It's easy to enhance small speakers' bass performance with a subwoofer, but finding a discreet place for one can be challenging. A natural 'hiding spot' could be under a sofa or behind a curtain against a wall. There aren't many subwoofers on the market with a shape that would fit, for example, under a sofa.
One such option is the Dayton Audio MKSX4, from a somewhat lesser-known American brand.
This is a low-profile passive subwoofer designed s...
It's easy to enhance small speakers' bass performance with a subwoofer, but finding a discreet place for one can be challenging. A natural 'hiding spot' could be under a sofa or behind a curtain against a wall. There aren't many subwoofers on the market with a shape that would fit, for example, under a sofa.
One such option is the Dayton Audio MKSX4, from a somewhat lesser-known American brand.
This is a low-profile passive subwoofer designed specifically for spaces where space is limited. Its dimensions when lying flat (l x h x d) are 406 x 150 x 356 mm. The subwoofer can also be placed upright by moving the feet from the bottom to one end, making the narrow subwoofer easy to hide almost anywhere. The finish is an inconspicuous black laminate (which can be painted white if desired). The subwoofer is reasonably priced at 178 euros (Soundimports.eu).
The design of the Dayton Audio subwoofer is somewhat unusual. The bass is produced by four 4-inch bass drivers (from Dayton Audio) placed in a square-shaped space in the middle of the cabinet. The cabinet is bass-reflex tuned, with two bass ports opening on one side. The tuning frequency is about 50 Hz.
Since this is a passive subwoofer, it requires a separate amplifier.
Deep Bass:
With Dayton Audio's low-profile passive subwoofer, you can subtly extend the bass performance of small speakers, and at a reasonable price.
It's easy to improve the bass response of small speakers with this subwoofer. Dayton's bass is produced by four 4-inch drivers placed in the 'chamber' at the center of the cabinet.
This naturally raises the overall cost and makes things a bit more complicated compared to an active subwoofer with a built-in amplifier.
The subwoofer's frequency range is specified as 40-500 Hz, which was largely accurate based on measurements. The -6 dB lower limit was measured at around 42 Hz. So, it doesn't extend very low. However, for enhancing the performance of small speakers, this subwoofer certainly adds a significant amount of bass, and the bass is also tight and precise, provided the subwoofer is filtered correctly. Placement of the subwoofer also has a significant impact on its performance. For its size and price range, the sound can be considered very good and, above all, balanced.
The rated power handling is 160 watts (RMS), with a sensitivity of 88 dB. So, it’s not a bass powerhouse.
The impedance is 4 ohms, which means it can draw more power from amplifiers.
A suitable amplifier for this subwoofer could be, for example, the affordable Fosi Audio M04 mono amplifier (1x100 W, 60 €) or the Fosi Audio BT30D 2.1 amplifier (2x50 W + 1x100 W, 100 €), both sold by Soundimports.
Dayton Audio MKSX4:
- Price: 178 euros (+ shipping)
- Seller: Soundimports
- More info: soundimports.eu
- Design: Passive subwoofer, bass-reflex cabinet
- Drivers: 4x 102 mm (Dayton Audio TCP115)
- Power Handling: 160 W (continuous)
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Frequency Range: 40-500 Hz
- Sensitivity: 88 dB (1W/1m)
- Weight: 11 kg
- Dimensions (l x h x d): 406 x 150 x 356 mm
- Other features: Removable rubber feet (x4), can be placed on the bottom or side
Refined Sound:
The Dayton Audio MKSX4 is a convenient and compact passive subwoofer, ideal for tight spaces, such as under a sofa. Thanks to its four 4-inch drivers, the subwoofer produces a linear, precise, and punchy bass, although it doesn’t extend very deep or play at high volumes. Still, in its class, the performance is solid and robust. The need for a separate amplifier brings its own challenges and increases the overall cost, but the reasonable base price and versatile installation options make the Dayton Audio an attractive choice for extending the bass performance of small speakers in spaces where space is limited or where the subwoofer needs to be hidden.
**Pros:**
- Affordable price
- Compact size
- Punchy sound
**Cons:**
- Doesn’t extend very low
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