Hi folks, I have just registered, motivated to do so after auditioning a pair of ML Summits at local dealer. I am in the market for new speakers and am trying to hear everything that is available locally before I buy (and I do need to hear first). My room is largish, 25x20, and I currently have a decent set up with high power BAT SS amp, but I crave resolution and soundstaging which my current Legacy speakers really do not provide in sufficient detail.
I listened to the Summits less than 24 hours after spending a few hours with the local Wilson dealer (Watt Puppys were my choice there, good but....). The Summits really did seem to match the Watt Puppy on many levels but the dealer was using really good front-end with the Summit (Audio Research CD7, LS26m HD 220). My reservations with the Summits really came from listening to rock. On jazz, chamber, orchestral, blues, folk, they sounded really pleasant, detailed, and musical. But on hard rock (Deep Purple's Purpendicular album with Steve Morse on guitar) the speakers seemed to have a problem...the bass sounded about a half beat behind the music and the mid-bass down lacked finesse and control, I felt the sound sort of lumped into a boomy mess, an effect I have not experienced on other systems or speakers.
I know there is a popular myth that ML speakers cannot handle rock (and I am talking the music, not the volume, I listen relatively quietly) and this audition seemed to confirm this for me but I guess I am hoping it was just the room and the woofer settings......the dealer wants to try again, and I want these to work but...but.....I listen to everything and I will not accept a speaker that determines what I can listen to, I want it all.....so, is the Summit up to the task of doing it all or is it really a great chamber,classical, light jazz and acoustic music speaker......honest assessment welcomed. and thanks for this site, my brief few hours browsing suggest this is a group of music lovers like myself --
I listened to the Summits less than 24 hours after spending a few hours with the local Wilson dealer (Watt Puppys were my choice there, good but....). The Summits really did seem to match the Watt Puppy on many levels but the dealer was using really good front-end with the Summit (Audio Research CD7, LS26m HD 220). My reservations with the Summits really came from listening to rock. On jazz, chamber, orchestral, blues, folk, they sounded really pleasant, detailed, and musical. But on hard rock (Deep Purple's Purpendicular album with Steve Morse on guitar) the speakers seemed to have a problem...the bass sounded about a half beat behind the music and the mid-bass down lacked finesse and control, I felt the sound sort of lumped into a boomy mess, an effect I have not experienced on other systems or speakers.
I know there is a popular myth that ML speakers cannot handle rock (and I am talking the music, not the volume, I listen relatively quietly) and this audition seemed to confirm this for me but I guess I am hoping it was just the room and the woofer settings......the dealer wants to try again, and I want these to work but...but.....I listen to everything and I will not accept a speaker that determines what I can listen to, I want it all.....so, is the Summit up to the task of doing it all or is it really a great chamber,classical, light jazz and acoustic music speaker......honest assessment welcomed. and thanks for this site, my brief few hours browsing suggest this is a group of music lovers like myself --