Mackie CR3-X We put Mackie’s diminutive multimedia speakers to the test. While I wouldn’t normally suggest using small multimedia monitors as the sole basis of a studio monitoring system, they do have their uses, including secondary playback for those using more upscale monitoring, or as a quick ‘speaker check’ for those who work primarily on headphones. They can also suit anyone making music on a more casual basis, who might also need something through which to feed their computer audio when playing games, or streaming material with audio content. Mackie’s take on the idea is the CR‑X series, which comes in a choice of four sizes: the CR3‑X, CR4‑X, CR5‑X and CR8‑X, sporting three‑, four‑, five‑ and eight‑inch woofers, respectively. The three‑inch model reviewed here is remarkably compact and easy to set up, so could come in very handy for when you’re working away from home. In this particular model, one speaker hosts all the necessary electronics, including amplification for both speakers, with a simple speaker cable connecting to the second passive monitor, using hi‑fi‑style spring terminals. An internal switch‑mode power supply runs on 100‑240 V AC, and the power cable is captive so there’s nothing to lose. Apart from the electronics, the two speakers are identical and pair their three‑inch woofer with a 0.75‑inch tweeter. The drivers are fed from a passive crossover, and it’s all housed in a rear‑ported enclosure. A switch on the rear panel sets which side your powered speaker is placed.