Dayton Audio Launches Its Latest Budget Speaker: MK442T Transmission Line Tower

Dayton Audio Launches Its Latest Budget Speaker: MK442T Transmission Line Tower​

(January 30, 2019) Dayton Audio has more than proven it likes to scratch the budget itch. Today, the company announced an all new tower speaker, born from knowledge gained from its 2018 released MK402 bookshelf speaker (a model that Matthew Poes called “an interesting high-value package worthy of your consideration”) and the regarded MK442 center channel.

The MK442T 2-Way Transmission Line Tower Speaker carries a list price of $304 per pair (currently selling for $228/pair on Parts Express), which literally smashes the idea of budget audio. In fact, buyers can find the MK442T sold in bundled packages comprised of a center channel, bookshelf, and subwoofer for prices ranging from $399 to $499 (depending on a chosen configuration). That makes the potential for an intriguing home theater experience ripe for the picking, no matter what your budget is.

Utilizing the same driver and tweeter found on other MK models, the tower’s 4” treated paper cone woofers and ¾” silk dome tweeter are married by a crossover that taps a 3 kHz 2nd order low pass and 3rd order high pass section. The speaker's transmission line design enables output to dig down to a tightly controlled 40Hz. And because the enclosure doesn’t need ports to achieve low output, owners need not worry about bass dirtied by port resonance or chuffing.

The speaker is rather manageable in size, measuring 38.1″ H x 5.7″ W x 9.6″ D, so placement options should be rather room-friendly.

Power handling specifications are 80 watts (160 max), with a 4 ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 87dB.

 

[Grayson Dere]

These look promising. Will there be a review coming soon to us? At $228 these speakers seem like they should be worth at least double that.

 

[Todd Anderson]

They do.

Perhaps @Matthew J Poes wull take them for a test drive.

 

[Tony V.]

These companies are really pushing the limit on quality vs cost. It is amazing to see a speaker that can sound this good for so little. We have some good choices now in the budget range for people looking for a low cost effective system.

 

[Todd Anderson]

These companies are really pushing the limit on quality vs cost. It is amazing to see a speaker that can sound this good for so little. We have some good choices now in the budget range for people looking for a low cost effective system.

This hobby can fool you into thinking that you have to have premium gear for a great experience. I won't argue that premium gear is special and super fun... but you can totally have a great experience with budget gear that's set up properly. Take an inexpensive receiver and pair it with something like these new Daytons... position them properly... and you're going to have a good time. No doubt about it. I wish we had more budget enthusiasts on our site to discuss their setups and experiences. I think a lot gets lost without it.

 

[Tony V.]

I wish we had more budget enthusiasts on our site to discuss their setups and experiences. I think a lot gets lost without it.

I hope in time that will change as we continue to grow.

 

[Jack]

Now I kinda fit in, I am a budget enthusiast. Many items in the home audio world have gotten so expensive, I am left out of the loop for sure, I mean pre-amps over $100,000 ?
I have tried to work through the less expensive gear as well as budget ways to improve a systems quality and thus making the experience better for yours truly. I am now breaking in a pair of Elac B6 type speakers and I am shocked at what $300 can get you. Plug in a nice used amp and preamp or a hearty integrated from NAD, Onkyo or Yamaha with the speakers of concern in this post, Dayton audio and voila, a system that will make you smile for years to come.

Just sayin

 

[Grayson Dere]

It makes me wonder about the mindset of some speaker designers that sell $$$$ megabuck speakers. Are those speakers expensive because the designer intended to make it expensive when in fact they could've made them less glamorous looking but still sound fantastic at a fraction of the cost? I know you can't make a Honda Civic perform like a McLaren without pushing the budget higher... but for speakers can smarter decisions regarding the construction and engineering be made to prevent $260,000 speakers like the Estelon Extreme? Just curious : )

 

[Jack]

I think that there are many thoughts there. Very expensive speakers can only be made slowly and in small numbers...generally. As such, small supply, big demand equals high prices. Remember lots of wealthy people out there.
Second, many designers are shooting for the best that they can design without worrying so much about cost like in mass market goods.
We have to pick our own poison based on our individual needs and available funds.

 

[Matthew J Poes]

They do.

Perhaps @Matthew J Poes wull take them for a test drive.

I actually had an inside “hint” at there development. It is my understanding that these will have no only better bass, but a better tonal balance than the bookshelves I tested. They may end up being a killer value if that holds true.

It’s pretty cool that such unusual bass alignments like transmission line is becoming common place at such an affordable price point.