My Summit X have arrived!!!

[houstonshark]

My Summit X arrived today and since my new house is not quite ready I unboxed them and am in the process of hooking them up in my store to break in.
I will post impressions as soon as I get them going.

Here are a few pics out of the box:

 

[audiolover[UK]]

im drooling id love to have those posted through my door.:music:

 

[Cherian]

I just noticed that the Summit X has only one set of binding posts. bi-wiring is not an option. ML must have thought this was too confusing because I know more than once it was assumed the Summits could be bi-amped.

 

[timm]

this is like waving a bottle of booze in front of a bunch of alcoholics!!! Congratulations.... that is brutal though -- you even show the tag on the binding posts!!! I can almost smell them........:rocker: I've decided....I'm sick....

 

[Gordon Gray]

Hi HS,

Did you have much experience with the original Summit?

If so, any comparisons you can make between the original and the "X" would be much appreciated.

GG

 

[mapmustang]

If you need a place to break them in, I will offer my house in the Cinco Ranch area.

 

[houstonshark]

Well, they are playing but in possibly one of the worst locations in my store. They fit nicely in the theater but I would have to competely rewire the room and move the JL Audio Gotham which is no easy task. I'm a little embarassed at what is running them but it was convenient. I'm using an Integra DTR7.8 and a Wadia 170i Transport.
My initial impression is that the bass sounds very well integrated and smooth.

I will report more back tomorrow with a few more pictures.

 

[twich54]

I'm a little embarassed at what is running them but it was convenient. I'm using an Integra DTR7.8 .

Embarassed ??? don't be, IMO, it's one of the best HT receivers for the $$ out there.
It will do a fine job 'running in' your new "X's"

 

[houstonshark]

The DTR7.8 is only there out of convenience. I have an Integra DHC9.9 and a Mark Levinson No433 that will be running them when they get moved to my home.

 

[urskog]

Sexy stuff! :bowdown:

 

[User211]

Tom - is there a vBulletin option to re-size remotely hosted images to within the site constraints you set for locally hosted ones?

Thanks for the pics Houston... enjoy

 

[wink]

SSWWWEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

You da man:bowdown:

Dan

 

[houstonshark]

Hi HS,

Did you have much experience with the original Summit?

If so, any comparisons you can make between the original and the "X" would be much appreciated.

GG

Gordon,

I do not have much experience with the original Summit and even if I did my memory is not that great since the last Summit I heard was about 2 years ago if not more.

I have listened for a bit today and the bass might be the most impressive part of the X. The subs are mated sooo well to the panel, better than I have ever heard from ML. I am not convinced though that I won't need a sub. It is hard to tell since the placement here in the store is so poor.

Here are a few more bad pictures:

BTW they are Summit X in Black Ash with Stainless Steel binding posts and white LED's. I had originally planned on taking them apart and having the cabinets wrapped in leather but I am still undecided on that. I have someone local who does excellent work.

 

[tonyc]

Houstonshark, those are some nice Summits! As I look at the pictures it appears that not only must they be single wired, they look like they only accept spades and not banana plugs. Is this true?

 

[houstonshark]

Houstonshark, those are some nice Summits! As I look at the pictures it appears that not only must they be single wired, they look like they only accept spades and not banana plugs. Is this true?

Keep in mind that the Stainless Steel binding posts are an option ($300). They only allow for either a spade connector, flex tip or bare wire. I believe the original binding posts still allow you to use banana plugs. The SS binding posts are sooo nice though.

 

[houstonshark]

I powered my Summit X down this morning after reaching 160 hours on them.

I haven't had an opportunity to do any real serious listening but I have sat down usually once a day for several songs to listen. The panels have seemed to open up nicely but the position in my store is really not ideal for staging. Although I thought the panel match to the cone drivers was incredible from the beginning it has however improved with time.

I am thoroughly convinced that I will still need a sub with the Summit X. It just doesn't have the low end presence I was hoping for. The whole reason I went for the Summit X versus the Spire was because I really don't have a great place to put a sub in my new home's living room and was hoping the 4 10" drivers would do it for me. I may be jumping the gun a bit though since my room will no doubt be better for the Summit X than where they are now in my store AND will easily have over twice the power with the Mark Levinson amp that will be used.

I will report back once I have some more time to listen.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Hi HS,

Based on your initial observations, do you think a sub is needed within the context of a two channel / music only system?

GG

 

[Audioseduction]

AND will easily have over twice the power with the Mark Levinson amp that will be used.

Isn’t for bass response the power of the amp is irrelevant since the woofers are self powered?

 

[houstonshark]

Isn’t for base response the power of the amp is irrelevant since the woofers are self powered?

Sorry, I wasn't necessarily referring to the amp increasing or improving the bass response but that in their final resting place in my house with the proper equipment they will sound different and certainly better than where they are now.

I didn't mean to run that statement about my room and the amp into my observations of the Summit X's bass performance. Obviously the amplifier which powers the panels should have no effect on the performance of the powered drivers in the Summit X.

 

[houstonshark]

Hi HS,

Based on your initial observations, do you think a sub is needed within the context of a two channel / music only system?

GG

Gordon,

Define 'needed'...

I think one could be perfectly happy with the Summit X alone in a 2ch system for music. I feel like you would have to have a pretty limited music collection to not benefit from a subwoofer with the Summit X.

My impression is a bit skewed relative to the output of the Summit X's bass drivers simply because I feel like their location is killing the output. For a short period we had the Anthony Gallo 5LS ($16k retail) speakers where the Summit X are and they too had limited bass output compared to other locations we have had them.

I plan on dragging 2 JL F110's over in the next week or so and will report back. I may however have to eat my words a bit in relation to the crossing-over (I just totally made up a term there!) of a main speaker and JL sub at 80hz since they do such a phenomenal job at integrating the bass to the ESL panel. I think they do very well from 40hz on up. The Summit X (again where they are now) seem to need some low end reinforcement from 30-35hz and down with most music I have thrown at them so far.