Acent i vs Montis

[jbillallen]

I have presently owned a pair of Ascent i's for about 6 years. I was wondering if the Montis would a be a step up or a lateral move. Please advise..

 

[roberto]

Hola James and welcome. I will do the change right away. They are a totally different beasts. On one side, you have the old technology, which I still think they do sound superb, but with the new stat panels, you have more high frequency extension. Also, you have a 200 watt power amplifier driving the woofers. This, I do like it a lot. You are able to adjust the quantity of low frequency information to fill your room. You can precisely adjust the bass level. Also, I do like the inner detail, the air between instruments, the totally glare free of the voices, the right size of the musical instrument(s) and a huge stage. Of course, you have the same transparency that your Ascent I have. The Montis are more dynamic too. Now, this is my liking, and not necessary yours. Trust your ears, and choose the one that you liked most. Happy listening!

 

[jbillallen]

I should also add, that I am using a Depth I sub. I don't know if that would make a difference. I am also considering replacing my Musical fidelity a5 cd player with a Cary, your thoughts.

 

[roberto]

If you are going to play only stereo music, you do not need the sub. If you have a home theater, yes, a sub is good. Also, the Cary is a good player, but it will not be a day and night difference between the players. Cary will be a little more sweet and lay back presentation. Both players exhibit great image. Again, my vote is for the new Montis. I think it is one of the best products that Martin Logan had ever made. It is not the quantity of the bass, it is its quality. Also the panel is, again, to my liking, it is much, much better. Some members might disagree with me, others will confirm my statements. But again, this is my liking and not necessary yours. Happy listening.

 

[jmschnur]

I agree with Roberto's evaluation.


J

 

[edwinr]

The Montis is an outstanding speaker with incredible dynamics and tonal accuracy. As Roberto has remarked, the bass quality of the Montis is up there with the very best loudspeakers, regardless of price. I would go as far as saying the bass quality compares favorably with the active ATC SCM50asl speakers...

 

[Gordon Gray]

No comparison. Go with the Montis.

GG

 

[Rich]

Honestly, the Ascent i is a great speaker. You will probably notice a little more seamless integration between woofers and panels and cleaner, deeper bass in general, and definitely a smaller footprint. But unless those things are really important to you, I am not sure it is as big of a step up as people are saying, for the money.

 

[edwinr]

Rich, I used to think the same as you. But after auditioning the Montis (and subsequently buying a pair), I was stunned at what Martin Logan has achieved with this design.

 

[Tosh]

Before you blow your wad on the Montis, you could try going active xo on just the Ascenti's bass. You will need an electronic (active) xo set to 280Hz, 12dB/oct, bypass the internal low pass passive xo (inductor and cap), and a separate amplifier (and cables) for the bass....