System #59 (Summit)

New Summits

1. Member Name: Rudy Tagle

2. Location: Orange County, California

3. ML Model(s): Summits, Theater i, Descent

4. Year Purchased: 2005

5. Mods/Changes: none

6. Associated Electronics:

Boston Acoustics VRi 595 surround ceiling speakers
Fujitsu P63XHA40US plasma display
Parasound Halo A51, A21 amps
Parasound Halo C1 controller
Parasound Halo T3 tuner
Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M DVD player
Kenwood Sovereign Entre entertainment hub
Denon Laser Disc player
Monster HTPS 7000SS power conditioner
Monster AVS 2000SS voltage stabilizer
Richard Gray 400 Pro power enhancer

7. Comments and/or stories about your Martin Logan experience:
Although my system is still in the break in stage yet, the speakers are starting to be transparent with good dynamics and soundstage. Can't wait until it fully broken in. Meanwhile we are enjoying the whole system immensely.

SWEET!! Nice looking setup! (Nice looking room too!)

Will you be experimenting with speaker placement?

Very nice.

When you get your summits broken in, try pulling them out from the wall more; Say 12” or so. Also you may want to acoustically treat the inside of your entertainment center behind the Theater center channel.

Entertainment centers are typically US... Here in Europe, we give our speakers the space to breathe...

But nice setup nonetheless...! You might want to experiment pulling the Summits into the room some more, they need at least 3-4 feet behind them to give their best.

You are a lucky, lucky man. Please share your thoughts on how they sound when you have a chance. Would also be nice to see a picture of them glowing at night.

Enjoy!

Zip3kx07 said:

Very nice.


When you get your summits broken in, try pulling them out from the wall more; Say 12” or so. Also you may want to acoustically treat the inside of your entertainment center behind the Theater center channel.

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Any suggestions on what kind of acoustic treatment I should use and how to do it?

I will certainly experiment with speaker placements and would be happy to give the feedback.

Thanks for the suggestions. Any more?

Welcome aboard!!! Great system.. We are all looking forward to your participation and comments on your Summits.

Tom.

TomDac said:

Welcome aboard!!! Great system.. We are all looking forward to your participation and comments on your Summits.

Tom.

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Thanks for your help Tom. Rest assured I will provide the feedback on the Summits as I go along.

rtagle said:

Any suggestions on what kind of acoustic treatment I should use and how to do it?

I will certainly experiment with speaker placements and would be happy to give the feedback.

Thanks for the suggestions. Any more?

Click to expand...

You could mount the center on the ceiling or pull it out on to the floor when you want better sound. The sub could go into the corner if you pull the speakers out a few feet into the room.

You could add a tube preamp with theater pass through for music.

Also, I could see your room painted the faux green displayed on your TV.

Great system!!!

Rudy,

Awesome system! I love, your beautiful wall cabinetry... Is that a, rosewood or cherry finish, on your cabinets? Are your Summits finished in, Natural Cherry, also? I was wondering, what your room dimensions are? Also, what kind of cabling (Speakers and interconnects) are you using?

I have a suggestion, for your consideration... you might try, covering the center cabinet, with a matching cherry / rosewood pannel, then mounting the Theater i, on the outside of that panneled cabinet. The Theater i, would be, essentually, in the same position, just outside of the cabinet, and in the room, as it were, if you see what I mean... IMHO, your Theater i, would then, be able to image more clearly, and be in better - senergy / harmony, with your Summits, which as you know, is so very important, i.e., Center and Front speakers working closely together are so important in HT. It's just a thought...

You have a beautiful system, Rudy, and I can tell, you have worked very hard, and it shows. You will have to let us know how your speakers sound, once they are fully broken-in. I almost forgot, Welcome to the, 'Martin Logan Owners Club'.

Enjoy!!!!

-Robin

rtagle said:

Any suggestions on what kind of acoustic treatment I should use and how to do it?

I will certainly experiment with speaker placements and would be happy to give the feedback.

Thanks for the suggestions. Any more?

Click to expand...

We had a member on the old site that was suggesting using Black Hole 5 acoustic treatment inside his Martin Logan’s for better bass performance. I would start there. http://www.soniccraft.com/parts/blackhole5.htm

If you check out my system you will see I had to place my Theater center under the TV in the cabinet. It was a perfect fit, and worked well, the back of the cabinet is open so I still get some of the electrostatic bi-polar sound. However the cabinet and glass shelf defiantly had a negative effect on the sound. I had some dynamat left over from a car audio install that I used to line the inside of the cabinet with, it did help but not enough to recommend some one go out and spend the money to do it.

After the dynamat I laid a thick towel over the glass, and purchased a roll of foam egg crate (for softening a bed) for about $10.00. I cut the egg crate into sections and laid the sections inside the cabinet. The change was pretty dynamic and easy to do.

