Mackie CR3.5BT: Wired Studio Reference Meets Wireless Freedom

The Mackie CR3.5BT is a pair of 3.5-inch powered studio monitors that add Bluetooth streaming to the CR-series' do-it-all formula, so you can mix off a wired interface one minute and stream a playlist from your phone the next — no cables to swap. Fifty watts of bi-amplified Class A/B power drive a 3.5-inch woven woofer and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter, a front-panel tone knob shapes the sound from flat reference to boosted fun, and TRS, RCA, and 3.5 mm inputs join the wireless connection on the back. For the desk that is a studio, a battlestation, and a hangout, it is the compact pair that connects to anything, with or without a cable.

Bluetooth Streaming That Lives Alongside Your Wired Gear

The defining feature of the CR3.5BT is its built-in Bluetooth receiver, which pairs directly with a phone, tablet, or laptop and streams full-range stereo without an interface or dongle in the chain. Because the wireless input works alongside the wired ones rather than replacing them, you can leave an audio interface patched into the TRS jacks for serious work and still cue up music from across the room — ideal when the same speakers handle a mix session and a house party. You stay free to move around the room instead of being tethered to the speaker to change tracks.

The Tone Control That Does the Whole Job

Behind the wireless convenience is the same tone knob that defines the CR series. Fully counter-clockwise it delivers a flat, transparent response for tracking, mixing, and editing; rotate it clockwise and the EQ curve bends into a bass-and-treble-boosted "smiley face" for gaming, movies, and casual listening, with a balanced blend at center. Whether the source is a wired DAW or a Bluetooth stream, the same knob tunes the speaker to the moment.

50 Watts, Real Drivers, Honest Sound

The CR3.5BT delivers 50 watts RMS of bi-amplified Class A/B power. Its 3.5-inch woven woofer reaches a -10 dB point of 60 Hz, its 1-inch silk-dome tweeter with protective grille extends to 20 kHz, and a 3.0 kHz crossover hands off between them for a coherent image. Peaks hit 100 dB SPL from a solid MDF cabinet with a custom-tuned rear port, so streamed music and mixed sessions alike get real low-end and clean detail rather than the thin sound of typical desktop speakers.

Every Wired Input, Plus a Place to Put It

Beyond Bluetooth, balanced/unbalanced 1/4-inch TRS, unbalanced RCA, and a 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) stereo input stay active at once and sum together, so an interface, a turntable, and a game console can all stay connected. A front-panel headphone output mutes the speakers for private listening, a rear location switch optimizes the voicing for desktop or bookshelf placement, and a powered-speaker position select switch sets the active monitor and its controls on your preferred side.

Who the CR3.5BT Is For

Creators and gamers who want wireless convenience without giving up a real wired studio connection, apartment listeners who stream from a phone but still track and mix, and anyone furnishing a do-everything desk choose the CR3.5BT for the freedom to go cable-free on a whim. Keep an interface wired for work, stream music for play, and let the tone knob and Bluetooth cover everything in between.