System #401 (Ascent)

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cordovox

Active member
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
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Location
Lisbon, Portugal
1. Member Name: David

2. Location: Lisbon, Portugal

3. ML Model(s): Ascent

4. Year Purchased: 2010

5. Mods/Changes: No Mods. Changed the jumpers (they came w/ some sort of metal, already corrosed) by Kimber 8TC. Planning on achieving quality mains cables.

6. Associated Electronics:
- Sonic Frontiers SFL 1
- Vincent SP-331
- Vincent CD S1
- Pro-Ject RPM 9.1 X
- Denon DL 103
- Pro-Ject Tube Box SE (1st Edition)
- Acer Laptop (Foobar 2000 using only FLAC files)
- Arcam rDac
- Audioquest Cinnamon USB ( Laptop => rDac)
- Chord Silver Siren (rDac => SFL 1
- Chord Cobra Plus ( Tube Box => SFL 1
- Kimber KC1 ( CD S1 => SFL 1
- Kimber KC1 (SFL 1 => Vincent SP-331)
- Kimber 8TC for the ML's

Home Theater
Sony S-Master DVD Combo
Eltax Liberty Central Channel
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 Rear Channel

No Sub

I also own a vintage Pioneer SX-1050 receiver and a Technics SL-1210 MKII waiting to be connected

7. Comments and/or stories about your Martin Logan experience:

To own a pair of ML was a dream I had since quite young. I'm a music addict and I was always looking to get the best system my money could buy.
A bit more than a year ago (it was in March, I guess) I was navigating a site of the store where I already had bought some of the equipment when I faced with the Ascents for a great price. I went there and spoke to the owner, who happens to be a friend and showed him my interest in purchasing them, but I had not enough euros. So, I proposed to give him my other speakers (Infinity RS IIIB) and the rest in cash, which he accepted and in a couple of days, my new babies were in my living room.
Now, I confessed that, as soon as I turned the music on I felt bad, I said to myself that I have made a bad business, altough I had previously listen to them at this store. The sound was very veiled, extra weight on the bass and almost no treble. But then I tought, no, this can't be that bad, so, I left them playing and went to another room...

In the meantime, like, after half an hour later I went back to the living room and I was so happy. The sound was completely different.
Great bass, excellent open and detailed midrange and treble... This is it, I said.

Later I found out that the previous owner had them in his room, at the bottom of the bed and almost didn't play music. So they came to me almost new...

And they have been giving me, along with the rest of the equipment, many, many pleasures...
 

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Here's a couple of pics more...
 

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Last ones...
 

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I've been thinking about it. Besides, my wife sometimes needs the laptop for work. I have the Arcam rDac. will it work ok with the Squeezebox??. I don't need multiroom sound...
 
I have the Arcam rDac. will it work ok with the Squeezebox??. I don't need multiroom sound...

The Squeezebox will work with any S/PDIF or optical DAC, so yes. But, I believe the rDAC has wireless/streaming support also, doesn't it?. So maybe no need for a Squeezebox - not sure how it works though.
 
Well, I chose the rDac without wireless, because I don't really need streaming, as I have everything in the same listening room.
Anyway, replacing the laptop for the Squeezebox would be for 2 or 3 particular reasons, better SQ, space occupied on the furniture, remote control (altough I have a wireless keyboard).
In what regards space on the furniture, in january 2012, that big TV will be replaced by a LCD which will be hanged up on the wall, so, this will also be solved.
 
Welcome to the site, great looking setup. I used to have an SFL-1 just like yours (my first piece of tube gear). It was a wonderful preamp. I sometimes wish I never parted with it. Enjoy the music!
 
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