One thing's for sure, as far as pretty much any home entertainment system is concerned. No matter how advanced the display and video signal source might be, in order to enjoy a truly immersive cinematographic or audiophile experience, one will need a high-end audio system. However, such advanced speaker systems do come at a price (a pretty hefty one, quite often), and, to some extent, that's also the case with Mackie's latest releases, the HD1531 and HD1521 models.

These speaker systems are a part of the company's HD Series, designed to combine high raw power with an impressive sound quality. Both systems feature the maker's Class-D Fast Recovery amplification system, as well as a High-Definition Audio Processing system, which incorporates next-generation Mackie “Active” electronics and makes very good use of Mackie’s acoustic correction processing. Additionally, the compact, yet rugged, all-wood enclosure offers superior protection and a clean, unimposing look that will blend seamlessly into almost any environment.

Now, let's talk a bit about the features that actually tell these two devices apart. Hence, the HD1531 is a three-way high-definition-powered loudspeaker, which can attain a peak power of 1800W. It's built using custom-designed transducers by EAW and comes equipped with a 15-inch neodymium woofer with 3-inch voice coil, 6-inch high-output mid-range transducer and a 1.75-inch titanium compression driver. Furthermore, it incorporates an optimized wide-dispersion WaveFront high/mid horn system, all packed within a fairly compact and portable body (just around 96 lbs.).

The HD1521, on the other hand, is a two-way system, featuring a maximum power of 1600W. Its transducers are also custom-designed and quite similar to those of its more powerful sibling, but it loses the 6-inch mid-range transducer. The form factor is pretty small, the audio device weighing just around 80 pounds.

As mentioned right from the start, these two systems are a bit on the expensive side ($1,200 for the HD1531 and $1,000 for the HD1521), but they're worth the price, given the advanced level of audio quality they can provide.


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