McGlentosh
proud McOwner since 1978
Does anyone have, or has heard, Martin Logan speakers, e.g., Spire, Vantage, paired with their Mac gear? Opinions?
Thanks.
Glen
Thanks.
Glen
Martin Logan and Mac
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dneumann
Member
There are many of us!
I recently posted a review of the Mac 275 versus the 402 on this site with the ML Spires. In fact, I am enjoying my Spires with the 402 + C2300 combination right now!
Do a search on this main forum and you'll find lots of good information or go over to the Martin Logan discussion forum: http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=13
Dave
I recently posted a review of the Mac 275 versus the 402 on this site with the ML Spires. In fact, I am enjoying my Spires with the 402 + C2300 combination right now!
Do a search on this main forum and you'll find lots of good information or go over to the Martin Logan discussion forum: http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=13
Dave
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I have. Martin Logans and Mcintosh match very well. I prefer the way conventional speaker image . However, Martin Logans produce smooth clean sound when combined with Mac amps. My wife likes the look of Mcintosh amps and if she had her way, based on looks, I would have Martin Logan speakers. Women seem to like the look, at least that is my impression.
I bought my MLs after my wife saw a pair in a store and said "I like those". She should have known better than to encourage me...
BTW, I run mine with a MC 352 and C 41. This is an excellent combo - MLs want power, and the MC 352 is glad to oblige
NativeTexan
Member
I have a customer that HAD a pair of Vantage as the main right and left speakers in a home theater hooked to an ADCOM 200x5 amp. I got a call that his amp was over heating and shutting off. I went over and sure enough he had that amp running wide open. He said the Martin Logan's weren't giving him the volume he wanted. (The salesman at the Tweeter close out told him they would play real loud. Of course they were shut down and gone by the time he realized the problem).
I loaned him a MC402 that we hooked up. The next thing that happen after he attacked the volume control was the 402 lit up like a Christmas tree. Needles buried to the right and the power guard lights lit up and staying lit up. I have NEVER seen that happen. He like the sound and said he would take it. Well I warned him that the 402 could damage the speakers if he was not careful. Sure enough about 6 weeks later I got the call. The speaker didn't sound right.
He mostly played concert videos and that was his music source. I loaned him a pair of Klipsch RF83 and a RC 64 center channel and he loved them AND the meters never went over 40 watts.
The Vantages sounded beautiful but they don't handle big mac amps at full power very well (not that I am recommending that you do that).
I loaned him a MC402 that we hooked up. The next thing that happen after he attacked the volume control was the 402 lit up like a Christmas tree. Needles buried to the right and the power guard lights lit up and staying lit up. I have NEVER seen that happen. He like the sound and said he would take it. Well I warned him that the 402 could damage the speakers if he was not careful. Sure enough about 6 weeks later I got the call. The speaker didn't sound right.
He mostly played concert videos and that was his music source. I loaned him a pair of Klipsch RF83 and a RC 64 center channel and he loved them AND the meters never went over 40 watts.
The Vantages sounded beautiful but they don't handle big mac amps at full power very well (not that I am recommending that you do that).
MLs and McIntosh
Have a look over at the forum at www.martinloganowners.com - there are numerous ML owners who use McIntosh and are very pleased with the results.
Myself, Summits and 2X 275 IVs.
Have a look over at the forum at www.martinloganowners.com - there are numerous ML owners who use McIntosh and are very pleased with the results.
Myself, Summits and 2X 275 IVs.
McGlentosh
proud McOwner since 1978
Thanks, everyone, for the great input. Now, I have a decision to make: B&W N802's or the ML Spires. H-m-m-m.
Glen
Glen
I've driven both the Vantage and Spire with my 501's. To me it is a sound made in heaven! My room is 11.5X23X8 and when I push it over 50 watts, the room seems to load up so I haven't frequently gone over that level.
At my definition of sane levels 5-10 watts, the Spire outshines the Vantage due to its larger panel, sealed box and new Xcross over. I probably could have stayed with the Vantage based on my room size but wanted more of a good thing! Who does not?
Since you are considering ML, setup and positioning is critical to obtaining a real sound. Distance from front wall, rake and toe are not the same as a box speaker. There are factors to take into consideration as well, wires, absorbers and furnishings. When all of those are considered and acted upon, you will be rewarded with an unbelievable presentation.
