Price Paid:  $20.00 from flea market

Summary:
Didn't expect much from these considering how I got them. Gave them a try and i was pleasantly suprised. Blew my old infinty's out of the water. the Infinty's were good, but needed a sub to sound complete. The KX-12s sounded full, still lacking a little mid-range. No noticable distortion as loud as I would ever want to hear in a room that is 12'x8'. These speakers renewed my vigor for audio more than any other.

Strengths:
Bass. No sub needed

Weaknesses:
Size. They are monsterous. Just not enough mid range to be perfect

Similar Products Used:
Polk monitor series: 50, 70
Boston Acoustics VR2
Infinity Reference MKII

soundboy22

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
Here is the low-down on these speakers. The KX-12 Series 2 is for people that like BASS. If you like bass you like the KX-12's. Party on... WHY DO YOU HAVE THEM YOU HYPOCRITE? Why do I have these? My dad gave them to me after getting a Bose acoustimass set to replace it because it's smaller. I think those are overrated and not much of an improvement. Moving on... IMAGING The imaging of these speakers leave more to be desired. I did not even have to do a side by side comparison with other speakers to know that the sound quality produced by the DCM's are sub-par. Maybe I am just spoiled by the life-like, crisp, clear, beautiful sound quality in the Boston Acoustics line with which I surround myself (I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH BOSTON ACOUSTICS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM). I have to believe these DCM's are mediocre speakers at best. That's why I give them 2 stars, the only reason they get any stars is for their bass. Anyways... BASS BASS BASS BASS If you want the earth shattering bass that these puppies sure pump out, you need a better amplifier. I used a Harmon/Kardon receiver in a test and it pumped out major bass and the neighbors called to tell me to turn it down. I reconnected it to some off brand radio shack receiver and the bass disappeared. In other words, if you get these, you need POWER, consistent high current power. If you have a pioneer receiver and no subwoofer you are wasting your money. WHERE ARE THE HIGHS? Hidden within a tight listening angle. The Horn style tweeter made me cry at its awfulness. I am not a fan of having to sit in a certain position in order to experience ANY highs whatsoever. A dome style tweeter would have been nice, but those cost more money don't they. Keepin' these cheap I guess... LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!1 These things get LOUD. If you are just looking to party all day long and use these only for that, these are a steal. Imaging is not too important in these circumstances. WHO SHOULDN'T GET THESE? If you are a sophisticated listener, get something else. I unscrewed the drivers out of curiosity and they are extremely light...which is a bad thing. In the world of speakers, heavier is usually better. The magnets are tiny which is a credit to the bass woofer for being able to get as loud as it does. MATERIALS??? The cabinet is kind of cheap looking, like some kind of particle board with some sort of plastic covering. It's not wood and therefore, not good. SOUND QUALITY The sound quality is horrible and makes me want to die. However, for movies they are not half bad. Since the lows are so loud, you won't need a subwoofer for movie tracks. For music, you are best off not getting these. The sound gets annoying because it sounds unclear. It is not crisp like I expect. In conclusion, The KX-12 Series 2 would appeal to the younger market that does not care about having better quality sound, or anybody who doesn't know any better. It's the same reason people would buy ANYTHING audio from consumer electronic chain stores like Circuit City - it's cheap and it works. Anyone who is seriously into audio should leave these alone, or at least wash their hands after demo-ing. That being said, buy a real brand that offers clarity. Audition before you buy!!

Strengths:
BASS!!!!!!1 Price

Weaknesses:
sound quality horn tweeter bad design/engineering imaging bulky/huge/out of control heavy

Similar Products Used:
Boston Acoustics A100

Price Paid:  $400.00 from circuit city

Summary:
I basically like hard rock/metal and when I got to CC I asked what would sound good with a Pioneer Elite? he showed me the DCMs actually there was only 1 left in the whole store!first thing I wondered was if these were house brand speakers cause I never heard of them before. I liked the sound but the guy had trouble locating a store with any left. finally I went home and called another CC and they had exactly 2 pairs left one was already spoken for. when I got home with them I was very impressed. also the bass is so good you really dont need a subwoofer with them. I also like the way they use a mid-bass it adds to the fullness. I have used Cerwinvegas that cost alot more and had too much midrange and RSL which is now no more and they didn't have enough bass. so DCM is the one to go with for the price

Strengths:
loud, good bass and highs

Weaknesses:
they are too big and weigh a ton

Similar Products Used:
CV, RSL, Cannon

Price Paid:  $369.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
I've read many of the reviews on this speaker here and am amazed at the range of opinions. Some hate them, others love them. Compared to reviews I've read for higher priced speakers, I'd say the level of expertise is much lower on these speakers, including myself, therefore much of the advise here must not be taken seriously. My experience with these speakers is that I bought them originally to upgrade from a set of Bose AM-5's. They satisfied my needs for improved frquency response and loudness, especially down low. The bass, as almost everyone has commented on, is the strongest feature of these speakers. The mid range comes alive at higher volumes but is ver bright and almost uncomfortable after a long period of listening. The tweeters are also inefficient and that is why these fall way short on imaging. I run an EQ to improve the response but find myself having to make adjustments for nearly every song to suit my tastes. What I find most annoying about these speakers is that the dynamic range changes with volume. My EQ settings for low levels have to be trimmed down at higher power. In my opinion, an EQ should be set once, to "trim" the response to compensate for the characteristics of the listening environment and then left alone no matter what the volume or source. I now run a vintage Pioneer SX-1980 that is rated at 275WPC RMS, continuous with less than .001% THD at full rated power. I can easily blow the circuit breakers on the KX-12's with this reciever and have already blown one breaker clean open. I must say, they handle the power well until the circuit breakers trip. They are a truly impressive speaker for the money if high volume with OK clarity is an objective. Let's face it though, you get what you pay for and with the KX-12's you get a little more but, don't expect them to impress your buddy with the B&W's or OHM's. If you're on a tight budget, these speakers are a good value and can be easily "messaged" with an EQ to be satisfactory for general purpose and especially Rock & Roll. I'm ready to upgrade now and will be looking for a nice set of Ohm Walsh 4 or 5's or maybe some Dahlquist DQ-10's to compliment my SX-1980.

Strengths:
Handle power well. Excellent bass response. High value. Reliable.

Weaknesses:
Mid ranges are overpowering. Lacking clarity and imaging for the discriminating listener. Crude passive crossovers. Low level engineering. Built to a price. Must switch on Loudness control at low levels.

Similar Products Used:
Bose AM-5

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Used on Ebay

Summary:
If you want a cheap, loud, strong yet surprisingly detailed speaker. This is it. You simply can't get a better speaker than this at this price point, period. Not for the true audiophile but I hooked up a girlfriend with a budget 2 channel stereo system and these are the speakers I went with. She loves em and can hammer em with all the wattage they can take. You can hear these speaks half a mile away, she lives in the country, and they still sound good. If you can get em cheap, get em.

Strengths:
Loud, strong, surprisingly good mids and highs. Dirt Cheap price. Indestructibly teenager proof. Best bang for buck I've ever seen.

Weaknesses:
Heavy, bulky, cheesy cabinets, flimsy cabinets and grils.

Similar Products Used:
Ohm Walsh4's, EPI T/E 120's, Klipsch KG4's.