Martin Logan Summit X - Hi-Fi News November 2009

Hi-Fi News Spire review thread.

Hi-Fi News just popped through the post a few hours ago, with a Summit X review. It also has a 60th Anniversary McIntosh C22/MC75 review too (at £15,995 a set - phew!).

Curiously the Summit X scores 85% - 1 less than the Spire did. Also pair matching seems even worse at +/- 4.7 Db. For an explanation of this, please read the link above.

MLs sensitivity rating is also incorrect, but there's no change there, really. They always fib a bit. In reality, it hits 87Db and not the 91 claimed.

The review was by Ken Kessler, and the speaker was awarded Editor's Choice - so the prose concerning the speaker's sonic capability is positive.

User211 said:

Hi-Fi News Spire review thread.

Hi-Fi News just popped through the post a few hours ago, with a Summit X review. It also has a 60th Anniversary McIntosh C22/MC75 review too (at £15,995 a set - phew!).

Curiously the Summit X scores 85% - 1 less than the Spire did. Also pair matching seems even worse at +/- 4.7 Db. For an explanation of this, please read the link above.

MLs sensitivity rating is also incorrect, but there's no change there, really. They always fib a bit. In reality, it hits 87Db and not the 91 claimed.

The review was by Ken Kessler, and the speaker was awarded Editor's Choice - so the prose concerning the speaker's sonic capability is positive.

Click to expand...

Justin, thanks. Any memorable quotes from Kessler?

Did he compare the X to the Spire? to the old Summit, his reference?

Thanks

Actually, he expressed surprise that the Spire didn't simply replace the Summit. There were no direct comparisons with the Spire or the Summit, but he stated that for the price diiference, it would have to be instantly audibly superior, and implied that it was by stating it is the best hybrid they have ever produced.

There was a strange statement I didn't quite understand - because the crossover point is 270Hz, the company suggests that it operates as a dipole down to 160Hz How so? Is this related to the varying woofer phasing implemented by Mr Vojtko around the crossover point? I can't see that being the case, so any ideas on that statement, anyone? I'm assuming it's just talking about the roll-off in output of the panel at below 270Hz.

The speaker produces useful output down to around 20Hz (but note ML state 24Hz here)... so no Descent should be necessary. Indeed Ken switched off his Descent and received outstanding bass performance on a Blu Ray disc of Alice Cooper performing School's Out.

There's a number of comments made about the bass controls and lighting etc, and the usual subjective statements concerning particular recordings.

He seemed impressed that few speakers are capable of disappearing and delivering massive bass, implying that the Summit X does exactly this.

But, as usual, you can't tell what it sounds like from the review... the only way is to hear a pair

Both models are "stuck" with too high of a crossover point, mostly due to the width of the panels and the roll-off related to same...I wish they would re-create the Monoliths... as good as the new models are vocals coming from floor level do not mix quite right.

Bang on agree, actually. £13K+ over here for a speaker that size - I'd want more scale for my money. I'd imagine it sounds pretty similar to the Summit but better in some respects. But a Summit never did sound huge.

I've never been able to understand the high crossover point either. It's more than half the piano keyboard!!

The older models were much lower and I'm not quite sure what they're doing here......

I also really really don't understand the crossover difference between the Summit and Spire / Vista and Vantage - same panel here, so why a different crossover?