Your thoughts on the Prodigy

[MOON]

A aquaitance of mine bought prodigy's over the summits. The store had both models brand new and he much preferred the Prodigy being the more articulate speaker and that the bass of the summit was too boomy.

 

[Gordon Gray]

More articulate?

Boomy bass?

Bigger panel yes. The Prodigy is a great speaker but what you describe, regarding the Summit's signature, is simply not true when the Summits are properly placed and adjusted (x-over settings) in the right room with the right equipment.

A totally inaccurate generalization.

GG

 

[Rich]

I have to agree with Gordon here. The Prodigy is a great speaker but it is in no way more articulate than the Summit. And I don't think there is any question among people that have experience with both speakers that the Summit's bass blends better with the panel and it is an easier speaker to properly dial in the bass response compared to the Prodigy. The last term I would use to describe the Summit's bass is "boomy." It is definitely cleaner, tighter, and more articulate than the bass on the Prodigy.

Moon, I think your acquaintance was fooled by a poor setup of the Summits he demoed. Probably a mismatch on the amplifier end. The only time in my life I have heard the newer ML's sound boomy in the bass was when I demoed the Vantages hooked up to an Anthem amp and the synergy between the Anthem and the Vantages was horrible. Bloated, muddy, boomy bass. Switched it out for a Sunfire and it was an instant 180 degrees difference. Tight, clean, fast bass. The powered woofers of the Summits/Vantages are definitely affected by the quality of the signal they are fed and having a proper amp and associated setup to demo them with is paramount.

 

[MOON]

I am just relating what this person said. I was quite surprised myself when he said it. I haven't heard the summits yet, but would like to get the chance to listen to the new spires.
Cheers, Greg

 

[David Matz]

I guess we are confused by what is meant by that abstract term - "articulate". There are a lot of people who love the sound of the older Logans and think they are more musical. Personally, I like the newer generations. I think they are faster, more focused, have better bass integration, and capable of presenting detail better. If you don't like the detail, the focus, or if your electronics present too much detail for your taste, you may not like the newer models.

My bias is that I like speakers and equipment that presents that detail in a musical way. I would rather have the speaker be able to reproduce that detail than not. I also like the bass integration of the newer models, and the older models sound too boomy for my taste, even in well treated rooms. That alone is a huge factor for me.

My guess is that if you like the CLS, though, you will probably like the Prodigy.

 

[Neil H]

I lived with both Prodigys and Summits for about a year. It really drove me crazy for a while as to which one to keep. I almost kept the Prodigys and listened to them for about 3 months straight at one point. I was going to keep them but thought I better switch to the Summits first. It was really an eye opener when I changed back. I had forgotten how detailed and precise the Summit's were and how deep the bass went.


The Prodigy is a great speaker with a lot of warmth and slam. I would have been happy with either but in the end preferred the sound of the Summit.
I ended up keeping the Summits but still think the Prodigy is a great speaker and as many people have said, in the end it is really a case of what kind of sound you want.