Swan M200MkIII active desktop loudspeaker system

Swan M200MkIII active desktop loudspeaker system

• 2.0 channel powered studio monitor with 200w of peak available system power
• Internally bi-amplified with four individual channels, one for each driver
• Revised, upgraded bass tuning
• Massive furniture-grade enclosures w/solid milled hardwood side panels
• 135mm polycone midwoofers
• 25mm soft dome tweeters
• Connects to virtually any portable or line-output music source
• Onboard volume, bass, and treble controls
• Removable black fabric grilles with stainless pins
• Includes 2 meter left-to-right connecting cable. Available 4M cable, here.
• Includes 1 meter dual RCA-to-RCA cable
• Includes 1 meter 3.5mm phone plug-to-RCA adapter cable

Top Swan sound in a premium, limited edition product

A decade ago Swan launched what's now become one of the most popular powered speaker series ever, the M200. This premium, affordable desktop monitor series first consisted of the original M200, then evolved into the more powerful and reliable M200MkII. From this platform Swan have provided a high performance, high value product series, each iteration of which delivered excellent value at each respective price point.

Today this amazing platform includes the award-winning M200MkIII, the third and most advanced M200 ever.

The most ever offered from the M200 platform

What's different in the third-generation M200? Upgraded, more powerful onboard electronics and amplification; real bi-amplification; extended bass tuning and performance; premium deluxe cabinetry. 

Award-winning quality and performance from its introduction

The Swan M200MkIII immediately won an International Consumer Electroncis Show Design and Engineering Showcase Honors Award for 2009 

Cleaner, louder sound

The M200MkIII Swan studio monitor has more than doubled power for the most sound and lowest distortion yet. Swan have completely revised the on-board electronics for a whopping 120 combined RMS system watts, which when driving a speaker as naturally sensitive as the amply-sized, 5.25"-woofered M200MkII, means real room-filling output - remember, the M200 series isn't the tiny multimedia speaker its competition is. The M200 series are large enough to be used as main speakers for nearly anything requiring great sound from a small-footprint loudspeaker.

 

The M200MkIII uses active filtering and bi-amplification to reach much higher performance levels than lesser designs

 

Sample response plot showing +/- 3dB amplitude to 18kHz, with a -6dB low frequency cutoff at Swan's specified 53Hz

More neutral and extended than some speakers costing ten times as much

For the M200MkIII, Swan also retuned the bass section with an optimized new low-noise porting system and in the process added even lower deep bass than any previous version M200. Swan's new specification calls out nearly 50Hz bass at "reference" levels, for a flat response spanning nearly eight octaves from a speaker measuring under a foot tall and costing well under five hundred dollars.

A new aerodynamically-tuned bass reflex vent tube extends the M200MkIII's bass output over previous models

Furniture-grade features and finishes

Lastly, to immistakably trademark all this new technology and enhanced performance Swan upgraded the new M200MkIII with genuine solid milled hardwood side panels, each precision cut by computer with gently radiused edge details and center striping between individual laminations. The result is breathtaking. The M200MkIII not only redefines the category acoustically, it does so cosmetically.

Polished solid laminated CNC-milled side panels. New acoustically-transparent black fabric grilles protect the precision drive units

 

Designed by Swan's founder Frank Hale, each high-performance M200MkIII set is badged and serial-numbered

Swan have thoroughly upgraded the M200MkII. The Swan M200MkIII keeps the classic M200 form factor and profile, but adds polished solid hardwood side panels, improved bass tuning, and much more power. The M200MkIII is actually much closer in performance to the top-of-the-line Swan T200B than it is the original M200.

Click through to the high-res photos. We look forward to fielding your calls, emails, and orders.

