Mackie CR3 monitors?

they have 89% reviews over 3 stars on amazon, and are supposedly pretty good. they're $100 which is probably the most i can spend without stretching. OPINIONS?

I haven't used the CR3s but I actively disliked the powered Mackie 2 ways I HAVE used (a more expensive model). I thought they sounded wildly inaccurate in the midrange even in a well treated room and the abss was hyped in a weird way with a resonance between 80 and 100hz where I really need flatter sound to separate kick and bass.... but I am used to NS10s and old passive Tannoys. For recording they will be passable as its less critical to have monitors that you feel comfortable with than when one is mixing... but if you DO wanna mix a record on them get another pair of monitors that sound different to balance what you're missing from the mackies by periodically switching monitors.

YMMV

Just googled these to make sure they were the same ones.

AVOID THESE LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!

A guy at work bought these recently and they were atrocious! repulsive sound, he felt like deleting his mixes. He could get something sounding close to ok with them and switch to other speakers and the mix would be horrible! thin or flabby. He kept them 1 day and returned them and spent like $50 more (if that) and got a cheap pair of M Audio that gave him a much more usable set of monitors.

Don't waste your dollars.

Ok, so what about M-Audio AV32s?

not sounding pretty...

http://noaudiophile.com/M-Audio_AV32/

in case you cannot open that... The AV32 speakers are greater than the sum of their parts. The M-Audio AV32 does better with less, and sounds better than the more complicated 2.1 systems from Logitech, or the more powerful Mackie CR3. Down side is that they don't get very loud.

While I have been impressed with what I got out of the M-Audio AV32 with DSP, there is a better option. None of the speakers I have tested in this price range beat the Micca PB42x. They cost a few dollars more, but offer real crossovers and a better out of the box sound.

Thanks a lot.

If I were you, I would get some JBL 8" monitors. So realistic in sound. I only have the 3 inch version and they are still amazing.

8 inch monitors? Bloody hell Boom, I could gig with 2 x 8" speakers! I would say for a home recording setup, 4 or 5 inches. 4 being the minimum 5 being all you really need in an average size room. Anything beyond that and you just messing with speakers that aren't finding their potential.

And I would recommend front firing bass ports and as many different connection types as you can find, XLR, TRS balanced and unbalanced and red and white RCA

I am against ports with speakers. They allow that gross bass swell, like in rap. If you get the sealed, the bass is more precise.

http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/sites/default/files/public/JBL_NickBassani%20copy_0.jpg

They look like a JBL LSR308. They have a rear firing bass port. Which if you are mixing and monitoring in a small room and have your monitors close to a wall... that is less than a foot away, all the bass response is firing directly at a reflective surface. If you've got front firing ones, it eliminates having to move yourself out from the reflecting zones.

I am against ports with speakers. They allow that gross bass swell

I think that's a 'gross' generalization... I tend to like un-ported and inefficient speakers but tis not a rule, plenty of ported monitors sound 'swell'. Its a question of how well the enclosure is designed for the drivers in it and that includes any porting or bass reflex stuff going on. I think you'll find the guys who mix rap don't always use ported encosures. inf act most of the hip hop mixers will have NS10s or 10Ms setup (the original NS10 starts rolling off at 85hz! )and lean on them pretty heavily because everyone does. Honest mids and all that.... There actually was a bass reflex NS10 model in the late 80s but you never see them (they reached down lower than the 10M). You are more likely to see unported ANS 3 way yamahas like the 3 ways I like than the ported NS10. The Yamaha's? people are used to them flat in a scrawny little enclosure with the inaccurately rolled off bass that doesn't distract you from getting the midrange of a mix right and if you only reference on ported units intermittently you will tend to make a brighter and thumpier mix, great for ahrd rock and club music.... however, there are TONS of speakers that would be worthless without their carefully designed ports and bass reflex systems. It depends on the drivers. it seems silly to be wholeheartedly against an acoustic/audio-reproduction technology based on some subjective impressions... I wouldn't call a mix done without using some huge speakers or ported/bass reflex speakers to make sure I was hearing that sub 100hz range right on the unported speakers I like to use (I tend to flip between 3 way yamahas and some unported tannoys from the ns10 era, though I have NS10s too)...

but Mackie speakers are still crap.... I just wouldn't specifically single out the porting