Short answer: the EAW MKC50. It ranks #8 of 16 compact 5 to 6.5-inch pa speakers by sound quality (rated 3.6/5); the Meyer Sound Ultra X23 ranks #15 (rated 3.3/5).
What the EAW MKC50 does well: A 3.3kg coaxial cabinet with wide 110° x 110° coverage and a 121dB rating, small enough to hide in a wall or corner. The tradeoff: Bass reaches only about 103Hz (-3dB), so it needs a subwoofer for anything but speech, and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.469 is modest.
What the Meyer Sound Ultra X23 does well: The widest-coverage member of Meyer’s ULTRA-X20 family, with a 110° x 110° horn for close-in fill where listeners sit far off to the sides. The catch: Manufacturer measurements give a 1.73 standalone and 4.53 ideal-subwoofer preference score, well below its narrower-coverage X20 and X22 siblings, with a 4.1dB reference band.
Buy the EAW MKC50. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Meyer Sound Ultra X23.
Want more options? Browse the full PA & Live Sound rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| EAW MKC50 | Meyer Sound Ultra X23 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $375.00 each | - |
| Ranked | #8 of 16 in Compact 5 to 6.5-Inch PA Speakers | #15 of 16 in Compact 5 to 6.5-Inch PA Speakers |
| Configuration | Passive 2-way coaxial PA speaker | Self-powered 2-way concentric compact loudspeaker |
| Drivers | 5.25” low-frequency driver, 1” dome tweeter (coaxial) | 2x 5” cone woofers, concentric 2” compression driver |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Dimensions | 9.3”H x 6.5”W x 5.6”D (235 x 165 x 141 mm) | 19.1”H x 7.5”W x 8.6”D (484 x 191 x 218 mm) |
| Amplifier Power | Passive speaker; requires external amplification within the 150W handling rating | 860W peak, 3-channel Class D |
| Power Handling | 150W (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Maximum SPL | 121dB (manufacturer specified) | 123.5dB peak (M-Noise, ULTRA-X20 family, manufacturer specified) |
| Coverage | 110° x 110° | 110° x 110° |
| Sensitivity | 87dB | - |
| DSP | No (passive) | Yes |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 103Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) | 71Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.37 | 1.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.89 | 4.53 |
| XLR Input | No | Yes |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Microphone Input | No | No |
| Guitar Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | about 62.5Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How EAW MKC50 compares with other leading options:
- Meyer Sound Ultra X22 vs EAW MKC50
- EAW MKC60 vs EAW MKC50
- EAW MKC50 vs DB Audiotechnik 44S
- EAW MKC50 vs Meyer Sound Ultra X20
- Turbosound NuQ62 vs EAW MKC50
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
EAW MKC50: $375.00 each Passive Full Compass eBay
Pros: A 3.3kg coaxial cabinet with wide 110° x 110° coverage and a 121dB rating, small enough to hide in a wall or corner. Vendor Spinorama data gives preference scores of 3.37 standalone and 6.89 with an ideal subwoofer, with listening-window narrow-band deviation of 0.288. Measured bass extension of 103Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Bass reaches only about 103Hz (-3dB), so it needs a subwoofer for anything but speech, and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.469 is modest. It is passive, and the price is high for a 5-inch box.
Full EAW MKC50 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | Passive speaker; requires external amplification within the 150W handling rating |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 103Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Configuration | Passive 2-way coaxial PA speaker |
| Coverage | 110° x 110° |
| DSP | No (passive) |
| Dimensions | 9.3”H x 6.5”W x 5.6”D (235 x 165 x 141 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.25” low-frequency driver, 1” dome tweeter (coaxial) |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Guitar Input | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Maximum SPL | 121dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Optical Input | No |
| Power Handling | 150W (manufacturer specified) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Sensitivity | 87dB |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.37 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.89 |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Meyer Sound Ultra X23 eBay
Pros: The widest-coverage member of Meyer’s ULTRA-X20 family, with a 110° x 110° horn for close-in fill where listeners sit far off to the sides. Bass reaches 71Hz at -3dB from two 5-inch woofers around a concentric 2-inch compression driver, and a built-in 860W peak amplifier with Meyer processing makes it self-powered. Measured bass extension of 71Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Manufacturer measurements give a 1.73 standalone and 4.53 ideal-subwoofer preference score, well below its narrower-coverage X20 and X22 siblings, with a 4.1dB reference band. Output tops out around 123.5dB, and it is sold only through Meyer dealers.
Full Meyer Sound Ultra X23 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 860W peak, 3-channel Class D |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | about 62.5Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, vendor Spinorama data) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Configuration | Self-powered 2-way concentric compact loudspeaker |
| Coverage | 110° x 110° |
| DSP | Yes |
| Dimensions | 19.1”H x 7.5”W x 8.6”D (484 x 191 x 218 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 5” cone woofers, concentric 2” compression driver |
| Guitar Input | No |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Maximum SPL | 123.5dB peak (M-Noise, ULTRA-X20 family, manufacturer specified) |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Optical Input | No |
| RCA Input | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 1.73 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 4.53 |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| XLR Input | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons