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M-Audio AV 40Item ID: AV40Powered 20W Reference Monitors/Multimedia Speakers with 4" Woofers and 3/4" Tweeters (pr) 
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From Our Research Team:Quality Performance in a Space-saving Package!M-Audio's compact AV 40 powered speakers outperform their low price, making them a great choice for home studios — or for enjoyable desktop listening. Thanks to their combination of 4" polypropylene-coated drivers and 3/4" ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeters, the AV 40s deliver punchy lows, crisp highs, and a balanced response. Beyond that, M-Audio packed in their OptImage III wave-guide technology to ensure that the stereo imaging is extremely accurate. For great results — without breaking the budget — you'll find true value with the M-Audio AV 40 speakers.M-Audio AV 40 Studio Monitors at a Glance:
Professional components — professional results The AV 40 monitors are designed with the same quality materials and internal electronics that are used in M-Audio’s acclaimed professional monitors. You’ll find features like audiophile-grade Class A/B amplifier architecture and balanced 1/4" TRS inputs in addition to RCAs. It all adds up to a big sound that belies the speakers’ small size. With the AV 40s, you don’t have to give up professional-grade fidelity to enjoy the ease and mobility of a compact speaker system. OptImage III Technology M-Audio’s proprietary OptImage III wave guide improves overall detail and clarity, while minimizing sound issues that can plague other compact monitors. The system works by improving the overall efficiency of the tweeter as well as time-aligning the drivers. This ensures that the audio from each driver reaches the listener at the same time, guaranteeing precise stereo imaging and accurate response. Extended low end If you require extra bass response, the AV 40 speakers have you covered. MDF wooden cabinets and a bass reflex design let the AV 40s crank out plenty of low end—perfect for urban/dance music, DVDs and more. Magnetically shielded for desktop use Unchecked, all speakers emit electromagnetic waves that can wreak havoc with your computer's video monitor or a nearby TV. But, M-Audio's AV 40 speakers are magnetically shielded, so that all of your electronic equipment can coexist on your desktop without interference. M-Audio AV 40 Studio Monitors Features:
M-Audio's AV 40s are compact performers! AV 40 Image Gallery
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Reviewsbased on 13 reviewsGreat Sound!
by Anthony from Seattle Wa
Great sound small and easy to move around the house. Finally a lightweight great sounding set of monitors that can handle multiple ranges of music from the deep bass of techno or the raw power of the ... read more [+]guitar these speakers really cover all spectrums of sound i am completely impressed with my new speakers. close [-]
December 1, 2011 Music Background: Radio Personality, Record Producer, Instrument hobbyist Surprisingly Good
by Reece Arthur from Nashville, TN
I bought these because I am just starting out and they really fit my budget. Plus my former audio professor recomended M-Audio to me. When they arrived I had my doubts, but they sounded almost as go... read more [+]od as the Mackie HR824's I used to us in school. close [-]
June 15, 2011 Music Background: Recording, Mixing, and Mastering. Just copped the AV40's for the WIN!!!!!
by Jaeqoo from Nashville, TN
I have to say before buying these I did a lot of research and all I heard for the most part was good reviews on these monitors! Hearing is believing I've had my AV40's for about 3 days now and WOW! If... read more [+] your looking for a great set of monitors to hold you over until you can upgrade these will work perfectly! I'm a recording major and at school we have NS10's, & Mackie's HR8's so I know quality studio monitors and the build quality is superb they have a great solid fell and nice weight to them, but more importantly they sound incredible so I'm very pleased with my my purchase! I plan on upgrading to the M-Audio BX8 a Deluxe! I say for $150 you can't go wrong nothing in that price range can contend with these monitors! close [-]
April 25, 2010 Music Background: Recording Engineer, Music Producer, Student Excellent beginner monitors
by A R McClure from Fort Wayne, IN
Honestly, i didn't expect a WHOLE lot from these but i was VERY impressed when i got them home and plugged in. Just running a line from my imac's line out into the rca's and listening to some familiar... read more [+] songs on itunes, i was able to hear subtle details in the music that i had never heard before!! Very impressive sound. I purchased these to be able to do some solo recording at home (i have access to a full studio also) and feel that they were a great buy. As another reviewer stated, no they aren't perfect, but they are a great buy for the money and an excellent start for home recording in a basic studio setup. close [-]
February 27, 2010 Music Background: Musician (guitar; rock&blues), Recording Hobbyist Very Competitively Priced
by barkingburro from
To comment on some other reviews I read from this site: The AV40s don't sound harsh in the highs or muddy in the bass--the reviewers are confusing the speakers' sound with the sound of their electron... read more [+]ics (fatiguing highs) or poor placement (interaction with furniture and walls). Please read this review to understand what I'm talking about...September 4, 2007 Music Background: Audiophile (but no longer hobbyist--too expensive) I have listened to PC speaker systems costing less [Logitech (Z-10 + others), Creative (T-20 + others)] and more [Bose (companion series 2, 3, and 5)] than these speakers, but none of them had the dynamic snap and even midrange of the AV40 speakers--I could tell that just listening in the store. I wish I could comment on the comparative focus and realism of the speakers, but I only took the AV40s home and not the others, so there's your caveat for the rest of this review. The first thing that impressed me was the imaging behind my monitor--but I was also a little