Mackie CR3

The Mackie CR3 3″ Woofer Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors (Pair) is a compact and portable solution for providing audio playback in home and studio environments. They’re designed for multimedia work such as mixing music or post-production sound design. The pair consists of one passive unpowered speaker and one Class-AB amplifier powered speaker that connects with an included 6′ stereo cable. The monitors use 3″ polypropylene-coated woofers, a rear port tube for the low end, and 0.75″ silk dome tweeters for the highs to deliver a frequency response of 80 Hz to 20 kHz with a maximum SPL of 97 dB.

A switch allows you to select whether the powered speaker will function as the left or right speaker. This is helpful when having to position the speakers near power outlets or when deciding which side is preferable for the volume knob. A front-panel, LED power-ring illuminated on/off switch and volume knob allows you to control level. A dedicated front-panel headphone jack defeats the main speaker output and can be used to expand the system’s monitoring versatility.

A front panel 3.5mm stereo input and included 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable allows you to connect your smartphone or other mobile device directly to the monitors. Other equipment such as audio interfaces, CD players, or mixers, can be connected to the rear panel’s 1/4″ TRS, 3.5mm TRS, or RCA inputs.

The monitors come with a 3.5mm stereo-to-RCA cable for connecting to a computer. Also included are isolation pads for reducing the transmission of structural vibrations and for allowing the monitors to be tilted slightly up or down for a better listening angle.

The CR3 features a download for ProTools | First and The Musician’s Collection plug-in package including 23 high-quality plugins with BBD Delay, Level Lite, 304E EQ, and 304C Compressor. To authorize the software, simply input the mixer’s serial number on the website.