Mordaunt-Short MS100

Mordaunt-Short MS100 loudspeaker.

Norman Mordaunt is one of a select band whose names stand high in the field as designers of first-class loudspeakers. Over a span of about 20 years he has created such famous systems as the Duplex and the Arundel. His recent commercial collaboration with Mr Rodney Short has brought about the simultaneous launching of no less than seven speaker systems. The MS100 is the baby of the family and measures just 18 x 11 x 9 inches. Small it may be, but a casual glance or listen soon shows it to be a quality product. It weighs a substantial 31 lb. and contains three carefully matched drive units. The bass driver contributes a fair proportion of the weight. It is an 8-inch Kelly model with an enormous 6-inch magnet and a flat pistonlike diaphragm of moulded plastic. Efficiency is high, wide excursions are possible without distortion and the bass resonance is down around 47 Hz even in this small cabinet. Above 800 Hz an EMI mid-range unit takes over and from 5,000 Hz there is a tiny tweeter. The crossover network uses top quality components on a printed circuit board. A feature of all the Mordaunt-Short range is the fine craftsmanship of the cabinets, both from the appearance and the performance aspects. The main carcass is of smartly veneered i-inch board and the back is of finch chipboard, also veneered and fastened with 10 bronze screws so that placing the MS100 on a room-divider, for example, will not reveal the usual unsightly back view. The grille cloth is grey with black stripes and effectively transparent to sound. Construction is impeccable and a lining of absorbent wool helps to damp internal resonances.Impedance is nominally 8 Ohms and should suit all types of amplifier. The power handling capacity is quoted in the "speech and music" rating. This is perhaps a pity from the point of view of academic standards but at least tells the purchaser that amplifiers rated at up to 25 Watts per channel, or a bit more, may be used with impunity.

  

Test Result

''A pair of MS 100 loudspeakers was coupled to a high grade reproducing system and compared with known (large) speakers. Sensitivity was surprisingly high, unlike some other bookshelf models on the market. Music was reproduced with a wide frequency spread and pleasant balance. A small amount of mid-treble colouration could be detected but this was not of the sort which emphasises 'presence' or sibilants and cannot be regarded as serious. Speech was natural with remarkably little nasal prominence. Amplifier bass boost gave added firmness to music of all kinds and seemed also to improve speech. Placing the loudspeaker in a corner of the room had a similar bassreinforcing effect and is strongly recommended. The spread of treble across the face of the unit was commendably wide so that a corner placement will not mean loss of brightness.The measured axial response at 1 metre, centred on the two high frequency units. This is a well-balanced curve with only one longish peak and trough, no doubt functions of the precise microphone position. The polar curves confirm the useful spread at 1,000 Hz and expected narrowing. Mordaunt-Short MS 100 axial response 10,000 Hz. Waveform was excellent and the output was visible up to 20,000 Hz and down to 28 Hz. Attempts to overload the speaker were not very successful and no signs of waveform clipping could be detected at well over 15 Watts continuous sinewave. The small dimensions of the MordauntShort MS 100 make it most suitable for situations where space is limited. Nevertheless, it deserves to be coupled to good quality equipment and in other ways treated as what it is—a serious and highly successful bid to produce acceptable quality in small bulk. Where space and purse allow, it would make very good sense to visit your local hi-fi specialist and ask to hear the bigger guns in this new pedigree strain of Mordaunt-Short loudspeakers.''

J.B.

SPECIFICATION  MORDAUNT-SHORT MS100 LOUDSPEAKER

Type: Infinite baffle

Drive Unit Diameters: 

Low Frequency :  8,3-inch

High Frequency :  1-inch

Crossover Frequencies:  800 and 5,000 Hz

Frequency Response:  45 - 15,000 Hz

Power Handling Capacity:  25 W (Speech and music)

Impedance:  8 Ohms

Dimensions (W x H x D):  205 x 325 x 225 mm (8,9 x 11,8 x 8 inch)

Finish:  Teak or Walnut

Weight:   4,5 kg

Manufactured by MordauntShort Ltd., 12 Hollywood Road, London, SW10.