CES 2023: New Drop compact speakers blanket your desk with sound for under $130

Online retailer Drop sells everything from off-the-shelf tech to bespoke fashion accessories, but it’s probably best known for products in two categories: mechanical keyboards and audio equipment. 

The company’s in-house brand is once again dipping into the latter arena, revealing its new Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors during CES 2023. 

This new offering is a pair of compact desktop speakers that use some novel technology to create “a natural soundstage and excellent imaging capabilities” and can be oriented horizontally or vertically to fit your desktop and monitor setup.

The BMR in the name comes from the single “balanced mode radiator” that does the heavy lifting of producing the sound for each speaker. This, combined with “force-canceling passive radiators,” allows the tiny speakers to produce extremely loud sound output without distortion, Drop said.   

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Drop also says the technology used here creates a wide dispersion field that allows users to experience great-quality sound without needing to worry about precise speaker placement or having to sit in a narrow sweet spot to maintain stereo imaging. 

Drop clearly intends the speakers to be on the neutral side of the sound spectrum, using descriptors like “organic and natural tonality” for the sound profile, and saying that they will never sound “overly harsh or bright.” 

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The built-in Class D amplifier within the BMR1s provides peak power of 30W, with a sensitivity of 83.5 dB. Sound input can be via either a 3.5mm aux jack, or wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.0. The speakers also have a 3.5mm output port for connecting headphones or a subwoofer, for setups needing more bass than they can provide.

Those who aren’t feeling the industrial design of the bare drivers seen above can pick up a set of magnetic grilles that are expected to be available at launch in multiple styles. You can sign up to be notified when the BMR1 Nearfield Monitors are available at Drop for $129. The retailer expects to begin shipping units to customers in late February or March. Keep your eyes peeled for a full review here at ZDNET in the coming weeks as well.