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Sound · 5.1 THX Ultra 2 Speaker System
· 42 | Heimkino 1/2-2017
Best in Class
Those who want an uncompromising home cinema sound and have sufficient space as well as a wallet that’s big enough should consider a THX-certifi ed sound system. Such systems guarantee professional sound, exactly like the director wanted it to be during the production of the movie. M&K Sound offers the perfect set for these demands, the S300 series.
M&K Sound S300 Series: Professional Home Cinema Set with THX Ultra2 License
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Text: Michael Voigt / Photos: Stephan Schlüter
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Sound 5.1 THX Ultra 2 Speaker System ·
Until now the Miller & Kreisel brand had been not very well known in Europe, but this will probably change quickly with its new distributor. M&K Sound actually is one of the most renowned speaker manufacturers in the movie fi eld; blockbusters such as Star Wars, King Kong or Lord of the Rings have been mixed and mastered on M&K Sound systems. There’s almost no prestigious fi lm studio that didn’t use the legendary S150 as a sound reference for their productions during the last two decades. Our review samples from the S300 series are the current successors of the S150 and want to better them once more.
M&K Sound In the mid-70s, Ken Kreisel and Jonas Miller founded their own loudspeaker brand in California, immediately earning the respect from the industry. No less a fi gure than Walter Becker of Steely Dan assigned the founders to build a studio monitor system with which he could produce the album “Pretzel Logic”. Even the world’s fi rst active subwoofer came from M&K Sound in 1977. In 1995, a true legend was born when M&K Sound introduced the S150. The THX Ultra-certifi ed loudspeakers set new standards in terms of tonality, sound dispersion and dynamics. Today, M&K Sound is headquartered in Denmark, where all M&K Sounds products are being developed and assembled.
M&K S300 Series The new S300 series follows in the footsteps of the legendary S150 Series, continuing the proven construction principles but equipped with completely new drivers and improved in many details. Basically the S300 set consist of three almost identical front speakers, two tri-pole surround speakers named S300T and the massive X12 active subwoofer. The front and rear speakers sport a double-wall cabinet with two layers of MDF and a damping intermediate layer of bitumen, which have been stuck together under high pressure. This increases mechanic stability a lot and makes for an almost resonance-free cabinet. No wonder that the compact main speakers in studio monitor design (34 x 40 x 33 cm) weigh in at 18 kilograms per piece. Even the still smaller S300T rear speakers are among the heavier specimens of their type, putting 12 kilograms on the scale.
Armament As their predecessors, the current S300 speakers are housing a twin pack of two powerful bass/midrange woofers with 140 mm cones each. They are playing on a relatively small closed cabinet, optimized for impulse response and cut at 80 Hz, from where the X12 subwoofer takes over – exactly as required by the THX Ultra2 specifi cations. Another M&K Sound trademark are the three tweeters per front speaker. They allow for a signifi cantly higher power handling capacity and better dynamics than a single highfrequency driver, while giving the developers the possibility to realize a lower and more favorable separating frequency.
Furthermore, the three tweeters achieve a wider sound distribution on the horizontal plane, as the THX specifi cations demand. hence the sound is being reproduced on the entire width of the “Movie stage”, while sound refl ections from the fl oor or ceiling are minimized, prohibiting sound cancellation. The tweeters are mounted both beautifully and in an acoustically useful way: They have been placed on a dampened plastic front panel that also serves as a little horn rudiment. All drivers are mounted from the back through a bolted back wall, so there are no screws visible on the front panel, just the slightly rounded baffl e openings and the cones themselves. This is supposed to reduce sound rebounding at the edges. By the way, all cabinet parts are of the highest quality and covered with a velvety matt black lacquer – ideal for the home cinema.
Tripoles S300T M&K Sound calls its rear speakers „tripoles“ as they emit sound towards the listening position using a 140 mm cone and a tweeter as well as using two additional 40 mm wideband drivers that emit their sound to the front and back in a dipole confi guration. This is supposed to produce gripping yet diffuse surround sound.
Subwoofer X12 The subwoofer has to meet special requirement in a THX Ultra2-licensed setup. It has to play down to at least 35 Hz with a virtually unlimited dynamic range without distortion. At M&K Sound, the developers chose an impressive closed cabinet, a 400W power amp and two 12” woofers. One of the drivers has been mounted as a classic front-fi re woofer; the second resides on the inside of the cabinet and is confi gured to support its visible counterpart as a “backwards mounted” push-pull driver. Thanks to this patented design, potential distortion of the woofer cone and asymmetrical excursion are said to be eliminated. The results are a significantly cleaner, more precise bass rendering and a tremendous power rating.
