MK S550THX

Using the same tweeter as M&K's top-of-the-line Satellite speakers, the Surround-550THX achieves exceptional smoothness and clarity of high frequencies. Other manufacturers' surround channel speakers typically use drivers of lower quality than those found in their main speakers, resulting in significantly lower sound quality. Because we use the same drivers in the Surround-550THX, LCR-750THX, and Center-750THX, the complete 750THX system achieves an excellent timbre match and seamless 360 degree sound

M&K's exclusive Phase-Focused TM crossover further improves the speaker's performance by also optimizing more than just the speaker's on-axis response to give 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 and improving its on-axis sound. This uniquely sophisticated crossover is critically tuned through both psychoacoustic listening analysis and complex computer analysis. And here's the benefit: regardless of where the speaker is located in the room, or whether it is oriented horizontally or vertically, listeners will hear superior imaging and sound quality, with remarkable clarity both on and off axis

The Surround-550THX shares the family look of the both the LCR-55, and the 750 THX Select system, with a heavy curved mesh metal grille and attractive black or white cabinet. Like the LCR-55, 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!)

FEATURING THE M&K HIGH-FREQUENCY PRISMTM DESIGN - 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 4.7º 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 that 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.