M&K Announces THX-Certified X+ Series Subwoofers

M&K has announced a trio of THX-certified “push-pull” subwoofers to replace their venerable X-Series subwoofers. The new M&K X+ Series are available in 10″, 12″, and now a 15″ model. The subwoofers are suitable for 2000, 3000, and 6500 square foot rooms respectively. Like the X-Series lineup, the X+ Series commands a premium price tag. With the 10″ X10+ coming in at $4,499, $4,999 for the 12″ X12+, and $5,999 for the 15″ X15+. While not budget-friendly choices, M&K claims that these subwoofers will put you “in the action” with their subterranean bass response. Do they live up to the hype? Let’s take a closer look.

How They Work

The M&K X+ Series, just like the X Series, uses dual subwoofers, designed in a push-pull fashion. So, in this design, one driver is facing inward, into the cabinet, while the second driver is facing outwards. The driver position means that both are exposed to air, maximizing the volume of displacement. In theory, the configuration should limit distortion by canceling out non-linearities in the waveforms, making for a cleaner sound.

In most push-pull setups, one driver is a passive radiator, but not M&K. The plate amp powers both drivers to bring the boom!! Both the 10″ and 12″ carry the THX Ultra certification. The 15″ model, a first with this driver size for the company, is a THX Certified Dominus speaker. The Dominus Certification essentially bridges the gap between commercial and home theater. So this means homeowners can fill their space with theatre-quality (and volume) sound even if that space is huge.

The Design

Let’s get this out there: most subwoofer design is uninspired. Large black boxes, drivers, and grills to cover the ho-hum aesthetics. M&K varies a little from this design. Their subwoofers feature a fairly glossy black-on-black motif. Their unique aspect, and one that I like, is the bottom-mounted driver exposed and visible. The addition of flush-mounted carbon-fibre woofer cones covered by magnetically mounted grills is a nice touch and gives a clean look when you take the grills off.

The X+ Series are tall and deep rectangles to accommodate the bottom driver. This gives them the added benefit of having a smaller footprint (something many space-challenged owners will appreciate). Built with 25mm MDF and strong internal bracing, these will not be lightweight speakers by any means. No official dimensions are published yet. But, if they are similar in size to the old X-Series, expect the 15″ subwoofer to weigh more than 100lbs and be over two feet tall. I would expect that hideability was not the main focus here.

M&K’s new woofers have 30 percent larger voice coils, increased linear excursion, added rigidity and strength. Plus they are mated to more powerful amplifiers, which ensures that the M&K X+ Series subwoofers bring the boom!

The Specs

As one would expect from a THX-certified speaker, the M&K X+ Series subwoofers were designed with movies and explosions in mind! The X10+ is mated to a 500w/1000w peak, class D plate amp. The X12+ has a 600w/1200w peak amp. The X15+ gets a 700w/1400w class D plate amp, ensuring both drivers are getting the power they need. This allows the 10″ model to hit 20hz, the 12″ 18hz, and the 15″ dips down to 16hz according to M&K. This ensures you feel, as well as hear the bass in your room.

Our Take

M&K is a venerable name in home theater that commands a lot of respect. These new subwoofers promise all the performance you’d want for rooms that are particularly large. We are very interested to see what the final specs are for these suboofers. The THX certification on the new X+ Series subwoofers from M&K ensures that they will hit their performance promises. But those pricetags! We will have to wait and see how consumers receive the new subs when they arrive in January 2022.

For more information, visit MKsound.com.