Was it a waste of money?

[Adamo]

Was it worth the money?

Hey Guys, I need your ML expertise on this one.
I love my Ascents and really didn't have a reason to purchase anything else, but along came a great opportunity to purchase Odysseys at a great price. I went ahead and pulled the trigger and am now wondering if I will see a sonic benefit. If the topic has been discussed already, I apologize, but I would really appreciate any feedback. I currently have buyers remorse and don't want to sell my Ascents, but I have heard that the Odysseys actually do sound superior when both aren't using the aid of a subwoofer. Everyone's feedback is welcome :bowdown:
Adam

 

[C.A.P]

Although I think the Summit will be somewhat better it doesn't give me a warm feeling when a $10,000 speaker needs a sub to sound its best !

 

[HsvToolFool]

My Summits definitely do NOT need a sub. On the other
hand, my room is medium size at about 21' by 17' with
9' ceilings.

 

[Craig]

The Ascents are a great speaker and if I didn't have Summits I could certainly live with the Ascents and a Descent sub as long they are driven with a clean powerful amp. They are a big speaker and make the Ascents look somewhat small by comparison.

They sound similar and can be hard to compare if in different rooms but if you put the Odysseys next to the Ascents you will hear a difference. Since you'll still have both models for at least for awhile you'll have the chance to do an A/B comparison. Don't expect a dramatic difference but the Odysseys are a little more fuller sounding than the Ascents and are capable of much better bass. If you have a strong clean SS amp you shouldn't need a sub but your personal preference, room size and acoustics will have a lot to do with needing a sub.

Odysseys respond very well to biamping because of the two 10" and 12" woofers. I think the Odysseys are a little more efficient than the Ascents and that is a benefit. Try using a good SS amp on the woofers and a tube amp on the panels for a great sonic experience.

 

[Adamo]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate the responses so far. I tried to change the name of the thread because I certainly wouldn't call the Ascents or the Odysseys wastes of money - that was a bit rash. Craig, I do feel that the ascents do very well on their own and only in very few songs do I feel like I want to bring the Velodynes into play ( I use dual Velo SPL1500Rs). I'm so nervous right now about the Odysseys being shipped, but They will be here monday and I'm praying that they arrive to me in perfect order. Bi-amping is an option, but I had thought of just bridging two amps dedicated (one to each Odyssey). Emotiva is coming out with an attractive piece that I am eager to try, the XPA-2s. I have purchased two of these to run the front Left and right channels. Bridged configuration offers over 1kw per channel. The specs look good, the price looks great. And with 30 days in home trial, I just had to give it a shot. The rest of the two channel is made up of a Denon 3930CI used as a transport, a Musical Fidelity TriVista 21 DAC, and a parasound 2100S pre amp. Interconnects are AQ Copperheads and a AQ VDM-1 digital coax. As far as room size, it's 13.8X23.8X8. The room is acoustically treated which helped dramatically as it was a bit on the bright side prior to treatments. Now it's smooth sailing =)

 

[Rich]

Although I think the Summit will be somewhat better it doesn't give me a warm feeling when a $10,000 speaker needs a sub to sound its best !

C.A.P., where do you get that nonsense from? He's talking about Ascents and Odysseys, not Summits. For the record, Summits absolutely do not need a subwoofer. They sound their best without one and I don't use my descent when I am listening to music on the Summits. I only use the subwoofer for home theater. Now the Ascents, that is another story. . . they sound best biamped and with a subwoofer in my experience.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Although I think the Summit will be somewhat better it doesn't give me a warm feeling when a $10,000 speaker needs a sub to sound its best !

C.A.P.,

Rest assured that the Summits have absolutely no problem producing a full, deep, well defined bottom end without the need for a sub.

I'm confused. Is this Summit bashing or were you talking about another speaker?

GG

 

[Adamo]

No don't hijack my thread!!!, J/K. But I did want as many opinions as possible before we jumped off task here. I've heard the summits several times and have never felt they need assistance in 2ch listening. I'm hoping my Odysseys will also provide a similar solution. I actually very rarely feel I'm missing something with the Ascents. But there are some tracks where I feel a need to have the Velos assist in the bottom end.

 

[Rich]

Oh, yeah, back on topic. My experience with the Ascents is they sound best biamped and with a Descent subwoofer, depending on room size of course. I have no experience with the Odysseys so I can't help you with that one.

 

[timm]

No don't hijack my thread!!!, J/K. But I did want as many opinions as possible before we jumped off task here. I've heard the summits several times and have never felt they need assistance in 2ch listening. I'm hoping my Odysseys will also provide a similar solution. I actually very rarely feel I'm missing something with the Ascents. But there are some tracks where I feel a need to have the Velos assist in the bottom end.

I own Odysseys / my brother owns Ascents. Here is what you will get from the Odysseys in my opinion... A warmer mid-range - some incredible rumble on recordings that produce it. (I A/B'd with the Ascents/Odysseys --the recording (James Taylor - Gaia on HourGlass SACD???) with the Odysseys made me feel like the house was coming down - the Ascents did not do that .... at all). This song has a huge drum explosion in it that really really rumbles. I think from top to bottom - the Odyssey is a better speaker. I went back and forth as to whether I needed a sub with the Odysseys - and now I feel that I have absolutely no need for one. I listen to the Ascents and really feel like they need a descent along for the ride to make things sound their best. They are a great sounding speaker from the upper bass on up - but I just think they need a little more oomph in the low end. And that little oomph is in the Odyssey..... In my humble opinion of course.

