Short answer: the Audio Smile Little British Monitor. It ranks #1 of 48 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality (rated 4.6/5); the Cambridge Audio L/R S ranks #4 (rated 4.4/5).
The Cambridge Audio L/R S is the deeper-bass option. Compact desk speakers with very accurate sound, Bluetooth and optical and USB inputs, best for close listening. Its bass reaches about 57Hz before falling 3dB, against 71.8Hz for the Audio Smile Little British Monitor. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Audio Smile Little British Monitor lacks. The catch: 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: Excellent sounding small powered speakers, with clear, uncolored vocals and instruments from a tiny desktop pair. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Cambridge Audio L/R S lacks. The catch: 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.
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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 48 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #1 of 48 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 |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.08 | 5.46 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.72 | 8.21 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | - |
| Enclosure | - | ported |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1.5kHz |
| Warranty | - | 12 months |
| Country | - | United Kingdom |
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