Loudspeakers

Finding the right speaker system to go with a wall-mounted TV can be tricky, but this one is built to deliver the same sort of dynamism and punch as full-size speakers, according to the makers.

I was sent a trio of XTR-50s on their own, but because they cross over quite high in the frequency range (around 100Hz) its UK distributor Pulse always recommends pairing them with one of its SuperCube subs – so I teamed it up with an Acoustic Energy Neo Sub instead.

The XTR-50s are recommended for TVs between 46 and 55in, but there’s a larger model, XTR-60, for 55-60in sets and XTR-40s for 40 to 42in sets. They can be used either vertically or horizontally as front or centre channels.

Build quality is sensational. The enclosures are crafted from what the company calls ‘aircraft grade’ extruded aluminium, making them some of the most rigid and robust flatpanel speakers I’ve seen. Their structural integrity is further improved internally by stiffening ribs and channels, which help to eliminate resonance.

Up close the gloss black finish oozes class and if you don’t want to wall-mount them, each speaker comes with a smoked tempered glass table stand. Connecting cables is quite fiddly, though; you need to plug a small, two-pin attachment into the back with screws to hold the wires, but it doesn’t feel secure.

The secret of Mythos’ svelte dimensions is its XTDD drivers, which have been squeezed down by eliminating wasted space and increasing the surface area. You’ll find two of these in each speaker, as well as four 3.5in bass radiators for added low-end oomph and a 1in aluminium dome tweeter.

Fire up a film and the Mythos system is a class act, delivering a sound that goes far beyond what you might expect from such slim speakers. Action scenes are punchy, while effects are sprayed into the room with considerable scope.

The Mythos easily teases out subtle background ambience and reproduces high frequencies with sparkling clarity, but when pushed to go loud I could detect hints of brightness in some of those high frequency sounds.

I also listened to the XTR-50s in isolation to test their natural bass response and found the sound lacking in depth and balance without an added subwoofer, which is no surprise given the shallowness of the enclosures.

All of which makes KEF’s T205 flatpanel system a better bet sonically, but Mythos is still a classy performer and deserves plaudits for its amazing build quality and miraculously slim dimensions.