M-Audio Studiophile AV 40

Manufacturer: M-Audio Part number: 99005215500

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$139.99 - $149.99 at 3 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 2 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: M-Audio's Studiophile AV 40 is a PC speaker for music lovers who care more about sound quality than compact size or rock bottom pricing.

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PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973.	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Phone Only SPECIAL OFFER Avail - Pls. CALL!	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$149.00 Shop now as of 10/07/2008
	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	$149.99 Shop now as of 10/06/2008 New
The Right Technology. Right Away.	Rate this store See store profile			$139.99 Shop now as of 10/07/2008

PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973.

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Phone Only SPECIAL OFFER Avail - Pls. CALL!

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The Right Technology. Right Away.

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*Total price for the M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 are estimated and may vary slightly based on exact tax, shipping, manufacturer rebate or any sale/promotion on the merchant site.

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CNET editors' review

M-Audio Studiophile AV 40

price range: $139.99 - $149.99

Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
Edited by: John P. Falcone
Reviewed on: 03/27/2008

The good: The Studiophile AV 40 is a larger-than-average PC speaker system that makes a bigger-than-average sound; large 4-inch woofer, 1-inch tweeter; 20 watts per speaker; rock solid medium-density fiberboard construction; Bass Boost switch.

The bad: Large size (for PC/desktop speakers) may be an issue for some buyers.

The bottom line: M-Audio's Studiophile AV 40 is a PC speaker for music lovers who care more about sound quality than compact size or rock bottom pricing.

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Not to sound condescending, but M-Audio's Studiophile AV 40 Desktop Speaker System makes most PC and multimedia speakers seem rather puny by comparison. It's not just their size (the M-Audio speakers resemble desktop studio monitors); if you listen to a lot of CDs, watch DVDs, or play games on your computer, M-Audio's larger-than-average speakers should be on your short list. They sounded bigger, delivered more bass, and played louder than the other PC speakers we had on hand. True, the big speakers might be a little too big for some buyers, but if sound quality is high up on your list, you'll find a way to squeeze these bad boys onto your desktop. They're also a great choice if you're looking for a good pair of powered speakers to use with any sort of nonamplified audio device, such as an iPod dock, CD player, or digital audio device.

Design
The M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 system consists of a pair of 8.75-inch-tall desktop speakers. While that doesn't sound very big, the speaker's 6-inch width and 7.25-inch depth make for a fairly bulky design. They weigh 14 pounds each.

The tweeter and woofer are each covered with black mesh grilles. The matte-finished vinyl-wrap and medium-density fiberboard cabinets look and feel more like hi-fi speakers than the usual plastic PC/multimedia speakers. The left speaker is easily distinguished from the right because it's the one with a volume-control knob, which is encircled in blue light.

M-Audio's more affordable Studiophile AV 20 and AV 30 share the AV 40's basic feature set, but are somewhat smaller in size.

Features
The rear of the left speaker has stereo RCA inputs. Combined with the included 3.5mm to RCA stereo cable, that means you can pretty much connect anything with a headphone or line-out jack to the speakers, be it your computer, an iPod, DVD player, and so forth. The speaker includes quarter of an inch "TRS" inputs for professional applications, as well. The left speaker also houses the power on/off and Bass Boost switches, as well as the push-clip connectors that you use to run the included hookup wire over to the right speaker. Up front there's a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3.5mm auxiliary input to connect any sort of portable device, such as an iPod.

The AV 40 features a two-way design; each speaker has a 4-inch polypropylene-coated woofer and a 1-inch silk dome tweeter. The built-in amplifier delivers 20 watts per channel.

Performance
The Studiophile AV 40 immediately impressed us when we played some of our favorite Rolling Stones tunes. We cranked the volume up nice and loud and the sound remained clear while the bass was punchy. When we experimented with the Bass Boost control, it added a nice kick and didn't become overblown or boomy.

