M&K---Ever hear of Them?

I admit it.
I really dig this hobby and the history that got us to where we are today fascinates me.
Couple years back I practically stole a pair of M&K micro subs for my desktop nearfield setup.
One look at what they offered and I jumped at the chance to add them at what seemed an unreal low price (I think it was like $500 for a brand new pair, regularly over a grand, very high build quality...).

They continue to amaze me as micro subs that go deep into the 20s.
An 8 inch driver that runs tight and subterranean deep these make my S3/5s a complete package.

No kidding---my control room can not develop much bass below 35hZ as it is only a 12X12 cubicle.
But over at the OTHER end of the house dishes rattle as the longest waves of sub 30 length finally get to stretch their legs and my wife starts complaining .

So I looked them up to see what's up with the brand---I have been hearing about since the 70s.
Seen more than a few high end recording studios using their larger monitors.
Steely Dan was the first to embrace their products!

Seems to me these guys INVENTED a ton of stuff we all take for granted:
Self powered subwoofers.
Sub-Sat designs---they were the first apparently.
The very CONCEPT of subwoofers!

Just wondering if any of the Hoffmanites on here have hands on experience with M&K.
Like I say---my experience is pretty limited.
But what I know so far has impressed me a fair amount.
And I loved being impressed by audio gear inventors.
Anyone else knows anything to add about this legendary brand?

Kreisel Sound Timeline

 

They were a big deal in the late seventies, early eighties. They made a subwoofer they called 'Goliath' and someone, maybe Visonik, made a speaker they called David. They were one of the very first to push the 'small speaker and sub' setup.

 

They are now a Danish company called M&K Sound. I previously had a Sat/Sub system comprising their speakers and sub for a 5.1 system. Currently, I still have one of their subwoofer models, the X10 and still run my original M&K CS29 Tripole surround speakers. Always was a great brand and still is.

 

Not if they weren't doing it before 1959.

 

Around 1978 i had m+k s1a satellites with goliath sub.....great stuff...needed an amp with big grunt though

 

They also did some pretty serious recordings...under the name M+K Real Time recording i believe.

 

That doesn't look like a Sub/sat system.
It seems to embrace early three channel which was an alternative to stereo.

 

Yeah.
Never heard these recordings.
Anybody heard them?

 

According to their site M&K produced the entire David plus Goliath setup.
Both the speakers AND the sub.
Came out in 1976.
I remember looking at it and wondering why it was designed.
Looked strange.
Where did the two "boxes" disappear to?

Then a few year later in the 80s and 90s there were hundreds of little satellites with big sub boxes next to them.
Who knew what was coming?

 

They made some killer subwoofers in the 90's too.
I had one of their lesser expensive models, a V125 if I remember right.
Excellent subwoofer.

 

Great sound. Around the time my father bought Allison 7 speakers the salesman demoed the MK S1 and Sub for us. They sounded amazing.

 

The David was definitely a Visonic product....small metal cabinets

 

I have vinyl from M&K. Good stuff.

 

A buddy of mine had a M&K home theater setup back around 2005, the kinda entry-level small satellite/single sub deal. To this day, it's still the only good sounding "small" format 5.1 system I've heard.

 

I had an M&K mx200 dual 12'' push pull subwoofer a few years back. The concept seemed like a great idea but it did not work out well. An absolutely terrible sounding sub that did not blend in at all with my mains that went into the low 30hz area.

 

Yes. Famous for their subwoofers.

 

I'd pay a small fortune for a new pair of Allison Three's.

 

ADS made the 200 and 300 for car speakers (with brackets) and 2.1 setups. Great stuff.

 

M&K, yes. Miller & Kreisel sound. They made superb direct to disc records, and excellent speakers, and made a great subwoofer in their time.

 

The original M&K was started by Jonas Miller and Ken Kreisel.

Miller and Kreisel were the proprietors of one of the first high end shops in LA on Wilshire Blvd. Going in there when I was younger, was always a special experience*. They then later moved to Santa Monica, on Santa Monica Blvd (there is a medical supply store in the same location today). That was where I first heard the Infiniti IRS.

Ken Kreisel is indeed credited with the first subwoofer in the 60's. At least according to this article.

Miller & Kreisel Loudspeaker Brand Revived

In 1973, Kreisel is the first to equip a recording studio with subwoofers for the recording of Steely Dan's "Prestel Logic".

At the Wilshire store, they had a full size grand piano and their cutting lathe for their direct to disk recordings.

The same article states that they went out of business mostly due to counterfeit products taking too big a chunk out of their business.

*I bought my first pair of Magnaplars there, MGIIc I believe. I think they cost about $700.

 

The first sub I bought was a BE-1V (the Bottom End) by M&K in the late 70s. It was one of their early subs. The salesman at the store didn't understand subs and gave me a great deal because they only had one in the store. He thought it was missing it's mate, and no one would buy just one. I didn't correct him.

I used it exclusively for synthesized bass from a dbx 100 Sub Harmonic Synthesizer. It worked quite well in this application.

 

I have an M&K V-125 that I bought used around six years ago for $200. I first used it in my stereo system, and later moved it to my home theater where it still does duty today. A fine sounding sub!

 

I have two Kresiel DxD12012's stacked up front best subs I've heard still.

 

I've been using M&K speakers in my family room "theater" setup for a number of years. I run a 5.1 system with LCR 850s for the front, Surround 55 tri-poles for the two surrounds and a MX-70B 8" push-pull subwoofer. The five satellite speakers are driven by an ATI 2005 amp providing 300 watts into the 4ohm M&Ks. The neighbors know when we are watching a movie!

 

I forgot to add, I use M&K's full range Bookshelf 75s in my garage system driven by a Pioneer SX-650. I attached a Logitech bluetooth device so I use my phone as the source. Makes for good tunes while woodworking.