In this review, we will be comparing Sonos Five and Mackie CR4-XBT, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Sonos and Mackie. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonos Five and Mackie CR4-XBT first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonos Five and Mackie CR4-XBT compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
Drivers
Both Sonos Five and Mackie CR4-XBT are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Sonos Five |
Mackie CR4-XBT |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3 x 0.8-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 2.75-inch
|
1 x 4-inch
|
Sonos Five features a 3 x 0.8" Dome Tweeter and 3 x 2.75" Cone Woofer . On the other hand, the Mackie CR4-XBT features a 0.75" Silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Sonos Five has a frequency range of whereas Mackie CR4-XBT has a frequency range of 65-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of Hz, the Sonos Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Mackie CR4-XBT's min frequency of 65Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Sonos Five has a front firing port whereas Mackie CR4-XBT has a rear firing ports. Sonos Five's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Mackie CR4-XBT with its rear-firing port.
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sonos Five's and Mackie CR4-XBT's external dimensions. Sonos Five has external dimensions of 201.6 x 363.5 x 174.6mm ( 7.9375 x 14.3125 x 6.875inch) whereas Mackie CR4-XBT has external dimensions of 222.3 x 155.6 x 215.9mm ( 8.75 x 6.125 x 8.5inch) .
Sonos Five is 20.7mm shorter and 41.3mm less deeper than Mackie CR4-XBT but it is also 207.9mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Sonos Five is approximately 634.7cm2 / 98.4inch2 and base area of the Mackie CR4-XBT is approximately 335.9cm2 / 52.1inch2. The Sonos Five requires 89% more surface area than the Mackie CR4-XBT which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Number of Woofers 
Port Position 
App-Based Control 
Height 
Ethernet Connection 
3.5mm Connection 
Subwoofer Output 
High Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
RCA Connection