Let’s be honest, sometimes cable management is difficult. Now Monoprice, the US electronics brand, has an offer that aims to undercut the competition while sniping through the need for cables. The new DT-3BT Bluetooth Desktop Speakers dropped on our desktop, just in time for us clear some room and ditching the wireless gaming headsets for something with a slightly bigger driver.
Announced by Monoprice in July 2022, the DT-3BT is a set of stereo speakers squarely aimed at consumers looking for all round utility, without breaking up into audiophile territory. At $99 they manage to be more expensive than a bargain basement set of low end gaming peripherals, but distinctly less than anything a serious audiophile might invest in. While they might be $99, picking the middle ground doesn’t feel cheap. A consistent aesthetic and flexible connectivity mean that these are equally at home on a bookshelf, behind a gaming monitor, or beside the TV, all without ruining your setup with a next of wires. The discrete front facing controls don’t scream for attention, with a single volume button and a couple of LEDs, and two ports that almost fade into the front face. All of this comes crammed into 140 x 204 x 150 mm, which makes them just about big enough to unbox on my desktop.
Specifications
- Frequency Response 75Hz ~ 20kHz
- Woofer Driver (each) 3″ polypropylene cone
- Tweeter Driver (each) 3/4″ silk dome
- Amplifier Type Class AB amplifier
- Woofer Amplifier Power (each) 12 watts
- Tweeter Amplifier Power (each) 8 watts
- Inputs Unbalanced stereo 3.5mm TRS, unbalanced stereo RCA pair, balanced stereo 1/4″ TRS pair, Bluetooth®
- Output Stereo 3.5mm TRS headphone
- Bluetooth® Version 5
- Bluetooth Pairing Name MP43240
- Bluetooth Range Up to 32 feet (10 meters)
- Bluetooth Operating Frequency 2402 ~ 2480 MHz
- Bluetooth Maximum RF Power 0.11dBm
- Dimensions (each) 5.5″ x 8.0″ x 5.9″ (140 x 204 x 150 mm)
First Impressions
As you might have guessed, first impressions of the DT-3BT are relatively subdued, but in the best possible way. The mono color vinyl wrap exterior has an interesting lattice groove carved into it that gives that makes it feel distinctive without screaming for attention. The rounded edges and open front draw the eye, while the lighting is discrete. There’s a solid weight to both halves of this set, and they don’t feel like they are about to shake themselves apart any time soon. Despite being a budget friendly set of speakers, the DT-3BT manages to bring a little personality to the package without being overwhelming on the eye. There’s a sense of deliberate function to these that hopefully persists when they are plugged in.
Connectivity
Before even turning this set of stereo speakers up, it’s worth noting that the DT-3BT come with plenty of options, the unbalanced connectors that will easily support old school DVD or stereos, ¼ inch balanced connectors, and a Bluetooth option make them a great option for a range of scenarios. On the front face of the primary speaker, the aux in and headphone jack and even more capability, but it’s the Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity that really piqued our interest, because sometimes cable management can just be hard, ya know.
Despite bundling Bluetooth into this package, the DT-3BT aren’t quite as space age as they seem. The left and right speakers require an interconnecting cable, while a power plug is probably a more reasonable requirement. While none of this is particularly difficult, this cabling configuration, and the Bluetooth receiver in a single speaker, means these are not going to fit a room size setup. Instead, this pair is firmly planted on my desk and aren’t going anywhere. On the upside, connecting the speakers via the aforementioned wireless option is as simple as turning on and hitting the ‘Pair’ button on the back.
Sounding Good
So how does it sound? We tried the DT-3BT on a range of applications and we weren’t entirely expecting the result. All too often speakers and systems tuned for gaming attack first and worry about clarity later, and the results vary wildly. The DT-3BT produce a much cleaner and balanced sound to them than I might have expected. The woofers aren’t going to blow you away and don’t even feel particularly make their presence known until things start to creep up towards the 80dB range. When content does turn up the DT-3BT still manages great dynamic response and a little bit of Ramstein brings plenty of bass without the loose warbling that plagues bargain basement subwoofers. Equally, this means the crack of automatic weapon fire in Apex is clear, concise and responsive without being so overpowering that the audio feedback is utterly useless. This faithful reproduction continues when moving over to more serene moments. Solo outings like the piano in Zanarkand, from the Final Fantasy X soundtrack, have the same clarity precision as before. Busier pieces like Maclaine Diemer’s Primordus Rising, from Guild Wars 2 are served just as well. This might be an orchestral battle full of opposing elements and a thundering sense of doom, but solid separation of lows and mids meant it was easy to pick out individual elements, making it an enjoyable listen with an easily discernable Jouhikko blasting imminent sense of dread in our ears. For those of you looking to know how loud we got, I haven’t dared to push these speakers up above 90dB, but I’m certain that they will manage it. None of this is in any way unexpected. The DT-3BT are clearly designed for nearfield listening, giving a concise reproduction of an original recording for anybody in range.
Need To Knows
When plugged into more mainstream media on your local streaming platform, the DT-3BT speakers are a solid stereo option that I’d certainly take over many all in one solution from other manufacturers. There’s a ton of flexibility, with various connection types, an option to go wireless, and a satisfyingly present soundscape for the price tag. These are, however, only $99. Compromises were made. At this price point you’re stuck with a single Bluetooth 5 receiver in one speaker. This will provide something around the range of 2Mbps bandwidth, but probably less. If you’re shelling out for lossless or high definition audio then Bluetooth comes with a combination of bandwidth and compression limitations that you’ll likely already appreciate. While the DT-3BT can jsut plug in to sidestep those issues, gamers that needs full directional audio for every possible advantage might find stereo is limiting.
To compound this, the DT-3BT do ditch some of the cables but there are still physical limitations and limited range. These might not be the best choice for bass freaks, but if you want a pleasantly presented and well balanced set of speakers that set of desktop speakers that can take a zoom call then jump in for a game of Apex then the DT-3BTare a fantastic all round option. Find out more on the official Monoprice website now.
