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What do you expect from this compast speakers? seriously, I was stunned by its performance. I bought the whole HT with P500 as my sub(another nice sub) and HK AVR520 receiver. The center channel is crystal crisp. soundtage is great with nice detailed. Overall this packed is awesome.

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B&W Nautilus 805

Clear, vibrant, large soundstage, great presence, voices are gorgeous, great detail,strong and smooth midrange, high frequency sounds are clear with just enough edge but without being too bright or harsh (on my system!) Very pleasurable resonant sound with great texture and richness. The sound is much "bigger" than I expected for small speakers Great value. Solid quality, construction.

Got to have sub with them. Could use a little stronger bass right at the point where the bass sounds crossover to MC300s (That may be my crossover settings fault!) Wish the grills were metal like my old Ensemble satellites.

I purchased 2 MC300s and a Cambridge Soundworks BassCube 8s powered subwoofer for mostly music listening. I just set these up a few nights ago. I have a condo and my living room is about 14'' X 14''. After reading the other reviews here and the one in Sound & Vision I expected these speakers would sound good but wouldn''t really blow me away. Well, joyfully, I was wrong!!! These speakers sound WONDERFUL and I couldn''t be more thrilled about them! The soundstage is full, rich, and detailed with great presence and clarity. Voices sound fabulous with just the right amount of texture and crisp articulation. Gloria Estefan''s voice on "I See You Smile" is nothing short of stunning. One thing that really stands out is how well these speakers handle resonant sounds such as the vibration of a piano string or the vibrato of a singer''s voice. They way these types of sound resonant just brings a gorgeous tingling quality to the music. I hear much more detail than I''ve heard in other speakers. The speakers do a great job of handling complex vocal or instrumental arrangements. You can hear invidual instruments or voices clearly from the rest. I feel like the sound is very enveloping with great presence. Natalie Imbruglia''s new hit "Wrong Impression" just engulfs you with a large soundstage that just make you tingle. I know some reviewers have mentioned they thought the speakers had a harshness but I wonder if that might not be due to some other aspect of their system. When I replaced my older Sony CD player with a new Sony ES player, I was amazed that the harshness I had previously attributed to my speakers was gone! The same thing happened when I got my Harmon Kardon receiver. I went to Tweeter this afternoon and auditioned the Mirage OM-8 and Vienna Mozart speakers. I know I''m biased, but I didn''t really think they sounded any better than my MC300/basscub 8s combo, and in some ways not as good!!!

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Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble, Advent floor speakers

1) Top end punch 2) Crisp, clean vocals/dialog for HT Center Channel Application 3) Very good at L/R Main in HT system with sub woofer

1) Weaker midrange compared to top/low end for music 2) Lacks overall ''warmth'' or full bodied sound for music 3) Better speakers for true music

I recommend these for a HT L/R or Center Channel speaker, but not strictly for music. Overall I thought this speaker is excellent for center speaker or as the L/R mains with a sub for a HT system. However, when I used them for music only, I found them a little harsh. The top end is there and, when combined with a sub, the bottom end, but the midrange is weaker. They didn''t feel as ''warm'' as my Bose 301 series II speakers. However, in all fairness, the Bose did not have the clean, top end punch that the MC300s had, nor did they have as clean a low end (bass) as the MC300''s, even with sub. I experimented with placement of the speakers, but still could not reproduce that ''warm, full sound'' that I wanted with music. HT is another story. The MC300 served very well as a center channel reproducing clean, crisp dialog and vocals. I highly recommend the MC300 as a center channel speaker even over the other CSW center channel speakers. Even in the L/R main speaker positions, the MC300 did an excellent job reproducing and imaging sound effects in DVD movies. Again, I would recommend this speaker for this application. Overall, if you like most people that have only a limited amount of money to spend on speakers for both HT and music, I recommend looking at other speakers for the main L/R positions that also do well with music. The MC300 is first rate as a center channel or surround. Alternatives for the MC300 that I am considering are the Newton M60 or M80, which demoed to have a nice full rich sound.

