.
Performance
The real question is how well these PB42X really work and sound. Getting them for a good price, or finding that they are small enough to fit in with your current shelves won’t matter much if you turn them on and find that you don’t really like the sound.
The PB42X values performance though. They’re designed with the latest generation of the class D chip, so their amplifier offers a solid sound without the price of other amplifiers on the market. When you turn them on, you can hear the low and even frequency, and the way the speaker handles lows and highs well. When we took a listen, we noticed that there was very low distortion and that music and sound came out clear and crisp.
With all this being said though, we’ll be honest: you might not be blown away by the sound. It’s certainly a good sound for the price, and the quality is certainly respectable, but you may notice that the upper base can be a bit too much, and that some highs are a little out of range.
Even so, this is a solid-sounding speaker. For most songs, the sound is clear and balanced, and you can certainly turn the PB42X up loudly if you want to. You might notice that the sound quality is reduced the louder you turn your speakers, but if you don’t plan on using them for anything more than maybe desktop PC speakers, or a kind of medium-volume listening, they’re the perfect option for you.
The only reason you might not want the PB42X is if you’re really trying to fill a large room with sound. In this case, you might notice that the sound becomes a little bit distorted and may want to try a more expensive option.
Ease of Use
You’ll notice how simple they are to use. This is because you can use both the RCA and the 3.5mm stereo input jacks. It’s simple to use it with your computer, TV, or with your smartphone or tablet.
All you have to do is take them out of the box and, for the best results, place them along a wall or near a corner of the room. You can use them on bookshelves, but also on speaker stands or desks too, but Micca does suggest that you should leave at least 4 inches of space from the back of the speaker to the wall or cabinet behind it—since it’s a back sort of speaker, after all.
Check around for the controls on the back and you’ll find a set of easy-to-understand controls, including a power switch, volume knob, DC connector, and both the RCA stereo input along with the 3.5mm jack. That’s it. You don’t need to worry about any overly complicated pieces of technology, which makes these the perfect speakers for those of us out there who aren’t necessarily the most technologically capable, or if you just don’t want to spend a lot of time figuring your new speakers out.
Price
Of course, we have to talk about the price a little bit. Price matters, after all, since you won’t want to be spending tons on a set of speakers.
Well, these Micca speakers clock in at a little over $100, making them one of the less expensive options for you to choose from. They have a solid sound for the price, and will work incredibly well if you’re just looking for something you can use on your bedroom or on your computer.
You may want to invest in something more expensive though if you’re looking to buy speakers for a larger room, since they aren’t as high-quality as you might expect. They’re easy to use though, which makes them a good option for the price.
Perfect For…
If you’re wondering if you should buy these speakers, think about what you need them for. Ultimately, these speakers work best when you use them in a smaller sort of setting, like in a bedroom that you’d like to play sound in or next to your computer. You might not get as much usage out of these speakers if you’re instead trying to use them to really fill a huge amount of space.
This makes them perfect for some additional TV and computer sound, and if you have a smaller home theater, they can be great for that.
They’re also great for those of you who want a simpler design and who don’t want to have to mess around with tons of switches and knobs. You can literally just take these Micca speakers out of the box, place them where you want them, and turn them on almost right away. They’re easy to use and even easier to set up and put away if you ever would like to move them to a new place in your home.
Conclusion
When you’re looking for a great set of speakers, you don’t need to look much further than these Micca PB42X. These speakers are made to fill a small to medium room with sound that remains clear and crisp. You may not get the ultimate sound quality that some more expensive speakers have, but for the price, it’s worth considering these Micca speakers for home use.