 Download the Swan M200MkIII User Guide

 

Swan Active Desktop speaker technology

From the entry-level M10 to the top T200b studio monitor, the Swan name has been associated with top audio performance for desktop or studio, while The Audio Insider is known for providing great sound with Internet-direct value. Every Swan Active Desktop loudspeaker system incorporates the highest grade components, design, and value in their category. Count on Swan for a number of important design features that all add up to a superior listening experience...for less!

Substantial size

Acoustical physics simply state that a larger speaker has better efficiency and bass response. Dollar for dollar, Swan Active Desktop speakers are substantial, solid designs - check dimensions and weights to see just how much speaker your money buys...and then compare to anything on the market. 

Tweeters

Regardless of price, all multi-way Swan Active Desktop speakers use high performance soft dome tweeters with Neodymium motors. The top T200b employs 28mm Danish-style tweeters with German-made silk domes, while the M200 series models and D1080 series models feature 25mm soft fabric tweeters. Even the economical M10 and D1010IV have 20mm soft dome tweeters. Every Swan speaker in the multi-way category shares similar high frequency treble performance to Swan's Diva home theater speaker offerings.

Midbass / Woofers

Excluding the Swan M10, D1010IV and all fullrange models such as the H2, nearly all Swan Active Desktop loudspeakers use beefy 5.25" woofers - unlike competitors, Swan doesn't use 3", 4", or even 4.5" "woofers" in anything except the very smallest models or in satellite speakers supported by bass systems. Combined with each multi-way model's larger size, you get deep, low-distortion bass, while the excellent sensitivity of a larger system means Swan can employ higher quality, conservatively rated internal amplifiers.

Amplification

Swan uses very high quality amplifiers and on-board electronics to deliver the clean, clear, musical sound Swan owners have come to depend on. Remarkably, Swan has included renowned audiophile-grade "gainclone" chipset amplification in its powered models, a technology known around the world for some of the most transparent, musically-authentic sound possible ... even in the high end of premium performance home audio amplifiers. Swan is constantly refining their electronics sets so many models are in their second, third, or even fourth generation. See individual product pages in this section for more information and photographs.

Cabinets

Most of the models in the Swan Active Desktop class use substantial enclosures weighing much more than anything in their price class. The M200 series are double-side wall construction, while the top T200b uses a mill-cut aluminum baffle overlay on top of polished black lacquer. The M200MkIII even includes solid milled laminate side planks for a look and value unique in its class.

Partnering with The Audio Insider

Exceptional buying power and a fifteen year relationship with Swan gives The Audio Insider an advantage we pass on to our customers every day of the week, 365 days a year. We're proud to provide studio monitor-grade Swan products, Internet-direct, to enhance your desktop listening experience.

FEATURES:

SPECIFICATIONS:

Magnetically shielded 135mm polycone midwoofers 25mm soft dome tweeters Bi-amplified with up to 200w of peak system power  Front panel volume, bass, treble controls 120v / 60Hz only Matte black PVC and solid hardwood side panels Removable sheer black fabric grilles with stainless steel pins Includes 1 meter dual RCA-to-RCA cable Includes 1 meter 3.5mm phone plug-to-RCA adapter cable Optional 4M connecting cable, here  Packed and shipped in pairs Manufacturer's 1-year warranty included Includes The Audio Insider's 30-day in-home satisfaction guarantee

Frequency Response: 53Hz-20kHz Voltage Sensitivity: 680mv Internal Power: 50w per driver; 100w per speaker, peak  Line Voltage and Frequency: 120v / 60Hz Dimensions: 178 x 232 x 350mm Dimensions: 7 x 9.2 x 13.8in Net Weight: 13.8kg / 30lbs pair

CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Would you like to review this product? Owners are invited to do just that. Place an order for this product and we'll send you an invitation to review in 15 days.