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Bose 301 II

nice center channel speaker
binding post connectors
nice finish and look
good detailed clear sound for dialogue and voices.

for a center channel, nothing.
for use as fronts, there is better value elsewhere.

This speaker is an excellent center channel match for the rest of the Newton line. Vocals/voices and dialogue are crisp and clear and the response seems fairly even over the frequency range. Using the Avia dvd's low frequency test sweep and a RS soundmeter, I was able to register an even response (the needle stayed within the same range) to below 80Hz. If you're looking for something with more bass, then look to the MC500s or other manufacturers. But when paired with a decent sub, this speaker does a nice job for a center channel. I don't normally listen to music in 5 channel mode so can't comment on its performance with music.

I will say that if you're thinking of using either these or the MC200s for fronts, there is better value to be had even within the CSW newton line. I'd recommend getting the M50, M60, or M80 bookshelf speakers instead. I have a pair of M50s in the front which were the same price per pair as one MC300. For the same price as a pair of MC200s, the M80s are much more bang for the buck, especially in terms of bass. Otherwise, I'd recommend looking at other manufacturers which have better price/performance in a similar package for front speakers.

Vocals come out crystal clear for movies. Mid-range is robust

Lacks full-bodied bass. At slightly higher volumes, highs become too bright and vocals can be grating on from music CD's

I've noticed with the exception of one reviewer, most people that posted here have only tested out Cambridge Soundworks speakers. That's not good. I've been through many of their speakers and I've had problems with all of them. Now, for the MC300's (as mains) I was happy with them for Home Theatre, but was very dissatisfied with them for music.

The vocals came out clearly, but on some CD's, they were almost grating and very harsh. The midrange was almost too accentuated and the highs were at times too high (especially when I turned the volume up). Without a subwoofer, these speakers carry very little bass. You may think that you're suppose to have a subwoofer when using these speakers. BUT, for $189 a PAIR, you can get Paradigm Atoms that are very good with music bass without a subwoofer. So, it's a matter of getting your money's worth.

These speakers are good for Home Theatre, but for music they don't cut it without a subwoofer, and even when you do use a subwoofer, the sound is "hollow" - meaning there seems to be something missing in the upper bass range.

Please, if you are still within the 45-day trial period, just go out and listen to the Paradigm Atoms or the B&W DM303's. Now, the B&W's are $300/pair, but both speakers give a much fuller and deeper sound overall.

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CSW M60, CSW M80, Aiwa, B&W DM303, DefTech ProCinema 80 & 100, Paradigm Atom, Paradigm Titan

Design and looks

Logo

Well I have owned my MC300 speakers for about 3 months know and I could not be happier. The soundstage is amazing. I do not have the best set up in the world for my speakers are rather far apart appx 13ft. The staging and depth that they give when listining to clapton unplugged I felt like I was there. If you have not heard them for the price you there is nothing out there to compare them to.

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MovieWorks Speakers

Quality drivers

very low bass due to the built-in 80hz x-over

I'm using one of these speakers as a center channel in my modest HT setup. It replaced a CSW Center II which was just awful - flat, nasal sound from paper cones. I was going to upgrade to a CenterStage but after looking at this Newton and listening to the difference, I was sold. Soft dome (silk?) tweeter, the same as in the TowerIII, and 2 polypropylene woofer cones. Excellent treble and very very good low-mid and midbass. Male vocals, music and sound f/x on the center channel of movie soundtracks sound SO much better now, it's like night and day.

One thing you should know about this speaker, it has an internal crossover at 80hz. It therefore will not reproduce any low bass below 80hz, which makes it's designation as a "main" (MC = Main/Center) quite dubious. You would not want to use the the MC300 as a L-R main speaker, without a subwoofer. Fortunately my reciever, an Onkyo 575 DD/DTS, also uses 80hz as it's crossover when you set the speaker Size setting to "SMALL", so it's a perfect match as a center channel, or even a surround speaker. You'd be better off though with larger speakers like the execellent Towers as L-R main speakers, especially if you listen to a lot of music.

