'Designed to be compact': these new speakers are perfect for small apartments, and come from a 5-star company

• Cambridge Audio refreshes Minx / MSX line: compact and modular
• Two new compact wireless speakers: MSX 10 & 20
• Two new subwoofers: Sub 200 & 300

Audiophiles are used to seeing some pretty monolithic speakers, but refreshingly, Cambridge Audio is going the other way. Its new MSX line is designed to be compact, to fit in homes that might not fit tower speakers.

The MSX is a refresh of the Cambridge Audio Minx line, and they're designed to be modular. At time of writing, the line has four products: two compact and wireless speakers, and two subwoofers, and you can buy them in whatever combination you'd like to create the perfect set-up (although you probably don't want to just use a subwoofer).

They're available right now, available in black or white, and to my eyes they look quite Ikea-ish. It's quite a trend to see Scandi-style speakers like this, with the recent Eversolo SE100 designed to fit in Ikea bookshelves, and the MSX seemingly aiming for the same thing.

The subwoofers also bear more than a passing resemblance to cajons, but you probably don't want to sit on and beat these.

While compact tech often sees corners cut, we're used to lavishing 5-star reviews on anything Cambridge Audio touches, like the recent L/R S bookshelf speakers or Audio Evo One. So if anyone can do it, the Cambridgians can.

Four speakers, four configurations

The 'speakers' of the new line are the MSX 10 ($99 / £79, roughly AU$160) and MSX 20 ($129 / £129, roughly AU$260)

The former is a compact speaker with a 2.25-inch full-range BMR speaker and 200W output, and the latter seems to be two MSX 10s stuck together (but with the two speakers tuned for different things: one mid-bass, the other bass).

Then there are the subwoofers: the Sub 200 ($449 / £349, about AU$700) and Sub 300 ($549 / £449, about AU$900).

The Sub 200 has a 6.5-inch active, and two 6.5-inch passive, radiators, while the Sub 300 has an 8-inch active and 8-inch passive radiator.

The latter has a greater power output, at 300W versus the Sub 200's 200W, and is slightly bigger, but they both look pretty similar, all things considered.

Whatever combo of these speakers you buy, you're getting CA-tuned audio and long-throw drivers that can fill up a whole room, so they seem handy for people who don't have loads of space but still want good audio.

The best stereo speakers all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best stereo speakers
1. Best overall:
Q Acoustics M40 HD
2. Best compact:
Dali Rubikore 2
3. Best desktop speakers
Creative Pebble Nova
4. Best budget buy:
Q Acoustics M20 HD

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