Dayton Audio MK402 4" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair

I purchased the Dayton MK402's speakers to replace a pari of aging Micca Covo S speakers I was using in my bathroom system. Given the rave reviews I thought they would be a good choice in this application. I want something with good sound quietly and i don't want to spend a lot of money. Though I do really like them, I'm not as keen on them as the other reviewers on amazon. They are not perfect speakers, but I think they were a perfect choice for this application. Below I will explain this and my issues with the MK402 speakers:DESIGNThe MK402's have a very typical design fo speakers in this price range. If you are familiar with the Dayton B652 speakers you will recognize that these speakers come form a similar design heritage. They are a 1/4" MDF cabinet wrapped in vinyl. Unlike the B652 speakers, however, these have a chamfered front baffle. This is supposedly to reduce cabinet noise. This could be the case, but I'm not convinced.The speaker grills for the MK402's are the typical acoustically transparent cloth found on many speakers in this price range and even above. Its shape perfectly matches the chamfered design of the front baffle and attaches with pegs. One of my pegs came off of the grill. I've heard that this is a common issue with these sparks. Dayton needs to work on quality control there.I like that Dayton chose to install five-way binding post on these speakers. That is not a feature you typically see at this price point. Their B652 speakers, for example, hand spring clips that seemed quite cheap. The bonding posts on the MK402's are quite nice.They may not win any design awards; but the MK402's still look quite good, especially for a $70 soapier.SOUNDThe MK402's have a 4" treated paper cone woofer and 3/4" silk-dome tweeter. I am a big fan of the silk dome tweeter. I enjoy the sound that they typically produce and this speaker is no exception. The highs are crisp and clear. I actually like its sound better than the AMT tweeter used in the B652-AIR speakers. I like the woofer a little less. Though it does a nice job for its 4" size, the bass can be a bit boomy and not the tightest. Still,, for the price, their drivers are great.When I first connected the MK402's to my Emotiva Mini-X A-100 amp I did enjoy the sound, but i was not blown away. I thought they had a fairly large sound stage, but imaging was not that accurate. Vocals on Melody Gardot's "Gone" were clear but sound as if they were coming from across almost the entire sound stage. I know this track to have very tight, center vocals so it was the speakers and not the audio. I often use "Hey Pochuco! (reprise) by Royal Crown Review to test sound stage. This track has very nice imaging that gives you the sense of being in the middle of a drum kit if done correctly. I did not quite get this sense form the MK402's. It was not the worst I've heard, but certainly not the best. My Fluance SX6 speaks do a much better job with this track using all the same gear. Granted, they are a $120 speaker.I thought maybe some break in would help the audio. I played pink noise through the MK40's for about 50 hours. This did tighten up the bass a bit, but imaging was not helped.Disappointing imagineer aside, I do like the sound of the MK402's/ It is rich and full and about the best you can expect at $70. They sound great pumping out tunes in my bathroom! I just wish they imagined a little better.CONCLUSSIONI am glad I picked up the Dayton MK402 speakers. They are a great fit for my bathroom system. They fill the small room with amazing sound and did not break the bank. If amazon would allow, I would give them 4.5 stars rather than the generous 5 I gave them.So, should you buy these speakers? Well, if you have $70 to spend and really aren't worried about the lacking imaging than go for it. You won't do much better in this price range!

Just got them today and I’m very, very impressed. I wasn’t impressed with the new towers they just released because they lacked bass imo. These little 4 inch drivers are a bit too bass heavy but it’s better not having any like those new towers that have the amt tweeter. The imaging is so nice for this price, I have a pair of Elac Uni-Fi B5’s and I’m saying this! So as you can see, I’m spoiled with very deep bass and fantastic imaging, they are small but pack a punch... definitely worth getting. They sound really good and the lows and mids are balanced, the highs aren’t too high and nothing else seems lacking, this is probably the best speaker under $100. What are you waiting for, get them.

Perfect for bedrooms and apartment front rooms ...Cabinets and speakers are built solid ....Update ; the MK-402 bookshelf speakers from Dayton Audio ..I have been using these for over a month now pushing the signal through an EQ to achieve the best clarity & I have to say that these are the clearest speakers you will ever hear for under $75 , you will ever experience ...The smooth bass response & the silk dome tweeters in these speakers are amazing ....Put on some soft coffee house jazz and experience the motion of sound they produce ....I am using a 50w per channel 4ohm amp and the woofers barely even move at 3/4 volume & the bass is so smooth ..You will not find a more comprehensive sounding speaker on the market at this price range ... These MK-402s are NOT near field speakers ....

These speakers have absolutely no business sounding as good as they do for $70 a pair! Very smooth and accurate sound; good imaging; bass extension is completely unexpected from a 4-inch woofer.I’m using them with a TV, driven by an old amp I had lying around, to provide two-channel sound from a TV. Vast improvement, of course, over built in TV speakers, but they’re so good that I’m finding myself listening to music through them too.Only complaint is that build quality doesn’t seem all that great, although it’s still better than expected for a $70 pair of speakers. For example, when I tightened down the binding posts on speaker wire, the whole posts started to turn. I got worried about breaking an internal wire, so I backed off and used banana plugs. Then the banana plugs don’t go in very far and aren’t being held in place very tightly.Overall, highly recommended!

I’ve been doing “audio”, for over 50 years. I have owned so many speakers, made by different companies, that I have lost count. The Dayton MK402, is a well engineered speaker. The sound is very neutral. You can listen to these little gems, for hours, and not have any “ listener fatigue.” If you want to “fill in” the low end, your going to need a subwoofer. Pick up a Dayton eight inch sub, and you will have a system, that you can be pleased with, for many years. Remember any small bookshelf speaker, needs a subwoofer, no matter what the price, of the speakers. This little speaker made by Dayton Audio, is a champion, people will collect, years from now. Years from now these little speakers, will still be rockin, when others have long since been retired. Purchase them, you just can’t go wrong here.

deep, heavy bass for the size, dynamic sound.