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M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review)

In the summer of 1996, SGHT editor Lawrence Ullman made me an offer I couldn't refuse: "Wes," he asked, "how would you like to review M&K's new THX speaker package?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Great! M&K president Ken Kreisel wants to come to Santa Fe to set it all up and demonstrate his high-tech test array."

I knew what that meant—I was going to have to clean up the home theater. No sacrifice is too great for SGHT, so I vacuumed and spritzed and polished in preparation for the visit.

In 1973, M&K (Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation) more or less…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 2

S-150 and S-150AC THX speakers
Given the thought that has gone into something as basic as mounting hardware, you'd assume that the S-150 satellite speakers would be thoroughly considered—and you'd be right. The speakers are compact, measuring 12½" tall by 10½" wide by 12½" deep. They are not, however, conventionally boxlike—the face of the speaker angles 45 degrees, putting the three vertically mounted tweeters on the outside edge and farther into the room than the two midrange drivers.

There are foam pads between the two 5¼" midrange cones as well as between the three tweeters;…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 3

S-150 Tripole surround speakers
The SS-150 surround speakers are a novel design that Kreisel calls "Tripoles." "Think of it as a dipole surround speaker that also includes a very high-quality direct radiating speaker," he explains. The sidewalls of the speaker angle-in slightly to the forward-facing front panel and contain a dipole array of 1" soft-dome tweeter and 3½" woofer/midrange. The front panel has an additional 5¼ driver that has reduced output compared with the dipole drivers.

Actually, the SS-150s are flexible to a fault: they can operate as true dipoles, with no…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 4

Set 'em up...
With the obvious exception of the loudspeakers, the system I used to audition the S-150THX speakers was the same one I described in the Aerial Acoustics review elsewhere in this issue.

The morning Ken Kreisel came to set it up, he found my home-theater spic'n'span and me bleary-eyed. Not realizing just how complex the 150 series was, I'd put off unpacking it until late the night before—and had stayed up 'til the wee hours exploring the possibilities.

Kreisel arrived in a car packed with test gear and cool tools—my favorite was a level incorporating a laser—…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 5

I'll tell you one thing: If you value bass impact and extension, you'd be hard-pressed to find a rival for the M&K system. Kreisel had brought along some demonstration material and we settled down to savor it. Early on in Broken Arrow, a B-1 bomber, flying at extremely low levels, blasts past a Forest Ranger, and the shock wave and shock value knock her on her keister. It darn near knocked me off my sofa. Similarly, the torpedo-launches and near-misses—not to mention the direct hit—in Crimson Tide were almost physically hard to take when played back at THX reference level. I may have…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Sidebar 1: Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

S-150THX L/R speaker
Impedance: 4 ohms
Recommended power: 50-400W
Frequency response: 82Hz-20kHz, ±2dB
Dimensions: 12.5" x 10.5" x 12" (HxWxD)
Weight: 23 lbs.
Price: $1500/pair

S-150ACTHX center-channel speaker
Impedance: 4 ohms
Recommended power: 50-400W
Frequency response: 82Hz-20kHz, ±2dB
Dimensions: 12.5" x 10.5" x 12.25" (HxWxD)
Weight: 23 lbs.
Price: $750 ea.

SS-150THX Tripole surround speaker
Impedance: 4 ohms
Recommended power: 50-200W
Frequency range: 100Hz-20kHz (HF not rolled off)
…

M&K S-150 THX Surround Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Sidebar 2: Measurements

Sidebar 2: Measurements by John Atkinson

S-150THX and S-150ACTHX: Despite their somewhat different shapes, the side and center M&K speakers measured almost identically. My comments refer, therefore, to either speaker unless I specifically mention a difference between them. I estimated the M&K's B-weighted sensitivity at around 88.5dB/W/m (center) and 89.5dB/W/m (side). The 1dB difference is inconsequential. The impedance dipped almost to 3 ohms through the midrange and hovered around 6 ohms in the mid and high treble, meaning that a good, 4 ohm-rated amplifier or receiver should…

Kirksaeter Silverline 60 loudspeaker

One of the nicest surprises at any audio show is encountering a new—to me, at least—manufacturer whose products seem to stand out from the competition. At the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show, one such standout was the Kirksaeter line of loudspeakers from Germany. I spent quite a few minutes listening to and enjoying the performance of these modestly sized and priced speakers, but since my writing assignment was electronics, I tucked the experience away in the back of my mind and moved on.

When Kirksaeter importer Ray Kingcaid called a few months later, however, it was a different story.…

Kirksaeter Silverline 60 loudspeaker Page 2

The wall behind the listening chair is standard drywall and studs, with a single glass door set into one end, opposite the left speaker. There is wall only directly opposite the speakers, defining the limits of the alcove, after which it stops, the space flowing into the dining area. The left wall is nearly all glass, which was covered with cellular blinds during most of my listening. There's no right wall to speak of, but the curved staircase to the loft protrudes into the space about 6' to the right of and a foot or so above the right speaker.

In this space, the Silverline 60s were set…

Kirksaeter Silverline 60 loudspeaker Page 3

Playing rock music, the Silverline 60's lack of low bass was evident, but it usually wasn't a fatal flaw. Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms," from the album of the same name (LP, Warner Bros. 25264-1), was a good example. The opening thunderstorm wasn't as deep and ominous as it can be, but it still rumbled darkly enough to wake my dogs and set them to pacing and keening uncomfortably. And although the tonal balance of the tune, and even Mark Knopfler's vocals, were tipped up a bit, I didn't feel as if I was missing a critical element of the music.

For the most part, the Silverline sounded…