NEUMI BS5P-ARC 75-Watt Powered Bookshelf Speakers, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, Optical, Coaxial, Remote Control, 5-Inch Woofer, 1-Inch Tweeter, Dark Wood, 1 Pair

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love them. Sound I did end up doing some EQing using a free EQ software I found online to help give it the bass a little push for music as it sounds a bit neutral right out of the box. The neutral sound however is perfect for listening to podcast or videos where clarity in voices is preferred. You'll notice it may just lack a bit of boom when watching movies or listening to bass heavy music. My recommendation is to use EQ APO as it worked fine for me. Setup The setup was pretty simple. Pretty much plug and play. Note: if you want to use a type - C cable setup, it does not come with one in the box. It comes with a remote that lets you switch between bluetooth, optical, aux, and usb seamlessly. If you don't care for using the remote then you've also got the buttons on the back of the right speaker to change volume and input. With the different cables it can take along with the bluetooth, it seems compatible for just about any household system be it your phone, tv, pc, DVD player or etc. Quality As far as quality goes they seem pretty well built and sturdy for the price range. Overall Functions well, clear sound, not too big in size, and can connect to just about anything I throw at it. A 10/10 for it's price.

I got tired of reading endless forums about the "best budget desktop speakers" so I decided to purchase the following and compare them in real life against each other: Neumi BS5P | Micca PB42X | Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX | Edifier R1280T | Bose Companion 2 Series III | Edifier G2000. I am not an audiophile, I am not technical. I have played instruments my whole life and run sound in some amateur settings, so I'm guessing I have a slightly more critical ear than the average listener, but definitely not of those truly dedicated to hi fidelity listening. I don't know proper terms. I took these notes kind of haphazardly, but they are listed in order of best to worst after personal testing. I intend to play games and listen to music with a slight preference towards gaming as I have another speaker system for music that I can use for music. High level takeaway: the true battle is between the Neumi BS5P and the Micca PB42X. Between those 2 speakers, either would be the right choice of all these options depending on your intended use. I ended up choosing the Neumi because I am going to be playing games quite a bit, and they provided much better low end to fill out a lot of the sound effects. If I were choosing a speaker just for music listening, I would have gone with the Miccas as they have superior mid/high/vocal clarity. The Miccas have a good enough sub that I wouldn't be missing the low end on most music, but if I wanted to, I could just add a sub to fill out the lows on the Miccas (for edm type music). _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Neumi BS5P 75-Watt $139.99 - My personal winner Pro: - Sounds full and satisfying right away - Great bass (almost as good as the dedicated sub on the Klipsch, definitely better than all other options without a dedicated sub. I've got adjacent neighbors so I won't ever go sub heavy anyways, so don't need a dedicated sub with the power these pull) - Decently clear mids/highs, though this is less defined than the Miccas. These get better after doing the firmware update, and get it much closer to the Micca's clarity, but still not quite as good - Bluetooth pairing quality stays really high (doesn't make a difference for me) Cons - Mids/highs/vocals still just not as good/clear/crisp as the Micca - Much larger than the other options (might be a pro if you're looking to fill a room with more volume - I'm not looking for that) - Need to update the firmware to get better mids/highs than out of the box (minor inconvenience but might scare some away) Micca PB42X $109.99 Pro: - Really nice, crisp/clean mid/highs (better than everything else) The vocals are bright and shiny, unrivaled by any other of these options - Doesn't seem to add much coloration (but this also leads to it feeling slightly emptier than the 1280T, could be good or bad) - Pretty good bass for what it is (far better than the G2000 and Bose, worse than the others) - It comes with a 2 part dc cable that's longer than others, and a longer mp3 cable than others (doesn't really matter, but it's nice) - Fairly flat (might be a good or bad thing for usage) Con: - Getting really nit picky just to find differences, but the connection cable on the back is a twisty, rather than a poke as the Edifiers have. Twistys just seem less stable/more exposed - Mids/lows start to sound more tinny in comparison to the mids/lows of the neumi, leaving a somewhat less satisfying feeling - Ultimately this feels a bit emptier than others with better subs, but is also definitely crisper/clearer Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified $144.99 Pro: - Great sound out of the box - Great bass (only one with a dedicated sub, so that should be obvious) Con: - Decent mid/highs, but still not as crisp/clear as the Miccas Edifier R1280T $129.32 Pro: - Beautiful aesthetic - Good sound out of the box , there's not the obvious tinny sound of budget speaker - Volume, bass, and treble knobs - I'm satisfied with the sound immediately (I grew less satisfied with the sound the more I A/B compared to the Bose due to the coloration. I then adjusted the tilt of the speakers and it seemed to fix this coloration issue and bring more clarity to the mids/highs) - It's really minor, but the power plug is a plug and not a brick like all the others Con: - No sub out option - Definitely colors the sound to fill in the space more (which could be a pro for some people too). Ends up adding a layer of mud to the overall sound - The mids/highs are really just muddy due to the coloration Bose Companion 2 Series III $149.00 Pro: - The mids/highs are nice and bright and clear - Really compact if you don't have a lot of desk space00 - I'm satisfied with this sound out of the box - Seems not to color the sound (certainly not nearly like the R1280T), feels more accurate - Has an upward tilt so it seems to naturally position for the sweet spot Con: - Only a volume knob so no automatic control over bass/treble (I assume there's eq software that would fix this?) - Bass is a bit lacking (probably would be satisfied with the amount of bass if I weren't comparing against the others) - Something feels emptier about these speakers against the 1280T and Micca Edifier G2000 $109.99 Pro: - Decent bass and presence - The LED light is kind of nice Con: - Stupid startup car sound is absolutely childish and obnoxious - The LED light stays on (I think you can turn it off but who's going to go through the hassle of turning it off and on if you have to hear the stupid car sound at every startup) - Still clearly sounds like a budget speaker with a constant of tin/noise - Bass can wash out pretty easily at medium volumes - It crackles at other certain sounds like my incoming email ping - Not satisfied with this sound out of the box

