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DJ Tech Reviews

Mackie CR4-X

A compact 4-inch desktop monitor pair with good sound for the money, but a constant hiss some reviewers can't ignore.

A pair of Mackie CR4-X monitors at an angle

Photos: Mackie

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71%

of 7 reviews recommend it5.0/5 from 1 Guitar Center owners

See reviews
Best for
Budget desktop setups for listening, practice and first productions.
Skip it if
You work in a quiet room and hiss bothers you, or you mix critically.

The Internet’s Opinion

From 7 professional reviews and 1 owner review: a fair amount of evidence.

Five of seven professional reviews recommend it for good, full sound at a low price, and the one owner review read agrees. The recurring reservation is a constant hiss that is audible when the music stops, which led two YouTube reviewers to hedge or warn off; three reviews also find the bass too forward for mixing.

5 recommend1 mixed1 avoid

What people praise

  • Good, full sound for the money
  • Well built, with a striking brushed-metal and green design
  • Front volume knob and headphone jack are handy
Show 3 more
  • Precise stereo image
  • Flexible inputs: 1/4", RCA and 1/8"
  • Solid bass for a 4-inch speaker

What to know first

  • Constant hiss, audible whenever the music stops
  • Bass-forward, uneven response: not neutral enough for mixing

Owner ratings, as the retailers publish them

See the 7 reviews behind this

7 professional reviews (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 avoid), two of them of the otherwise matching Bluetooth CR4-XBT; 1 owner review read at Guitar Center (Thomann no longer lists the CR4-X or its reviews)Compiled 2026-10-11How this is compiled

Prices

Before you buy

Released
March 2020 (announced January 2020)
Status
Discontinued

Works with

  • 1/4" TRS and RCA inputsOne source at a time

    Rear 1/4" inputs take balanced or unbalanced line signals and RCA takes unbalanced; the two are wired together, so connect only one source at a time Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

  • 1/8" stereo inputPhone or laptop

    A rear 1/8" stereo input for a computer, phone or media player; a 1/8" to 1/8" cable is included Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

  • Headphones1/8" jack, mutes speakers

    The front 1/8" headphone jack follows the volume knob; plugging in headphones cuts the speakers Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

  • BluetoothNot on this model

    Bluetooth is on the separate CR4-XBT; the CR4-X is wired only Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie), checked 2026-10-11

  • CR8S-XBT subwooferSold separately

    Mackie's 8" CR8S-XBT subwoofer is designed to add to any CR Series monitors and comes with a desktop volume control with separate sub level; the CR4-X alone reaches down to 65 Hz (-3 dB) Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

You’ll also need

  • Cables for a DJ controller or mixerNot in the box

    The box holds a 1/8" to stereo RCA cable, a 1/8" to 1/8" cable and the speaker-to-speaker cable; RCA-to-RCA or 1/4" cables from a controller or mixer are extra Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

  • One mains socketPowered left or right

    Only the powered monitor plugs into the mains (100 to 240 V); it feeds the passive one over the included speaker cable, and a switch sets whether the powered one sits on the left or right Manufacturer spec sheet (Mackie (CR-X owner's manual)), checked 2026-10-11

Key specs

Configuration
4" 2-way multimedia monitor, custom-tuned rear port, Class AB amplification
Woofer size
4.0 in
LF driver
4.0 in (102 mm) polypropylene-coated woofer
Amplifier power (total)
50 W
Amplifier power
50 W peak (Class AB)
Max SPL
100 dB peak (per pair)
All 14 specifications
Low-frequency extension
65 Hz (-3 dB)
Frequency response
65 Hz – 20 kHz (-3 dB); 55 Hz – 20 kHz (-10 dB)
Inputs
1/4" TRS balanced/unbalanced, RCA unbalanced, 1/8" stereo unbalanced; 1/8" stereo headphone output
Weight
4.6 kg (10.1 lb) per pair
HF driver
0.75 in (19 mm) ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeter
Crossover
3.0 kHz
Dimensions (W x H x D)
155 x 225 x 210 mm (6.1 x 8.9 x 8.3 in)
Tweeter size
0.75 in

14 of 14 figures sourced; hover one for its source

Our take

Rory TassellWritten from the sources on this page, not from a loan unit.

Five of seven professional reviews recommend it for good, full sound at a low price, and the one owner review read agrees. The recurring reservation is a constant hiss when the music stops: two YouTube reviewers hedge or warn off because of it, and All Things Gear hears it too. Three reviews find the bass too forward for mixing. The CR4-X is discontinued; buy it only at a clear discount, and listen for hiss on arrival.

What it is

Status, October 2026: discontinued. Mackie's CR Series lineup now lists only the Gen 3 models (CR3.5 to CR8SBT) and the CR4-X page has been removed, which retailer listings confirm. The Bluetooth CR4-XBT was its sibling in the same range.

What it is

The CR4-X is a pair of 4-inch powered multimedia monitors from Mackie, announced in January 2020 and on sale from March 2020 (Mackie announcement). It was part of the CR-X update to Mackie's CR Series, which added 3-, 4- and 5-inch wired models, Bluetooth XBT versions and the CR8S-XBT subwoofer. The CR4-X itself has no Bluetooth.

One speaker is powered and drives the passive one over the included speaker cable, so only one plugs into the mains (100 to 240 V), through an attached power cord. A rear switch sets whether the powered speaker sits on the left or the right. Its front panel has the on/off and volume knob and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and plugging in headphones mutes the speakers.

Each wooden cabinet holds a 4-inch polypropylene-coated woofer and a 0.75-inch ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeter behind a waveguide, with a rear port and a 3 kHz crossover. A Class AB amplifier gives 50 W peak. Mackie quotes 65 Hz to 20 kHz at -3 dB and a peak SPL of 100 dB for the pair, and designed the CR8S-XBT subwoofer to add bass to any CR Series monitors.

The inputs are 1/4-inch TRS, balanced or unbalanced, RCA and a 3.5 mm stereo jack. The TRS and RCA inputs are wired together, so only one of them should be connected at a time. Each speaker measures 155 x 225 x 210 mm, and the pair weighs 4.6 kg. The box holds the speaker-to-speaker cable, a 3.5 mm to stereo RCA cable and a 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable; isolation pads come only with the larger CR5-X.

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