Total Reviews: 25

by Roberty W Saturday December 08, 2012

Purchased to be used as computer speakers. Connected to PC via an external optical DAC. Source material is mostly streamed from sites like Pandora and Internet Archive. I listen to a variety of music. These speakers are great sounding with enough bass without a sub woofer. Amplifiers produce plenty of power for reasonable listening levels. The imaging and sound stage is amazing. I am very pleased with this purchase. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Feras A Wednesday November 21, 2012

I received the shipment pretty fast and the speakers were packaged in a good way. the speakers themselves work great and were easy to setup and I was surprised of how big the speakers actually are. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Jonathan S Tuesday July 24, 2012

I remembered thinking all the 5 stars review were hilarious when I was researching desktop speakers. Of course all the reviews on the product page are 5 star! After shopping around I came back to these and finally pulled the trigger, and let it be known, these speakers are worth all the stars. From reviews (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/swans2/1.html) I was led to believe these would be strongest with acoustic instruments, and they certainly make my jazz records sing, but I also love these with electronic music as well. Listening to the new Shackleton was astounding, a whole new listening experience. I don't even have a sub and it didn't even matter. Real versatile set-up. I'll be sticking with these for a while. They sounded kind of soft to me right out of the box, but with extended use they've really opened up and don't sound like they're pulling any punches anymore. The wood panelling is cute. Kind of dorky, hehe. I like it though. Lastly: Know that these are definitely for a computer set up. Right in the sweet spot between the speakers, the sound is enveloping and full, but it is noticeably less so from other points in the room. This is by design of course, and I don't mean to imply that these can't fill a room, or aren't good for playing music for friends (they still sound great and nobody will be unhappy, regardless of sitting position), but to hear these at optimal levels you've gotta be right in between. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Gilbert G Monday July 23, 2012

I've had the MKIII 200's for a couple weeks now, still breaking in my ears to the new sound :O ! I upgraded from the Swan M10's to these, and while I really enjoyed the M10's these are in a different league. The bass is very clear and clean. Vocals are awesome. I'm very impressed with the MKIII's soundstage - at my setup it seems like sound is coming right out of my monitor. Speakers sound very good across volume lvls; from 'really-loud' to 'quiet' listening. Very very pleased with my purchase, re-listening to virtually all of my music :) Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Edward V Tuesday July 10, 2012

The headphone sound amazing. At first I started off with a standard book shelf speakers and subwoofer and thought that this might not be able to reproduce the same thumping bass that I liked with my previous setup, but the speakers blew me away with its clarity and ability to cover all frequency ranges. Not only did the item come beautifully packaged and well protected but customer service was absolutely amazing. I would receive emails on the same day that I sent it out, and the response showed how much they value their customers and wish to provide the best service possible. Thank you AudioInsider for the pleasant experience. I would not hesitate to do business with you again! Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Andrew M Tuesday March 27, 2012

Unbelievable sound and quality! Would recommend to anyone and would buy from Audio Insider again! Very happy with my order. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Marney Z Saturday February 04, 2012

These speakers have crisp, clear sound. In addition, they are beautiful, solid, high-quality speakers. I am extremely happy to have invested in them. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Young Jun K Saturday February 04, 2012

Excellent build quality and packaging. Sounds amazing even though I have not broken it in yet. Best computer speakers I have ever owned. Make sure you have enough desk space to place these, they are quite large. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Andy S Thursday January 26, 2012

I installed the MKIII to sides of my double 24" lcd monitors that i run for work. Every is in a large arc aimed at me. Artists like Sting, Jason Marz, U2 sound like they are singing from monitors, the speakers disappear and the immersion is pretty incredible. The calarity and purity of sound are incredible. i can't believe these speakers are under $400. I installed an ASUS Xonar STX prior to purchase, they seem well paired. These speakers will shine a spotlight on the poor sonic quality of low bitrate mp3's. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by William M Monday January 02, 2012

Very happy! The speakers are high end, solid construction. For the price you get a lot. The packaging they come in is almost asking too much, and pleasant delight. The sound is very detailed, crisp, and clear. Sound is much better near field, but about 15 feet away they don't have the impact, but this is what a good set of desktop speakers are supposed to sound like... good up close. Great upper and mid bass, but I am ordering a sub for the low end bass which should make my desktop music setup what I am going for. Very happy, using a Creative Titanium HD soundcard with them. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Norman L Thursday December 29, 2011

