-=Vader=-

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from HIFI

Summary:
Have you watch movies at the theatres and said to yourself "I wish I could get that same quality sound in my home". Well, the MK-125MX will help you achieve that. Yes, there are subwoofers out there that can go deeper and louder in bass than this subwoofer, but they don't produce the same natural quality bass that this can output. I say natural bass because once you calibrate it within your hometheater, it just disappears in the room and never calls attention to itself. You could literally blindfold yourself and stand beside this subwoofer and not know where the bass is coming from. A lot of people say the output levels are perhaps a little weak, but they are very wrong! Example! My buddy was watching a movie on my system, and he says "where's the bass? It sounds thin and weak...then he complains" I tell him to shutup and give it a chance as he's used to rumbling loud deep low quality bass. Then out of nowhere the subwoofer kicks him the butt and lights up his senses. My friend then experiences quality bass for the first time, then he says "Did that subwoofer do that" and I reply yes! Then he says "Damn! It “felt” and sounded like something bad was happening to the room". I then put on some more demos, and friend was surprised on how real everything sounded. When I first got this sub along time ago, I even checked to see if it was working cause it blends in so well...I even plugged it out a few times to check if it was working. This subwoofer is like a ninja! It's Quick, silent and powerful when it strikes. When you first listen to this sub it may sound thin, but trust me, it's quality bass that you will adjust to. There's more to bass than rumbling loud booms.

Strengths:
-Never calls attention to itself. -Blends in well with all types of speakers. -Powerful

Weaknesses:
-Takes awhile for the subwoofer to break in. -Price could be lower

Similar Products Used:
MK-150MX

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I had one of these and I noticed that the components used are of low qualtiy. The drivers are run of the mill type with small stacked magnets and the amp is nothing to write home about. There is nothing fancy about their subs and they don't produce the quality volume that other subs do. The sub shouldn't cost so much when you look at it and that is one reason why I sold mine. The other reason was the volume. For casual music listening, the subs were nice and tight, but you can't push them hard since they will bottom and have no protection.

Strengths:
Good with music.

Weaknesses:
Size, low quality components, low volume. Unremarkable sub. Pay too much get too little.

Similar Products Used:
Velodyne, Infinity.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from The Little Guys

Summary:
The 4.63 rating (to this point)is grossly understated because a couple of the more recent reviews have complained of technical problems. While I can sympathize with anyone who spends a grand on a subwoofer and then has problems with it, I don't think M&K would offer a 5 year warranty on an AMP that needed fixes every couple of years. Plus, there's a 10 year warrranty on the drivers. So throw out those couple of reviews, and give yourself peace of mind by buying from an authorized M&K dealer. You'll have at least 10 years of worry free, blissful listening. Admittedly I use my HT system more for what it's named - home theater. I use it about 15% for music. I have no complaints about it's ability to handle a wide range of music played in either 2, 4, or 5 channel mode. And as for movies.... This thing is incredible. During Saving Private Ryan, you'll be afraid. It's as if you've been dropped onto Omaha Beach. With the output at reference level, it's powerful enough to make your jeans flutter. This is bass you don't just hear, but feel. Most movie theaters don't have LFE effects this good. Try the dragon scene in "Shrek". The dragon is stomping through your listening room. You have no idea where the subwoofer is, and it feels like the dragon is right in front of you. And if you don't love this thing after watching the helicopter/machine gun scene from "The Matrix" (Chapter 31?, I believe), then you just don't like movies. I auditioned a lot of subwoofers (smaller M&K's, like the V76 which is also great, Klipsch, Boston Acoustics) and didn't intend on spending as much as I did. But when Keanu Reeves started to fire that machine gun, my decision was made. When you think about how long you'll own this thing, the price is easily justified. I can't possibly imagine needing more power. Like I said, I don't even turn this up over the reference level. I have an average sized room, but it's actually open on one side. There is no problem with output at all. I'm confident that in a room three times the size, this would still be the perfect sub. Bad mechanical experiences from a couple of reviewers aside, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't love their M&K MX-125 MK II. Complaints? You'd have to reach. No speaker level inputs, but who cares. You shouldn't be using them for home theater anyway. If you have a decent receiver, the line level input is the only way to connect your sub. It's not magnetically shielded (although you could pay $200 more for the 150 THX, or $700 more for the 350 THX and get the same drivers with magnetic shielding). But unless you need to put your sub right next to the TV, which you rarely see in a HT setup, you don't need the magnetic shielding. One more thing - the instructions say that if you have hardwood floors, invert the included spikes and place rubber caps over the ends. Well, I did not have any rubber caps in my box. So I originally just had it resting on the small pads on the bottom, nearly flush with my hardwood floors. I called M&K, and they immediately sent me four feet with plastic/rubber bottoms that raise the subwoofer a couple of inches off the floor. The sound is a little better in this configuration in my room. I suggest you try it both ways, but it will probably sound better raised because of the down-firing driver. Kudos to M&K for quickly sending the new parts to me, but perhaps the manual needs to be updated to indicate that instead of rubber caps over the spikes, you will need these one-piece plastic feet if you have hardwood floors.

