LOUDSPEAKERS

MORDAUNT-SHORT 500 SERIES THX (502, 504 & 506)

BIG ON SOUND, BIGGER on value

For producers of AV-related products, the home theatre market has never been more competitive. Which, in turn, means that they have to offer more for less, or lose business to a more efficient, more effective rival.

On the upside, this should lead to better products at lower prices. But there’s also the ever present danger that shortcuts for the sake of competitive pricing can also lead to shortcomings on the performance front.

I’m happy to say that the Mordaunt-Short 500 Series does not fall in the shortcut category. And yes, you do get a lot for the R16 000-odd investment required here.

The 500 Series consists of two floorstanding main front loudspeakers and a matching centre channel, as well as a pair of dipole surround speakers.

But what makes this MS set unique is the way each of those big floorstanders integrates an active subwoofer, complete with in-built amplifier, into the overall package. In other words, the 500 Series effectively throws in a pair of powered subwoofers, too.

Take a closer look at the 502 main speakers and you’ll notice how these tall, slim and sophisticated designs feature three front-mounted drive units, as well as a laterally mounted subwoofer. The front-facing driver complement consists of two 133 mm aluminium mid/bass drivers and a 25 mm aluminium dome tweeter.

The subwoofer drive unit employs a 255 mm non-pressed paper cone, coupled to a 150 watt power amp. Add dual gold-plated binding posts (allowing bi-wiring), decoupling spikes and a finish that looks and feels expensive, and the 502 appears to offer an attractive proposition.

Key specs include a 90 dB efficiency rating, a nominal impedance of between 4 and 8 ohms, and a claimed frequency response extending from 30 Hz to 22 kHz. The power requirement is pegged at between 15 and 150 watts.

Partnering the 502 is a 504 centre channel speaker. As one would expect, voice matching was a priority, so the driver complement employs both the same dual 130 mm mid/bass driver array, and the same 25 mm tweeter, as the 502.

It also shares the floorstander’s 90 dB sensitivity and 4-8 ohm nominal impedance, but frequency response starts at 80 Hz and extends to 22 kHz.

Finally, the 506 dipole surround speakers feature the extended soundstage typical of dipole designs by employing a mirror pair of drivers, each again consisting of the same 25 mm aluminium dome tweeter and 130 mm aluminium cone mid/bass driver. Efficiency, impedance and frequency response are identical to that of the 504 centre speaker.

The driver sets of the 506 are mounted on opposing sides, and their phases are inverted to create a more open soundstage, aimed at improved overall channel integration.

The cherry on top of the 500 Series is their appearance: these are very attractive speakers, with a choice of finishes that included the review set’s honey maple. The Mordaunt-Shorts really look the part, and are best viewed with their rather plain grilles removed: as it happens, they sound better that way, too.

Talking of which, I spent many a pleasant, entertaining hour in the company of the 500 Series -- and yes, they do sound every bit as great as they look. For starters, the integrated active subs really work, even if it’s all too easy to underestimate them, with the result that they sound too dominating, and have to be turned down.

Inputs can be fed directly from the subwoofer line output on your AV receiver, or via the high-level signal delivered to the speaker’s binding posts and crossed over to the various drive units, including the subs, as required. It’s really as simple as that.

THX Select certification adds to this 500 Series’ attraction, guaranteeing a level of power, control and imaging not always mustered by those speaker sets not conforming to these standards.

In practice, the Mordaunt-Shorts delivered everything I had expected of them, and more. To me, one of the most impressive aspects was the way the subs were able to deliver their sonic goods in a taut, controlled and utterly integrated way.

This freed up the twin mid/bass drivers to deliver a smooth, detailed midrange with a real penchant for clarity and cohesion. The metal dome tweeter’s approach suited this tonal character to a tee, providing a seamless progression into the upper registers.

With the centre and surround speakers showing perfect voice-matching, thanks to the use of identical drive units, it came as no surprise that the surround soundstage was seamlessly and believably created. Staging was generous in all planes, but always within realistic levels.

Also, transparency, air and detail ensured that the ensuing sound remained unfettered by the physical locations of the drivers. The 500 speakers had little trouble keeping up with pacy material, the relatively small size of the mid/bass unit ensuring agility and nimble responses.

What more is there to say? Those who still think that metal drivers ring and sound brittle should listen to this Mordaunt-Short set-up.

The smoothness and the sophistication of these speakers doesn’t ever get in the way of the energy and excitement of movie soundtracks, but it also allows music -- stereo included -- to be performed with the finesse and composure many music fans will particularly appreciate.

As I said at the beginning of this review, the competitive nature of the AV market has boosted performance and reduced prices. Even so, the asking price of the Mordaunt-Short 500 system relative to its talents means that value is a strong suit, too.

Deon Schoeman