Cambridge Audio has announced some new speakers... kind of. Because while the MSX range might look new, it's essentially a refresh of the brand's previous Minx speakers.
You get the same specs, the same mini footprints and the same modular design that lets you stack speakers together. But the units have new names and new finishes.
All units in the range are now finished in matte black or matte white.
Otherwise, they're the same as the Minx that preceded them.
The range comprises the MSX10 and MSX20 satellite speakers, and MSX Sub 200 and 300 subwoofers. It provides a versatile, modular system that can scale up for bigger or rooms or soundtrack the smallest of spaces. They also provide stereo output or full surround for home cinema set-ups.
Inside is Cambridge's fourth-gen Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) technology, which promises to create an "open, cohesive sound with exceptionally wide dispersion". It does this by combining dynamic drive unit performance with bending-wave dispersion, which supposedly does away with the sweet spot – instead, it sounds balanced and engaging wherever you are in the room.
The latest driver boasts better efficiency, an extended treble response and smoother integration across the frequency range.
The MSX20 has the same driver as the MSX10, but adds an integrated subwoofer for more weight and scale.
Of course there are dedicated subwoofers too, to add extra oomph. The MSX Sub 200 and MSX Sub 300 promise to deliver "depth and authority without overwhelming the room". Their forward-firing drivers, high-efficiency Auxiliary Bass Radiators (ABRs) and precision Digital Signal Processing (DSP) should keep the music sounding accurate even when the volume is pumped up.
The difference between the two is size. The Sub 200 has a 200W amplifier and 6.5-inch woofer, while the Sub 300 outdoes it with a 300W amplifier and 8-inch woofer. Its cabinet is slightly larger, too.
You can connect your MSX units up to any amplifier or AV receiver thanks to their speaker terminals, including support for 4mm banana plugs. The satellites can be wall mounted, with pivoting wall mounts and table stands available. They can also stack on top of each other, though the sound dispersion will be much greater if they're spread further apart from each other.
All Cambridge MSX units will be available this month. The MSX10 costs £79 / $99 / AU$139 each, MSX20 is £99 / $129 / AU$179 each, while the MSX Sub 200 is £299 / $399 / AU$699 and the MSX Sub 300 is £399 / $499 / AU$879.
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