Sound · 5.1 THX Ultra 2 Speaker System
• Equipment Styles matt black Front speaker: S300 Measurements (W x H x D) 340 x 395 x 330 mm Weight 18,2 kg Connection Single wiring Woofer 2 x 140 mm Tweeter 3 x 25 mm dome Cabinet type closed Center: S300 Measurements (W x H x D) 340 x 395 x 330 mm Weight 18,2 kg Connection Single-wiring Woofer 2 x 140 mm Tweeter 3 x 25-mm dome Cabinet type closed Rear: S300T (Tripole) Measurements (W x H x D) 225 x 345 x 180 mm Weight 12 kg Connection Single-wiring Woofer 1 x 140 mm Tweeter 1 x 25-mm dome Dipoles 2 x 100-mm wideband Cabinet type closed Subwoofer: X12 Measurements (W x H x D) 440 x 660 x 460 mm Weight 36 kg Power output 400 Watt RMS Woofer 2 x 260 mm
• Sound 70 % 1+ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Dynamics/Liveliness 15 % 0,8 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Deep bass 15 % 0,8 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Tonal balance 10 % 1,0 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Detail resolution 10 % 1,0 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Homogeneity 10 % 1,0 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Listening zone Center 10 % 1,0 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
• Lab 15 % 1+ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Frequency response 5 % 1,0 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Distortions 5 % 0,9 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Level stability 5 % 0,8 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
• Practice 15 % 1+ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Workmanship 5 % 0,9 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Equipment 5 % 0,8 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Manual 5 % 1,1 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
M&K Sound S300 THX Ultra 2 Set + extremely high level of workmanship + THX-Ultra2-license + enormous dynamic range
Outstanding 1+ Reference Class Verdict: 1/2-2017
Three times identical frequency responses from the front speakers: perfect dispersion characteristics even at an angle; that’s how proofessional home cinema sound is achieved. The X12 subwoofer reaches down to 35 Hz and sets new standards thanks tot he THX Ultra2 license.
Like virtually no other speakers, the M&K Sound S300 distinguish themselves through an almost berfect waterfall diagram. Even at low frequencies they produce virtually no post oscillation.
Technology: Frequency Responses of Center + Sub:
Breakdown spectrum front speakers:
0° 15° 30° Sub
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Lab and sound The three front speakers have the same very linear frequency response. Even at an angle of 30°, the measured response only varies in a window of +/- 3 dB – an excellent value that gets a virtually perfect performance especially out of the center speaker. The distortion we measured is far from any kind of criticism, also the impulse response of the S300 sets new standards. Even under 500 Hz, the S300 come to a halt immediately after the impulse. This should guarantee a precise, crisp sound. The subwoofer X12 is no less impressive. It delivers full sound pressure from 35 Hz and doesn’t run out of breath at high volumes either. In the home cinema, the M&K Sound set shows unambiguously that it’s a truly professional tool set. Thanks to the identical front speakers, it plays very homogenous and projects an unbelievably gripping and coherent soundstage. Correspondingly, the S300T rear speakers embrace the listener with a transparent yet room-fi lling backdrop of sound – it’s impossible to locate the speakers themselves, the atmosphere is realistic in 360°. Never before did we experience our test movie “The Book Thief” with such a gripping and palpable performance. The menacing scene in the protection cellar with the hail of bombs almost makes you feel as if you were sitting in the narrow cellar itself. The X12 subwoofer adds bloodcurdling, physically perceptible rumble of the aircraft bomb explosions while the voice of the main actress prevails crystal-clear against the rage.
Conclusion
M&K Sound mean business: Like virtually no other loudspeaker set, the S300 Series raises the bar for demanding THX Ultra2-licensed cinema sound. It delivers peak performances in all disciplines: tonality, freedom from distortion, dynamic range, resolution of detail and spatial depth. The X12 subwoofer is a true highlight of its class; with precise, gripping deep bass reproduction, it ensures a real hone cinema experience. Unfortunately it’s not cheap, but it certainly is an investment for a lifetime. The M&K Sound S300 Series is the best in the home cinema reference class!
