It's the return of McIntosh’s ML1 loudspeaker! Introduced in 1970, these high-performance speakers are back to delight music enthusiasts like you and your cherished music. Vintage through-and-through, the ML1’s harkens back to a day when the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jackson 5, and Elvis ruled the radio airways and turntables alike. And exciting news, Pearl Audio's first shipment of the ML1's have arrived!
Cutting-Edge Inside
Internally, the new ML1 is full modern performance-first speaker technology. A 4-way speaker, the ML1 uses five separate speaker drivers to produce astonishing sound:
- Woofer: one 12" woofer in a sealed enclosure with a polypropylene cone and dust cap with synthetic rubber suspension.
- Lower Midrange: two 4" lower midrange drivers in a sealed sub-enclosure also with polypropylene cones and dust caps with synthetic rubber suspension.
- Upper Midrange: one 2" soft dome upper midrange.
- Tweeter: one 3/4" Titanium dome tweeter (the same tweeter used in our XR50 and XR100 speakers).
Unlike the original ML1 the drivers on the new generation ML1 are positioned symmetrically so there is not a dedicated left or right speaker, eliminating the possibility of installing the speakers in the wrong orientation, and providing a more uniform listening area.
A specifically milled transition plate houses the midranges and tweeter and allows them to be placed closer together. Their proximity to each other reduces off axis lobing of the sound field and places all the acoustic output which typically impacts imaging together in a small space.
The upper midrange in the ML1 has low resonance and high-power handing capabilities; this allows the crossover point between the lower and upper midranges to avoid the 1kHz frequency which is critical to producing clear vocals. The cross over frequency of the tweeter reduces vertical lobing of the sound field and allows the ML1 to reproduce the recorded music more faithfully.
Power and Powerful is Standard
The ML1 is engineered to handle up to 600 Watts from an amplifier, making it perfect for high-powered listening sessions which would strain other speakers. In other words, turn it up to 11. With five individual speaker drivers working together to share the power load, keeping the ML1 unstressed when receiving clean, high-power from power amplifiers like McIntosh’s MC611 and MC462. The resulting life-sized sound can fill the largest rooms and nimble enough to produce stunning sound when used with lower power amplifiers. The ML1 can also be bi-amped with the MC451 amplifier.
Sound Coverage for All Listeners – Wider is Better
Unlike many speakers which project their best sound over a narrow area in front of the speaker, the ML1 provides exceptional sound over a wider area at all frequencies thanks to its 4-way design and carefully selected drivers complementing its expertly engineered crossover network. Which means everyone in the room can enjoy the full stereo sound stage projected by the ML1, instead of being confined to a limited “sweet spot” for listening.
A Better Crossover Makes for Better Performance
The ML1 uses a custom-built crossover network designed by our engineers for performance and durability.
Over-specified components ensure high power handling, while solid state, self-resetting protection devices prevent damage to any of the drivers. The crossover design separates the high and low frequency circuits, and each are available both with bi-wiring or bi-amping as desired. All the power sent to the ML1 from your amplifiers is fed through McIntosh’s Solid Cinch speaker binding posts which easily, but securely attach the speaker cables to prevent them from coming loose and possibly causing a short. The binding posts are gold-plated to prevent corrosion and ensure a quality signal is sent through your speaker cables.
Key Features
- Based off the first McIntosh speaker
- 4-way speaker with five separate drivers
- Engineered to handle up to 600 Watts
- Deep bass from 12" woofer with LD/HP technology
- Expansive sound stage so all listeners can enjoy the music
- Built from American Walnut with a satin finish
- Includes matching speaker stand
We have ML1's in stock and for any further inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out, (503) 222-2599. We look forward to the dialogue.