Page 2 of HT-5 Loudspeaker by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

o f all audio components the loudspeaker may seem the least complex yet the many tradeoffs in loudspeaker design ­ the give and take between drivers crossovers and cabinet volume ­ call for well-informed subjectivity mcintosh has been selling loudspeakers since 1970 make that manufacturing loudspeakers as fewer and fewer speaker companies actually build or even design what they sell as a company fixated on musical fidelity mcintosh is uniquely qualified to make the subjective judgements necessary to create truly musical loudspeakers the new academy series results from the most ambitious speaker development project in mcintosh history never have mcintosh speakers and electronics enjoyed such harmony of quality performance and purpose the popularity of home theaters has had a dramatic effect on the speaker market amid confusion over how many speakers to buy and where to place them is a lingering question does a good music loudspeaker make a good theater speaker and vice versa with the academy series loudspeakers the answers are yes and yes because from the very beginning the academy models have been designed for low-distortion performance thanks to patented ld/hp® drivers and unique arched bridge truss cabinet construction music benefits from smooth extended response without the coloration and fuzzy imaging caused by driver distortion and cabinet vibrations movie sound benefits from high power handling and fast clean dynamic response from the high-output ld/hp drivers the academy speakers are a true family sharing a common tonal quality that allows for great configuration flexibility virtually any combination of speakers can be used in multichannel applications high-end loudspeakers in particular are often characterized by just one aspect of their performance it could be bass response treble transparency depth of image cosmetic appearance or even price in all of its products however mcintosh seeks balance and so is the case with speakers the academy models certainly have an extremely smooth and broad frequency response and they do measure well in front of a microphone and spectrum analyzer but in the final analysis they are distinguished by their sheer musicality which can only be measured by listening t he non-parallel arched sides of the academy series cabinets help eliminate resonances and reflections that disrupt a smooth frequency response the sides are made from several layers of mdf and wood laminated together for strength within the graceful arch shape internal trusses create an extremely strong and durable cabinet virtually immune to flutter and vibrations that distort sound academy series drivers and crossovers are designed for high efficiency as well as high power handling for example the smallest academy model ­ the ls320 ­ will provide a sound pressure level in excess of 100db using mcintosh s smallest power amplifier shielding around the drivers allows safe placement near video monitors and tv sets academy speakers deliver the ultra-realistic dynamics of today s digital movie sound yet in contrast to most so-called theater loudspeakers they also possess the musicality demanded by critical music listeners hile you can choose virtually any combination of academy speakers for a surroundsound theater or listening room mcintosh dealers will typically recommend one of four academy systems each system has one or more alternative model choices and expansion options chances are that at least one system will match your needs based on the type of system you own your budget and the parameters of your theater or listening room w

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