Teac LS-X8 Mkii Review

The quality of electronics have moved on, however speakers have changed very little. So I decided to do a short review of Teac LS-X8 Mkii (aka Teac LS-X8Mkii) because there is not a mention of this model on the Internet and you may have the opportunely to get a pair second had.

First impressions is the very heavy weight construction making it ideal for use as a shot-put without damaging it, however grit would get stuck inside the fixed grill that can not be removed without some how taking the speakers apart.

They come with wall brackets, but I did not to attach them. The speakers have no bass ports so they can be kept anywhere in the room (please read my Speaker Positioning article).

I hooked it up to my lively NAD and a neutral Teac CRH255 and it was obvious they are quieter than my other speakers and so the volume had to cracked up more than usual.

The large tweeter gave the speakers remarkably clear treble. The (bass) speaker was small but had a proportionally huge driver giving decent midrange and good instrument separation. Vocals are very nice and natural.

The bass was nice and fast and stubborn bass guitars tuneful and separated. I would have preferred a bit more bass weight (impossible for speakers this small). Overall the LS-X8Mkii was remarkable at producing chill and rock music including 'The Fratellis' and 'Jack Johnson' and even some dance music. However there is a problem with the bass if you listen to certain types of music requiring extreme lows such as ambient, house or dark classical piano becuase the extreme lows are completely absent. As a result Murcof sounded awful. Despite bold claims by manufacturers you simply can not produce extreme lows with speakers this small. It is no good turning the bass knob up becuase that only increases the mid bass frequencies so if you listen to this type of music you will need a sub (provided your amp can take one) . I wish I had an active sub to test on as I am convinced this set up would be awesome.

The Teac LS-X8 Mkii is overall a good performer with solid construction, decent mid range, good instrument separation and fast tuneful mid bass... if you have a active sub expect some magic Rating 8.5/10