The Buena Vista Social Club CD demonstrated a different side of the Studiophile AV 40's talents--the soundstage between the two speakers had an open, unboxy sound that smaller PC speakers can't match. Vocals in particular benefited from this open quality. The acoustic bass instruments sounded very natural, defined, and powerful demonstrating the Studiophile AV 40 as a good hi-fi speaker.

The horse racing scenes on the Seabiscuit DVD were exciting and intense. The film's orchestral score didn't sound shrill and anemic the way it does on many smaller PC speakers. Sure, big-time home-theater dynamics are beyond the capabilities of the Studiophile AV 40, but its size advantages over smaller PC speakers on special-effects-laden DVD movies such as Serenity will be obvious to even the most casual of listeners. That said, as good as the Studiophile AV 40 is, it's still not on par with a decent home theater in a box system.

Rounding things out, we fired up Unreal Tournament 3 for some online fragging and came away satisfied. Gamers will appreciate the big speakers' muscle and power on the virtual battlefield and for online play.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 2 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

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9 stars

The best pc speakers out there

by debaaszelluf on September 17, 2008

Pros: Sound quality!!
Nice bass even though it's not a subwoofer system.
Sound quality!!
Sound quality!!

Cons: There relatively big for pc-speakers (doesn't trouble me though)
High Price (But it is definitly worth the money)

Summary: If you want the best sound quality out of pc speakers en you don't care to spend about $100,- this is the perfect choice.

Summary: If you want the best sound quality out of pc speakers en you don't care to spend about $100,- this is the perfect choice.

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Most musical PC speakers I've used.

by seamus49 on April 1, 2008

Pros: Incredible imaging; close your eyes and the individual speaker sound sources disappear. Nothing but a broad, natural soundstage.

Cons: Footprint a little large for cramped desktops.

Summary: None of the low-volume graininess of my previous speakers; fade-outs disappear cleanly.
These little guys are ACCURATE! I'm using them to track with PC studio software and then mixing
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Summary: None of the low-volume graininess of my previous speakers; fade-outs disappear cleanly.
These little guys are ACCURATE! I'm using them to track with PC studio software and then mixing down on my main studio monitors. The AV40's are extremely close in sonic character to my bigger speakers so very little EQ'ing is necessary. My CD and MP3 collections have new life. All in all, I'm extremely pleased and would recommend them without reservations>

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Specifications

Manufacturer: M-Audio
Part number: 99005215500
Description: The compact Studiophile AV 40 powered reference monitors deliver the same proven M-Audio technology favored by top producers, recording engineers and musicians around the world. The combination of 4" polypropylene-coated drivers and 3/4" ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters provides punchy lows, crisp highs and a balanced, uncolored response. Custom cabinets with dense wood construction deliver more accurate bass response than you could ever get from plastic multimedia speakers. The Studiophile AV 40 reference monitors are the perfect solution for traveling musicians or anyone who wants top-notch sound from their desktop multimedia system.

General
Product Type Left / right channel speakers
Width 6 in
Depth 7.2 in
Height 8.7 in
Weight 13.9 lbs
Enclosure Material MDF
Speaker System
System Components 2 speakers
Speaker Type 2-way - Active
Nominal Output Power (Total) 40 Watt
Response Bandwidth 85 - 20000 Hz
Signal-To-Noise Ratio 90 dB
Output Level (SPL) 101.5 dB
Crossover Frequency 2700Hz
Output Features Bass Reflex
Magnetic Shield Yes
Audio Amplifier Integrated
Connectivity Technology Wired
Controls Bass, Power on/off, Volume
Speaker System Details
Speakers Included 2 x Right/left channel speaker - 2-way - 20 Watt - 85 - 20000 Hz - 4 Ohm - Wired
Driver Details Right/left channel speaker : 1 x Tweeter driver - 3/4 in - Silk, Right/left channel speaker : 1 x Woofer driver - 4 in - Kevlar

Connections
Connector Type 1 x Balanced audio input ( Phone stereo 6.25 mm x 2 ), 1 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ), 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ), 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Power
Power Device Power supply - Internal

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