Short answer: the Audio Smile Little British Monitor. It ranks #1 of 24 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $529; the Cambridge Audio L/R S ranks #4, rated 4.4/5, and costs $549, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Cambridge Audio L/R S does well: A 2-way active bookshelf pair built for near-field desktop use, with a 21mm aluminum tweeter and a 3-inch long-throw woofer on each speaker. The tradeoff: Maximum clean output is limited: Erin’s Audio Corner measured about 86dB before the onboard limiter engages around 96dB to protect the drivers, so this is a near-field or small-room speaker rather than one built to fill a living room.
What the Audio Smile Little British Monitor does well: Among the strongest measured tonal performers in this size class: ASR’s Klippel data gives a 5.46 predicted preference score, or 8.21 with an ideal subwoofer. The tradeoff: Bass reaches -3dB at about 72Hz, so a subwoofer is important for the lowest notes.
Buy the Audio Smile Little British Monitor. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Cambridge Audio L/R S and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Cambridge Audio L/R S | Audio Smile Little British Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 per pair | £529 per pair |
| Ranked | #4 of 24 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #1 of 24 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 71.8Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 56.6Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 21mm aluminum dome tweeter, 3" long-throw woofer | 0.75" wide band tweeter, 3" long throw mid woofer |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) | 58Hz-20kHz -6dB |
| Amplifier Power | 100W total (50W to woofer, 50W to tweeter, per speaker) | 100W total (50W LF, 50W HF, Class A/B) |
| Inputs | RCA, optical digital, USB-C | RCA, Aux, Bluetooth |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD | SBC, aptX HD |
| App | Yes | - |
| DSP | Yes, room size, wall distance, and reflective surface correction; desktop-placement and near-wall/free-space switches | - |
| Dimensions | 5.3" (134 mm) W x 226mm H x 180mm D (each) | 8.1"H x 4.7"W x 5.3"D (205 x 120 x 135 mm) |
| Weight | 6.6 lbs (3.0kg) primary speaker, 5.7 lbs (2.6kg) secondary speaker | 3.7 lbs (1.7 kg) (Master unit) / 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) (Slave unit) |
| Subwoofer Output | Yes | - |
| Outputs | Subwoofer, wired speaker-to-speaker link | - |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | Yes | Yes |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | Yes | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | Yes | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Enclosure | - | ported |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1.5kHz |
| Warranty | - | 12 months |
| Country | - | United Kingdom |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 5.46 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 8.21 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Audio Smile Little British Monitor compares with other leading options:
- Audio Smile Little British Monitor vs Adam Audio D3v
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Bowers & Wilkins Formation Flex
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Kanto YU4
- Genelec 8010A vs Cambridge Audio L/R S
- Sovox MiniMax3 vs Cambridge Audio L/R S
Prices on this page were last checked September 23, 2026 at 11:24 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Cambridge Audio L/R S: $549.00 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: A 2-way active bookshelf pair built for near-field desktop use, with a 21mm aluminum tweeter and a 3-inch long-throw woofer on each speaker. Erin’s Audio Corner measured a very neutral on-axis response with good directivity control up through the 2-3kHz handoff to the tweeter, an F3 of about 57Hz and F10 of about 50Hz, and output held within roughly plus or minus 2.5dB from 80Hz to 20kHz. Horizontal dispersion of about plus or minus 60 degrees and a vertical window of about plus 30 to minus 20 degrees make it forgiving of off-center desktop seating. Two rear switches (a desktop-placement compensation switch and a near-wall/free-space switch) plus in-app DSP for room size, wall distance, and reflective surface type let you tune the in-room response rather than just hoping placement works out, and the reviewer noted an audible tightening of the bass moving between room-size settings. Rear connectivity includes RCA, optical digital, USB-C, and a dedicated subwoofer output. Measured bass extension of 57Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Maximum clean output is limited: Erin’s Audio Corner measured about 86dB before the onboard limiter engages around 96dB to protect the drivers, so this is a near-field or small-room speaker rather than one built to fill a living room. Each speaker’s Class D amplifier splits only 50W to the woofer and 50W to the tweeter, modest for the class. The DSP room-correction options are preset-based rather than a true microphone-measured calibration at the listening position, so results depend on picking settings that match your actual room.
Full Cambridge Audio L/R S review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 100W total (50W to woofer, 50W to tweeter, per speaker) |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| DSP | Yes, room size, wall distance, and reflective surface correction; desktop-placement and near-wall/free-space switches |
| Dimensions | 5.3" (134 mm) W x 226mm H x 180mm D (each) |
| Drivers | 21mm aluminum dome tweeter, 3" long-throw woofer |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Inputs | RCA, optical digital, USB-C |
| Optical Input | Yes |
| Outputs | Subwoofer, wired speaker-to-speaker link |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Subwoofer Output | Yes |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | Yes |
| Weight | 6.6 lbs (3.0kg) primary speaker, 5.7 lbs (2.6kg) secondary speaker |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Adam Audio D3v
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Edifier M60
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Genelec 8010A
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs HiVi Swan X3
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Edifier MR3
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Sovox MiniMax3
- Cambridge Audio L/R S vs Bowers & Wilkins Formation Flex
- See all 16 comparisons
Audio Smile Little British Monitor: £529 per pair Audio Smile eBay
Pros: Among the strongest measured tonal performers in this size class: ASR’s Klippel data gives a 5.46 predicted preference score, or 8.21 with an ideal subwoofer. Low narrow-band response deviations on-axis and across the listening window support clear, relatively uncolored vocals and instruments. Broad horizontal coverage makes small changes of listening position less critical. Active DSP crossover and a very compact cabinet suit close desktop listening. Measured bass extension of 71.8Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Bass reaches -3dB at about 72Hz, so a subwoofer is important for the lowest notes. The measured response still spans 3.3dB from 300Hz to 5kHz; the small average-deviation statistic should not be mistaken for an almost perfectly flat response. Small drivers limit the intended application to nearfield listening, and the preference score does not establish maximum clean output.
Full Audio Smile Little British Monitor review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 100W total (50W LF, 50W HF, Class A/B) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56.6Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71.8Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, aptX HD |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Crossover Frequency | 1.5kHz |
| Dimensions | 8.1"H x 4.7"W x 5.3"D (205 x 120 x 135 mm) |
| Drivers | 0.75" wide band tweeter, 3" long throw mid woofer |
| Enclosure | ported |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz-20kHz -6dB |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Inputs | RCA, Aux, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.46 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.21 |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.7 kg) (Master unit) / 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) (Slave unit) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons