Dayton Audio MK402 Bookshelf Speaker Teases Audiophile for only $70/Pair

[gene]

Dayton Audio proudly announced the newest addition to their best-selling line of home theater speakers. The MK402 is a simple 2-way, rear ported speaker featuring a 4" woofer and a 3/4" soft dome tweeter, with bass extension down to 60Hz and a real crossover network all for the almost unbelievable low price of $70/pair. Can these really be an audiophile dream speaker for those on a tight budget? Read on to find out.

Read: Dayton Audio MK402 Bookshelf Speaker Teases Audiophile for only $70/Pair

 

[KEW]

Noaudiophile did a review of these with measurements.
http://noaudiophile.com/Dayton_MK402/

He liked them a lot ... after applying DSP correction:

Even with the massive collection of higher dollar speakers I have, the DSP corrected Dayton MK402 is my new personal go to desktop speaker. It's combination of size, performance, and convience (in my setup) of being a passive speaker put it above the rest.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Noaudiophile did a review of these with measurements.
http://noaudiophile.com/Dayton_MK402/

He liked them a lot ... after applying DSP correction:

Basically, this seems to be a budget mini with a better-than-average cabinet and a small woofer that goes low enough to be taken seriously. The rest of the speaker seems to be a problem judging from the review. I've ordered a pair to see whether there's any cost-effective means to solve the response problems higher up.

 

[KEW]

Basically, this seems to be a budget mini with a better-than-average cabinet and a small woofer that goes low enough to be taken seriously. The rest of the speaker seems to be a problem judging from the review. I've ordered a pair to see whether there's any cost-effective means to solve the response problems higher up.

Sounds like the AJ Pioneers - keep the cabinet and woofer, replace the tweeter and XO!
"AA-minis" or "aa's"?
Hope it works out!

 

[zieglj01]

Sounds like the AJ Pioneers - keep the cabinet and woofer, replace the tweeter and XO!
"AA-minis" or "aa's"?
Hope it works out!

Maybe some surrounds to go with the AA front 3 -- I almost bought a pair till I saw that review -- I am surprised that Dayton would run the treble that hot.

 

[MrBoat]

Is the treble that hot when a sub used with them?

 

[KEW]

Is the treble that hot when a sub used with them?

I don't understand your question!
Here is the FR plot under discussion:

Above the low end roll-off, it shows a pretty consistent level of about 76-77dB. Things get a little squirrelly between 700Hz and 2kHz, but still not bad (roughly +/-3dB) for a $70/pr speaker. The crossover is at 2.5kHz and the tweeter climbs 7-8dB between 4 and 10kHz, which is the biggest concern.
Generally a sub only contribute up to 200Hz (as the highest reasonable XO point).
The treble is hot because of what it does relative to the mid-range, so you would need to reinforce the mid-range to balance things out!

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Well, I got my pair of the little Daytons and took a quick listen and some measurements. I've never been able to replicate noaudiophile's measurements--I think he's getting a room response, which makes interpretation very difficult. My samples did better than his up to 3 kHz. The slightly rough response between 1k and 2k is centered lower on mine, and doesn't protrude above the mid-bass-lower midrange level. The tweeter does start to take off at 4.5k, but it trends up smoothly and keeps going until 20 khz, where it's over 10 dB higher than the average response below 4.5k. So, it would be easy to produce a basically flat response with some fairly minor crossover tweaks. However------------these things are crazy insensitive. Mine clock in at 80 dB. That's not surprising when you look at the woofer. It's a very beefy unit designed for maximum bass extension, which it accomplishes. But there's no way a woofer that small can go that deep and still maintain reasonable sensitivity. When I was comparing them with my BMR's, which aren't exactly in the Klipsch sensitivity neighborhood, I had to boost the output on my A-B switching preamp by 5 notches to get a reasonable match in SPL. So I'm torn. With the right crossover, they would be killer surrounds and desktops. But is there any market for accurate mini's that would require way over twice as much power as my BMR's (or Phil 3's) to reach loud output levels?

 

[shadyJ]

But is there any market for accurate mini's that would require way over twice as much power as my BMR's (or Phil 3's) to reach loud output levels?

For surrounds and desktop PC speakers, perhaps, since not a lot of loudness is needed in those applications. But obviously a low sensitivity means there are applications that they won't be suited for. But a lot of people think they are using a lot more current than they actually are from their amplifiers, so maybe its not that big of a deal. I have used speakers with sensitivity in the low 80s and found they still had enough dynamic range for my tastes and occasionally I do listen louder than probably most people would be comfortable with.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

For surrounds and desktop PC speakers, perhaps, since not a lot of loudness is needed in those applications. But obviously a low sensitivity means there are applications that they won't be suited for. But a lot of people think they are using a lot more current than they actually are from their amplifiers, so maybe its not that big of a deal. I have used speakers with sensitivity in the low 80s and found they still had enough dynamic range for my tastes and occasionally I do listen louder than probably most people would be comfortable with.

