Martin Logan CLS

[62sunbeam]

So a friend has offered a pair of what I imagine are a rather old pair of ML CLS speakers. He says the sound amazing but having purchased other ML stats before only to find the Mylar had lost its conductivity and therefore was no longer attractive to the stators and they were dead. How long can I expect a pair of CLS to live? They would be replacing my freshly restored Magnepan 2.6R that I love but are too tall for where I use them.

Opinions on the CLS?

What can I do to check their functionality?


Thanks

 

[powerman]

Had the CLS series II. It depends on a lot of variables such as environment music played and how loud. Better have a healthy amp as the impedance drops to .75 ohms at 15K. Mine could suck the Harman Kardon XX dry and on loud passages flicker the ultra sonic lite.

 

[Buck Rogers]

Lifetime depends on how loud they have been played. Louder equal less lifetime.

How humid the environment they have been used in. More humidity equals less lifetime.

If used with a sub woofer, Subwoofers off load power so panels last longer.

Source: Electrostat tech for 40 years.

 

[62sunbeam]

I guess what I need to know is if there is a way to determine if they are getting tired and if they sound good and check out if I can expect a few good years of listening enjoyment out of them.

Also, does ML service the panels anymore? Electronics I’m not so worried about as the AK community has always been great sorting those types of issues with me.


Thanks

 

[Buck Rogers]

One way to test the panels charge capacity is to play at a medium volume then unplug them and see how long they continue to play.

Also to see how fast they come up to full volume after being plugged in.

Worn panels get quiet fast like within 5 to 10 seconds.

Also worn panels charge up and get louder after 5 minutes or so.

You might want to read up on the Jazzman stat pages for some info... Jazzman stats

Hope that helps.

 

[StimpyWan]

I guess what I need to know is if there is a way to determine if they are getting tired and if they sound good and check out if I can expect a few good years of listening enjoyment out of them.

Also, does ML service the panels anymore? Electronics I’m not so worried about as the AK community has always been great sorting those types of issues with me.


Thanks

Listen for an even, extended frequency response. Good highs and even dispersion? Both panels equal in volume? Use a carboard tube, from a roll of paper towels, and listen to each segment of the panels. Segments can go dead.

There's really no way to service old panels. Martin Logan does still manufacture new versions of most if not all of their older panels. A first come, first serve proposition, so the wait for replacement panels can be months. Pricing varies depending on which model is being built, but I'd expect to pay at least $3K for a new pair of panels.

Martin Logan Support

 

[62sunbeam]

One way to test the panels charge capacity is to play at a medium volume then unplug them and see how long they continue to play.

Also to see how fast they come up to full volume after being plugged in.

Worn panels get quiet fast like within 5 to 10 seconds.

Also worn panels charge up and get louder after 5 minutes or so.

You might want to read up on the Jazzman stat pages for some info... Jazzman stats

Hope that helps.

Is it the panels that are failing if they go quite quickly or is it an issue of the caps in the amps having lost their capacitance? Thanks

 

[Buck Rogers]

No, Sorry...

Most Electrostats are designed using a highly resistive Membrane. Against copper stators.

Same for electrostatic Headphones.

High Polarizing Voltage, Plus humidity causes erosion of resistive stat elements...

Simple terms, The Diaphragm on many electrostatic speakers. resistive surface is flocked~!!@

They only work amazingly well over a finite life time.

Buck

 

[soundmig]

Sounds like old stats may best be avoided. I didn't realize that they eroded and otherwise degraded so much over time. That's too bad, as the CLS, CLS II, etc. sounded amazingly good.