Robin said:

Rudy,

Awesome system! I love, your beautiful wall cabinetry... Is that a, rosewood or cherry finish, on your cabinets? Are your Summits finished in, Natural Cherry, also? I was wondering, what your room dimensions are? Also, what kind of cabling (Speakers and interconnects) are you using?

I have a suggestion, for your consideration... you might try, covering the center cabinet, with a matching cherry / rosewood pannel, then mounting the Theater i, on the outside of that panneled cabinet. The Theater i, would be, essentually, in the same position, just outside of the cabinet, and in the room, as it were, if you see what I mean... IMHO, your Theater i, would then, be able to image more clearly, and be in better - senergy / harmony, with your Summits, which as you know, is so very important, i.e., Center and Front speakers working closely together are so important in HT. It's just a thought...


Enjoy!!!!

-Robin

Click to expand...

You have a beautiful system, Rudy, and I can tell, you have worked very hard, and it shows. You will have to let us know how your speakers sound, once they are fully broken-in. I almost forgot, Welcome to the, 'Martin Logan
Owners Club'.



Thanks Robin!

The cabinet is more of a cherry finish. We just matched the same finish with the wall unit on the left of the cabinet. The Summits are dark cherry. The room is 16' wide and 38' long (including the kitchen area) and 9' high. I used IXOS cables and interconnects.

Right now, the Theater i is sounding great and blends well with the Summits. In fact it's kinda transparent already. it sounds just like the other Theater i I heard that were placed in the open. I would like to consider everybody's suggestion of putting the Theater i outside the cabinet. The big problem (which is common in this hobby) is the wife will go berserk!

You are right about the work that was put into the design, construction and installation of the cabinet including the whole set up. It involved not only myself and my wife but also the AV installer (who is an ML Signature dealer and also a creative designer..sound and looks), his crew and the cabinet maker. I started this project in February and just got done 3rd week of July. Everyone involved must be happy...the wife with how it looks...the AV designer with how it will sound and ventilate and the cabinet maker on how he will make it. With everything tied up together, I was happy. I never realized how extensive and expensive this has gotten. But just like building a house, you kept upgrading and upgrading until you got what you want.

That being said, I will start experimenting with stuff that will not cost me anything, i.e. speaker placement, acoustics, etc. before I jump to another level. The only thing I want to get right now is a better DVD player and I'm looking at the Denon 5910. Until then, I have to rest my pocket book first.

I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions. Will definitely give more feedback soon.

Rudy, very nice system.

rtagle said:

I would like to consider everybody's suggestion of putting the Theater i outside the cabinet. The big problem (which is common in this hobby) is the wife will go berserk!

Click to expand...

Let me help...

A beautiful HT...

Rudy,

I just knew, you had worked very hard, to fasion / create your beautiful HT..., but your discription of all of the details,... WOW! Your HT is just simply wonderful. You must really feel, a true since of accomplishment, after all you family has been through, to make the HT, a reality. Well, it looks really beautiful, Rudy...

I have been very paitently, waiting for the future, i. e., HD or Blue Ray or whatever the electronic industry desides, with the up-coming HD~DVD/ACD/CD players. I really want to buy, the next generation player, so,... I keep waiting and waiting and waiting..., While all the time saving, and saving, and saving. I know the next generation HD~DVD/CD players, already exsist and are being sold, in Japan, but that doesn't do me much good, here in the USA. Oh well, I just keep waiting and saving...

Enjoy your, truely awesome and exciting, Home Theater system.

-Robin

SugarMedia said:

Let me help...

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Thanks SugarMedia. That says it all....case closed!

SugarMedia said:

You are a lucky, lucky man. Please share your thoughts on how they sound when you have a chance. Would also be nice to see a picture of them glowing at night.

Enjoy!

Click to expand...

Here's how it looks at night. I didn't have a tripod so it won't be as sharp in low light. The light on the Summits can be barely seen since it's at the back of the panel.

Thanks. I suppose that they don't light up the whole panel like I had thought that they would, yeah?

On the other hand, if they did light up the panel and offered a bit more ambient lighting would that be a negative for you?

Regards,

SugarMedia said:

Thanks. I suppose that they don't light up the whole panel like I had thought that they would, yeah?

On the other hand, if they did light up the panel and offered a bit more ambient lighting would that be a negative for you?

Regards,

Click to expand...

SugarMedia,
I just got to audition the Summits the other day; the light is an EL “electro illumination” panel. It doesn’t throw light like an LED does; it glows like an indigo watch does. The Summits do have a dimmer knob; you can adjust the illumination of the light from no light to a faint glow to a bright glow, or any ware in between.

I noticed a ML Descent in the room. Are you using it with the Summits? For HT LFE?