disappointed initially, because I was used to the in-your-face treble of cheaper speakers. Vocalists and lead instruments sounded a little recessed, but focused and not lacking in detail. Things quickly got better after the amp warmed up, and since that time, I haven't noticed a recessed sound, and the speakers seemed to open up. So I think the amp does need a little breaking-in to sound its best. Even when playing simple recorded voices from YouTube, I was struck with how focused and life-like the voices sounded. I could hear more parts to my CDs than before. I played "Step Into Liquid", and immediately noticed how overly processed recordings ("Back to You") sounded somewhat better, while cleaner tracks ("Endlessly", with deep harmonized vocals, percussive hollow woody instruments being thonked, etc.) totally blew me away! The voices and percussion sounded beautiful, rock-solid, and much more lively than I recalled hearing on cheaper speakers. These speakers can deliver a very dynamic punch on the right music. I played "La Folia" on track 11 with the drums, and I can't recall ever hearing such a palpable impact on the attacks except when I played that CD in a car which had MB Quart speakers, known for their high dynamic kick. We're talking midrange kick, not bass--if you hear the Bose system, you'll understand the difference (Bose puts all of its dynamic range into the bass module, with mids and highs sounding flaccid). There was plenty of bass to satisfy a music lover, but probably not a bass lover. For near-field sound, it's perfect. Because the sound was as good as it was, and because I played these using the built-in sound chips on my motherboard (Dell Precision 390), I was motivated to buy an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card to see just how good my system can be on a budget (to be continued, below). ************************************************************************** This is a follow-up review. I installed the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card, and a 1 meter pair of Audioquest Diamondback interconnects. The sound card/cable combo required about 3 hours to break-in (initially, the new components made the sound restricted and somewhat bass-shy). But after 3 hours, what a difference: 1) Bass was now tight and extended, and I realized I had been hearing a slight bloat before. So I flicked the bass boost switch on the speakers, which gave a small boost to the lowest range of the speaker--no coloring of the midrange per se (human voices remained unchanged), but a lift added from the upper bass on down. If the bass was not so tight and well-controlled, using this switch would have been unacceptable. In fact, before the upgrade, the switch WAS unacceptable. 2) Treble was now extended to my liking, with a remarkable smoothness (lack of grain). No peakiness, just good honest extension. 3) Better imaging, better focus (definite placement of instruments; more palpable). 4) A sort of constriction had been removed. I could enjoy a more emotional flow to the music--better dynamic response. I could now play some of my best CDs and get that level of excitement I had felt was missing before. These included "Just Friends" by the LA4, "Modern Cool", by Patricia Barber, and "Salamander Pie", by Jay Leonhart. These CDs were missing that magic breath of life before the upgrade, but now they were "in the zone". Vocalists and instruments consistently had more presence. The timber of drums sounded much more correct. Guitar was sweet and plucked bass was outstanding (pluckier, better defined, less boomy, but nevertheless full on the bottom). I played Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" with the sound card volume maxed out and the speaker volume over halfway--really loud! I wanted to hear the massed strings get muddled, harsh, break up. The music hit its high crescendo, I waited, clenching my teeth, and--it all held. Instruments stayed well-defined, and those massed loud high notes never lost their profile, became grainy or harsh. They just got very, very, loud... Oh, and the bottom was definitely missing from this orchestral work, even though I was getting plenty of 'motion from the violins. Clannad "Macalla", track 1 (low voiced choir)--mission accomplished. Fresh Aire III--mission accomplished, but... I noticed that if there was electric or synthesized bass in just the right area, I would hear a resonance in the mid-bass on a couple of notes, but I think it's more due to the speakers' location on my desktop in the corner of my office. This could be mostly remedied by knocking back down the bass boost switch. I even went back to YouTube and listened to some of the audiophile recordings there and was astounded all over again at the quality. Try searching for "Greek Audiophile" for an example. A final caveat: in my room, I use a 1500 watt APC UPS and plug everything into it. I have to believe the battery power conditioner helps. Also, I am using a very dead-sounding wood-and-steel-frame modular table from Ikea. And I use flat-screen monitors, with the speakers to the sides and slightly behind them, about 4 inches from the back wall--no obstructions on either side of the speakers. This means there isn't much interaction between the M-Audio speakers and my office furniture. And last but not least, I had chosen the Audioquest Diamondback cables to help balance-out this speaker's profile, in that they are very extended in the highs, and just slightly on the lean side. In the end, I found the AV40s to perform best on human voice, percussion, and bass. They work well with chamber ensembles, close-miked instruments, and basically anything acoustic that has a nice dynamic character. Acoustic guitars hold onto their honey-sweet character. Horns and flute are without annoying resonances or harshness. And it all comes across full-bodied in character. So there you have it. The AV40s are capable of a high-end uncolored yet engaging sound--but possibly only if you hook 'em up with high-end interconnects and a "music-oriented" high quality sound card. close [-] Also popular
M-Audio AV 40
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