Teach Me About Martin Logan Speakers

[TubeHiFiNut]

You might like the fact I'm driving them now with 2 MC275 mono bridged @ 180 wpc. I do worry about them eating my amps though..:yes:

That must sound glorious! :yes:

I found that there was a point where they just open up and the music simply blossoms, throwing a beautiful and dimensional soundstage. Definitely a speaker that leads to many late night listening sessions. :yes::thmbsp:

 

[dosmalo]

You might like the fact I'm driving them now with 2 MC275 mono bridged @ 180 wpc. I do worry about them eating my amps though..:yes:

A lot of people may consider this oranges and apples but I bridged a pair of Adcom 555s with my IIs before the Sunfire and rocked out to one of the Adcoms showing off a black mushroom cloud. :sigh:
Like you said, it got eaten.

 

[4-2-7]

A lot of people may consider this oranges and apples but I bridged a pair of Adcom 555s with my IIs before the Sunfire and rocked out to one of the Adcoms showing off a black mushroom cloud. :sigh:
Like you said, it got eaten.

I can watch one of my kt88's starting to light a flame when I bring the volume way up.

 

[4-2-7]

Speaking of wich 4play you have a small amp, I would say if you want Logans you need amps that can handle them.

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

Speaking of wich 4play you have a small amp, I would say if you want Logans you need amps that can handle them.

Definitely NOT SET friendly.....

 

[Tom Brennan]

I've only heard one pair of Martin Logans, owned by a friend. I had Magneplanar MMGs at the time. After five minutes of listening, I could tell that he had better mids and highs. But I had much better bass. I'm sure Martin Logan has done better since then. Bass performance probably remains as the characteristic most likely to disappoint, however. Martin Logan does not run their stat panels very low, so the critical mid-bass is done by the cone woofer. I prefer to crossover a sub at a lower frequency, below 80 Hz. YMMV.

The woofer in a Martin Logan hybrid is just that, a woofer, not a subwoofer. The use of a hybrid electrostatic might not be perfection but I think it's certainly very good. Show me a perfect speaker.

I owned ML Vistas for five years after more than 30 years of using big horn systems (and a set of Magnapans), quite a change. The MLs had low distortion, smooth tone, decent dynamics and were capable of a huge soundstage with great depth and over the shoulder imaging. Very good speakers. And they worked surprisingly well in a large room when I tried them with a small 10wpc Jolida FX-10 tube amplifier.

 

[4Play]

Speaking of wich 4play you have a small amp, I would say if you want Logans you need amps that can handle them.

The speakers are so efficient they do not need a huge amount of wattage in order to perform.

The woofer in a Martin Logan hybrid is just that, a woofer, not a subwoofer. The use of a hybrid electrostatic might not be perfection but I think it's certainly very good. Show me a perfect speaker.

I owned ML Vistas for five years after more than 30 years of using big horn systems (and a set of Magnapans), quite a change. The MLs had low distortion, smooth tone, decent dynamics and were capable of a huge soundstage with great depth and over the shoulder imaging. Very good speakers. And they worked surprisingly well in a large room when I tried them with a small 10wpc Jolida FX-10 tube amplifier.

Some ML models have a built in subwoofer, which will be adequate for any room.

I have spent a good portion of the afternoon watching/listening to YT videos of some of the Martin Logan speakers. During this time, I was also checking the internet for prices. I found two models that would satisfy my upgrade. One is the Motion series, which are small floorstanding/tower speakers. The Motion 40 are 42.5 inches tall x 12.8 inches wide with a frequency response of 40Hz to 25kHz!! Recommended amplifier power of 20-300 wpc!!!

The other model is the Source that are 51. inches high x 14.6 inches wide with a frequency response of 42Hz–22kHz. Recommended amplifier power of 20-400 wpc!!!

Those of you who are not familiar with Martin Logan, you really need to watch/listen to some YT videos and see for yourself. They may turn you on to their product.

 

[dcmfan]

The other model is the Source that are 51. inches high x 14.6 inches wide with a frequency response of 42Hz–22kHz. Recommended amplifier power of 20-400 wpc!!!

