Monolith

[audiophileman1234]

Ok so we just heard the new summits and we have the monolith IIIx which we love. Though, we are thinking maybe we should get the summits and get rid of the monoliths. R system mostly consist of mark levinson products which we think r the best. Should we upgrade to the Summits or r the monoliths better?

 

[roberto]

Ok so we just heard the new summits and we have the monolith IIIx which we love. Though, we are thinking maybe we should get the summits and get rid of the monoliths. R system mostly consist of mark levinson products which we think r the best. Should we upgrade to the Summits or r the monoliths better?

Hola. The Monolith IIIx are great speaker, but if I were you, I will change them for the new Summits. The Summits are IMHO the best product of ML. The dynamics, and size of the instruments, the air between them, the stage, the micro details are breath taking. Your Monilith panels are the size of the CLSs and also you have a 12" woofer. But this new Summits offers more than that. You have 2 power digital amps of 200 W/each driving 2 woofers of 10" built in...You can control better your low frequency room resonance...you have controls at 25 Hz and 50 Hz +-10 dBs. Also, the sensitivity of the Summits panels are 92dBs, so now you can use small power amps (because they sound better than the big amps) even with Levinson to drive then easy. Go for them, you won´t regret it!!! Listen carfully both with the same music material, and make up your mind which you like most...trust your ears. Happy listening,
Pura vida,
Roberto.

 

[robertawillisjr]

Hola. The Monolith IIIx are great speaker, but if I were you, I will change them for the new Summits. The Summits are IMHO the best product of ML. The dynamics, and size of the instruments, the air between them, the stage, the micro details are breath taking. Your Monilith panels are the size of the CLSs and also you have a 12" woofer. But this new Summits offers more than that. You have 2 power digital amps of 200 W/each driving 2 woofers of 10" built in...You can control better your low frequency room resonance...you have controls at 25 Hz and 50 Hz +-10 dBs. Also, the sensitivity of the Summits panels are 92dBs, so now you can use small power amps (because they sound better than the big amps) even with Levinson to drive then easy. Go for them, you won´t regret it!!! Listen carfully both with the same music material, and make up your mind which you like most...trust your ears. Happy listening,
Pura vida,
Roberto.

Well they are ugly and expensive. I will wait 6 months and if an all panel model (ala CLS) doesn't appear, I'll dig deep and go B&W. I have been a ML owner for the past 14 years.

 

[JonFo]

Well, I’d take a very long and careful look at what you come out ahead on and what you might give up in this equation.

The panels on the Monoliths are outstanding, and as you have an active xover, the integration to the woofer is better than a passive design.

The new Summits have great panels and one of the best bass systems in the ML line so far, so the bass / lower midrange might be better on the Summit. What might not be as good is the max SPL the panel can do. Now, while they are more efficient, you have the advantage of already having adequate power for the Monoliths. That added panel surface of the Monoliths allows them play incredibly loud across their spectrum.
The challenge is to have a subwoofer that can keep up. My 4x15” Infinite Baffle sub handles that and them some.

My audition of the Summits left me with good impressions of the speaker, but it did not sound quite as good as my Monolith rig. But then, I’ve customized them to a pretty high degree (Speaker processors, woofer upgrades) and they are in a dedicated room specifically designed for them, so it’s bit of apples and oranges from a room perspective.

If I was starting out switching from dynamics, no question I’d get the Summits. Starting from Monoliths complicates the situation. Personally, I’m sticking with Monoliths.

 

[kwr]

Any chance of you getting the Summits into your room/system to compare directly with the Monoliths? This may be the only way to tell. I personally think Martin Logan have been playing catchup with their product line trying to achieve the sound of CLS/Monoliths with a smaller package. Maybe they have finally succeded.

Only you will be able to tell if the change is worthwhile.

Kevin

 

[ted betley]

To Jonfo

I just heard Summits yesterday and was blown away. I agree that the lower mids/upper bass are outstanding. To my way of thinking I have to either go active x-overs or go Summits. Remember I have Monoliths too and I upgraded my woofer as you suggested but the lower mids/upper bass while much much better are still reticent versus the Summits. Did your upper bass/lower mids get better with an active x-over? And remind me once again what you are using for x-overs/woofer driver amps please.