Pros: Budget friendly powered 5 inch woofer speakers, lots of features (bluetooth, optical, analog), good clarity at mids/highs with EQ update, look fantastic Cons: Customer service non existant, has trouble with lows, no subwoofer out, bluetooth disconnects if left connected overnight. Ive used this set of speakers for a week now for my desktop and the clarity is very good in the mid and high range once you update the EQ. Without the update the sound is not very good. If youre updating the EQ and you have trouble you might need to try different microUSB cords. Note: an analog to aux cord is not included, but do not use one. Youll get an audible hiss over analog that isnt present with bluetooth. At 120$ this set is very good value for the money. The sound output is good and if youre buying it at 120 due to the lack of an EQ update then its a bargain. The main downside is that there is no subwoofer out option. The speakers may distort a touch in the lopwer range and the bass can sound hollow/nonexistant for certain tracks. This honestly isnt extremely surprising but the lack of a way to address it is the largest downside. If youre buying this at 120$ its a bargain, at 150$ without an option for subwoofer out, id say consider an option with a subwoofer out if you care about bass. Bass is present but its a bit lackluster so keep that in mind

Ok, I own a bunch of speakers. Good speakers. I spend time reviewing options and listening to them. I have "audiophile", studio, home entertainment, and portable speakers from so many different manufacturers you would probably think I have a problem (JBL, Focal, Unity Audio, NHT, Sonos, blah blah). But, I professionally mix music for people, so yeah, I have a discerning ear I suppose. I wanted a larger woofer stereo pair of bluetooth and optical input speakers for the living room TV and to also be able to listen to music and/or check mixes in the living room if need be. I spent a bunch of time researching and reading reviews and checking out the measurements of these speakers. I get it, your specific room placement will tell the true story of how these sound and perform, but here's my analysis based on a 20'x12' room with these speakers placed 6 inches from the backwall. Decent sound overall. And the connection options all work well. The cabinets are well-made and the magnetic speaker covers are a nice touch. I think Neumi put some good engineering into these and they fill a good need for cheaper but capable speakers for the consumer who wants an upgrade from what most soundbar can offer in sound quality or as a small shelf speaker for casual listening. They come with bass port fillers, but I don't use them. Yes, the bass is little more defined and controlled coming out of them when used, but in my placement, I found that I liked the increased level of bass without them installed since the bass isn't really what I would call "defined" on these speakers anyway (at least in the placement they are in). Nice option to have though! Overall sound quality tends to be mid frequency focused, including high-mids. My wife doesn't like them because when we are talking in the living room and these are on, the frequency presence here noticeably masks our own speech. The bass is there and present, but just very "round" sounding. It's there though definitely; probably down to around 50hz or so. Good stereo image too. Listening to tracks I know well, I do think these have a pretty decent balance overall and, for the price, they are a good deal honestly for what I use them for. I probably should put them in the mix room (which is an acoustically well-treated room) to have a very in-depth listen to find out the true capabilities of these; but I haven't done it unfortunately. Maybe someday though, and I think I would find that they are a fairly accurate speaker but probably still with some less-defined bass frequencies and still mid forward sound signature. Your mileage is definitely going to vary wildly though depending on need and placement. Would I buy these again? Yes. For non-critical listening purposes which is how I'm using them. Do they get loud? Yes. Loud enough to host a small party and listen to music louder than you probably want to. Good job on these Neumi for someone who wants just a casual listening experience in an all-around well thought out package; especially considering cost. 11/20/24 - Just thought I would provide an update. The Neumi's are still going strong. They continue to work flawlessly with no issues or concerns in their functionality. We're still using them for the TV instead of a soundbar; and occasionally using their bluetooth function for when friends come over. The remote is starting to get a bit wonky though, buttons are starting to not "click" as nicely as it used to. I'll probably be getting some new speakers here though soon to replace these with; not because they don't sound fine, but because these don't have a subwoofer output and I'd now want to easily incorporate a subwoofer into the setup.

EDIT: These have sat on my desk since May 2024 and were used frequently but not daily. They no longer turn on. So despite being pretty good for the money, not getting a year out of them means i would look for other options. This review is of the ARC model, not the standard BS5P. Also, the Neumi website states that any BS5P bought after July 2021 is using the 5-26-2021 Community EQ firmware, and doesnt need to be updated, so I didnt check my set and also did not update firmware FYI. First and foremost, for the money, these are great. The I/O at this price makes them a good deal for small rooms or soundbar replacements. Im using them as nearfields on a desk EQ'ed and with a subwoofer. Im also using the RCA AUX in, so, bypassing the internal DAC. I tested all the inputs to make sure they worked, but havent done any extensive listening with them, so I cant comment on the DAC quality. That said I listened to them straight out of the box with no sub for awhile. Stock tuning is mid forward with some mid bass and not much else in my opinion. Pretty "thin" sounding. If you believe in burn-in, then maybe after whatever amount of time you feel is required, then perhaps they might change. I was pretty unimpressed initially but after some basic, slightly agressive EQ, I think they are pretty damn good for less than $200. Just using a 4 band Schiit Loki, I can get them to sound full and balanced to my ears. I listened for about 6-7 hours with everything from METAL metal, to indie vocalist, to noir jazz, to hip hop. For desktop use I also preferred removing the port plugs without a sub and plugged with a sub. I also couldnt hear any hiss whatsoever with nothing playing. Without a sub, unplugged and EQ'ed I thought them very capable of bass depth and "fullness" for general satisfaction. Honestly swapping the EQ on and off made them sound like completely different speakers. But with a sub and plugged, the increased tightness and punchiness of the sealed speakers with the sub taking over to fill out the bottom end makes for what I think is the best choice for these, It doesnt even need to be anything crazy, as I tested them with a Kanto Sub6 and a Monoprice 8" sub. I dont need room shaking 20Hz at my desk but I do miss some warmth and fullness if the sub isnt there. A liiiiiitle big for a desk IMO, but overall I think, a solid value for how well these take to EQ and the potential for them to work in MANY situations from the I/O and sub-out alone.

Pros - Great lows and mids - Nice selection of Inputs - Nice Casing and Magnetic Mesh Front Grille Cons - Middling Highs - Very Large - Much Better Tuning with Ports Plugged - Lights Don't Turn Off Automatically Overall, they are too large for desks, primarily too tall if you are running a multi monitor setup, the tweeters have a bit of a problem with maintaining detail and appeared to lose some it. I only found this when I upgraded. Great for sound and value difference. When compared to the HiviSwan D100, they lose easily in the treble range, trade in the mids, and win in the bass. If you are more of a bass heavy person looking to enter the speaker audiophile market without any insane costs, then there really isn't any better plug and play speaker. Note, plugging the port holes will give cleaner tone with less muddiness, but also dampens the low rumble of the speaker, I recommend plugging the ports, but that may be because of my favor for clean highs.

The HDMI-ARC CEC is pretty unreliable with these unfortunately. It did not play nice with my new Samsung TV. Volume up/down worked, but I didn't have mute functionality. The unit also would turn back on even when the TV was off. Manufacturer was good about getting back to me quickly, but suggested I unplug other devices from the TV, which would defeat the purpose of using ARC in the first place. These issues basically made the ARC input useless, which then makes the whole unit useless -- you can buy the same speakers from Neumi without ARC input for significantly less. I also found the sound pretty unflattering for music. The bass response is fine when you take the plugs out of the ports, but for the money, these just didn't impress. I returned them.

The primary reason to drop $170 on these is ARC. It works just fine except for one glaring issue. While connected through HDMI specifically a Hisense 75" U7k, the speaker will turn on by itself. When removing the HDMI cable, the speaker stays off. I tried different cables and the issue persists. ARC remote functionality works otherwise. Sound quality is decent. I can't imagine how these sound without the included foam port plugs. The Neumis were supposed to replace optical only Edifier r1280dbs and Q-Audio M4 soundbar with Audica 10" sub. The Neumis unfortunately sound the worse but by no means sound bad. I prefer bright highs and clean mids since watching a ton of dialogue. The Neumis sound a bit muddy. Most importantly the low crossover is terrible. The sub would constantly misfire during movies. The r1280dbs and M4 never had this issue. Despite its smaller size, the Edifiers don't have an issue keeping up with the Neumis. I want the Neumis to succeed but with its current issues, I can't recommend them. The Klipsch Fives are the only other ARC w/ sub out bookshelves but costs twice as much.