Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

L/R Sensitivity:
92 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Center Sensitivity:
92 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Surround Sensitivity:
90 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the Mythos XTR-50 (vertical) L/R (purple trace), Mythos XTR-50 (horizontal) center channel (green trace), Gem surround (red trace), and SuperCube III sub (blue trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured with grilles at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.

The left XTR-50’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +1.49/ –2.90 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at 179 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 151 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.33 ohms at 565 Hz and a phase angle of –44.87 degrees at 254 Hz.

The center XTR-50’s listening-window response measures +1.84/ –2.83 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +0.75/–3.13 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 179 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 150 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.53 ohms at 754 Hz and a phase angle of –36.14 degrees at 254 Hz. Please note that when wall mounted, you should expect the response below a few hundred hertz to increase due to the effect of boundary gain, which is not represented in our quasi-anechoic measurements.

The Mythos Gem’s listening-window response measures +2.06/–2.25 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 183 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 143 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.60 ohms at 350 Hz and a phase angle of –47.96 degrees at 188 Hz.

The SuperCube III’s close-miked response, normalized to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB point is at 50 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 29 Hz. The upper –3-dB point is at 100 Hz using the LFE input.—MJP