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Martin Logan (abyss)?? Any Comments

post #1 of 88
8/17/06 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 
Im curious about the 12 inch martin logan abyss sub. Are their any user comments and seatings sugestions.
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post #2 of 88
8/18/06 at 5:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel L. View Post

Im curious about the 12 inch martin logan abyss sub. Are their any user comments and seatings sugestions.


Ive been wondering the same thing. Ive been looking for two smaller cube subs and I came across this sub the other day. I ordered two to see how they sound, should have them next week

I thought about going with the Dynamo but it was just too small for me. I currently have an Infinity 15" which I like but I want to see how two smaller quicker subs sound


If I dont like these I am going to try the ACI force XL's
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post #3 of 88
8/18/06 at 6:20am
t-smith, please let us know your impressions. I have heard one, but it was set up in a very large open space. Of course the sales guy was swearing up and down that it would clobber the velo spl1200r that I told him I really liked--that is pretty high praise. I didn't leave with the impression that it would best the mighty velo--about on par though. Let's face it martin logan makes some real high quality stuff, and this is no exception. However, is it the best value for a small sub? Is it even on par with other small sealed subs? I don't know. It definately has some versatility advantages. Again let us know your impressions as it looks like it should be a pretty good perfromer, but without hearing it in a know space side by side with a known quantity, it is tough to speculate.
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post #4 of 88
8/18/06 at 7:23am
Thread Starter 
I purchased the Abyss to compliment the Artison PLCR's. They will be here next week, lets see how they sound. I listened to this setup quite extensively at Sound Advice a Tweeter type store and the sound was very tight, not to boomy and I was able to feel the low end quite a bit on the medium level. I am looking foward to testing in my living room. (wish ne luck, lets hope it works the same).
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post #5 of 88
8/18/06 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsheldon View Post

t-smith, please let us know your impressions. I have heard one, but it was set up in a very large open space. Of course the sales guy was swearing up and down that it would clobber the velo spl1200r that I told him I really liked--that is pretty high praise. I didn't leave with the impression that it would best the mighty velo--about on par though. Let's face it martin logan makes some real high quality stuff, and this is no exception. However, is it the best value for a small sub? Is it even on par with other small sealed subs? I don't know. It definately has some versatility advantages. Again let us know your impressions as it looks like it should be a pretty good perfromer, but without hearing it in a know space side by side with a known quantity, it is tough to speculate.


same deal, Tweeter had one on display in a large room which wasnt going to tell me anything. They have a full return policy so whats the harm. Friend of mine has the ML Depth ( or Descent ) sounds great and he loves it. The Abyss is obviously not that but Im hoping the same quality is there which i cant imagine it wont be.

From what i understand these are relatively new which is why I havent been able to find that much info on them

hopefully these will work out, should be in next week and I'll connect them immediately....the opening scene in Star Wars III will be the first test then it will be the Depth Charges in U571
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post #6 of 88
8/18/06 at 9:10am
Thread Starter 
Thats sounds like two great movies to try them out on. Another great scene is xmen 2 the church scene with the character that disappears. I will do the same on wednesday when it is delivered and installed. (new pio 6070 with artison and abyss and marantz 7500)
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post #7 of 88
8/18/06 at 9:27am
I'll be running mine on an Anthem AVM 50 with Paradigm Studio 40's and Marantz MA700's

also 007 Die Another Day has a lot of nice scenes for a sub
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post #8 of 88
8/18/06 at 12:18pm
Thread Starter 
Nice amp and nice setup. Your right 007 has scenes that low up right.
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post #9 of 88
8/18/06 at 2:47pm
thanks, I just got the AVM 50 and it has 2 sub outs which is what started all this
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post #10 of 88
8/24/06 at 5:03pm
picked up the two ML Abyss subs today and so far I like what I am hearing. I havent calibrated them yet, just hooked them up, moved the level half way up and put a couple movies in and the bass is noticably faster then the 15" Infinity Ive been using

I'll give more details as I go along but so far I am happy with them. The auto on / off is nice also
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post #11 of 88
8/29/06 at 3:22pm
I just bought one for my son. It should also be here next week. I am wondering the improvement over the Dynamo. He is more of a two channel guy then home theater. I think in that application it should really excel. We shall see.
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post #12 of 88
8/31/06 at 6:32am
Thread Starter 
Well I installed the Abyss, it sound real tight and very quick to respond. i also have not calibrated yet. So far much better than my previous jbl pb12.
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post #13 of 88
10/31/06 at 8:32pm
So you abyss owners....Still have em? still enjoy it?
hard to demo one. I've heard the dynamo but not the abyss.
looking at the ML and a entry REL.