Overall, I love this speaker. I recently got the Towers and with the old CCII I just wasn't satisfied with the sound on movies, being that the center channel does so much of the work. Well, with the MC300 in the center, I couldn't be happier with the sound on my CSW speakers setup, especially when you consider the whole system altogether barely set me back about $850.

Similar Products Used:

CSW Center Channel II, CSW New Ensemble III, CSW Tower III

Clear sound, Big sound v. size, attractive

I use these for my rears. They sound great and look good. This is the first time I've set up surrounds. What a treat. These blow-away other satelite-type products; smaller CSW, Bose, etc. And, they're just rears, so no need to get down low. Very clear, clean sound; Great price.

I would buy these again. I'm impressed with newer CSW products.

Mains B&W 603s2
Ctr B&W CC6s2
Sub CSW P1000
Rec. Marantz SR 5000

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Tested: MC200, def-tech, B&W, those rounded CSW surounds

Blend between mains, center, sats and sub and well as unbelievably clear & crisp sound

Logo badges for the mains and center speakers; they break VERY easily

I started looking at Home Theatre Systems roughly six months ago and logged numerous hours sampling various speakers and questioning sales associates about the multifarious features of each. At the retail level, most of the sales people recommended the Bose Acoustimass series. To listen to a prepackaged preview, they sound great but one of my friends warned me that it's difficult to duplicate the preview once the speakers are installed at home.

I work for a computer distribution company that sells Creative Labs (parent company of CSW) products and one of my friends asked me if I had heard CSW products. I have to confess that I wasn't familiar with CSW products other than for computer speakers (I started off with their PC Works speakers and upgraded to the FPS1000 series which, with its four cubes and separate sub, has turned my computer into a formidable sound system (in perspective, of course).

There are no CSW store fronts within almost a thousand miles of where I live so a pre-purchase preview was out of the question. I started to consider the sound emanating from the $150.00 cubes and sub placed in our den and gave genuine thought to what CSW might be doing with a much higher end speaker. After no fewer than 20 phone calls to various CSW sales associates, I decided that I was going to give this system a try. As we were in the process of building our new home, I immediately commenced to envisioning where the speakers would be placed. Our builder let me handle my own Home Theatre pre-wires and I was able to bypass the otherwise generic home pre-wires that builders provide.

Once we moved into our home, I immediately ordered the MC300 system (MC300 mains and center supplemented with S300 satelites and the P1000 sub) even before we purchased other necessities such as living room or dining room sets.

Upon receiving the speakers, I went right to work in setting them up. The unfortunate part of the set-up was that when the construction workers put of the walls in our home, they didn't leave the wires exactly where I had left them. Needless to say, before the set-up process ended, our rear wall had several holes in it. As it was getting light by the time I had finished, I decided to do the test drive on the other side of 8 hours of sleep.

I paired this system with a Kenwood VR-509 receiver and our first DVD was "The Mummy Returns". As we had previously seen this in the movies, I knew what to expect. What I didn't expect was that this system, placed in a 15 x 15 room, would completely envelope me (my wife hated this film, so she opted out of the test run). I felt as though I wasn't watching this film, I was living it. Gun-fire permeated the entire room from all directions while explosions were felt as well as heard. The dialogue was crisp and not overwhelmed by ambient effects but when the movie moved to show-case the sound effects, this speaker system left NOTHING to the imagination.

The blend between the five speakers and sub made one forget that there were electronic conduits in place to provide the experience. Musically, our family room has been turned into a small concert hall; to close one's eyes, one would think that the performance is live.

While I'm only at the two-week mark of my 45-day trial period, I'm confident that I've made the best-possible purchase for the money. This speaker system has made "watching the DVD" preferable to "seeing it in the movies." I would definitely make this purchase all over again.

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