Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions$129
$12958% would recommend to a friend 
Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors
$99
01 / 25
Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors
bookmark_border
$99
Ready to Ship
·
Free Returns in USA
●
Members who purchase earn
297
Drop Rewards
Frequently bought together:
Customer Reviews
3.0
(223 reviews)
5star(23)
4star(61)
3star(66)
2star(37)
1star(36)
search
close
Images
keyboard_arrow_downSort by: Top Reviews
keyboard_arrow_downwmjbyatt
18
Jun 26, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Honestly better than expected
I bought these to be desktop speakers, and they do what it says on the tin, and punch above their weight class doing so. Sound is punchy and clear, with more than sufficient separation. Highs are plenty clear and bass is punchy. Mids (and parts of the bass) might be a bit resonant, but that also could be my setup. On spoken vocals, I'm not losing any clarity to resonance, so it's more than good enough for me.
Recommends this product? Yes
JohnW_25
166
Jun 27, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
At The Pre-Order Price They Are Excellent
Disclaimer:
I'm not an 'audiophile' but I've used a lot of speakers over my life from the $15 USB speakers to the gaming speakers from Logitech and Razer to Sonos and KEF. The Logitech and Razer gaming speakers I have since given to the boys, the Sonos is for the television, the KEF is for the kitchen/dining room area, and I wanted to give the Drop BMR1 Nearfield Speakers a try since they didn't cost a fortune at the pre-order price and promised solid, above average sound quality.
I'm also not a "price buyer" (someone who evaluates a product's bottom-line performance at the lowest cost) but a "value buyer" (I use subjective categories to evaluate the value a product provides). I care about "value" bullshit like:
- Does this aesthetically fit with my setup? Subjectively important for me to not stifle creativity...which cuts down on work hours over the week.
- How does this make me feel when I listen to the sound? Also purely subjective but if I feel good while at work I can better stay focused, not get irritated and not fuck off when I'm supposed to be working or meeting deadlines.
- Does it function well?
- Is it well made so I can maybe sell it later and recoup some of my up-front cost if I change my mind down the road? I don't want to pay for products anymore that I literally cannot give away anymore.
- Overall small and compact, lightweight, and doesn't ruin aesthetics in the desk setup.
- Easy to install.
- Great alternative options such as the "mode switch", Bluetooth, etc.
- Can get LOUD if you need it, granted the sound quality is reduced a bit but the option to have that is really nice.
- Well-made, solid construction (except the isolation stands).
- The isolation stands are made of pretty good, but very lightweight, uninspiring black plastic that raises my concerns a bit about long-term durability.
- The isolation stands are attached via hex screws and spring washers. In my case, the spring washers don't hold the speakers firmly upright causing them to "lean" a bit with a moderately gentle bump. Not a big deal but annoying to have to realign them if I need to connect something behind the monitor and accidentally bump into them.
- There's an output channel cable that connects the primary speaker to the left speaker and it's just barely long enough to reach each side of my 31-inch display. It may or may not be a deal breaker for people with multiple monitors but for me was annoying being forced to re-shuffle the lamp to the edge of the right side of the desk to make it work.
Recommends this product? Yes
Spectre085
10
Jun 25, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Pleasantly Surprised
At $129, I wasn't expecting much from these monitors. I was just looking for something that doesn't take up much real estate on my desk and to have something so I don't have to constantly wear headphones whenever I want to listen to music or have some random stream on in the background when I am working. The base plates are a bit sketchy when trying to mount, feels like a cheap plastic that could easily break if you over tighten the screws. The audio quality from the units are good when considering the price. You could find better for a similar price. I feel that the real selling point of these monitors are how little space they take up. I currently have them sitting behind my main display in an area that is just wasted space.
Recommends this product? Yes
DrGASman
10
Jul 7, 2023
These speakers are excellent. Super impressed.
These speakers are excellent. Super impressed.
I'm shocked at how great the sound quality is for $130. They remind me of AKG K1000 ear speakers (one of my absolute favorite “headphones”)-- They're small and you sit pretty close for best sound quality, and the clarity and depth is really impressive. The speakers are extremely detailed and have lovely sound stage, especially for their size. And they're not fatiguing to the ear at all. If you want more bass , yeah you’ll have to spring for a separate subwoofer, but that makes sense with this type of desktop-ey speaker. People criticizing them for limited bass or limited functionality need to have realistic expectations for a small set of speakers that prioritize sound quality and a super affordable price over bells and whistles. They do what it seems they were designed to do VERY well and are super enjoyable to listen to. They are not meant to blast party music at your rager. They are meant for detailed, enjoyable up-close listening. At $130, I already know what my friends and fam are getting for Xmas this year!
Recommends this product? Yes
Timmmay
47
Jun 25, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Disappointed and went back to my decade-old Mackie CR3's that have none of these issues
I received my BMR1's yesterday. After spending some time with them I have a few concerns less to do with the sound quality (which is good) but the product themselves.
First, the mating cable is very short. The speakers cannot be separated more than 4 feet. I understand these are nearfield speakers and meant to be close to each other and the listener, but the cord is so short it leaves no wiggle-room for cable management, hiding the cable behind a desk, etc. The reason this is a concern is because it isn't easily correctable: the cable connectors are proprietary and would require splicing another cable into the existing one. Come on!
Second, the LED light on the button is ridiculously bright. Even with a "lightdim" sticker, which cannot be applied flat since the LED-lit button is raised from the front housing, it's still bright. It was so annoying after a day of use I disassembled the speaker and disconnected the LED from circuit, which is fine, the LED is useless because...
Third, the speakers have no power button. The power is always on. The button does two things: annoys you with a bright LED, and changes modes between aux-in and bluetooth. It cannot turn the speakers off. Since the speakers are always on, the bright LED serves no real purpose other than to let you know they are in bluetooth mode or not, which you will know anyway because in bluetooth mode the aux-in is disabled.
Forth, concerningly, since the speakers are always on and cannot be powered off without physically disconnecting power, the internal amp is always running. And it gets HOT. The bottom of the BMR1's measures 63C, or nearly 150F, using an infrared probe on the plastic. I could borrow a friends FLiR camera and get a full heat signature of the case, but these are not efficient at idle, drawing 8w from the wall. Disconnecting the BMR1 from the transformer drops power consumption to 1w, so the transformer is efficient, the internal AMP is not. Furthermore, the bluetooth radiation is constant, even without engaging bluetooth. I may slice up the PCB and remove bluetooth from circuit like I did for the LED, as it is causing 2.4GHz radiation for no reason.
Fifth, not including covers is a weak move by Drop. While I realized this going into the preorder, charging $25 + shipping for plastic covers was unexpected. These are $100 speakers and they are charging 1/4th their value for a $1 piece of plastic.
Recommends this product? No
Timmmay
47
Jul 8, 2023
Though this is an admittedly subjective ‘test’ as I don’t have a radio spectrum analyzer, if I hold a 2.4ghz device up to the main speaker, such as a walkie talkie, it has the modular pops picked up by any radiation-emitting device on that frequency such as any wifi or Bluetooth radio. It’s important to note any Bluetooth device, much like any wifi device, usually does this even if the device is disabled in software because the radio will always receive power if it is powered and always emit radiation. Airplane mode, etc, is a different story and that was the type of mode I had assumed these speakers would implement (hardware DSP trigger, not just “low power mode” to the DSP.) I suspect Drop did it this way to enable Bluetooth more rapidly, and it might also explain why the main speaker generates so much heat. I can’t imagine it’s just the transformer. This is among many reasons why the FCC puts that warning on electronics they emit radiation - they may always emit radiation when when powered off.
