Martin Logan Sequel II - any good?

[LordLunatic]

Hey there, I've got a chance to get a pair of Martin Logan Sequel II for about 750€, for my apartment, so my question is if they're still good by todays standards? I listen to Metal, Ambient/electronic, classical and jazz.

I currently have a pair of Infinity 6.2 ii here (and some dynaudio audience 10/kef iq3). And JBL Ti10K at home, which I enjoy a lot, but don't want to bring here, since they work so well in their current room.

The best other available options, all at a slightly higher prices are Piega P5 ltd, Argon 3L or monitor audio GS20. There is also a Gamut Phi 5, but the reviews seem somewhat split...
They're all pretty far away, so just wanted to see if anyone had some input before I go for a long drive for nothing

My room is about 20m2 and 2.5 or so to the ceiling, and my amp is 100watt solid state (Thule IA100).

 

[KevinJS]

I use a pair of similar speakers, the ML Theos.

I've read elsewhere that the Sequel II was a very good speaker and didn't suffer so much as it's predecessor for finicky placement. Watch out for availability of parts. Price doesn't seem too bad. I just looked at hifishark and it appears that the going rate is over 2000 Euros.

My listening is pretty much the same as yours, but skewed towards classical, and I like the sound of electrostats.

I can't tell you whether your other choices would be better or worse, since I haven't heard any of them.

 

[LordLunatic]

I use a pair of similar speakers, the ML Theos.

I've read elsewhere that the Sequel II was a very good speaker and didn't suffer so much as it's predecessor for finicky placement. Watch out for availability of parts. Price doesn't seem too bad. I just looked at hifishark and it appears that the going rate is over 2000 Euros.

My listening is pretty much the same as yours, but skewed towards classical, and I like the sound of electrostats.

I can't tell you whether your other choices would be better or worse, since I haven't heard any of them.

My worry is mainly that it is quite an old speaker at this point, 1989 release if I'm not wrong, and they haven't been serviced - the seller is the second owner, and says they have no issues... With dynamic drivers I have no qualms as I trust them to last long, and should the surround ever fail, I can fix that, but so far as I can understand (ive never owned one) electrostats will sometimes need "tuning" with age as the membrane slowly stretches with use, sort of like a string on a guitar?
That and whether electrostats are too laid back/lack dynamics for metal/electronic? Also, something you can probably answer since you own some, how is the imaging/dispersal? I'm seem to have heard they have quite a narrow sweetspot for listening - which would be unfortunate, since I'm rarely sitting in that exact spot...

 

[KevinJS]

All electrostats require careful placement, so they may not be for you. Any chance you can try them out in your listening space before committing?

I doubt there is any way to tune the membranes, looking at mine. There doesn't seem to be any way into them to carry out such a servicing.

I wouldn't call them laid back. They can pound it out without a care. I use a 300 wpc Bryston to feed mine, and I'm not at all careful about volume levels.

 

[4-2-7]

my amp is 100watt solid state (Thule IA100).

Just make sure your amp is good quality, the Sequel IIs can be amp eaters. They are 6ohms nominal and will dip into 1ohm.

Now with this speaker one would think they are just classical, jazz and easy listening. However they can rock also when hit with some power.

Here is the only vid I have of mine right now, sorry I'm walking around but take note as I sit down at the end in the sweet spot. I'm also using the VAC 100w mono blocks on the floor but they can take a lot more power as well.

And here to compare same amps, same phone, same walking around but with the Monitor Audio MA3 Mk2 on the floor

 

[LordLunatic]

Fair point - sadly I can't as its a 3 hour drive, and it would be via a lift from a friend too, most likely. Might just have to give it a shot - though I do hope someone with recent experience with these older models pops in, just to be sure... sometimes old is still gold, but other times they sound their age

 

[LordLunatic]

Just make sure your amp is good quality, the Sequel IIs can be amp eaters. They are 6ohms nominal and will dip into 1ohm.

Now with this speaker one would think they are just classical, jazz and easy listening. However they can rock also when hit with some power.

Here is the only vid I have of mine right now, sorry I'm walking around but take note as I sit down at the end in the sweet spot. I'm also using the VAC 100w mono blocks on the floor but they can take a lot more power as well.

And here to compare same amps, same phone, same walking around but with the Monitor Audio MA3 Mk2 on the floor

Thanks a lot for the input - worst comes to worst, if my Thule can't push them, I might swap them with my JBL's, as the Pioneer M90 I use at home should have plenty of power, with 800w@2ohm.