 

[C.A.P]

Sorry fellas I had rectal cranial inversion. I was reading the site from my cell phone. I was trying to do two threds at one time and got my thoughts crossed up. .The Oddyseys are a great midrange speaker IMO , I like the advantage of the true BI Amp with your choice. The Summits as for the sound, its great but the looks are not my cup of tea. That being said I could get used to them with the lights off.

 

[cyclone]

I had a similar dilemma when I purchased Requests to replace my Sequel IIs after setting up the Requests every which way I could hoping they would sound better to my ears the Sequel IIs still won out and I sold the Requests. Bigger and more expensive doesn't always equal better trust what your ears like.

 

[Adamo]

Thanks Guys!
now those are the responses I was looking for. Timm, I'm really glad you chimed in since you have had prior experience with both models. I will have the Odysseys in hand this evening and will Do A/B during the week. FedEx shipped my Musical Fidelity TriVista 21 to my home address instead of my office address Trying to get them to hold the package at the depot is like pulling teeth. it's been four days if you count the weekend...I should have had this in the rack Friday. I want to A/B it with my MF A3.24 before it sells.
Thanks again for everyone's input!
Adam :music:

 

[Adamo]

They're Here!

:rocker: :rocker: :rocker:

At 12:30 today I became the proud owner of a great pair of Martin Logan Odysseys to add to the Ascents ! These guys are HEAVY. getting the Ascents out of the front sound stage and putting these in was a chore to say the least. Started around 4pm and am just now finished. I placed them in the exact spot the Ascents were in and so far so good. I'm not going to mess with them much tonight. Just going to dial them in with the SPL meter and enjoy a few tunes before I swap out the MF A3.24 DAC with the TriVista 21 tube DAC. So far my favorite part of the Odysseys are the glowing blue M behind the stat panel...matches the rest of the gear to a "T"
Literally with the very first track ( From Blue man group Audio) I can say there is an improved bass response and a good word to describe these bad boys are simply articulate. Beautiful first trial run without even breaking out the SPL meter...I'm a happy man right now =):music:

 

[timm]

Congrats on the new arrival!! You won't be sorry about your purchase. Keep us up to date on your opinion. I think they give a different sound than the Summits - not necessarily better or worse. And that says a lot - considering I got my Odysseys for 8K less than the going price of Summits. I would have to A/B the speakers to determine which I liked better. I know the Summits sound different - and that is very easily heard... But hey, I forgot - you were comparing them to Ascents....

 

[eknuds01]

Hey Guys, I need your ML expertise on this one.
I love my Ascents and really didn't have a reason to purchase anything else, but along came a great opportunity to purchase Odysseys at a great price. I went ahead and pulled the trigger and am now wondering if I will see a sonic benefit. If the topic has been discussed already, I apologize, but I would really appreciate any feedback. I currently have buyers remorse and don't want to sell my Ascents, but I have heard that the Odysseys actually do sound superior when both aren't using the aid of a subwoofer. Everyone's feedback is welcome :bowdown:
Adam

Long story short...you get what you put in. Most would tell you that the Odysseys are a better speaker vs the Ascent. If I am not mistaken the Odyssey panels are the same ones in the Ascents, but I believe the Odysseys have more oomph in the bottom end.

If you have the time and patience you can make them sing. Nowadays you have tons of resources and many members are ready to assist with equipment recommendations and even room treatment options. It's all a matter of how far you want to go.

I have seen Odysseys go for 2-3k; Ascents are a little less money, but 2-3k is a fine price for a speaker like the Odyssey (assuming that's what you paid, maybe with shipping it's a few bucks more). I don't think I've ever read a post about people being unhappy with that particular speaker. Many a time, ML afficionados said the Odyssey was the one that, 'ML got right.' I loved hearing them years ago and I am sure I would relish the experience now.

As long as you didn't take out a second mortgage, sell a kidney, rob your son's college tuition account, etc there's no need for buyer's remorse. It's a good purchase and I am quite sure you'll enjoy these speakers for many years to come.

Erik

 

[Adamo]

Erik,
Thanks for the Reply. I've loved my Ascents and certainly didn't have any gripes with them save maybe the lack of the "oomph" you were speaking of in the deep ranges of the low frequency. The Odysseys were great last night in the fleeting minutes I allowed myself to divulge in some musical bliss. They didn't break the bank, and I'm sans children at this point (but at 33, my wife is beginning to hound me to get started!). I look forward to tweaking their position in the theater until they sound just so. The Ascent sweet spot is perfect for the Ascents , but it is not the Odyssey sweet spot I'm sure. You are correct in that they look to have the same size stat panel, but the Odyssey stands a few inches taller and certainly have a much deeper footprint. I've snapped a few shots of the physical comparison of the two and will post them this evening.
Adam

 

[Rich]

and I'm sans children at this point (but at 33, my wife is beginning to hound me to get started!).

To go off-topic for a moment, I would encourage you to get started soon too, if you are planning on having them. As someone who just had their first at age 42 (after several years of trying) I promise you it just gets tougher as you get older.

 

[Adamo]

It seems that response has been thrown at me a lot lately. I do know I need to make that happen in the next year or so. I plan on starting at 35. I probably should have started at about 27 or so, but the timing never felt right. We may move in a few years, so that's where the 35 came into play. Either way, I believe your advice is good advice Rich.
Adam