I could write a book on how happy I am with these speakers, but it's much easier to just say: The M200 MkIII's are absolutely the best value in powered audiophile speakers on the market. Period. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Keith H Thursday December 22, 2011

Great purchase. Swans definitely has the potential and performance up against audioengines, adams, etc... and better in my opinion. The quality and finish of the swans is top notch, very classy and professional looking. Right out of the box, the sound was amazing, clear and beautiful with a very LARGE soundstage. It sounded like a music hall. The bass was a bit muddy at the beginning. After the recommended 100 hours of pink noise burn in, OH MY GOD, highs were even better, bass was deep and tight. Last thing i want to recommend is if you're placing the speakers on a table, get the Auralex Mo Pads which are isolation stands. They not only isolate but also act as a stand that angles directly to my ear, and the sound difference was night and day. Overall, i'm very happy with this purchase, great communication, fast shipping, no issues at all. Looking forward to my next purchase at AudioInsider Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Erik A Saturday December 17, 2011

Four words: I am in love. These speakers are simply amazing. I'm using them as near field computer speakers plugged directly into my computer's 3.5mm stereo headphone out port (I did buy a cheap DAC from FiOS and tested the difference between it, using TOSLINK out, and the direct headphone out but couldn't discern a difference). My usual volume is at 1/3 max with the bass dial at around two o'clock and the treble at 12 o'clock. They are plenty loud at these settings and I have yet to even try to play them above 50% for fear of hearing loss at my listening distance (about 2-3 feet away). What can I say? Buy them and never go back. Slicing and dicing why I like them so much, I suppose 3 main things stick out: 1) The little details in songs I could never resolve well before are now crystal clear and make songs much more engaging. The best way I can describe this is that songs now have more depth. The start of MGMT's "Time to Pretend," anything by Daft Punk, lots of classic rock (The Who, Rolling Stones), "Mother Father" by Dave Matthews Band...they all sound immensely richer and more layered than before. 2) The location in 3D space of sounds in songs is simply amazing. This enhances 1) to really make songs come alive as though the musician is in the room. That said, it also means you can easily tell a well-mixed song from a shoddy one. In general, I've found a cappella songs to all sound quite good, especially songs from the TV show Glee, as well as acoustic versions of songs (try "Hang with Me (Acoustic)" by Robyn...wow). 3) They are extremely accurate. Not just in the sense that there is no distortion, but also in that they are truly reference monitors--a violin sounds exactly like a violin, even to the point where you can tell the difference in timbre between a given violin or another. I have never experienced this before and it is mind-blowing. For whatever reason, too, congo drums sound perfect..."Sympathy for the Devil" is awesome. In full disclosure, I have not gone around and tested all the other +/- $400 speakers out there to do a careful comparison. I cannot tell you from personal experience how these relate to others. But if you want to have a phenomenal listening experience that awakens old songs and leads you to new appreciation of new ones, do not hesitate to buy these. They are definitely worth every penny of their asking price. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Erik L Monday November 28, 2011

The Swan M200MkIII speakers are phenomenal. They outclass any other computer speakers I've had a chance to listen to. The packaging and delivery were exceptional too. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Ralph R Tuesday November 22, 2011

The service / shipping was quick and professional. The Swan M200MkIII speakers are an excellent upgrade for my desktop system. It's great being able to listen to a quality sound while working at my desk.. I would have no hesitations buying from Audio Insider again.. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Aaron B Monday November 14, 2011