All that said, I accepted that this was a possibility when I bought these things and my gripe was more about the ‘why’ these speakers have Bluetooth at all. Bluetooth sounds like shit. There is no lossless Bluetooth and even with AptX and high resolution codecs it is nowhere near high fidelity, making it a gimmick in speakers of this class, or defining these speakers as a gimmick themselves by having a gimmick attached to them (and reinforced by their staff as a primary feature.)
To most people it’s useless and should have been left out, and if Drop felt the need to produce a Bluetooth speaker, they should have made a different model. I guess it’s never too late for them to produce a model of the BMR1’s (BMR1 SE) that removes Bluetooth and hopefully corrects the other problems that plague this product. Removing Bluetooth would save a tremendous amount of money and reduce complexity as well. I’m not a marketing guru but as I said, I really don’t understand how the target market for these speakers is someone who plans to stream to them from their phone via Bluetooth. They are supposed to be an audiophile product, I felt the target market, myself included, were the kind of people who use a DAC with their PC or phone, and at the very least a high resolution analog output device ie onboard audio.
(Edited)
Fastnl
66
Product Development
Jul 8, 2023
Bluetooth radio is turned off when the user manually switches to headphone or analog . I’ll have to dig into the FW and Hw schematics to see if the BT chip is completely defeated in those aforementioned modes. Hold tight
Effigy
89
Jun 30, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Updated - THE SPARKS!!! Accurate - excellent mids and highs, but the low end is not THICC
UPDATED AFTER ~1 MONTH:
So, the heat coming off the amp on the left monitor when it is working off the AUX port is not ubnberable, but its hot. More notably, when I plug in the speaker, IT SPARKS ... like full on SPARKS. If I held up paper, its lighting on fire. This can't be normal. I left a question in the Q&A, but no one at DROP seems to be looking, so I will leave the same question here:
From (https://drop.com/talk/131710/is-the-left-monitor-supposed-to-spark-when-you-plug-it-in-cause-mine-does-drop-bro-i-love-you-man-bu_)
Is the left monitor (where power is supplied) SUPPOSED to SPARK when you plug it in? Cause mine does - DROP... bro... I love you man, but between the heat and the sparks, I have to wonder if y'all didn't work power delivery on the amp through before sending these out. And, please before you say "send it back" etc, answer the question.. IS IT SUPPOSED TO SPARK?
TL;DR, I like the sound, but I am starting to wonder if these units are production ready. And DROP, seriously, I don't just want a "please RMA" message if it's warranted, but I really want you to be transparent and indicate if these are a fire hazard... People need to know.
__________________
ORIGINAL:
So, for two speakers, these things rock a fairly accurate sound. Put some energy into them, and they are more than loud enough for a desktop experience, with no distortion. Mids and highs are portrayed well, but if you are looking to terrify the neighbors with a robust and beefy low end, best to get a boss sub....
because you know you NEED a T H I C C low end... you know what I'm sayin? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?!?!?!?!?! DAMN RIGHT YOU DO.
9/10. Would buy again. Also, would pet. 
(Edited)
geomaster337
1
Aug 30, 2023
EffigyI had an issue with mine where the speakers would intermittently sound like they were blown, so I got a replacement (which still have this problem but less) and the first time I plugged them in I was amazed by the spark show, it was really wild! My first unit DEFINITELY did not do that ever but it seems to have died down and it hasn't sparked since the first few times I plugged/unplugged (which I do about daily at this point thanks to the lack of power switch :D)
Effigy
89
Aug 30, 2023
geomaster337I really wish DROP wouldn’t say something. I keep having visions of them getting called out for not dealing with it.
SJLR
21
Jun 28, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
UPDATED: Annoyed by the hissing (previously: 4/5 - An overall great desktop speaker)
UPDATE - After owning this pair for several months now, I cannot get over the annoying hissing when these speakers are powered on. The speakers being "always-on" is annoying to me as well because it's just a waste of power.
Original Review:
TL:DR - I think it's great overall, but there are certainly some aspects that could be improved for V2 I was in with the first group of folks to preorder and just got mine today. For years I have been looking for a quality wired desktop speaker set that can sit beneath my monitors without getting in the way of the screen, and now I finally have the right pair. What I love:
What I don't love:
TL:DR - I think it's great overall, but there are certainly some aspects that could be improved for V2 I was in with the first group of folks to preorder and just got mine today. For years I have been looking for a quality wired desktop speaker set that can sit beneath my monitors without getting in the way of the screen, and now I finally have the right pair. What I love:
- The sound - Personally, I prefer a warmer sound. While these speakers deliver a more "clear" sound, I don't feel left out with plenty of room given to the lows at higher volumes. The mids are not overpowered by the highs or lows, helping to create a clear soundstage. The highs don't sound harsh like nails on chalkboard. I don't feel like I need to add a subwoofer, but I like that I have the option in case I change my mind (DROP subwoofer when?).
- Speaking of sound, these speakers can fill a room easily. I have them set to just 22/100 and they are very loud in a 12ft/10ft room.
- The size - Horizontal mounting makes it easy to fit under my dual-monitor setup. This size is exactly what I have wanted for years.
What I don't love:
- The 3.5mm cable that was included is too short to route to the back of my computer case, so now I have to have it hanging off the front headphone jack (speaker out mode). I wish DROP would have included at least a 6ft or 10ft cable instead of the 3ft one. I'm not a fan of using Bluetooth, so I won't be using it ever.
- The horizontal mounting angle is not as upward facing as I expected from the pictures. The speakers seem to be firing straight ahead instead of towards the listener. I assume this a compromise made to accommodate the "speaker in any room" crowd.
- The hot amp on the right speaker is a bit concerning. I have used it for a short amount of time and it is hot to the touch. DROP replies indicate that this is normal.
- I don't like always-on lights for my speakers. I wish I could turn off the LED or have V2 redesigned to have it on the back of the speaker instead. However, the light isn't obtrusively bright, so it's honestly a very minor complaint overall.
(Edited)
Vertical_Horizon
2
Jul 3, 2023
I'm running bluetooth because hooking up the wired mode is unreliable. I'm running a 2022 MacBook Pro and ran wired with my prior monitors (several sets), so I don't know what the issue is.
Wunthyll
21
Jul 4, 2023
SJLRMine is continuously that hot. Even when not being used, and just powered on.
Cjo1
9
Jan 30, 2024
checkVerified Buyer
AVOID!!!!!
First of all there is NO power button! They can't be turnred off so every time you shut down or boot u your pc they give oit a loud pop! And unless you unplug them there is alwayse an anoying hisss coming out of them! After using them for awhile now they only intermitently work, the main speaker gets hot, the sound gets buzzy, then goes away all toghether! That to me means the internal amp if failing!!! Realy realy not happy with these speakers!!! Sound quality when they work is mediocre at best!!!
Recommends this product? No
Absolutely_Nobody
8
Aug 27, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
A Rough Product That Has Potential But Isn't Worth It Right Now
TL;DR: They are better than regular PC Speakers, but not worth your money... yet (but also maybe never worth your money if they can't fix em!)
---
Power Delivery Seems Obnoxiously Misguided Having a power brick was a good idea. Having No Power Button, a Barrel Plug that sparks when you plug it in, and an Internal Power Delivery System that gets hot enough to make one end of the speaker feel like it's going to burn you - are all very terrible and obvious oversights. I'm honestly not sure how these things were ever greenlit as being production ready. We do not need PC speakers that are at full volume 100 percent and always on, which is why for the last million years PC speakers, that aren't connected directly to your motherboard, have been manufactured with a volume knob and on / off switch. But even if you don't add a power button or volume knob, if you can't fix the power connector sparking and the extraordinary heat, it's never going to be worth it to buy these.
