These are just some preliminary thoughts on the MEN-220 that I am trying out in my system for a few days.

The box had never been opened prior to my bringing it home. As with other McIntosh products the unit came double boxed. There are actually two boxes in the outer carton. The first holds the microphone and stand while the second contains the unit itself.

The unit was very easy to hook up. I would not be using the crossover capability nor do I have a separate sub-woofer in my system. I set the unit on top of my C-1000 Controller. I moved the Balanced outputs from the C-1000 to the MEN-2000, then connected a additional pair of balanced interconnects between the 1000 and 220.

Now I was ready for the basic set-up of the 220. Thru the front panel on the unit I just had to tell the 220 that I was connecting it between my pre-amp and amps (and not in a processor loop) and tell it that I was using the balanced inputs rather than single ended. Done.

Next I ran the guided set-up for the Room Correction after placing the microphone at your normal listening position. First you need set the volume on your pre-amp to normal listening levels. (For me that is about 40 on my C-1000) Then it plays a tone and asks you to adjust the volume on the 220 'till it is where it needs it. (I think that is about 20dB above ambient room levels, but not sure)

Now you place the mic in position 1 which was my listening position. The unit repeats a set of tones, and comes back with a percentage of "room knowledge". You are asked to place the mic in a second position and the unit repeats the tones and comes back with an updated percentage of "room knowledge".

After moving to about three or four positions and your knowledge is above 92% it asks if you would like to continue. I went thru 5 the first time. (Today I went repeated the process and went thru 6.) When I saw that I was staying at 96% after 6 tries I told the unit I was finished. The unit now creates the filters for your room and you are ready to listen.

The set-up was easy. Trying to explain what I am hearing is not as easy, nor are the results set in stone. I am still working thru a lot of different music.

First, it sounds like the filters generated by the 220 are a bit different between my initial run thru and todays calculations. Based on Ron C's post I used more diverse mic positions than my initial calculations. I am now getting a bit less bass "correction" than in the first set-up. I have noted for a long time that my room has a bit of bass-suckout and no speaker that I have ad in here (Focals, Von Schweikert's, 802d"s, MBL's) is able to generate the bass the speakers are capable of producing.

Yesterday, I was getting more bass than I have previously heard and it was pretty clean too. It was funny it sounded so much louder that I used my SPL meter to compare the output with the MEN-220 in both Focus and Bypass modes. Although the music sounded louder and it had a lot more bass energy the SPL was almost exactly the same. My wife watches TV in a room directly above my 2-channel room. Under normal listening conditions, she seldom asks me to turn my system down unless I am playing something with a lot of bass content. (Boom, boom,boom) Last night I was playing something that normally would not have bothered her, but the MEN-220 corrected the bass to the point she asked me to lower it.

After re-running the calibration today, the bass no longer seems as "boosted". Maybe a bit more natural. This may be due to Ron C's suggestions for Mic position.

I will comeback a bit later today with comments on vocals after I have listen to several more discs. (Going to the movies too)

Jim

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AMP's: D'Agostino Momentum's
Pre Amp: Mcintosh C-1000 & C-1000P
Sources: McIntosh MCD-1100 & MS-300, Olive 4HD, SonoS, Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX
Speakers: MBL 111F
Cables: Transparent Ultra MM2 & Reference MM2 & Powerlink MM2x

Thanks for the initial report, Jim! Looking forward to your additional comments.

__________________
John

Upstairs - C1000C/T, MX150, MC1.2KW x 4, MC501 x 2, MC252, MVP881, MS750, MCD1100, MDA1000, MEN220, MPC1500, XRT1K's, XCS1K, XLS320's, Gotham, JVC HD-990, Lumagen Radiance XE, Sonos ZP-90, Apple TV, Sooloos Control 15 & MS600
Downstairs - Den (Zone A): MX120, MR88, MCD500, MVP871, MC207, DD18, Pioneer PRO-150HD, Sonos ZP-90, Apple TV, Sooloos MC200, B&W 805 Diamond x 2, B&W HTM4 Diamond, B&W CWM8 x 2; Living Room (Zone B): MC402 & XR200's; Whole House: CR12, MC7108
Study - Marantz 2245, Sonos ZP-90, B&W Nautilus 805 x 2

How do you think the MEN220 creates more bass output (louder) from your speakers and room? Is the additional bass (louder) of higher quality and does it have any adverse affect on the clarity of the higher frequencies, especially the mid-range?

