Blue Sky MediaDesk 2.1 Active Studio Monitor System

I never felt the music so alive. The nuances in the instruments and vocals were amazing. Anything from Hip-Hop, RB, Pop, Rock, Jazz and New Wave/Alternative these speakers sound amazing. The bass response isn't muddy like cheap speakers give. These are sealed speakers that give accurate sound reproduction. This is unlike other brands that offer ported/radiated speakers that sound great for bass, but actually give more distortion due to the "cheat" in trying to give more bass.These speakers are created for desktop monitoring of professional audio. These aren't meant for consumers who don't need critical sound output. But what the heck. We deserve more than cheap speakers!The speakers only accept analog connection for XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced). It comes in three pieces - satellites (powered from the amplifier in the subwoofer) and subwoofer (that holds the amplifiers). Unless you have an XLR output, you will need RCA cables. And there is no volume control here. You need a device/mixer to do that.If you connect it to your computer, you can adjust the volume easily via the keyboard. But you cannot use this straight to a device that doesn't have volume control. So beware. You will need a preamp to do that.Once you get over that hurdle, you won't regret buying these speakers. They aren't THX-certified, but they beat any THX multimedia speaker. I can only wish these speakers were certified, too, in order to prove it's true worth.Why four stars? Well, the price. I don't mind paying this much for this kind of quality. But if I pay this much, can't it not be certified as well for THX use. A minor glitch was the rubber feet that didn't stick properly to the rubber. It stuck well to the satellite cabinet, but the angle I made the speakers made the rubber feet move out of its adhesive slowly every day. I alerted the manufacturers and they were quick to respond and tend to my needs.Best customer service you can ever get for high end speakers like these. They really do care for their product and your satisfaction.How I came about finding this speaker:I was looking for speakers to complete my G5/Alu display set up. I do work with picture editing and although I am not an audio professional, I do care to hear exactly what I am mixing when editing.I started from the original Harman/Kardon Sound Sticks which are a joke to use especially with the price you pay. I then got a Logitech Z-680, which I gave excellent reviews regarding the price and function feature of the product and are THX-certified for multimedia. I have had no complaints on it to use for my needs.With the release of the Z-5500, I decided to sell the speaker and get this next version. However, I decided to totally upgrade and invest in professional studio monitors that were THX certified. Out of research, I came to find this brand.Blue Sky? What is that? Some wannabe speaker producer, I thought. But when I read further that the big brother speakers (System One) is THX pm3 certified and actually used by Skywalker Sound (Lucas Films, anyone?) for their movie mixing of movies like The Hulk and Finding Nemo, I realized these were serious speaker brands just like Mackie.Of course I couldn't afford those big speakers, but I could at least afford the smaller ones. I walked into my local professional audio store and gave the MediaDesk a listen. Side by side I compared it with Mackie THX speakers. The Blue Sky sets were a force that should be reckoned with. It's the little train that could.

I love these speakers. Definately the best value I've heard at the $600 level. The MK2's were not as good and I havent found a reasonable replacement since.

I've used quite a few near-field studio monitors in my day including KRKs and Events and these are by far the best. I wanted something for a desktop music studio and these fit the bill perfectly. The three speakers give you a very accurate picture of the full range of your recorded audio. They have a 'smooth' non-fatiguing sound to them that lets you hear every detail of your sound. Makes it easy to tell if you are over compressing something or using too much EQ. Small, compact, and yet full range and accurate; not to mention attractive. The bottom line is the name really says it all, these really are probably the best studio monitors for desktop monitoring.