That may well be the case. I listened to these for quite awhile tonight, comparing them with my BMR's and Phil 3's. I was shocked by how well they did. They are tizzy at the top, and you can hear the hole in the response in the lower treble on complex music. But otherwise the sound is uncolored and very clean, with tight and surprisingly deep bass. The only remaining issue is whether that little tweeter can go low enough to fill in the existing hole in the response. There is an excellent replacement tweeter that definitely could do the job, but that would add $40, plus whatever parts would be needed for a properly optimized crossover. To be continued.

 

[KEW]

That may well be the case. I listened to these for quite awhile tonight, comparing them with my BMR's and Phil 3's. I was shocked by how well they did. They are tizzy at the top, and you can hear the hole in the response in the lower treble on complex music. But otherwise the sound is uncolored and very clean, with tight and surprisingly deep bass. The only remaining issue is whether that little tweeter can go low enough to fill in the existing hole in the response. There is an excellent replacement tweeter that definitely could do the job, but that would add $40, plus whatever parts would be needed for a properly optimized crossover. To be continued.

Would a new tweeter be $40 each or for the pair?

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Would a new tweeter be $40 each or for the pair?

Would a new tweeter be $40 each or for the pair?

Per pair, and in any kind of quantity it would be more like $30/pr. The stock tweeter is very smooth--it's just a matter of low end extension.

 

[KEW]

Well if you make a pair, I'll buy them after you get them tuned!

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Well if you make a pair, I'll buy them after you get them tuned!

As a loyal customer, you can have them for $500/pr. It's actually kind of a weird design. Since they are obvious candidates for surround duty, I would have made the cabinet a little taller, moved the port to the front, and put a mounting hole in the back.

 

[shadyJ]

As a loyal customer, you can have them for $500/pr. It's actually kind of a weird design. Since they are obvious candidates for surround duty, I would have made the cabinet a little taller, moved the port to the front, and put a mounting hole in the back.

From what little I know about these, it looks to me like they are geared more for desktop duty. Surrounds wouldn't need extension below 80 Hz.

By the way, I may be reviewing these for Audioholics in the future, so it will be interesting to compare notes when I do some measuring.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

From what little I know about these, it looks to me like they are geared more for desktop duty. Surrounds wouldn't need extension below 80 Hz.

By the way, I may be reviewing these for Audioholics in the future, so it will be interesting to compare notes when I do some measuring.

I think there would be at least as great a demand for use as surrounds as desktop if the cabinet were configured a little differently.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Well if you make a pair, I'll buy them after you get them tuned!

I fooled around with the Daytons tonight and concluded that the stock tweeter will work just fine. It's smooth as glass once you throw some components at it, and can go low enough to avoid any holes in the system response. The woofer is very well behaved as well. The only thing I can't fix is the sensitivity, which I doubt will be higher than 83 dB.

 

[KEW]

I fooled around with the Daytons tonight and concluded that the stock tweeter will work just fine. It's smooth as glass once you throw some components at it, and can go low enough to avoid any holes in the system response. The woofer is very well behaved as well. The only thing I can't fix is the sensitivity, which I doubt will be higher than 83 dB.

Neat that $70/pr gets reasonably decent drivers and cabinets!
I'm sure I can scrounge up an AVR/amp to drive them with.

 

[bradymartin]

dennis, perhaps this may be your new affordable accuracy version, cheaper, but less bass than your current parts express version, and your previous pionner bs22s?
wondering since what you did with the pioneers, these daytons bass wouldnt be as low i assume. but the tweeter on these daytons is better than your vifas on the pioneers?

btw if i ordered your current aas tonight, what is the waiting period?

looks like by your responses you are already enticed to work your magic on these daytons.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

dennis, perhaps this may be your new affordable accuracy version, cheaper, but less bass than your current parts express version, and your previous pionner bs22s?
wondering since what you did with the pioneers, these daytons bass wouldnt be as low i assume. but the tweeter on these daytons is better than your vifas on the pioneers?

btw if i ordered your current aas tonight, what is the waiting period?

looks like by your responses you are already enticed to work your magic on these daytons.

I have a modded Dayton mini up and running, although I haven't had much time to listen. It measures a little better than my AA monitor, although obviously it doesn't go as low. It actually goes lower than the first AA (modded Pioneer 22's). But I'll have to see how much impact it has. I may offer it as a small desktop speaker and as a surround. I'll try plugging the port to see whether it could function acceptably mounted on a wall with a sub for HT.