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System 1: McIntosh MC302, MA6600 w/T2, MCD500, Denon DP-72L w/Grado Reference Platinum 1
PMC OB1i, Vienna Acoustics Concert Grand
System 2: McIntosh MA6500, MCD205, MR85, bel canto Dac, MacBook Pro w/AE
McIntosh LS320 - PS112, Klipsch Heresy III

I do not know how it works. I assume that the unit is bumping up the bass similar to what happens when using tone controls. The bass is louder and better. (Better than with the subs I tried in the system)

I need to spend more time on vocals and instruments this evening before I comment on the mid and highs.
Jim

__________________
AMP's: D'Agostino Momentum's
Pre Amp: Mcintosh C-1000 & C-1000P
Sources: McIntosh MCD-1100 & MS-300, Olive 4HD, SonoS, Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX
Speakers: MBL 111F
Cables: Transparent Ultra MM2 & Reference MM2 & Powerlink MM2x

Jim have you ever tried using a JL fathum sub. ? If not you might consider one, the JLf112 in my 2 channel room as well as many other's here on AA made a huge improvement and without using digital filters. Is the improvement you are hearing only in the bass ? Any improvement in imaging ?

Bass is stronger because the unit thinks it should be based on the average of measuring points. If Jim's chair was out of the strong bass mode spot in the room, he may hear more bass now. If someone had their chair in the strong room mode area, they may actually have less bass because the unit thinks it should have less.

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System 7.1:
Wilson Sasha/Mezzo/Watch surrounds
D'Agostino Momentum x3 amps
Bryston 4B SST2 x2 amps
Krell S1200U pre/pro
Oppo Blu
Sony Blu changer
McIntosh MS300 music server
EAR/Yoshino Acute III tubed CDP
Transparent Ultra cabling
JL Audio F212 Sub
Lumagen video processor
JVC RS-35U projector
Stewart Screen

I have gone thru three subs in this room. A Definitive Tech PF15 Plus, a JL F-112 and then a Martin Logan Depth i. I have not tried one since I moved my speakers from the short to the long wall and really have no desire to add one. Remember my speakers come with a sub unit, so I am getting all I want most of the time.

I am currently trying to compare the mids and highs with the system in both the focus and bypass modes. I want to be able to describe what subtle differences I am hearing.

__________________
AMP's: D'Agostino Momentum's
Pre Amp: Mcintosh C-1000 & C-1000P
Sources: McIntosh MCD-1100 & MS-300, Olive 4HD, SonoS, Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX
Speakers: MBL 111F
Cables: Transparent Ultra MM2 & Reference MM2 & Powerlink MM2x

As we know, McIntosh licenses the Room Perfect process from Lyngdorf. Here's a link to Lyngdorf's site that has a nice description of what Room Perfect is trying to do:

http://www.lyngdorf.com/downloads/pr...on_english.pdf

__________________
John

Upstairs - C1000C/T, MX150, MC1.2KW x 4, MC501 x 2, MC252, MVP881, MS750, MCD1100, MDA1000, MEN220, MPC1500, XRT1K's, XCS1K, XLS320's, Gotham, JVC HD-990, Lumagen Radiance XE, Sonos ZP-90, Apple TV, Sooloos Control 15 & MS600
Downstairs - Den (Zone A): MX120, MR88, MCD500, MVP871, MC207, DD18, Pioneer PRO-150HD, Sonos ZP-90, Apple TV, Sooloos MC200, B&W 805 Diamond x 2, B&W HTM4 Diamond, B&W CWM8 x 2; Living Room (Zone B): MC402 & XR200's; Whole House: CR12, MC7108
Study - Marantz 2245, Sonos ZP-90, B&W Nautilus 805 x 2

MEN220 will never 'bump up' or turn up a certain frequency. It will lower frequency response peaks caused by the geometry of the room and your speaker's positioning. By removing the large peaks in the response the other close sounds are no longer masked so you hear them for the first time.
MEN220 should lessen this smearing of the sound and allow a much more natural 'Focused' presentation.
You will also hear much deeper into the mix which is a goal for many.

Thanks,

__________________
Ron-C

Thanks John

jim

__________________
AMP's: D'Agostino Momentum's
Pre Amp: Mcintosh C-1000 & C-1000P
Sources: McIntosh MCD-1100 & MS-300, Olive 4HD, SonoS, Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX
Speakers: MBL 111F
Cables: Transparent Ultra MM2 & Reference MM2 & Powerlink MM2x