I don't think I'd be wrong in saying this is a pair with a semi-professional character. M-Audio had always struck me as a brand with an excellent quality/price ratio. Today, it has also surprised me with its top-end quality, regardless of price. This is a cabinet of a certain size, able to house a substantial woofer. In this case we have 8" handling its 100 W of power. As for the tweeter, it's 80 W delivered by a 1" driver. If you look at the rear panel, you'll see a series of details that elevate this pair to the "handle with care" category. Bass reflex, analog and digital inputs: XLR, TRS, RCA S/PDIF, AES/EBU and a wonderful band correction system with 12 switches.

What does all this translate into?
Into digital transmission capability, with a noise level you'll fall in love with (because of its absence), and powerful versatility that lets us adapt the monitor to our listening preferences.

Quiet on the set
We connected the DSM2s exactly as they come from the factory. We were surprised by these M-Audios. The sound they produce, at first, has a good contrast between lows and highs. Both frequency ranges are quite prominent but without going overboard. Personally, I find excessive bass annoying, so clearly we had to fix the placement of that bass reflex port up against the wall (in our case) and take advantage of the fantastic array of EQ correction switches.

Once the pair had been adapted to our listening position and the physical location of the gear, we repeated the listening tests. The frequency proportions were now very well balanced, characterized (I insist, from my point of view, or rather point of listening) by creamy lows and highs that are well present without becoming shrill. The mids are understated. Compared with the Mackies, for example, I feel a much "softer" presentation. Smoother, less incisive. I find all the nuances I'm looking for. And if I feel like partying? We crank up its 100 W of lows and 80 W of highs and listen to our playback big time.

There's no doubt. This system is perfectly usable on its own or in combination with another pair. In my case, I think the DSM2s go wonderfully with the Avantone MixCubes, since these little guys have quite a lot of character (Mackie-style) and a very clear presence when it comes to picking out nuances in the highs and mids.

Standout features
Their substantial presence, their analog and digital connectivity, the bass reflex, the EQ correction and... in short, their professional features. Powerful sound, but with nuance. Attention to detail, for example the functionality of the front LED, able to indicate (by changing color) the activity of the digital connections, peaks or even hardware failure (yellow, red, blue, flashing red, etc.). Finally, it's worth highlighting their moderate price considering the size of the cabinet, the power and the diameter of the woofer.

M-Audio DSM 2
Woofer: 8"
Tweeter: 1"
Low-frequency power: 100 W
High-frequency power: 80 W
Connectivity: Analog and digital, XLR, ¼" TRS, S/PDIF and AES/EBU

Dimensions:
Weight: 9.1 kg