Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

I wanted to pump up the volume without overloading the K-5s, so I juggled the adjustable high-pass crossover settings on the VSX-27TX. I settled on 100 Hz, and that did the trick. Still, there are limits to the slam factor for small speakers. The M&K system's presentation on the full-tilt battle sequences on the Thin Red Line DVD was borderline acceptable, but I was aware of some strain and compression during the loudest scenes. The K-5s' dynamics lacked the impact of large speakers like the SuperTwos. At saner levels, the differences between the two systems were smaller. The Take 2s weren't in the running at all; the K-5s creamed them in the home theater tests.

The K-5's incisive resolution left nothing to my imagination on the paranoid sci-fi flick Cube. This DVD's incredibly layered sound has oodles of depth and amazing sonic texture. As surround speakers, the K-5s got a workout when I played the Haunting DVD. The strings and percussion of Jerry Goldsmith's superbly recorded score were clean and pure; I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the sounds swooping around my listening room.

I was a little surprised by just how different the center K-5 sounded relative to the left and right K-5s. It just goes to show how silly this obsession with timbre-matched speakers really is. I had three identical K-5 speakers manning the L/C/R positions, but the center was sitting on a shelf under a TV, so it was noticeably fuller-sounding than the left and right speakers hanging out in free space. I definitely preferred the center's bigger sound. The K-5's affinity for dialogue was more than decent, and it was free of the closed-in/ cupped-hand coloration that so many compact center-channel speakers exhibit. Departing from the standard mid-tweet-mid configuration didn't hurt the center K-5's horizontal or vertical dispersion one bit. I could move from side to side, and the speaker's tonality remained consistent from any position on my couch.

The big question for little speakers like the K-5 is, can they deliver the sonic goods? The K-5 is a serious overachiever in its size/price class; but no, it's not going to win over anybody lusting after a set of massive towers. At $149 a pop, the K-5 is a good value: It delivers amply sophisticated sound in a trim package. Oh, and M&K's generous 10-year warranty definitely adds value to the K-5 in the long run. The K-5 is sold individually or in stereo pairs, or you can get five K-5s packaged with a K-9 subwoofer. If you're looking for something with a bit more oomph, check out the slightly larger, double-woofered $249 K-7, which offers greater bass extension, power handling, and dynamic range. I admit I haven't heard every microspeaker on the market, but I'm completely smitten with the K-5.

Highlights
• Incisive sound
• Impressive dynamic punch for an itsy-bitsy speaker

HT Labs Measures: M&K K-5 Satellite Speaker

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of the woofer) frequency response of the K-5 satellite speaker (purple trace). The loudspeaker was measured at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input. On-axis response of the K-5 measures +2.25/–3.69 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3dB point is at 247 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 126 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.02 ohms at 657 Hz and a phase angle of –58.16 degrees at 146 Hz. Sensitivity averages 85.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz.—AJ