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Review Audio Video Nov 2002

FOCUS/AV SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Compact -- but not short of slam

M&K K17

PEAKS

VERDICT Slim, attractive satellites and unobtrusive subwoofer are easily and unobtrusively integrated into any interior, yet deliver surround sound with verve and gusto.

If they’re good enough for George Lucas (of Star Wars fame), the AV loudspeaker products manufactured by US company Miller and Kreisel -- M&K for short -- are probably good enough for even discerning home theatre enthusiasts.

The K-Series is a recent addition to the M&K family and is aimed at bringing the brand into a more affordable frame, without compromising performance or quality. That the satellites in this line-up are also extremely compact makes it that much easier to incorporate them into even the most fastidiously decorated interior.

The K17 system under scrutiny here consists of three identical K17 satellites for the front left, centre and front right channels, accompanied by more compact K15 rear surround satellites. To ensure that the bass has the necessary weight and presence, a V-76 subwoofer is also part of the deal.

The K17 is the flagship of the K-Series range, yet measures only 476 x 124 x 152 mm. A metal grille and a titanium finish only add to their appeal, while full magnetic shielding ensures that they can be located in close proximity to a CRT or plasma screen.

The driver complement of the K17 consists of two identical 100 mm mid/bass drivers with treated paper cones, accompanied by a high-tech Vifa 25 mm soft-dome tweeter sourced from M&K’s professional loudspeaker range

Nominal impedance is 4 ohms, while the K17 will manage a 150 watt unclipped peak. M&K claims a frequency response of 80 Hz to 20 kHz, at ±2 dB.

Serving as rear surround speakers are a pair of K15 satellites, which are effectively smaller versions of the K17. They link a single 100 mm paper cone mid/bass driver to a 25 mm soft-dome tweeter, and have a nominal 8 ohm impedance. Frequency response is 100 Hz to 20 kHz at ±3 dB, while it also copes with 150 watt peaks.

Providing the low-frequency muscle to the K17 package is an M&K V-76 active subwoofer. Keeping the compact theme, this subwoofer measures only 470 x 390 x 514 mm, ensuring that it’s easily concealed. However, its 75 watt on-board power amp has more than enough urge to exercise the MK125 300 mm long-throw sub-bass driver.

The V-76 copes with both high-level and line-level inputs, and offers a two-position phase switch, together with level and upper roll-off adjustment. The latter allows the sub’s low-pass filter to be set anywhere between 50 Hz and 120 Hz.

If the M&K K17 system therefore appears to have an impressive on-paper pedigree, then the actual performance of the combination exceeds even the keenest expectations.

The prevailing impression is of a sound much bigger and meatier than the compact enclosures of those satellites would suggest. Even a fairly large room (6 x 7 m or so) was easily filled with sound at modest amplifier volume settings, implying good efficiency levels.

Perhaps more importantly, there was nothing thin or reedy about the sound -- an accusation often levelled at satellites with compact enclosures and small drive units. However, the M&Ks had little trouble in delivering a rich and textured midrange, together with a strong and convincing mid/bass.

Also of note was the absolute transparency of the satellites, with the K17s, in particular, displaying an ability to disappear completely as source points in a soundstage painted with bold and colourful strokes. The much-vaunted Vifa tweeter was able to bring fine detail to the fore with authority, yet never at the expense of smooth refinement.

Vital back-up in overall terms came from the V-76 subwoofer, which adds a solid lower bass platform with loads of slam and control to the equation. In doing so, it also frees up the satellites to strut their sonic stuff in the mid/bass tonal region and above.

The secret to the success of the system is the flawless integration of the subwoofer in the total sound picture. So seamless is the transition from subwoofer to satellite that it’s hard to believe that the box in the corner is delivering the muscle and the oomph this system is capable of.

It comes as no surprise that the M&K K17 system shines in a home theatre role, where the combination of accurate detail, focused imaging and exuberant staging allows this set-up to deliver cinema-class sound. That the subwoofer gets close to rattling doors and shaking walls only adds to the sense of realism.

But that the M&Ks can also handle stereo music with engaging aplomb is the real revelation here. Indeed, those with insufficient space for large floorstanders and big amplifiers should seriously consider a K17/V-76 combination. Precise imaging, exceptional dimensionality and loads of energy ensure that the sense of ‘being there’ is always retained.

For the money then, the M&K K17 system does the home theatre job, and shines in a music role too. Add clean and attractive aesthetics, and you have a speaker solution that should meet most requirements.