... Regardless, I don't think anyone is jumping up to sell their MLs for another stat design.
Got that right, my friend. About the only stats that even tempt me are the huge Soundlabs. But I understand those are rather high-maintenance. And even those are curved (albeit, curved array of cells).
... What intrigues me about Roger's speaker is the external amp with external crossover that he uses to power and the woofers and integrate them with the panels. Seems like it makes a lot more sense and is a lot more flexible than what ML gives us with the Summit. The proof is in how they sound, of course. I haven't heard them so I can't speak to that.
…
Actually, this is an area where I believe ML needs to step up the game. On high-end products like the Summit, it should be possible to easily bypass the internal crossovers and use a flexible speaker processor, or the crossovers that are now showing up in more pre-pros (TacT, Lyngdorf, Denon AVP-HD1). And since most (all?) of those have speaker/room correctors, they can time align and EQ the components of the speaker much easier than the manual version I use with the DBX’s.
It’s a shame that the last ML to have external, replaceable x-over was the Monolith.
Well, not a problem if you happen to have a pair (right Cherian, JohnWA ?
)
Frankly, there is even an argument for a truly ‘statement’ like product (maybe based on the CLX) that includes a highly synergistic and tuned combination of speaker, processor (with room EQ) and amps.
I know everyone likes to pick their own amps, but it’s a crap shoot compared to a well researched and tuned system.
I always hold up Meridian digital speakers and processors of an example of how to do this well (although they are dynamic speakers). Go listen to a DSP7k or DSP8k based Meridian digital theater in a well setup room (but careful, that could get expensive
.
Here’s my recipe for the ideal ML active speaker system:
- Using a Summit panel, combined with a 6’ line array of 6” to 7” mid-bass dynamic drivers (gee, where’d I see that before) as the primary drive units.
- Pair with two or four subs (yeah, go read the Harmon paper on multiple subs). Say 4x Descent I’s.
- Use an Audessey or TacT based processor and room corrector to provide Preamp (optional) and core speaker processing functions (three-way crossover, delay management, EQ and Room EQ).
- Use two dual channel Sanders amps, one for panels and one for the LineArray. Or high-end version, one dual channel for Line arrays, plus two monoblocks for Panels.
Put that in a correctly sized and treated room, and it should blow away pretty much anything. :rocker:
