McIntosh
McIntosh may be best known for its receivers and amplifiers – the ones with the iconic blue-backlit VU meters – but the American audio brand has also produced some fine speakers over the years. Today, the company decided to resurrect its first model — the ML1 — keeping the full vintage feel of the 1970s era with a boxy, wooden body, while completely updating the audio components. Getting a new ML1 MKII won’t come cheap; each speaker will sell for $6,000 — and that doesn’t include the cost of the optional (but highly desirable) matching wooden stand, complete with aluminum McIntosh badge.
McIntosh ML1 MKII (left) and the original ML1 McIntosh
“Although we’ve been making speakers for over five decades,” said McIntosh president Charlie Randall in a press release, “the ML1 will always be our first and holds a special place in our hearts here at McIntosh.”
On the outside, the MKII closely resembles the original, with oiled solid American walnut cabinets and satin veneers. The removable grille features the same signature wooden cross beam and black acoustic fabric.
McIntosh
Inside is a different story. The MKII, which can be bi-amplified or bi-wired thanks to a double set of gold-plated connectors on the back of the cabinet, is a four-way speaker with five separate drivers: one 12-inch woofer in a sealed polypropylene cone and dust cover with suspension from synthetic rubber; two 4-inch woofers in a sealed sub-cabinet also with polypropylene diaphragms and dust covers with synthetic rubber suspension; one 2-inch soft dome upper midrange; and one 3/4-inch titanium dome tweeter.
A custom crossover network ensures that each of these drivers gets the right set of frequencies, including that huge woofer, which McIntosh claims can go all the way down to 27Hz, approaching the limits of low-frequency human hearing. The company suggests that most people won’t feel the need to add a subwoofer.
McIntosh
McIntosh also points out that the four-way design and crossover network give the MKII much more dispersion than traditional speakers, which should make a cozy spot as big as a whole room.
McIntosh
These components can handle up to 600 watts of amplification. Unlike the original, they use a fully symmetrical layout, so there’s no need for a separate left or right speaker — the MKII can be used for either side. Another departure from the 1970s-era ML1 is the ability to run the MKII without any additional external EQ. The first generation ML1 was somewhat notorious for needing a McIntosh EQ unit to hear the speaker’s full potential.
McIntosh also recently released a new Dolby Atmos AV receiver, as well as limited edition Grateful Dead wireless speakers.
The ML1 MKII will be available through authorized McIntosh dealers for $6,000 per speaker ($12,000 per pair) from July 2023. The company has not yet announced pricing for the optional speaker stands.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn