What do you think of Martin Logan?

[kenratboy]

Yeah yeah, I know, they don't sound like Klipsch, everyone likes different stuff, etc.

However, just like Klipsch, I hear that people who listen to Martin Logan's are HOOKED on the sound just as we are hooked on the sound of Klipsch.

We are going to start selling them at work, so I will be sampling soon.

Just wondering what you think.

There subs look really good. The reviews say they are VERY musical (tight, no boom, etc.). I would even consider a ML sub with Klipsch's!

[chuckears]

I listened to some M-L's in a home theater boutique a couple of years ago; they were being fed by an Anthem AVM20 (which I now own) and a Rotel RMB-1095 (which I owned for about a year, but ended up replacing when I went back to McCormack amps).

I didn't care much for the looks of the Martin-Logans, but they did sound very good. Very accurate and detailed, with a nice three-dimensional soundstage. The thing is: the mains on this system retailed for around $6,000... my Fortes were $1180 back in 1988, and can be found for almost half that price on the used market. I seriously think the Fortes are very sonically competitive with the Martin-Logans. However, one thing I can say about the M-L's is that they sounded very good with the Rotel amp; my Fortes never did.

I suspect that, with a killer amp, the M-L's might outclass the Fortes, and possibly give the bigger Klipsch speakers a good challenge; never as room-filling as the mighty K-Horn, but they do have a clarity that leaves no doubt in my mind why people are as fond of them as you have heard.

One more aside about the room this system was set up in; I got my first look at a really good CRT front projector (retail: $40,000) that blew away any DLP or LCD projector I have seen. It rather spoiled me for any of the current rage of digital projectors, and if I were to purchase one today, it would most likely be a used CRT (which can be had for steal, usually under 5K...).

[kenratboy]

[hwatkins]

My 2 cents - when you are sitting in the sweet spot they (and other quality stats) may well be my favorite speakers. It is like exquisite, seamless multiway room sized headphones. With the right electronics it is a very memorable listening experience.

My problem - it really was a pretty small sweet spot. If your ear gets above the panel or a bit off axis the whole sound gets different. It is not that room filling wholeness that I tend to like best over time.

[picky]

Ken: I COMPLETELY agree with what hwatkins wrote above. He nailed it exactly! And Mrs. Picky thinks so, too!

[MrMcGoo]

Impressions of Martin Logan speakers:

1. They are very sensitive to room acoustics and proper setup.

2. They are low sensitivity and need a very good amp that can run low impedances well.

3. They lack dynamics and need a good subwoofer that can play a bit into higher frequencies.

The sound can be sweet, but they are not worth the price and other problems.

When Magnolia shut its Spokane store, one of the first things to get sold were the Martin-Logan demos. They were sold in less than 30 minutes.

Bill

[JohnA]

I thought the SL-3000 sounded remarkably like my La Scalas, at maybe twice the price. The soundstage was HUGE. The whole room was filled with jazz players.

[edwinr]

The Martin Logan Prodigy is being replaced by a clean sheet design called the Summit. It's part of the new ESL series using state of the art technology. Obviously very different from Klipsch, but interesting nevertheless.

[jdm56]

I haven't heard M-L's for awhile, butI do remember listening to the Quest, Aerius and SL-3 a few years back. Like Henry said - a huge soundstage, and also as long as you were in that tiny sweet spot, some of the best, most natural midrange I have ever heard. But the models I heard had underwhelming bass and were not very punchy at higher sound levels.

[Audible Nectar]

What everyone else said about soundstage and imaging is true IME. If you have a HUGE, high quality amplifier and a good room for them, they have thier merits. I have seen/heard lots of M-L over the years, as my local audio stores in several places I've lived carried them.

JDM's point about bass is where I walked out yearning, though. I could use electrostats with certain listening material - acoustic and natural instruments sound great. Classical - excellent! The midrange is most excellent in those situations. But as soon as I go to the amplified rock and roll stuff, these speakers go out the window. That's where the Klipsch come in, because the 'stats get to a point where they max out on heavier material. The punch/low end slam is missing, and the mids aren't as impressive when driving the speakers with bass heavy material. Even a band like The Eagles requires the impact of high efficiency woofers with topside compression drivers to keep me really interested. It's not about the volume per se, but the effortlessness that high efficiency speakers show with rock and roll material that keep me from owning electrostats.

[Colin]

very nice sound, need 1,000 watt amps, low end models remarkably like their high end models, good value at the $1.5K price range, almost too sweet, love the see through looks, they wear out over time and need maintenance and 1,000 watt amps, great showpeices, but need 1,000 watt amps, although OTL tube amps are very good with them...

[ygmn]

Ken don't you work at Best Buys?

Martin Logans at BEST BUYS

Is that what you mean?

[kenratboy]

[Corvzr1]

I auditioned a set of ML's and found that you HAVE to be in that sweetspot to hear anything good. I found that sweetspot to be very small too. I dont remember what amp was hooked up to it but that probably wont make to much of a difference. Overall very nice "smooth" sounding but keep your head in fixed position.

[D-MAN]

A buddy of mine has got a pair, and my opinion of them is:

they lack bass, and if you turn them up, they spark.

everytime they spark, that's another pinhole in the membrane.

I also don't like the fact that you have to plug them into a wall outlet. That just don't seem right.

DM

[artto]

Isn't some kind of wine? No, wait. They're a comedy act, right?

[jt1stcav]

I've only heard MartinLogans a couple of times on a showroom floor; I'm more experienced with Magnapans and their planar technology, since I owned a pair of MGLR1s. Regardless, each are less efficient and require lots of good clean power, both are bass-shy (especially the Maggies), and both have tiny sweet spots. Like everyone else has stated, they're excellent sounding flat speakers given the right room, placement, and equipment/sources. But they're somewhat limited to certain types of music, whereas Klipsch will treat vocals, small jazz/blues ensembles, and chamber music as well equally as high energy rock, large scale orchestral works, and pipe organs at full crescendo. Therefor IMO any Klipsch is a clear Best Buy (no pun intended...well, maybe...actually, yes...there was clearly pun intended)!