Curious how the owners feel?
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post #14 of 88
10/31/06 at 9:17pm
I demoed the Martinlogan Abyss here in Vancouver with a few movies and a bit of music.

This sub is incredible for its size. Before I knew what I was listening I asked the guy if they had shakers installed into the chair, I was actually convinced they had some tactile device in the chair, he assured me there was no such thing. This was during the King kong scene with the trex type of dino, choping and chasing the girl.to It had so much LF output my jaw was on the floor when he showed me what was playing. I though it was easily a sub 2-3 times as large and ported. Note this was in a smallish room,however the impressions were very favorable. If i have time I will revisit and audition again, and listen more carefully to its music performance. This looks like a brute of a small sealed sub, While the overall Spl wasn't insanely high in a small room it delivered forcefull tactile bass like no sub ive heard to date.
....maybe their sofa was made out of paper mashe....

Edit: should add that the sub was corner loaded in a downfireing configuration. If I read the website right, apparently it can be converted to front firing as well which seems like a nice flexibility option it comes with.
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post #15 of 88
10/31/06 at 9:43pm
^^ thanks for the comments swerve-e!
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post #16 of 88
11/8/06 at 6:27pm
I agree with swerveddy. The Abyss is incredible. And the Dynamo is not far behind. I have long searched for a very musical sub that also had very high output for dynamics in music and for HT as well. I have listened to many of the commercial subs out there, with little concern for price. I actually found that price does not necessarily correlate to sound quality with subs.

My criteria for a sub is solid response in the lowest octave, ability to blend seamlessly with mains, low distortion, accuracy, articulation, and power.

The Abyss is my current reference standard for meeting or exceeding all my criteria while also representing great value. It is the most musical sub I have heard, and adds a transparent, almost ethereal presence to the music. The articulation is wonderful, and it effortlessly tracked the most complex bass material I could throw at it. I played a variety of music of all genres and the Abyss was equally adept with all. It was never boomy at all. But what really surprised me was when the depth charge scene was played on HT, how visceral the impacts were, and how they were felt in my chest. It was truly remarkable how at ease the sub was with such a variety of material. The room I listened in was about 16 by 20, with a 10' ceiling and a double door opening leading to the main showroom. This sub just made me smile. The salesman told me they had just recently got the Abyss in and he hadn't had a chance to stress it like I did, and he agreed that the Abyss seemed to handle every type of material exceptionally well.

Nearly as surprising was the Dynamo. The sound character is essentially the same as the Abyss, with the output being the only diffence I could discern. I heard the Dynamo in a room even longer than the room with the Abyss, but with a ceiling about a foot lower. I compared the ML to many known and reputable subs, but the salesman noted that hands down it was the most musical in the room. The only sub that I thought came close in sound quality was a Velodyne, but I was always aware of the Velodynes position, where with the ML Dynamo is sounded as though the sound was coming only from the mains. For smaller rooms if you want the most musical and seamless sub for around the mid-$1k price point, I haven't found anything close to this subs performance. Similarly, I think you will find the Abyss an exceptional value among its peers at around the $1k price point. And both have a high WAF since they are remarkably small for their output, and also immacualtely finished. Further, both had a design where you could swap the mount and the grille and this allows you to use the sub in a front-firing or down firing configuration according to what works best in your room.

The only subs that I have found that have a similar musical purity are the JL Audio F112 and F113 which I auditioned the same day. They have a similar seamless, transparent purity, and musicality, but with substantially more output. However, the F112 is about three times the Dynamo's price, and the F113 is roughly three times the Abyss' price. So the JL's are a reference standard at this point to me from what I have heard, irrespective of price, and would be a great no-compromise choice for those who need extreme SPL or have large rooms. But I think most people would find the ML's would give up nothing, in all but the extreme applications, in sound quality and represent what I think is clearly the best value out there right now for the music lover.

Hope this helps with your decision.
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post #17 of 88
11/9/06 at 11:49am
WOW SE-Raider! That is some post. Thanks for taking the time. I hope others find it useful.
I also went with the Abyss. I've only had it set up for a few days, and it is not calibrated. I am just adjusting it by ear and it is very compatible with my bookshelves. I plan to calibrate it and tune it to the room after I completely move into my place. And will comment further after I do that.
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post #18 of 88
11/16/06 at 12:46pm
any more feedback on these subs after a little more use/calibration?

I'm seriously considering this sub along with a couple of others...
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post #19 of 88
12/6/06 at 8:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SE-Raider View Post

I agree with swerveddy. The Abyss is incredible. And the Dynamo is not far behind. I have long searched for a very musical sub that also had very high output for dynamics in music and for HT as well. I have listened to many of the commercial subs out there, with little concern for price. I actually found that price does not necessarily correlate to sound quality with subs.