:

I listened to a pair of chest high ML speakers several times and they do sound great when sitting in front of them. Stand up, though, and the sound falls apart quite a bit. I think the horizontal off axis performance of the MLs is better than my Magnepans, due to the curved panel in the MLs.

Any chance you can audition them in person?

 

[4Play]

I listened to a pair of chest high ML speakers several times and they do sound great when sitting in front of them. Stand up, though, and the sound falls apart quite a bit. I think the horizontal off axis performance of the MLs is better than my Magnepans, due to the curved panel in the MLs.

Any chance you can audition them in person?

I wish. The closest dealer is in Columbus Ohio, which is an all day road trip. Those and the Motion series seems to be the ones to go for.

 

[4Play]

To give you an idea of the Source's radiating area, it is 241sq inches, which translate to 1.67sq feet due to the curve of the panel. Any model should give the owner tremendous sound in their room. Of course, the bigger the room the bigger the speakers should be to offset the distance.

 

[4Play]

Well, I see there is no more interest so I will make one last post. I have a line on three different models of the ML speakers. It will be interesting to see how this will transpire. If this thread is still active, I will post the outcome.

 

[JoeESP9]

The only way to know is to hear them for yourself. You may not like what you hear. Then again you may love them. I loved Magneplanars the first time I heard them (1976) and immediately sold the B&O's I was using. Upon hearing a pair of electrostatics (1983) I had the same sort of epiphany. I sold my Magnepans (third pair) and have used esl's exclusively ever since.

 

[4Play]

The only way to know is to hear them for yourself. You may not like what you hear. Then again you may love them. I loved Magneplanars the first time I heard them (1976) and immediately sold the B&O's I was using. Upon hearing a pair of electrostatics (1983) I had the same sort of epiphany. I sold my Magnepans (third pair) and have used esl's exclusively ever since.

I totally understand what you're saying. Unfortunately I do not have that luxury. During these times, I am envious to those who are fortunate. Worst case scenario would be for me to save money to buy them. However, I am happy to say that I am now the proud owner of a pair of Martin Logan Source speakers, which by the way are discontinued.

I cannot wait to get these babies home and hear their glorious sound for the first time. Who knows, I may have call in sick the next day.

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

Congratulations on your new speakers. I am sure that you will love them. :yes:

 

[4Play]

Thanks TubeHiFiNut. When I was watching YT videos, a few was from a fellow AK member who was one of first who purchased a new Teac turntable. He had a few videos of different speakers playing the same track, and he had a pair of Martin Logan Electro Motion ESL that cost $2,499.96 per pair.

Now this is ironic. While I was typing this post, the buyer contacts me that the amount he listed is not going to cover the actual shipping. Murphy's Law is rearing his ugly head once more, "If anything can go wrong, it will." There is going to be an issue to see if he is obligated to the amount given, or if he can change it.

The saga continues...

 

[dcmfan]

Ugh! The things we go through for better sounds!

Hang in there-

 

[4Play]

Well, I have good news and bad news.

Bad News:
The seller has cancelled the auction and refunded my money. Trying to find an answer on the auction site is nearly impossible. After ten or fifteen minutes, I found a phone number to call. At this moment and according to the auction site, the seller CAN cancel the auction and refund the money to the buyer. So much for the auction site standing behind the buyer. So, I filed a report against the seller, and the auction site will investigate to see if any more of his auctions have the same instance.

[Good News:
I found an ad for the same speakers, but these are in a much better condition. The owner states the speakers have only ~ 5 hours of use. The speakers are still fresh and have not been broken in.

What an evening of events this have been. What started out bad, has turned into a far better and happier outcome. Needless to say, my head hurts right now.

 

[4-2-7]

You might like the fact I'm driving them now with 2 MC275 mono bridged @ 180 wpc. I do worry about them eating my amps though..:yes:

A lot of people may consider this oranges and apples but I bridged a pair of Adcom 555s with my IIs before the Sunfire and rocked out to one of the Adcoms showing off a black mushroom cloud. :sigh:
Like you said, it got eaten.

I can watch one of my kt88's starting to light a flame when I bring the volume way up.

The speakers are so efficient they do not need a huge amount of wattage in order to perform.

4play we are not talking about power. ML can smoke amps that can't handle 1 ohm dips. You should talk to people that really know how to do the math with a specific ML and the amp you have.