Полочная акустика — M&K S150T Tripole

The S150T is the Tripole side and rear speaker in the 150 Series of M&K Sound, a Danish-based company that traces its name back to Miller & Kreisel. It is certified to THX Ultra2, like the S150 MKII front speaker of the same series, with black satin and white satin as the finish choices. M&K was one of the first manufacturers to join the Lucasfilm Home THX programme in 1991, and the 150 family also includes on-wall, in-wall and powered monitor versions used in both studio and home installations.

Key specs that matter

On the front panel sit a 5.25-inch fibreglass bass/midrange driver and a 1.1-inch soft fabric dome tweeter, while each side of the cabinet carries a 3.5-inch paper pulp driver. M&K lists an impedance of 4 ohm, a sensitivity of 86 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, a frequency response of 80 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB, and a recommended amplifier power of 5 to 200 W. The cabinet tapers toward the front - it is 27 cm tall and 15 cm deep, 26.5 cm wide at the back and 16.5 cm wide at the front - and weighs 4.8 kg.

Engineering and use context

M&K presents the layout as an answer to two older approaches. A conventional monopole surround aims all its drivers at the listener, and because surround speakers usually sit much closer to the audience than the front channels, they are easy to locate by ear. A dipole has no drivers facing the audience and runs identical sets on two sides, one in phase and the other out of phase, so nothing radiates straight toward the seats. The Tripole is described as essentially two speakers in a single cabinet - the front pair sends sound directly into the listening area while the side drivers, wired out of phase with each other, send it indirectly. Because the S150T shares its tweeter with the S150 MKII, the aim is consistent voicing between the surrounds and the three front channels.

Pairing

The limited bass extension means the S150T is built to work with bass management and a subwoofer rather than as a full-range speaker. As a fairly demanding load, the S150T needs an AV receiver or multichannel power amplifier that is comfortable with low-impedance loads. Suitable partners within the brand are the MP150 MKII on-wall and IW150 in-wall models of the same series and an M&K subwoofer for the low end.

Alternatives

The M&K Sound S150 MKII is the forward-firing monitor of the 150 Series, with a 77 Hz lower limit and a 25 to 400 W power recommendation.