Amazing home theatre sound, very nice musically, they can play cleanly at insane volume levels

No real weaknesses

When I first brought the 125's home (with 150 MK II sub + 85 surrounds) I was actually disappointed. They sounded thin, with a mid-bass hole. However, that was using some 16 guage zip cord I had laying around, and with the wires connected to the 2 normal terminals. I switched to a decent 12 guage OFC wire, and then realized that the 2 normals means you're using the high-pass filter. After wiring as instructed in the manual to remove the high-pass with the new cables, and a bit of breaking in, it was a whole new story. The mid-bass hole disappeared, the sound stage opened up, and the speakers became an absolute pleasure to listen to for music. For movies, I can't imagine a better setup.

The detail on the high end of these speakers is phenomenal. They can crank cleanly to shocking volume levels driven with a relatively modest 130W from my Onkyo TS989 (thinking about hooking up my old 500WPC Soundcraftsmen main to see how that works).

I'd recommend trying out a selection of speaker cables. I'm limited to 12 guage OFC at the moment because of room setup, but given the huge difference between this and the 16 guage zip I'd like to try some better cables at some point to see if there's further improvements to be had.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Paradigm, NHT

Strong, all around, accurate monitor

Speaker stands

The 125s are straight-forward with no noticeable coloration. They simply reproduce what is asked of them with accurate dynamics and subtlety, whether music or HT. They also do so clearly even when playing very loud. Musicality is all there. A bargain for what they can accomplish. I wanted a complete set of Revels, but they are no bargain when options like the 125s present themselves.

My only issue is with the speaker stands. M&K's stands are very expensive and make the 125s into an all black tower. And if you want the 125s and stands in wood veneer, you may as well buy the Revels for what they cost. I opted for a pair of 24" StudioTech Ultras at $199. Filled them with shot and cut the top plate a little with a hack-saw to match the unusual shape of the 125s perfectly. I chose the black with rosewood sides. The combo looks cool and sounds great.

I have a front array of 125s with 85s as surrounds, mated with a Lexicon pre/pro, an Oydessey amp for the 125s and a B&K AV5000 for the 85s.

Check out the 125/85 setup. It may be all you"ll ever need or want.

Similar Products Used:

McIntosh,Klipsch,Polk

Clarity, detail and dynamics. For HT and music these are incredible.

A little on the expensive side, small dealer network.

These seem to be little known and don't grab the limelight like the THX stuff from M&K. That's ok by me. These speakers have a warmer and more musical sound than their THX counterparts without losing the dynamics and detail that M&K is known for. I think the crossover in these is better than the THX prescribed formula and the need for limited vertical dispersion is not as critical giving you a speaker that is actually much better for the average smaller room. The 750 THX seakers are similar and probably a better value, but I think they are brighter and have less midrange smothness than these. There are definitely more musical speakers but as a cross between music and HT, these would be ard to beat. Surround music and movies sound incredible. Highly recommended.

These things have a really really nice soundfield and good bass even though they are only rated down to 77hz (M&K has really strict specs I guess). When I first heard them I thought the subwoofer and center channel were also on but they were going by themselves, that's how good the imaging is. They also have really good sound to size ratio (forget Bose) but at $1000 per pair aren't cheap (though that is cheap for some). I'd say if you need a certain size speaker the sound is worth the cost.

I use the S-125s as L/C/R in a home theater set-up, with a M&K 125 mkII sub and SW-95 in-walls for the rear. Unbelievable. In stereo mode, the speakers are accurate and the imaging is flawless. The high accuracy may be at the expense of a little warmth, which may just be because my listening room is "hard". In home theater through DVD (using Lexicon and ADA electronics), the result was amazing. Especially the side-to-side pans across the front speakers in DD 5.1. Absolutely seamless. They also integrated beautifully with the sub. All in all, a fabulous speaker for the price. Highly recommended.

This system is so good at reproducing movie sound it's scary!

I've been an audiophile in the past but traded my high end gear a couple of years ago so the entire family could enjoy home theater. I use 3 s125 across the front with the in-wall M&K 85 for surrounds. Left and Right are sitting on M&K dedicated sand filled stand that make them look like a larger floor standing speaker. Sunfire subwoofer and B&K 101 (202 w/out the DTS) receiver. Last week I was blown away at a demo of all Krell amps and source driving Martin Login Sequels II. The system was playing Dianna Krawl and Patty Barber, some great female vocal recordings. System price was over 30K. Made me miss the high end. I bought the same recordings and went home to compare expecting to be dissapointed. Just the oppostite, the M&K 125 crossed over actively to the Sunfire at 80 HZ, driven by B&K in stereo mode had all the basic qualities I heard in the expensive setup. Involving, emotional, musical, it was all there. M&K S-125 deserve 5 stars for pulling this off. (B&K does also) I was left with no desire to upgrade.

Clarity and Dynamics

none that I've found yet

I upgraded to M&K S125's and an M&K V75 MKII from a pair of Bose 301s, and all of a sudden, every CD I own is new again.

I'm not sophisticated enough of a listener to outline why it's so much better, but I am a trained musician, and I know what sounds real, and this is amazing.

Don't get me wrong, the Bose are great for the price, and they served me well for 10 years, but they're just not in the league of these M&K S125 speakers.

I wish they weren't a grand a pair though, so I could own them in every room.

Seems that no one likes M&K's too much..not many reviews on here. I have had these speakers for about a month now and they do sound Fantastic..especially coupled to a M&K MX-125 Sub. For those of you who read this...listen to the S-125's and you will find great imaging and clarity for both Music and HT.

Image,clarity

none

After listening to the S-125s I now realize all of the above listed speakers sounded like you could buy them in a drug store! If you want Accuracy why not buy a speaker that is used in the sound studios.
This speaker not only images, it projects an image with the individual instruments staged in the air in front of you.
Tight, clear and dynamic. Spend the extra money.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Paradigm etc.