I strongly suggest you head over to MLOC and get a read on before you plunge in and purchase them based on looks or our opinions.
Gordon
At my definition of sane levels 5-10 watts, the Spire outshines the Vantage due to its larger panel, sealed box and new Xcross over. I probably could have stayed with the Vantage based on my room size but wanted more of a good thing! Who does not?
Since you are considering ML, setup and positioning is critical to obtaining a real sound. Distance from front wall, rake and toe are not the same as a box speaker. There are factors to take into consideration as well, wires, absorbers and furnishings. When all of those are considered and acted upon, you will be rewarded with an unbelievable presentation.
I strongly suggest you head over to MLOC and get a read on before you plunge in and purchase them based on looks or our opinions.
Gordon
nsgarch
McStatic
Glen, if you decide on MartinLogan, especially any of the "new breed", with self-powered woofer sections, I strongly urge you to audition them with a tube amp(s) since the owner's external amp will only be driving the panels. Not too many here (smp excepted) are advocating tube amps with Logans; in fairness, I have to say that in the past (before ML came to their senses and provided well-designed internal SSamp/woofer sections as part of the speaker), a person either had 'to live with' a SS amp to power the whole speaker in order to retain good bass performance, but at the expense (in my ever so humble opinion ;-) of realizing the 'magic' of stats with tubes, OR go to the hassle of bi-amping, which most folks just didn't want to get in to.
Those who chose the former (a single SS amp) were faced with the fact that all watts are NOT created equal. SS watts (especially the 'high' watts they deliver at the low impedances often presented by stat panels) deliver high voltage in those watts, but not the high amperage (current) electrostats need. The result was that owners who powered the earlier hybrids with a single SS amplifier, found they needed a really powerful SS amp to get the current the panels needed -- a much larger amp, in fact, then would have been necessary just for great woofer control.
With the newer Logans, the speaker comes "pre bi-amped" so to speak, and the owner is free if he/she so chooses, to power the speaker (just the panel itself actually) with a quality tube amp which will preserve the delicacy of the audio signal to a degree that few (some would say none) of the SS amps can do.
In addition, a really mega tube amp is not needed because tube amps are the opposite of SS amps, in that they deliver lots more current (for each watt of output) than SS amps do. And of all tube amp designs, McIntosh tube amps are the current champions. This is because of a little feature that no one seems to understand or pay much attention to: the "Unity Coupled Circuit" invented by Frank McIntosh himself! Because of this exclusive circuit design, McIntosh tube amps are current-controlled instead of being voltage-controlled, as in conventional tube amp designs. 100 - 150 watts/ch of McIntosh tube amp power is sufficient to drive any of the current ML speakers. In fact, for the debut of MartinLogan's new full range, all electostatic CLX, at the Munich audio show last year, guess what MartinLogan was driving them with? McIntosh tubes!! :thmbsp:
.
Those who chose the former (a single SS amp) were faced with the fact that all watts are NOT created equal. SS watts (especially the 'high' watts they deliver at the low impedances often presented by stat panels) deliver high voltage in those watts, but not the high amperage (current) electrostats need. The result was that owners who powered the earlier hybrids with a single SS amplifier, found they needed a really powerful SS amp to get the current the panels needed -- a much larger amp, in fact, then would have been necessary just for great woofer control.
With the newer Logans, the speaker comes "pre bi-amped" so to speak, and the owner is free if he/she so chooses, to power the speaker (just the panel itself actually) with a quality tube amp which will preserve the delicacy of the audio signal to a degree that few (some would say none) of the SS amps can do.
In addition, a really mega tube amp is not needed because tube amps are the opposite of SS amps, in that they deliver lots more current (for each watt of output) than SS amps do. And of all tube amp designs, McIntosh tube amps are the current champions. This is because of a little feature that no one seems to understand or pay much attention to: the "Unity Coupled Circuit" invented by Frank McIntosh himself! Because of this exclusive circuit design, McIntosh tube amps are current-controlled instead of being voltage-controlled, as in conventional tube amp designs. 100 - 150 watts/ch of McIntosh tube amp power is sufficient to drive any of the current ML speakers. In fact, for the debut of MartinLogan's new full range, all electostatic CLX, at the Munich audio show last year, guess what MartinLogan was driving them with? McIntosh tubes!! :thmbsp:
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