Searching the website I was not able to find any documentation on this product. I'm not sure if I'm overlooking a link, but I've scanned the page a lot only to come up empty handed. I've even searched through Help Center with no luck. Google eventually pointed me to a docs.drop.com domain, which I assume are official instructions, but even then the only thing that I could find was a slightly incorrect Quick Start Guide (v1.3 !) pdf. The mounting instructions show the right speaker on the left side, and the left speaker on the right side. I'm not sure why there are no links to any manuals on this product page, but it only adds to the amateur-hour feel of the product.
---
Power Delivery Seems Obnoxiously Misguided Having a power brick was a good idea. Having No Power Button, a Barrel Plug that sparks when you plug it in, and an Internal Power Delivery System that gets hot enough to make one end of the speaker feel like it's going to burn you - are all very terrible and obvious oversights. I'm honestly not sure how these things were ever greenlit as being production ready. We do not need PC speakers that are at full volume 100 percent and always on, which is why for the last million years PC speakers, that aren't connected directly to your motherboard, have been manufactured with a volume knob and on / off switch. But even if you don't add a power button or volume knob, if you can't fix the power connector sparking and the extraordinary heat, it's never going to be worth it to buy these.
Searching the website I was not able to find any documentation on this product. I'm not sure if I'm overlooking a link, but I've scanned the page a lot only to come up empty handed. I've even searched through Help Center with no luck. Google eventually pointed me to a docs.drop.com domain, which I assume are official instructions, but even then the only thing that I could find was a slightly incorrect Quick Start Guide (v1.3 !) pdf. The mounting instructions show the right speaker on the left side, and the left speaker on the right side. I'm not sure why there are no links to any manuals on this product page, but it only adds to the amateur-hour feel of the product.
(Edited)
mishaps
9
Jul 7, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Too many shortcomings
I wanted to like these so badly, waiting months just to be supremely disappointed.
- Positives
- The sound is fine, not great, but fine.
- Sub out is a blessing. I haven't actually used this since no cables to do so are included, but in theory this was one of the features I was most excited about, was planning on ordering the proper cable after receiving them.
- Negatives
- The main audio cable is uselessly short. The TRRS cable will not reach to my computer, I had to use a USB extension cable to my DAC just to have it connect with the cables strewn across my desk. I might be in the minority with my computer on the left side of my monitors, but would have appreciated knowing this was an unacceptable arrangement before I ordered them.
- The proprietary speaker interconnect is also uselessly short. There is no way to have it neatly dressed on my desk, the only possible way to use it is to have the interconnect haphazardly running across my desk under my monitor. Supremely dumb choice to include such a short cable with the proliferation of ultrawide and multi monitor setups. Even the provided product images show the interconnect cleanly going back off of the desk around an ultrawide monitor, which frankly just isn't possible. Half of the products Drop sells are designed for good looking desks... and then they include this stupid cable.
- Persistent dull hum/static sound while idle. Potentially this is related to the concessions I had to make due to the short provided cables, but investigating this is a non-starter based on all the other issues.
- The temperature of the right speaker is unacceptable, it is uncomfortable to touch and presumably hemorrhaging electricity. I am sure it passes any temp "checks" that were run on it, but why waste the power for no reason? I thought about checking it with a Kill-a-watt at first, but do not expect it to be worth my time in the long run.
- The stands are terribly cheap and non-adjustable. I am relatively tall and these speakers are pointed at my midsection. They honestly do sound better if a crouch, so maybe shorter folks will more easily see through the flaws.
Recommends this product? No
Fastnl
66
Product Development
Jul 7, 2023
mishapsWe are working a 3-5m cable and will have an solution to profer BMR customers shortly.
In regards to heat -
The DSP chipset and amp board are mechnically fittted in admitedly small enclosure. The AMP and power supply are much higher current than almost any other desktop class speaker in this category. Each componetn has gone through rigorous thermal testing. The Class D amp runs 75-85% efficient if the BMRs are not being driven.
Philbeey
40
Nov 24, 2023
FastnlSo did these cables ever drop or are we just left with a speaker that not only hisses at me constantly but also has a snake cable that only spans halfway across my desk.
Showing 31 of 384
Recent Activity
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop