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List price (MSRP): $800.00 (pair)
Surround-55 MK II Tripole™ surround
 FOR MATCHING FRONT L /R SPEAKERS, SEE OUR LCR-55 MK III SPEAKER HERE |
Using the same tweeter as our reference THX speakers, with a full Phase-Focused crossover and the same 5 1/4" woofer as the LCR-750 THX, this compact speaker delivers the unmatched performance of M&K's extraordinary Tripole surround speaker design to a new price class that is remarkably affordable.
TRIPOLE SPEAKER DESIGN
Designed for the surround channels of 5.1 multichannel digital systems (Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD Audio), the Surround-55's ability to perform well in a variety of room conditions, along with its very high level of performance make it superb for playback of any and all surround material, including Pro-Logic and enhanced music mode sources.
The Tripole operates as if it is two speakers: first a near-ideal point source direct radiator (on its front baffle), with an M&K Phase-Focused crossover feeding its 5 1/4" woofer and 1" soft-dome tweeter. The second is a dipole speaker using two unique 3" paper cone mid-tweeters that are treated with a special damping compound. These drivers achieve a very smooth and transparent sound from 300 Hz through the critical midrange and above, due in part to the fact they operate without any midrange crossover (meaning optimum phase and sonic coherency).
As you walk around a room where Surround-55s are operating, you'll find the quality of the surround channels remains remarkably consistent, with good imaging and spatiality in virtually any room location. Here's why: when your ears move off of the direct axis of sound produced by the closest speaker baffle, they move into the direct sound field of one of the other baffles. When the directional and timbre characteristics of the speaker are virtually the same in various room locations, this means excellent coverage for listeners regardless of where they sit in the room.
FEATURING THE M&K HIGH-FREQUENCY PRISM DESIGN
M&K's innovative High-Frequency Prism system combines the Surround-55's stylish, high-tech heavy curved mesh metal grille with a tweeter mounted at a 4.7E angle and a Phase-Focused crossover to form the High-Frequency Prism.
This system vastly improves the speaker's off-axis response (as well as the on-axis response) by shaping a very 
smooth and extended flat high-frequency response over a very wide listening window. The window is directed for optimum imaging, requiring separate left and right speakers. Counter intuitively, this requires that the tweeter point 4.7 degrees away from the listening position (towards the room's back wall).
Why is all of this so important?
When listeners are located off of a speaker's direct axis, the sound they hear is prone to irregular response and lobing. Lobes are large off-axis dips and peaks in frequency response that cause significant performance problems, resulting in poor sound quality for listeners sitting off-axis (and reduced quality for those on-axis). With most speakers, unless you are sitting so the speaker is aimed directly at you, you hear a significantly degraded sound quality. But not with M&K.
THE ANSWER: M&K'S PHASE-FOCUSED CROSSOVER
M&K's exclusive Phase-Focused crossover works in conjunction with the High-Frequency Prism system to overcome these problems. The Phase-Focused crossover is computer-designed to give an extremely coherent response over a wide and controlled listening window (including in the vertical plane, which is critical when surround speakers are located above listeners heads). This very complex and unique crossover was critically tuned through both psychoacoustic analysis and complex computer time-domain analysis to achieve a uniform timbre balance throughout the listening room.
The Tripole's imaging coherency is optimized for placement ranging up to two feet above or two feet below the listener's ears (0° to +24°), with the front tweeter always closer to the listener than the front woofer. Therefore, if the speaker is placed above the listeners, the front tweeter should be at the bottom of the front baffle. If the speaker is below the listeners, the tweeter should be at the top.
M&K's exclusive design gives a very smooth response over a wide horizontal and vertical listening window. While other crossover designers consider just frequency response on one axis (the sweet spot), we consider the speaker's response in both the time and frequency domains, at a very wide range of angles in both the vertical and horizontal planes-thus optimizing the speaker's three-dimensional response. In virtually any location in the room, listeners will hear superior imaging and sound quality, with remarkable clarity both on and off axis.
STYLISH DESIGN WITH CURVED MESH METAL GRILL
The Surround-55 does more than just sound good. It shares the look of the LCR-750 THX Select system, as well as the LCR-55 and LCR-45. This new look has been enthusiastically received, thanks to its heavy curved mesh metal grille and attractive black or white cabinet. Its acoustically inert grille doesn't have the typical buzz and rattle found with other speakers' metal grilles (try "rapping" on other speakers' metal grilles with a finger or pen, and listen to how much noise they make!).
HIGH-PERFORMANCE DRIVERS
Using the same tweeter as M&K's top-of-the-line Satellite speakers, the Surround-55 achieves exceptional smoothness and clarity of high frequencies. Comparably priced speakers use drivers of significantly lower quality, and the difference is easily audible. And using the same tweeter as other M&K satellites means that the Surround-55 can be used in combination with any of the them to achieve an excellent timbre match and seamless 360 degree sound, especially with the LCR-750 THX and LCR-55, or CENTER-55, which share the exact same drivers as the direct radiator element of the Surround-55.
For easy installation, the cabinet has integral mounts for M&K's corner and wall mounting brackets and ST speaker stands, as well as a flush-mount hanger.
SPECIFICATIONS
Drivers: (1) 1" soft-dome
(1) 5.25" polypropylene (front baffle)
(2) 3" coated paper (dipole drivers)
Recommended Power: 10 watts min., 200 watts max (unclipped peaks)
Impedance: 4 ohms
Frequency Response: 87 Hz - 20 KHz ± 3 dB
Finish: Black or White, Black or White Grilles
Dimensions (H x W x D): 10 3/16" H x 6 7/8" W x 8 1/4" D
Weight: 12 lbs.
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