Tower Speaker Reviews

L/R Sensitivity: 88 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Center Sensitivity: 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Surround Sensitivity: 88 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the 500 Tower L/R (purple trace), TS 500 subwoofer (blue trace), 500 Centre center channel (green trace), and 500 Satellite surround (red 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 500 Tower's listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +3.60/–3.01 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at 183 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 129 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.39 ohms at 14.1 kHz and a phase angle of –58.66 degrees at 5.9 kHz.

The 500 Centre's listening-window response measures +2.14/–3.52 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +2.55/–3.80 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 174 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 117 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.32 ohms at 14.6 kHz and a phase angle of –60.33 degrees at 139 Hz.

The 500 Satellite's listening-window response measures +3.15/–2.44 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 156 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 112 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.34 ohms at 14.1 kHz and a phase angle of –58.24 degrees at 5.9 kHz.

The TS 500's close-miked response, normalized to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB point is at 60 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 53 Hz with the LF Extension control set to Music. The upper –3-dB point is at 112 Hz with the LFE Mode switch set to On.—MJP