McIntosh ML1 MKII

The ML1 MKII is a 4-way sealed-enclosure floorstanding speaker, offered by McIntosh in a walnut wood cabinet. It follows in the line of the original ML1, the first loudspeaker sold by the brand, whilst incorporating a fully revised architecture in terms of driver placement and crossover design.

The system combines a 30 cm woofer with a polypropylene diaphragm and synthetic rubber suspension, two 10 cm lower-midrange drivers with polypropylene diaphragms, a 5 cm upper-midrange driver and a 19 mm titanium dome tweeter. The crossover frequencies are set at 180 Hz, 500 Hz and 4.5 kHz, defining four distinct frequency bands between the bass and treble. The frequency response extends from 27 Hz to 45 kHz, and the speaker accepts a power handling of between 75 and 600 watts at an impedance of 8 ohms, which implies an amplifier capable of delivering a comfortable power reserve to make full use of the woofer.

The symmetrical driver arrangement, unlike the original model, removes the distinction between a left- and right-hand unit: each speaker can be positioned on either side of the room. The midrange drivers and tweeter are mounted on a single milled transition plate, bringing these drivers closer together to tighten the reproduction zone of the frequencies most involved in the soundstage. The cabinet also includes internal bracing that isolates the volume around the 30 cm woofer from the rest of the enclosure.

The ML1 MKII is intended for a listener with a room dedicated to music and a high-end system, able to make the most of a sealed speaker of this size and weight. The removable plinth supplied allows the setup to be adjusted according to the configuration of the installation.