Just got these (M200mk3) and I thought I'd pass a few quick notes. I am very happy so far but most of my listening has been on compressed mp3 (but fairly high bit rate) so take that into consideration. 1) delivery/packaging - flawless transaction 2) fit and finish - excellent. I wanted something for my study that looked like furniture rather than computer speakers and these are perfect. Very solid, heavy piece of equipment. 3) sound quality has been very good. As I said most of my listening has been on mp3 so it would be silly to complain about a lack of air/space at the top end but that's what I notice most compared to a reference system. Bass is tight and solid. I am done with dedicated subwoofer/satellite systems but I wanted "full range" and this does the trick. Good level of detail. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Devin B Sunday November 13, 2011

These speakers are fabulous. I've told all my friends about them. Although I play the music from compressed files on my computer, the fidelity is far better than any other speaker I've previously connected. Frankly, the fidelity is better than I expected, given the compressed source material. I find the speakers distractingly enjoyable! Thanks! Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Cody G Thursday July 21, 2011

M200MkIII are the cleanest sounding desktop speakers I've heard. While they are slightly larger in size, the quality and clarity is top notch. The bass is not as strong as some of the competitors but the mid range and highs make up for it. They are a joy to listen to. I have missed many delicate sounds due to poor quality speakers with exaggerated bass; no more. The detail that the speakers allow give more depth to each pieice of music. The speakers are heavy but very well put together. I look forward to trying other Swan products and highly recommend these to any music enthusiast. Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]

by Randy H Tuesday July 19, 2011

Amazing clarity and sound. You have to hear theam to believe it. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Henri V Sunday July 17, 2011

Great involving sound! Neutral and holographic from the nearfield position. Plug in a high-end music source and prepare to be amazed! Very nice build quality - solid an very neat packaging. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Peter L Monday June 06, 2011

These speakers are amazing, I spend a week listening to some high quality audiophile material :Antiphone Blues, Tour de Force , Classical, Jazz etc, these speakers reproduce beautiful, lots of detail, nice base extension, great sound stage. I now wonder why, over the years I bought tube amps, pre-amps, large speakers, these swans do the job equally well. The customer service at The Audio Insider is excellent, fast shipping , even at the cheap rate. This was a good experience, thank you Kind regards Peter Leyenaar Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by William S Thursday March 17, 2011

I ordered the Swan M200MkIII as an upgrade to my M-Audio AV-40 powered speakers. They're noticeably bigger, but sit fine on the same place on my desk around my computer, where I work 40+ hours a week. Shortly after obtaining the M-Audio speakers, I got a NuForce uDAC, an external digital-to-analog converter that takes USB from a computer and turns it into a line-level signal on RCA jacks. That was enough to hear the difference between compressed and uncompressed music, so I reripped all my CDs in lossless format, and stopped buying compressed tunes, switching to Amazon CDs and HDTracks.com lossless downloads. I was very happy with the result, for a year, when I decided to upgrade. The Swans arrived a week ago. In a word, WOW!! Much clearer and more defined highs. Drum beats that sound like a drum in the room. Slightly better imaging (the AV-40s image pretty well). And, of course, three times the power, so they get LOUD. I am especially appreciating my acoustic guitar music, and my jazz recordings, but everything is greatly improved. And I expect it to get even better once the speakers are broken in. I'm a lover of Apple Computer products, which are packaged to please (though I'm writing this on an Asus laptop running Debian Linux). I often take unpacking pr0n photos when I get a new product. I enjoyed the white gloves and white drawstring bags for the Swans. Nice touch. My unpacking pr0n is at billstclair.com/swan . One warning. The cable that connects the two speakers is keyed for proper orientation, but it's possible to plug it in a quarter-turn from where it belongs. It won't push in as easily that way, but it WILL push in. That causes you to get no bass on the left speaker. Pay attention. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Chris W Wednesday March 16, 2011