The dispersal does sound like its a lot better on the Monitor Audio's, comparatively to the Logans where it seems very clear whether you are in the sweet spot or not, which worries me a bit. I love my Infinities and Dynaudios, because they are very independent of where you are - the image is of course most accurate in the center, but the presentation doesn't change much when you move around the room... And I remember seeing a measurement done by Harman Kardon, where a pair of Martin Logans (didn't mention which) measured absolutely horrendously, everywhere but one spot, so essentially you would HAVE to sit in that one spot...

Also, what a setup! And Loreena McKenitt too! And quite an exuberant JBL setup

 

[4-2-7]

I'm seem to have heard they have quite a narrow sweetspot for listening - which would be unfortunate, since I'm rarely sitting in that exact spot...

If you notist when I'm walking around in the vid it sounds good because the sound is bouncing off the back wall and the hight of them, they just fill the room. But if your going to sit off to one side and closer to that speaker, you'll hear that one more. But you'll get that with any speakers.

 

[LordLunatic]

If you notist when I'm walking around in the vid it sounds good because the sound is bouncing off the back wall and the hight of them, they just fill the room. But if your going to sit off to one side and closer to that speaker, you'll hear that one more. But you'll get that with any speakers.

True, some more than others though... Might just have to give it a try really. Do you find their detail retrieval to be up to scratch?

 

[4-2-7]

And quite an exuberant JBL setup

Well lets rock the house with both JBL and around 2000 watts. I'll post more of Loreena McKenitt with the JBLs and other amps

 

[4-2-7]

JBL L250 and MC275 x 2

JBL L250 and MC 501s

 

[4-2-7]

Do you find their detail retrieval to be up to scratch?

I like them and in the last vids posted you see my speakers configuration as it stands now. But you also can see I can pick amp/speaker for the music I'm playing. When I want that beautiful room filling and dreamy SQ I tend to go with the MLs and VAC tube mono blocks. Like with Loreena McKenitt Mark Knopfler, Sarah McLaughlin, Pink Floyd. But really all my amp/speakers sound good to me...
Here's Sarah McLaughlin with the MC501s and JBL, I like what this setup does with Precessions and Piano

 

[dosmalo]

I have a pair I bought brand new in the day and now they have new panels (before the price increase) and new power plants courtesy of Jim Powers (now retired from ML) and they probably have less than 50-60 playing hours on them. Text in my parentheses indicate about how long ago I re-did them, maybe '09. The cabs need a going over and 4-2-7 passed on the low-down to me for doing that, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I just don't run the amplification to do them justice anymore.
My take on them is like what is above, they sound fantastic, simply love lots of clean power and the more the better. I've heard music from them that just really snapped my head around and that was with a standard Carver Sunfire Load Invariant amp (the 1st iteration). I can only imagine what really big, big, nice amplification would do but I just can't afford it but I've kept the Sequel IIs.
I have mine stored with the new panels and x-overs/trannys thinking maybe someday I'd go really big again. Someday.

 

[Wildcat]

Hey there, I've got a chance to get a pair of Martin Logan Sequel II for about 750€, for my apartment, so my question is if they're still good by todays standards? I listen to Metal, Ambient/electronic, classical and jazz.

Sequels and Sequel IIs are not known to integrate the woofer with the panel very well. The later Aerius and Aerius i models are known to be the models that finally got the integration nailed. http://www.tonepublications.com/old-school/martinlogan-aerius-i-loudspeaker/

I have a pair of Sequel IIs on hand that I got nearly at no cost, to work on as a project, but given all the work I would need to do to get them going, I'm likely just going to give up on it and get a much more modern pair of MLs. Panels older than 15 years old are going to need to be replaced, or rebuilt if you don't mind a third party mucking about with them. Seeing that a pair of panels from ML would cost $800 (last I checked, a while ago) or having them rebuilt for maybe half the cost (provided you could find anyone who could do this anymore), I personally wouldn't pay more than $250-$300 for a pair if the panels are not current. They don't stop working, but these older styles of panels gradually lose conductivity over time and don't play as loud. (Newer MLs supposedly have a "lifetime" conductive coating, as they have changed their manufacturing process over the years.)

For what you listen to, and if you like it loud, these will not do well with rock, metal, etc., as the dynamics are a bit compressed. The later ML models (such as, in the past decade or so) would work a lot better for those types of music. They do well with classical, jazz and acoustic music. They are also tough on amplifiers--impedance can dip really low, so not all amps will work with them.

but so far as I can understand (ive never owned one) electrostats will sometimes need "tuning" with age as the membrane slowly stretches with use, sort of like a string on a guitar?

The Mylar does not stretch. It is the conductive coating on the Mylar which weakens over time, causing less output.