Mordaunt-Short Alumni Home Theater Speaker System

There are many loudspeakers to choose from and finding the right home theater speaker package can an extra-tough choice. If you are looking for new set of loudspeakers for your home theater, but don't want to crowd out your room with large floor standing speakers and a large box subwoofer, then check out the compact Alumni Loudspeakers from Mordaunt-Short. The system I reviewed consisted of an LCR speaker that housed all three front channels, two compact satellite speakers for surrounds, and a compact subwoofer. How did it all come together? Keep on reading...

1. Frequency Response: 100Hz – 20,000Hz

2. Sensitivity: 86dB (represents how loud the speaker is at a distance of one meter with an input of one watt).

3. Impedance: 4 to 8 ohms (can be used with amplifiers that have 4 or 8 ohm speaker connections)

4. Power Handling: 15 to 80 watts

5. Midrange Driver: 3-1/2-inches (4 total)

6. High-Frequency Driver 1" (3 total)

9. Dimensions: (H x W x D) 5" x 31.5" x 4.3"

11. Weight: 13.9 lbs

Product Overview - Satellite Speakers

1. Frequency Response: 100Hz – 20,000Hz

2. Sensitivity: 86dB (represents how loud the speaker is at a distance of one meter with an input of one watt).

3. Impedance: 4 to 8 ohms (can be used with amplifiers that have 4 or 8 ohm speaker connections)

4. Power Handling: 15 – 80 watts

5. Midrange Driver: 3-1/2-inches (1 each)

6. High-Frequency Driver 1" (1 each)

7. Dimensions: (H x W x D) 6.9-inches x 4.2" x 5.7"

8. Weight: 4.4lbs

9. Can be mounted on stand or wall.

1. Frequency Response: 35Hz - 200Hz (LFE - Low Frequency Effects)

2. Power Handling: 120 watts RMS

3. Phase: 0-180 degrees (Matches the in/out motion of the subwoofer driver with the main speakers).

4. Crossover Frequency: 150HZ (Adjustable from 25 to 150HZ).

5. Power On/Off: Main power switch (on/off) coupled with 2 way toggle (Auto Standby On/Off).

6. Dimensions: (H x W x D) (14.8 x 10.2 x 13.9")

7. Weight: 33lbs

8. Connections: Low-Level RCA Line inputs and High Level Speaker in/out connections.

For a physical look at the speakers described above, also check out my supplementary Photo Gallery

Home Theater Receivers: Onkyo TX-SR705 (used in 5.1 channel operating mode for this review) and Yamaha NeoHD YMC-700 Media Controller (on review loan from Yamaha).

Source Components: OPPO Digital BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player and OPPO DV-983H DVD Player. Note: The OPPO BDP-83 and DV-983H were also used to play SACD and DVD-Audio discs.

CD-only Player sources included: Technics SL-PD888 and Denon DCM-370 5-disc CD Changers.

Loudspeakers used in different setups included:

Loudspeaker System 1: 2 Klipsch F-2's, 2 Klipsch B-3s, Klipsch C-2 Center .

Loudspeaker System 2: 2 JBL Balboa 30's, JBL Balboa Center Channel, 2 JBL Venue Series 5-inch Monitor speakers.

Subwoofers: Klipsch Synergy Sub10 - System 1. Polk Audio PSW10 - System 2.

TV/Monitor: A Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 1080p LCD Monitor Display calibrated using SpyderTV Software.

Audio/Video connections made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables. 16 Gauge Speaker Wire used.

Additional Level checks made using a Radio Shack Sound Level Meter

16 Gauge Speaker Wire was used in all setups.

Standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: House of the Flying Daggers, The Cave, Kill Bill - Vol1/2, V For Vendetta, U571, Lord of Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, and U571

Blu-ray Discs used included scenes from the following: 300, Across The Universe, Bolt, Godzilla (1998), Hairspray, Iron Man, Night at the Museum, Quarantine, Rush Hour 3, Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour, The Dark Knight, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and Wall-E.

For audio only, various CDs included: HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones - Come Away With Me, Lisa Loeb - Firecracker, Blue Man Group - The Complex, Eric Kunzel - 1812 Overture, Joshua Bell - Bernstein - West Side Story Suite.

DVD-Audio discs included: Queen - Night At The Opera/The Game, Eagles - Hotel California, and Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Uninvisible, Sheila Nicholls - Wake.

SACD discs used included: Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon, Steely Dan - Gaucho, The Who - Tommy.

Content on CD-R/RWs was also used.

Proceed to Page 2 - Evaluation and Final Take