Wow! I am completely amazed at how good these sound. The bass is the biggest surprise, with a bookshelf speaker I was planning on having to add a subwoofer, but after hearing these I've decided I won't need it. Overall sounds is very detailed, not harsh, easy on the ears. I can (and do) listen to these almost all day (they are in my office). I've played them loud, I've played them quiet, I've played all different types of music and really haven't found anything they didn't do very well. These are an exceptional value and I highly recommend these to anyone that is looking for bookshelf speakers and don't want to add the expense of an amp. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Victor A Tuesday March 08, 2011

I bought this a few weeks ago for my laptop, which doesn't exactly have great speakers. My music sounds so much better now, and I can easily tell these are very, very high quality speakers (when compared to the speakers I've previously owned and my friends' speakers). It's very easy to set everything up, and the materials even come in nice packaging (there are two bags for you speakers, and you even get white gloves to set everything up with). I don't regret purchasing these speakers at all. Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Jason Parker Tuesday November 03, 2009

[originally posted on AVS forums 9/17/2009] I just got my Swan M200MkIII. In short? They KICK ASS! Plug them in, connect them together, and with the supplied cable hook up your iPhone/iPod, and YOWSA! These suckers are clean, and LOUD! They are so loud that the limitations of the recordings via the iPhone can cause quick ear fatigue, so be careful out there. I moved them into the living room next to my MacPro where all my music has been ripped Apple Lossless. I can quickly move the mini-plug back and forth between the M200MkIIIs and an Arcam 300 feeding my tremendous Swan 6.2s. And? Yeah. Swan and Jon know what they are doing. I have two favorite songs I jump right to when auditioning. Song one, is the Talking Head's "Slippery People". Song two is Brubeck's "Blue Rondo A La Turk". First up the M200MkIIIs. I've listened to my Arcam/Swan6.2 combo for a long time now. Press play (from my iPhone remote application -- that is SO COOL!) and... I was at home immediately. If I had been led into the room blindfolded, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference at first blush. To me that's impressive! What great songs! So I switched to the Arcam combo. Now, to be fair, the Arcam/6.2 combo wins. It wins at every point. But, it IS a contest, a good one at that. Anyone thinking between the 6.2 and 6.1, even though I haven't heard the 6.1, I would just say trust Jon and Swan. The 6.2 is an amazing speaker. Especially when paired with a top quality amp like an Arcam. That's my $0.02. Comparing the M200MkIII, the Arcam/6.2 wins in every category, crystal clear, nuanced highs, smooth deep and satisfying bass, and a "you are there" immersive soundstage. But the thing is -- the M200MkIIIs are only a half step, maybe only a big toe, behind in every case. Given that they are in a much smaller enclosure, with its own amp (that is not a $1500 Arcam) they are outstanding. The M200MkIIIs are clean and even with no coloration, just like the 6.2. They simply trounce a pair of Energy C-100s I have upstairs (which I consider a pretty good speaker for the money BTW). Now one big reason I could tell the difference between the M200MkIII and the 6.2s was the soundstage. But I can't attribute that entirely to the smaller speakers. See my 6.2s are set quite wide, about 14 feet. Which brings me to my only knock on the M200MkIII package, the speaker connect cable. The cable itself is a high quality 4-pin cable. But it is only 6.5 feet in length. I couldn't move the M200MkIIIs 14 feet wide for an even comparison, and I wasn't going to haul the big 6.2s closer together in my room. Further, at 6.5 feet, even in a small office, you might find it hard to place the speakers with the cable out of the way. I'm already looking for a longer cable (Jon, any suggestions?). I mentioned fatigue earlier. I want to reassure you. First, I was using an iPod. Second, I was trying to see how loud they can go… which is VERY LOUD! When played at reasonable volumes in rooms like a good sized living room, or an office, the M200MkIII play astoundingly nice. For an active set of speakers you can just hook up the iPod or computer to, I can't recommend them enough. If I was going to college, this and an iPod/laptop is what I'd want to bring to blow everyone else on the floor away. Look no further. :cool: I can't wait for this years work X-mas party. I'm going to cause some major raucous! ;) Cheers! -jason Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]