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Stereopluss (Norway) puts the S150/X12 system through its paces in the 6/16 edition:
POWERFUL EXPERIENCES! You haven’t really had a true home cinema experience, until you’ve heard a dedicated, properly designed loudspeaker system, custom designed for home cinema! By Jørn Finnerud
W
hen most people think of home cinema, it’s usually two floorstanding front loudspeakers plus a matching center and one or two pairs of rear/side speakers. Add to that a subwoofer and you have a system that will probably be okay. But that’s not how it’s done in the movie world. Here, they employ dedicated satellite loudspeakers and one or more subwoofers. A Permanent Screening Room Fixture Before its theatrical release or home cinema debut, a film starts in the screening room where the sound mixer does his job. His mission is to create a sound mix that lives up to the film’s intentions while at the same time giving the audience the best possible experience. One of the absolute favorites for such screening rooms is M&K Sound. All the major Hollywood studios use M&K Sound, so there must be something about these speakers that appeals to the film industry.
S150 MK II Our review system is built around the S150 Mk II. The original version debuted more than 15 years ago and went on to become a legend, a status rarely achieved. Naturally, the new S150 MK II is THX Ultra certified, the highest possible rating for home audio products. This is not a home-theater-in-a-box system that you stuff in your shopping cart at the local electronics warehouse.
You don’t have to listen to this system for very long in order to appreciate what M&K Sound are striving for. It’s all about dynamic headroom, ready when fast transients and sudden level shifts demand fast and resolute response. These qualities don’t just show up out of the blue. Fortunately, it’s obvious that the M&K team know what it takes to succeed. We start our evaluation with Terminator Genisys, a truly dynamic film that puts any loudspeaker system to the test. From the very beginning, when the nuclear bomb detonates, you realize that there’s something about this system that makes the hairs on your arms stand up out of sheer joy. The home cinema took a little break this summer, but what a way to come back to the world’s greatest hobby! One subwoofer would probably have been more than enough in our room, but what the hell. Not only does the bass go deep, it does so with exemplary force and level. The bass is physical and hits like a sledgehammer on demand. Timing is outstanding and the handling of transients is exceptional. We immediately noted that we can crank up the volume without fear of provoking any shortness of
STUDIOS USING M&K SOUND LOUDSPEAKERS
breath in the S150 MK II. The triple tweeter solution is ingenious for handling high levels. It handles more volume purely and simply without compression or any other stress-related issues. Any loudspeaker is most comfortable within its optimal operating
area, so three tweeters sharing the work makes it much easier to keep the drivers within their optimal operating range. On Terminator, these speakers maintain total control with dynamics and precision that we rarely, if ever, have heard before. S150 MK II is also utterly neutral in every aspect. It does not color the sound; it just delivers it with ultimate accuracy. The wealth of detail is striking and the tonal consistency between these loudspeakers is something that can only be achieved with identical loudspeakers. One begins to grasp why a satellite/subwoofer combination is a good idea. For the bass, it is also a good idea, because satellites are more flexible with regard to placement than large floorstanders. This allows subwoofer placement for optimal results. We placed a subwoofer on either side of the center loudspeaker for uniform sound with no audible inconsistencies in the transition between satellites and subwoofers. Unsurprisingly, there are no issues between the S150 MK II in front and the surround speakers. The sonic signature is identical, so transitions appear seamless. The result is a consistent and cohesive listening experience.
Musicality Of course, we also listened to some music. At this price point, one is obviously entitled to certain expectations regarding the handling of various genres. Fortunately, there is no cause for fear. Music also benefits from optimal subwoofer placement. When listening to music, there is nothing that screams out satellite/subwoofer system, there is total tonal consistency, with nothing sticking out. The stereo image is expansive and inviting, with no hint of the transition between S150 MK II and the subwoofers. It is also
good to find that the X12 subs have other qualities than just laying the foundation for films. They play music! It is their clean, undistorted presentation that makes a positive contribution to music. They keep a tight rein on the bass and dispense it with control. S150 MK II impresses more and more as we audition various music. The treble is open and floats before us with detail and finesse that never becomes tiresome or strained. There is headroom here that stands out with music. The midrange is simply as it should be, with good body on vocals. Conclusion It has been a wake-up call to experience this M&K Sound system. This is movies! With resolution, fine detail and the ability to deliver sound at realistic levels with no loss of control. Even at reference level, S150 MK II stays in full control of events and delivers a lesson in home cinema!
SUMMARY WE LIKE: • Fantastic cinema reproduction • Tackles realistic levels • Detailed and balanced • Fine build quality WE DON’T LIKE: • Demands good amplifiers STEREO+ CONCLUSION M&K Sound ensures a reference class film experience.