Strengths:
Great LFE effects Powerful bass you can feel Works well with music Can't tell where it is with your eyes closed (truly non-directional)

Weaknesses:
Unless you live on a three acre plot of land, your neighbors are gonna hate you!

Similar Products Used:
Other less powerful M&K, Klipsch, Boston Acoustics, all good but not like this.

Price Paid:  $900.00 from Magnolia HiFi

Summary:
I bought this on sale after researching M&K Subs. Since it's the first one I've ever owned, my review is limited. However, I have had nothing but great fun with DVD and audio playback. I have M&K THX Select speakers and an Onkyo Rec., and I can shake the house with this Sub if I feel like it. Great Buy!

Strengths:
M&K Quality.

Weaknesses:
None.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Do I have a story for you. Two months ago I auditioned a V125 in my home, I loved it, all I ever wanted in a sub except it just couldnt go loud enough. (I love loud clean bass). MMMM well the next step is the MX105, naaa, how about the MX125 yaaa. I could only just afford it at $2800.00 australian dollars, I placed the order and a few days later it turned up. It sounded like crap, I sent it back to the dealer, they said oh no the drivers must be wired incorrectly for it to sound that crap. One week later I got another one, sounded like crap again. Well what do you do. The dealer thought I might be hooking it up incorrectly, they came over to my house checked it all out, no problem here, "Well looks like this ones going back too". Third time lucky??. NAAAA. Got my money back, then tried every other sub under the sun in and under that price range including the velodyne SPL1200. This is a little ripper but didnt have that M&K big sub feel. To cut a long story short I purchased the only sub I loved, the V125 but I got two of them for an absolute bargin practicaly dealers prices. I now have perfect bass distribution no peaks or troughs due to the two subs. I'll also bet my left testical that my two V125's go harder than an MX125, they seem to re-enforce each other making them so so tight and extra punchy. It's nice to tell other home theater nuts your running a 7.2 system. One other thing, If you are looking at buying an MX125 and the sales guy says to you "hey man, 150watts into two 12 inch drivers, thats like having 300watts of output", BULLSH*T , 150 watts is 150 watts if it is divided by two you get 75 watts per driver. They are run together in parallel. "Ya canna change the laws of physics Jim" (Star Trek). One other other thing too. The bigger the MX sub the bigger the transformer and the louder the power supply hum. In Australia we have 240volt supply, the MX125 tranny hummed and it was annoying, V125 quiet as a church mouse. In conclusion. Maybe I was very unlucky but I still love M&K nothing else will ever feel so good in soundtracks or music. You have my story so please dont condem me for my rating, it only reflects my opinion of this sub, not M&K. Good luck.

Strengths:
It's an M&K

Weaknesses:
Over rated

Similar Products Used:
V125, MX105, velodyne SPL 1200, Yamaha yst 800, Whatmough Typhoon, Phase technology power 12.