Oh, looky -- Parts Express has come out with a bigger variant of their MK402X 2-way passive!

[mhardy6647]

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Dayton Audio MK602X 6" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker PairDayton Audio MK602X Bookshelf SpeakersThe MK Series of home speakers from Dayton Audio are the best way to add rich sound with elegance and sophistication. Built to last, the MK series makes it easy to listen to for hours and hours with it non...

www.parts-express.com

Quite a bit pricier than the original, smaller morph.

I know that "we" (@amirm , that is) reviewed the MK402X (he seemed to like it, too), but I wonder if this new larger/pricer version might be worthy of scruitiny. It's reputed to be a bit more sensitive @ 87 dB/watt@ 1 m vs. 84 dB/watt @ 1 m spec'd for the smaller one).

Specifications​

Design: 2-way vented bookshelf
Woofer: 6" high excursion driver with a glass fiber cone
Tweeter: 1" soft dome
Finish: Black vinyl
Power handling: 60 watts RMS/120 watts max
Impedance: 4 ohms
Frequency response: 45 to 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 87 dB 1W/1m
Crossover: 2-Way 3.3kHz crossover with 2nd order slopes
Terminals: 5-way gold plated binding posts
Port tuning: 45 Hz
Dimensions: 12-3/4" H x 7-7/8" W x 8-3/4" D (depth includes removable grill)

I keep hopin' to find an inexpensive "world beater"/diamond in the rough, you know?

Dayton MK402X Review (Bookshelf Speaker)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the ultra-budget Dayton MK402X bookshelf speaker. It was kindly sent to me by a member and costs US $70 a pair plus $8 shipping on Amazon. Note that this is the revised version of MK402 (hence the letter "X" after its model number). From the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[mtg90]

Erin reviewed this one:

Dayton MK602X Review

Dayton MK602X Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

 

[mhardy6647]

Erin reviewed this one:

Dayton MK602X Review

Dayton MK602X Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

...These are not deal breakers, per se, but I do prefer to not have a midbass bump in my speakers so it wasn’t something I would prefer. Other than this, it’s really not terrible....

Not a ringing endorsement

 

[hardisj]

Not a ringing endorsement

Funny enough, I was pretty hard on them initially and then everyone on the DIY side starting saying "oh, well you can fix this pretty easily" and... yea, you can make some tweaks to it so it's not unsalvageable. But if you're not a DIY'r then it's a different ballgame.

Video has more hot takes. @0:58 "I just don't care for this speaker". The rest is me just venting my aggravation with Dayton's marketing and countering their claims with the data.

 

[mhardy6647]

Gonna have to start payin' regular attention to your site

 

[Rick Sykora]

This is a pretty marginal design (though may have been driven by marketing requirements).

It has an ugly port resonance around 1 kHz likely caused by the port being too long. The longer port was forced by the smaller cabinet volume that is about half of Bassbox's recommendation. If you stuffed the port, you would get a f3 around 100 Hz. Would help the directivity and then should be able to eq it to use with a subwoofer. Only would do as a salvage effort if you already bought. EDIT: Otoh, the port is on the back and not clear how much the resonance is affecting the frequency response. Worth mentioning that they are $149/pair....

Otherwise, it is a DIY project to fix. Not sure it is worth the effort however (until someone tries). Hopefully, Dayton sees the review and fixes it up. It would not take much for them to do.

 

[ROOSKIE]

This is a pretty marginal design (though may have been driven by marketing requirements).

It has an ugly port resonance around 1 kHz likely caused by the port being too long. The longer port was forced by the smaller cabinet volume that is about half of Bassbox's recommendation. If you stuffed the port, you would get a f3 around 100 Hz. Would help the directivity and then should be able to eq it to use with a subwoofer. Only would do as a salvage effort if you already bought. EDIT: Otoh, the port is on the back and not clear how much the resonance is affecting the frequency response. Worth mentioning that they are $149/pair....

Otherwise, it is a DIY project to fix. Not sure it is worth the effort however (until someone tries). Hopefully, Dayton sees the review and fixes it up. It would not take much for them to do.

I have not seen the inside.
The strong port pipe resonance is up at 1k as you stated. That does mean the wavelength is not huge and material placed in the box can have an effect on it, I wouldn't be surprised given the budget price that it is not well done in there or enough(or maybe none).
A little heavier fill and maybe something on the side walls likely can drag that down 10db or maybe much more.

There is a lot of compression in the measured SPL right around the port tuning. Right there most of the sound is being produced by the port and the driver is barely moving. It seems the port is over loaded and misbehaving. I think the driver itself would be fine with a better designed port. At 96-102db There is likely very much port noise, port compression and as power increases to 102db SPL outputs the air in the port simply can not move fast enough and the whole system tuning is affected. The port velocity needs to come down.
I am not sure what is going on between 100-200hrz. There, the driver itself is not facing very high excursions even at 102db and should be fine playing well over 102db (106-110db) and here the port is out of play. The box is deff not oversized vs the optimized sealed variant like some ported boxes and I just don't see why the 3+db is being lost in that narrow band. I wonder if there are severe air leaks or cabinet integrity issues. Very Strange. I don't think it is thermal issue on a sweep. Hmm, someone who knows more than me knows.

I looked at PE and they had an open box set. I picked it up for $78. Maybe something can be done.
Ridiculous as it may seem, I might actually take the back off, add some bracing, and a couple extra inches to the back/bottom and tune it slightly higher.
I like the modeled look of published specs in 0.5cuft box, tuned to 50-52hrz with a 2.75" diameter port.

Okay so we have this woofer https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-GF180-4-6-1-2-Glass-Fiber-Cone-Woofer-4-Ohm-295-417

And this tweeter. https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-TD25F-4-1-Soft-Dome-Tweeter-4-Ohm-275-022

Hmm... These actually look like nice drivers when given the price of the Speakers.

It would seem the tweeter could be crossed in at least a little lower, but it seems like the x-overs need an overhaul to get a better match with the woofer in the mid-band.

 

[ROOSKIE]

So I received the set.
Wow are these bad.
Truly, and I love P.E.

I think the drivers are likely decent but the tuning lends them to sounding rough and harsh.
The highs have a bit of that piercing quality that not many prefer.

The real problem I believe is the cabinet.
Total POS cabs on these.

They have obvious resonances on 90db@1meter equivalent sweeps.
Then they light up like someone installed a bass shaker in the box in the 90db@2meter equivalent sweeps.
I don't think I have never heard any enclosure ever buzz, rattle and make so much audible noise over such a wide spectrum.

Both speakers do it in the same way so not isolated to 1 bad unit.

It actually seems Erin received a cleaner sample as his HD testing doesn't blow up as much as mine.
Even with slightly different methods and mics they won't deviate this much.
I am seeing THD of 25% around 100hrz, likely cabinet junk. I don't think the driver is that stressed yet - but can't say for sure.
This leaves a really grumbly sounding midrange filled with byproducts of all the loose fillings.

You can tame the treble with EQ.
You can listen at lower volumes without the enclosure lighting up.

But even if high passing to subs, the enclosure is on fire at louder levels through a very wide range and it is audible.