My criteria for a sub is solid response in the lowest octave, ability to blend seamlessly with mains, low distortion, accuracy, articulation, and power.

The Abyss is my current reference standard for meeting or exceeding all my criteria while also representing great value. It is the most musical sub I have heard, and adds a transparent, almost ethereal presence to the music. The articulation is wonderful, and it effortlessly tracked the most complex bass material I could throw at it. I played a variety of music of all genres and the Abyss was equally adept with all. It was never boomy at all. But what really surprised me was when the depth charge scene was played on HT, how visceral the impacts were, and how they were felt in my chest. It was truly remarkable how at ease the sub was with such a variety of material. The room I listened in was about 16 by 20, with a 10' ceiling and a double door opening leading to the main showroom. This sub just made me smile. The salesman told me they had just recently got the Abyss in and he hadn't had a chance to stress it like I did, and he agreed that the Abyss seemed to handle every type of material exceptionally well.

Nearly as surprising was the Dynamo. The sound character is essentially the same as the Abyss, with the output being the only diffence I could discern. I heard the Dynamo in a room even longer than the room with the Abyss, but with a ceiling about a foot lower. I compared the ML to many known and reputable subs, but the salesman noted that hands down it was the most musical in the room. The only sub that I thought came close in sound quality was a Velodyne, but I was always aware of the Velodynes position, where with the ML Dynamo is sounded as though the sound was coming only from the mains. For smaller rooms if you want the most musical and seamless sub for around the mid-$1k price point, I haven't found anything close to this subs performance. Similarly, I think you will find the Abyss an exceptional value among its peers at around the $1k price point. And both have a high WAF since they are remarkably small for their output, and also immacualtely finished. Further, both had a design where you could swap the mount and the grille and this allows you to use the sub in a front-firing or down firing configuration according to what works best in your room.

The only subs that I have found that have a similar musical purity are the JL Audio F112 and F113 which I auditioned the same day. They have a similar seamless, transparent purity, and musicality, but with substantially more output. However, the F112 is about three times the Dynamo's price, and the F113 is roughly three times the Abyss' price. So the JL's are a reference standard at this point to me from what I have heard, irrespective of price, and would be a great no-compromise choice for those who need extreme SPL or have large rooms. But I think most people would find the ML's would give up nothing, in all but the extreme applications, in sound quality and represent what I think is clearly the best value out there right now for the music lover.

Hope this helps with your decision.

Score another for the Abyss...I'm also in complete agreement here. I actually just posted here on the Abyss and the Dynamo and found this thread from "strangerazn's" post. Like SE-Raider, I too was blown away with the quality from the Abyss at $900.00 but was even more impressed with the Dynamo. At under $600.00 this has to be one of the best subs period...internet-direct or not. We've actually got both a sample Dynamo and an Abyss in our sound room and the second Dynamo is on the way. What I'm VERY intersted to find out is how dual Dynamos (at under $1200.00 retail) co-located in a single corner compare to the Abyss in a 3000+ cu.ft. room.

Having worked in the internet-direct industry for some time and having owned many of the subs offered by the companies in that market, I am always interested in seeing how traditional brick-and-mortar companies like Martin Logan respond...hoepfully (for their sake) this is a sign of things to come.

With respect to the actual sub quality, I came to the same conclusions as just about everyone else in this thread. In fact (as I mentioned in my other post) we were so impressed with the Abyss and Dynamo that we actually made them our exclusive subwoofer offering in the under $2K price class. Ironically - our choice for $2K and above are the incredible new JL subs...which are downright scary. For DD and DTS the Abyss and Dynamo are no-brainers. However...what impressed me the most was the performance on both stereo and high-rez music material. I listen to about 60% music in my home system and have thus always preferred sealed subs as I find them to offer a bit more accuracy and detail in demanding material. The long overhang from high-teen tuned ported enclosures drives me crazy. From Diana Krall's Live in Paris DVD to the DSOTM SACD...I couldn't find a disc on which the sub didn't make me smile. In fact...I may just go have a listen now .

I really don't think you can go wrong with either sub. If budget isn't the first thing on your list I'd go with the Abyss any day of the week simply because of it's additional output below 23Hz. You won't lose any of the Dynamo's musical quality or accuracy but will pick up a bit of usable output into the teens that will help with the demo scenes that you'll use to show off to your neighbors. Once we get our 2nd Dynamo and have a chance to compare to the single Abyss I'll post my findings here as well. If the dual Dynamo's do even half of what I'm expecting, they'll be worth every penny of the $300.00 upcharge over a single Abyss (given you have the space).

Hope that helps!
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post #20 of 88
12/6/06 at 12:57pm
Has anyone compared the abyss to the grotto.I'd be interested in hearing the opinions.I have the grotto and like it but it seems it's in the same price bracket as the abyss.Since there are comparisons being made between the abyss and 2 dynamo's,it would be interesting what everyone thinks.Besides i'm still trying to get this grotto setup properly with all these controls that it has.
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post #21 of 88
12/6/06 at 2:47pm
I'm definitely interested in learning of your test results with a dual dynamo setup. I'd also like to hear your impressions of an abyss in a larger, 3500+ cu. ft. room.
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post #22 of 88
12/6/06 at 2:54pm
Steve O,
Great comments. I was wondering if you have experience with front fireing vs down firing with the abyss and have any observations. I might consider changing to front firing since my abyss is on old hardwood floors which buzz a bit (though only on occassion) . Overall it sounds great so far a little more tweeking on phase and placement and I'll be all set. .ed
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post #23 of 88
2/9/07 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rocky1 View Post

Has anyone compared the abyss to the grotto.I'd be interested in hearing the opinions.I have the grotto and like it but it seems it's in the same price bracket as the abyss.Since there are comparisons being made between the abyss and 2 dynamo's,it would be interesting what everyone thinks.Besides i'm still trying to get this grotto setup properly with all these controls that it has.

seriously? Anyone compared the two? Rocky, how do you like your Grotto? I love mine but I think I could do with a bit more power. The bass I get is so damn clean that I find myself listening to more music than movies nowadays. I think I need another sub to get back into movies (hopefully stereo sub tracks will come out.....7.2 TrueHD would be AWESOME).
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post #24 of 88
2/9/07 at 3:21pm
to be honest it does fine plenty of power for movies.My room is approx 22x19 x8 and it doesnt skip a beat.I have a rotel rsx1056 and have made my adjustments in the receiver and am very happy with the performance of the grotto.Could i use 2 hell yes but wife would kill me.I also liked it because of size and looks.Now if i could only figure out the 25hz control.
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post #25 of 88
2/9/07 at 3:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rocky1 View Post

to be honest it does fine plenty of power for movies.My room is approx 22x19 x8 and it doesnt skip a beat.I have a rotel rsx1056 and have made my adjustments in the receiver and am very happy with the performance of the grotto.Could i use 2 hell yes but wife would kill me.I also liked it because of size and looks.Now if i could only figure out the 25hz control.

I dialed my 25Hz up by +3dB, rarely up to +6dB (some tunes). The bass gets a bit muddier with this adjustment so I try to keep it at normal or slightly above.
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post #26 of 88
3/23/07 at 12:09pm
How does the Abyss compare to the HSU VTF 3.3? I didn't see ML anywhere on Craig's list.
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post #27 of 88
3/23/07 at 10:39pm
I used to work at Sound Advice.

I got extensive experience with the Abyss.

I would never recommend it to anyone.

Buy an HSU or SVS
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post #28 of 88
3/24/07 at 12:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by poormanq45 View Post

I used to work at Sound Advice.

I got extensive experience with the Abyss.

I would never recommend it to anyone.

Buy an HSU or SVS


Yea Ok... Great advice hot shot.

Maybe go into a bit more detail.

I just ordered an SVS pb12 NSD here in canada. Unfortunately the price of the abyss here is quite high or a pair would have been my first choice after the JL F113.

I can tell you right now that I highly doubt the SVS I have on the way will be able to match this thing for music. For a small sealed cube that abyss has more Low end output than many larger ported /sealed subs I auditioned (energy 12.3, Totem Thunder(PR), REL 305 etc) I would say that it had more extension than the RSW10D and even the Velo spl 1000R.)

There is more to a sub than belting out 20hz tones at 100db. The Abyss had the power of the SPL1000R/RSW10d but the extension of the larger energy sub, and the musical finesse of the Totem and REL. Quite a feat imo.

For a large listening room, no It wouldnt be top on my list. But come on, saying you would never recommend it to anyone leads believe you have a different agenda.
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post #29 of 88
3/24/07 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by swerveddy View Post

Yea Ok... Great advice hot shot.

Maybe go into a bit more detail.

The abyss sounds ok, but for the price you pay it has almost no low frequency <30hz extension.

At BB it costs $899.99.

I'd recommend spending less and getting the SVS SB12 plus for $699.

This will give you better low end extension with higher output.

Or the SVS PB12-NSD/2 or the HSU VTF-3 HO

These options will all destroy the Abyss in both SQ and SPL
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post #30 of 88
5/14/07 at 8:56pm
Just found this thread while seaching for abyss information. I recently but a ML Abyss for $530 plus tax. Im happy with my purchase especially after hearing the comments here. Prior to this i had never heard of Martin Logan but i am happy with the woofer and the Script I i bought.
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