Review of the new MK602X

[sychan168]

Erin did a review of the new MK602X

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/dayton_mk602x/

Seems like a reasonable fixer-upper based on this quote: "Though, a few minor tweaks to the crossover network and I’d be much happier sonically with what I heard and I think Dayton would have knocked it out of the park in this price class."

[981CS]

It's an interesting design. 4 ohms, seems to not have the bass presence that I was expecting, tilted up in the treble (like the original MK402), looks like it has directivity issues from those graphs, etc. For a few bucks more it seems like some of this could have been fixed in the crossover.

And why design it to be 4 ohms? Is this aimed at the ~$100 mini class D amp crowd?

They are only $150 for a pair, so of course some compromises had to be made. It will be interesting to see how folks tweak it.

[fpitas]

Erin did a review of the new MK602X

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/dayton_mk602x/

Seems like a reasonable fixer-upper based on this quote: "Though, a few minor tweaks to the crossover network and I’d be much happier sonically with what I heard and I think Dayton would have knocked it out of the park in this price class."

Well, maybe Dayton could have done that. A really good crossover, especially for erm inexpensive drivers, can take some time and effort. DIYers have the time, and it's for free.

[Brian Steele]

Wow, that's a pretty big vent resonance at 1kHz....

If I was going to mod this speaker, I'd not only try tweaking that x-over, I'd be checking to see if I can get it to work with a PR instead...

[Whitneyville1]

Well, I don't know if the cabinet would work well with a PR Brian, even though I see your point. The 4 ohm impedance I think is an effort to raise the sensitivity, and I don't think it was a good trade-off. Maybe go for 6 ohms and 85 dB/watt like Pioneer did on their Andrew Jones SP-BR21-LR's some years ago. The hot treble my uneducated mind says is likely a product of the mid-woofer having a rising response not fully tamed. Many mid-priced medium sized mid-woofers from Tympany and others exhibit this, and $4-6 worth of parts usually cures it, but trying to make $150 a pair, every dollar counts I guess.
Do I think Dayton would have been better to aim for $194.99 a pair and improve things? Yes, but marketing studies told them "NO".

Joe Average is pretty silly about his money. He'll spend $5000 more for a car that gets 2-3 "more" MPG then blow it buying E-15 gas for a dime less a gallon that costs him 5-7 MPG and ruins his $160 set of iridium spark plugs in half the rated 75,000 miles and pollutes the air more. He'll "save" 10% on hamburger meat with 25% more FREE LARD in it to make the supermarket RICH and clog his arteries and buy turkey/chicken-furters the dog won't eat for his kids for 80% the price of Kosher beef franks! He'll drink "lite" beer with 28 less calories per 12 ounces than premium brands to "save getting fat" and eat 600 calories of potato chips with each can of "lite" swill. Makes sense to me!

[a4eaudio]

I'm pretty indifferent to the stock speakers. I look forward to seeing some DIY builds with the raw woofers

[AcidWash]

Great review, I was about to pull the trigger on a set but I think I'll wait and look around a little more. Thanks!

[PWR RYD]

I'm pretty indifferent to the stock speakers. I look forward to seeing some DIY builds with the raw woofers

I am just getting started on a project with the GF180-4. The woofers should be here tomorrow.

[Chris Roemer]

Compared to the (similarly priced) 6-1/2" "Classic", the 5k breakup can be made to roll off nicer, but it looks like they need a bit bigger box to go not quite as low.

The (cheaper) Peerless SBS-160F35 will go 3/4 octave lower in the same sized box, and has GOBS of Xmax ... - too bad they're a 500 piece min. order !

[Steve Lee]

Gosh!

The power supplies required to make those speakers dance will need a room of their own to hold themselves and the amps required, won't they?

:D

[PWR RYD]

Based on the online manual for the MK602X, the external dimensions seem to indicated that the net enclosure volume for the woofer is roughly 9 liters and the manual says it's tuned to 45 Hz. Using PE's published T/S specs for the GF180-4 that enclosure alignment doesn't model so good at all, just barely better than if the box was just sealed. And the port resonance is very problematic.

Most freeware enclosure programs suggest a net volume of 18 to 22 liters. I don't personally like that QB3 alignment that they suggest. Yeah, it yealds the lowest possible "F3" but that is not a true in room response. Some PETT experts will disagree

[PWR RYD]

Gosh!

The power supplies required to make those speakers dance will need a room of their own to hold themselves and the amps required, won't they?

:D

Not sure what you mean. With my intended enclosure design 20 watts produces over 101 dB at one meter per speaker without exceeding xmax. At a seated distance of about 12 feet this is quite reasonable.

[Whitneyville1]

Chris, the Peerless SBS-160F35 is a "budget" mid-woofer I'd sing the praises of if easily available! A BC25TG15 and it and a decent XO could eat the MK602 as it stands (in a larger enclosure) or up-scale the tweeter and end the game before it starts. Sadly, so many Peerless/Tympany products are so hard to get now in the US, it seems so many of the DIY "friendly" products like the SBS-160 especially.

PWR RYD, the GF180-4 doesn't "cook" in 9L does it? Even in 14L (.5 cu. ft.) it doesn't ported. My 'puter-thingey says .65 cu, ft. just starts to cut things, and that's a darn big box!

[marvin]

As I recall, the MK402 was produced in an early and later an improved version. Maybe PE will design an improved MK602 in the near future?

[jtheisen521]

Has anyone done any tweaking on these yet? Santa brought me a pair and I have to concur withErin’s assessment that they are just too bright. Was considering sending them back but thought maybe I could use this as a learning experience and try to improve them. I’m thinking maybe adding another coil and cap to the LP to steepen the slope a bit and possibly tweaking the padding resistors and it could sound pretty good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk