KEF is not alone in the audio space in thinking that desktop speakers need to break the boxy mould. Moondrop has the same idea. But it has done it in a striking yet less radical way. Its new MM3A HiFi desktop speaker system ditches the traditional rectangular cabinet in favour of a sleek, futuristic, and heavily sculpted design that feels closer to sci-fi architecture.
It has zero parallel side walls. From the front, it has an equal-sided trapezoidal shape, and from the side, it also resembles a trapezoid with a subtly concave front. It reads weird because it kind of is, but in an eye-pleasing way.
The first time I laid eyes on it, my immediate thought was: “Are those alien monoliths?” The fact that the speaker driver is framed by a moulded faceplate trim that blends directly into the cabinet’s curves, looking like a black hole breaking the fabric of space against the white speaker body, makes it even more sci-fi and alien-ish. Visually, it makes its presence known.
The design is not merely Moondrop letting its industrial designers run wild after watching too many science-fiction movies. The lack of parallel internal surfaces helps to reduce standing waves, while the cabinet tilts upward by 10 degrees to direct the sound toward your ears during near-field listening. Included foam pads allow further adjustment and help keep the extraterrestrial structures from rattling your desk.
Each speaker contains a 0.65-inch silk-dome tweeter and a 3-inch aluminium-cone woofer, accompanied by two horizontally opposed 3-inch passive radiators. The latter extend the bass response to 55 Hz at −3 dB, or 50 Hz at −6 dB, without requiring a rear bass-reflex port. That means you can place the MM3A close to a wall without the low end turning into an uncontrollable boom festival.
Power comes from Moondrop’s digital amplification system, delivering 33 W per channel and 66 W in total. A fourth-order DSP crossover, automatic upsampling, oversampling, and dynamic enhancement keep everything behaving itself, even when the volume is low.
Connectivity includes Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, USB, 3.5 mm AUX, optical, and coaxial inputs. USB playback supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio. There is also professional parametric EQ through a mobile app or PC web interface, complete with adjustable frequency, gain, and Q values. Casual listeners can use the official and community presets; committed audio tinkerers can spend an entire evening adjusting one frequency and declaring the soundstage “more open.”
A physical control knob handles input switching and volume, though its rear placement may encourage some blind fumbling if the speakers are pushed against a wall.
The Moondrop MM3A launched in China at an introductory price of 699.90 yuan [CH]*, or about US$103, per pair. Its regular price is 999.90 yuan, or roughly US$147. At either price, these alien monoliths offer a lot of speaker without demanding that your desk resemble a recording studio—or an IKEA warehouse.
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Images: Moondrop [CH].
