System #142 (Ascent i)

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llm32514

Guest
1. Member Name: Lyle Marsh

2. Location: Binghamton, New York (Upstate)

3. ML Model(s): Ascent i

4. Year Purchased: 2006 (new)

5. Mods/Changes: none at this time

6. Associated Electronics:
McIntosh MC352 power amplifier
McIntosh C45 pre-amp
McIntosh MVP-861 SACD/DVD-A/CD player
Music Hall MMF-5 turntable with Shure v15vxMR cartridge
Hitachi 50" CineForm LCD projection
Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player with HDMI

Accessories:
Cardas XLR between CD player and preamp
Cobalt Cable XLR between preamp and amp
Cobalt Cable speaker cables
Cobalt Cable power cable for amp
VPI 16.5 record cleaner
MusicDirect MD150 record stand
Gingko Cloud 10 turntable platform
VTI amp stand
Sanus NF204 audio rack
Richard Gray 400-MKII amp line conditioner
AKG K501 headphones
Monster Home Theater Power Center HTS1000

7. Comments and/or stories about your ML experience:
My passion for music has led me down a treacherous (and expensive) path to finding the perfect sounding speaker! At last I think I've arrived with my new ML Ascent I's. I thought I came close with my last pair of speakers which I owned for nearly 7 years. Those were the incredible Vandersteen 3A Signatures. However, I gave them up without a fight once I heard the Ascent i's at a local audio shop. My Mac 352 drives them effortlessly with plenty of quick, deep bass for my Guns N' Roses moments. For those reviewers out there that claim this isn't a rocker's speaker I say bunk. I have very eclectic musical tastes; one minute it's Nirvana and the next Tony Bennett. Drive it with enough power and they'll rock with the best of them. The Ascent i's are simply amazing loudspeakers.

As my brief bio illustrates above I live in Binghamton, NY which you may or may not know is the home of McIntosh Laboratories. My buddy from high school is their senior mechanical engineer so I have an opportunity to see and hear all the new stuff! If you are ever passing through this neck of the woods it's a great place to stop for a tour. No fast paced assembly lines just honest to goodness hand assembly complemented with state-of-the-art tooling. Anyway, I chose the C45 because I thought it offered the best of all worlds. It's completely analog with six channel inputs. So all I have to do is add additional amplification, speakers and I have 5.1 surround sound without giving up my 2-channel sound quality. Let's face it, I like Russell Crowe beating the snot out of some barbarian as much as the next guy but 99.9% of all listening I do on my system is stereo.

I don't plan on any upgrades at this time although some day I'd like to purchase another MC352 and bi-amp my Ascent's. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you!
 

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Great Ascent i / McIntosh System...

Lyle,

Welcome to the ML Club! :D
Beautiful Ascent i's. ;) I totally agree with you, Ascent i's sound fantastic with all kinds of music. Your McIntosh 352 amplifier is so awesome. :D What kind of stand is the MC 352 on?

Excellent set-up. :)
 
So how about some more pictures with the rest of your electronics included?

We'd like to see more!

Very nice system, welcome aboard.
 
Additional pictures.
 

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Additional pics.
 

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Last picture!
 

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MiTT said:
So how about some more pictures with the rest of your electronics included?

We'd like to see more!

Very nice system, welcome aboard.

Thank you! I just added the rest of them this evening.
 
Beautiful Photo's

Lyle,

;) Excellent additional digital photographs. You really know how to take a good photo. I can really see your components up close and personal, which is wonderful. Thanks for sharing... :D
 
Beat_Dominator said:
Are those AKG K501's that I see?? I LOVE mine.

Looks like an awesome room you have there to relax in :)

Thank you. And yes those are 501's you see, you've got good eyes! They're fabulous.
 
I like your system. I have Ascents Is also (system 99). Just a suggestion, you may want to put some sort of treatment on that wall behind the Ascents. Paneling is going to be really reflective. Even something as simple as a wall hanging or a curtain panel behind each speaker will probably improve your sound. I have bookcases behind mine to act as moderate diffusers. I'm just now starting to experiment with more-significant acoustic treatments.

The suspended ceiling and carpeted floor are good; they'll help attenuate those reflections.

I love the equipment rack. Do the front standards twist as they go up?
 
SteveInNC said:
I like your system. I have Ascents Is also (system 99). Just a suggestion, you may want to put some sort of treatment on that wall behind the Ascents. Paneling is going to be really reflective. Even something as simple as a wall hanging or a curtain panel behind each speaker will probably improve your sound. I have bookcases behind mine to act as moderate diffusers. I'm just now starting to experiment with more-significant acoustic treatments.

The suspended ceiling and carpeted floor are good; they'll help attenuate those reflections.

I love the equipment rack. Do the front standards twist as they go up?

Steve,
Great suggestion about the wall treatments. I'm still experimenting with placement so I'll try to hang something up. Thanks. The front standards on the rack do not twist although they do appear to in the picture.
 
llm32514 said:
1. Member Name: Lyle Marsh

2. Location: Binghamton, New York (Upstate)

3. ML Model(s): Ascent i

4. Year Purchased: 2006 (new)

5. Mods/Changes: none at this time

6. Associated Electronics:
McIntosh MC352 power amplifier
McIntosh C45 pre-amp
McIntosh MVP-861 SACD/DVD-A/CD player
Music Hall MMF-5 turntable with Shure v15vxMR cartridge
Hitachi 50" CineForm LCD projection
Toshiba SD-5970 DVD player with HDMI

Accessories:
Cardas XLR between CD player and preamp
Cobalt Cable XLR between preamp and amp
Cobalt Cable speaker cables
Cobalt Cable power cable for amp
VPI 16.5 record cleaner
MusicDirect MD150 record stand
Gingko Cloud 10 turntable platform
VTI amp stand
Sanus NF204 audio rack
Richard Gray 400-MKII amp line conditioner
AKG K501 headphones
Monster Home Theater Power Center HTS1000

7. Comments and/or stories about your ML experience:
My passion for music has led me down a treacherous (and expensive) path to finding the perfect sounding speaker! At last I think I've arrived with my new ML Ascent I's. I thought I came close with my last pair of speakers which I owned for nearly 7 years. Those were the incredible Vandersteen 3A Signatures. However, I gave them up without a fight once I heard the Ascent i's at a local audio shop. My Mac 352 drives them effortlessly with plenty of quick, deep bass for my Guns N' Roses moments. For those reviewers out there that claim this isn't a rocker's speaker I say bunk. I have very eclectic musical tastes; one minute it's Nirvana and the next Tony Bennett. Drive it with enough power and they'll rock with the best of them. The Ascent i's are simply amazing loudspeakers.

As my brief bio illustrates above I live in Binghamton, NY which you may or may not know is the home of McIntosh Laboratories. My buddy from high school is their senior mechanical engineer so I have an opportunity to see and hear all the new stuff! If you are ever passing through this neck of the woods it's a great place to stop for a tour. No fast paced assembly lines just honest to goodness hand assembly complemented with state-of-the-art tooling. Anyway, I chose the C45 because I thought it offered the best of all worlds. It's completely analog with six channel inputs. So all I have to do is add additional amplification, speakers and I have 5.1 surround sound without giving up my 2-channel sound quality. Let's face it, I like Russell Crowe beating the snot out of some barbarian as much as the next guy but 99.9% of all listening I do on my system is stereo.

I don't plan on any upgrades at this time although some day I'd like to purchase another MC352 and bi-amp my Ascent's. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you!
I would plug the power amp straight into the wall. That Richard Gray Box will choke the life out of your amp on loud trancients.
 

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