Short answer: the EAW MKC50. It ranks #9 of 39 compact 5 to 6.5-inch pa speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $375; the Meyer Sound Ultra X23 ranks #20, rated 3.3/5, and costs $5,540, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The EAW MKC50 is the more accurate option. A tiny passive coaxial speaker with very wide coverage and solid output, small enough to tuck into a wall or corner. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 3.37 against 1.73 for the Meyer Sound Ultra X23. The catch: 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.
The Meyer Sound Ultra X23 is the deeper-bass pick. A very wide coverage self-powered speaker, built for close-in fill with listeners far off to the sides. Its bass reaches about 71Hz before falling 3dB, against 103Hz for the EAW MKC50. The tradeoff: Manufacturer measurements give a 1.73 standalone and 4.53 ideal-subwoofer preference score, well below its narrower-coverage Meyer Sound Ultra X20 and Meyer Sound Ultra 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 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
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Specifications Side By Side
| EAW MKC50 | Meyer Sound Ultra X23 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $375.00 each Passive | $5,540 |
| Ranked | #9 of 39 in Compact 5 to 6.5-Inch PA Speakers | #20 of 39 in Compact 5 to 6.5-Inch PA Speakers |
| Rigging | 4 x M5 threaded pattern for wall or ceiling bracket | 4 x M8 inserts; 4 x M6 wall-mount holes; optional pole adapter |
| Passive | Yes | No |
| 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) | 27.1 lbs (12.3 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) |
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