Martin Logan Owners Thread

You ARE aware of the ML Club website, yes? A pretty comprehensive and well run site. Anyways, that's where they all (or most of them) are. I happen to spend more time here, as this is where I started my audio hunting oddysey and also simply for the greater activity, but for any specific questions about ML products, I ask there. For your first question, post it over there, you will get responses.

Plenty of knowledgable folks, serious audiophiles.

I have Summits, Fresco-i center, 4x PSB B25 surrounds, and a JL F113. Powered by NAD separates, of which the pre/pro might* get an upgrade. Jolida cdp. Loooong down the road, if the Summits can ever get their own room (err), I may one day get a nice tube amp, maybe a used or demo BAT.

edit: forgot to give you the link:
http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/

Yea most of the ML owners hang out at the martinloganowners website. However, I'm an owner and love the speakers Currently have a pair of Vistas and a Fresco. In the past I've owned an Aerius i. The sound is always amazing, but with tradeoffs.

I have a pair of Vistas with a Def. Tech. Supercube I with a Pioneer Elite VSX-35TX as a pre and Rotel's pushing them. Trying to ultimately decide what will be my center and rears once I move into my new home.

ML is coming out with a new center speaker later this summer. Good deals are now available on Cinema i centers, or you can wait till the new model shows up.

I have posted before. I have a HT set up with Montages/Fresco center and some in-ceiling Phase Techs with a PSB 6i sub. Also have a stereo set up with Mosaics. I use NAD receiver and amp for both set up.

I was visiting these sites often while and after making the decisions but have slowed down looking at these forums once my obsession faded after being incredibly satisfied with the systems I have.

Here is a quick shot of my Bi-Amp'ed ML ReQuest powered by a Sunfire TGA7400, you can also see one of my two True Subwoofer Signature EQ subs and some acoustic panels. The center speaker is a ML Cinema i.

I will do some detailed photos in the next few days showing all the gear

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I'm running Mosaics for fronts, Fresco for center, Acculine A-1 for Surrounds (they have the Neo tweeter) and MFW-15 for sub. I have a Dynamo sub but I wanted the additional boom the MFW provides. Dynamo not bad though considering its size. I still have the Dynamo in case my MFW amp blows (happened once already).

Bought the Mosaics and Fresco used and they're quite a bargain that way.

I recently did an A/B comparison of the Mosaics with Rocket 850s and the Mosaics were pretty close. The Rockets have 4 woofers, one mid and one tweeter and weigh close to 100 lbs, so the 30 lb Mosaics held up quite nicely.

I was considering buying the Rocket 850 package to replace my Logan 5.1 setup, but now I'm not so sure. If anyone is interested in my Logans drop me a PM.

p.s. The Logan owners site is pretty much all Electrostatic owners, so it's nice to see some people who have the ML Planar speakers show up here and comment.

I guess I can still qualify as an ML owner since I still have the CLS (20yrs original owner) and 2 Dynamo subs.
Due to the front projection system and WAF, these panels have to be put away for a while. But the sound coming from an e-stat ML panel will always be a benchmark for me in speaker choices.

Yes they do seem to hold that status, even if the box store brand buyers refuse to admit it.

I am almost an owner. I am building a house, and have selected ML speakers, but the house isn't done and the system isn't installed yet.

I almost went with Frescoes for front and center, with Vignette's in the rear, with a Grotto sub. But got concerned about the look of on-wall versus in-wall.

So at the last minute I switched to Voyage for L&R, Passage for center, and had to go with ceilings ... Helos 100's. Stuck with the Grotto sub.



I really liked the Frescoes. But the Voyages blew them out of the water in a side by side demo. You almost don't need a sub. Almost.

The inwalls will be mounted horizontally, and higher than I'd like, but am hopefully the aimable tweeters, and the fact the seating area is pushed well back away from the front wall, will make it all work out. Fingers are crossed on this setup. I have confidence in the speakers, having heard them, but I'm asking a lot with the setup.

Hello,
I thought I might bring this forum back from the dead. I realize that Martin Logan speakers have their fans and detractors. But, the same thing can be said of any speakers.

I have owned Martin Logan speakers since my Freshman year in College when I purchased a pair of Aerius i's from HiFi Buys in Athens, GA. They were a Salesmen pair with Mahogany rails. I practically lived off ramen noodles for that first quarter. Next semester, I purchased a Cinema i.

Two years ago, I purchased a Pair of Vantages and a pair of Montages.
When the Tweeter empire went under, I picked up a Stage Center Channel and a pair of Vista's for Surround duty.

Next, I am going to sell my Paradigm Servo 15 to purchase a Descent i.
I really have enjoyed my speakers greatly and so long as you have the space to set them up properly and solid amplification, they sound special.
Cheers,
AD

I've had a few systems:
1. Aeon's + cinemaI + scriptI + depth
2. Purity's without anything else
3. New system to be installed ASAP: 3x Fresco, 4xhelos10 (or maybe 2x helos20 depending on wiring issues, i own them all) + depth
I've been a happy ML owner and I worked for a dealer for the past 7 years

how are the helios doing? i am stuck with in ceililng set up and would like to upgrade. want to aim them and looking for something with response down to 30 to 40hz. my current ones are rated 60 to ....

I became an owner last year when I bought a Dynamo Sub to replace my old B&W AS6 and was blown away at how tight and dynamic a little sub like that could output. Then i added a pair of Tickets as my surrounds before finding a great deal on a pair used Sources as my Front L/R. I still have an old B&W CC6 as my center, but looking to upgrade that in the near future to complete my ML 5.1 setup. The music from ML are so pure and the clarity is really unmatched compared to conventional designs.

New Purity owner here. Was not expecting a sound this great at this price. Would expect to have paid at least another $1000. Great speakers, wonderful internal amps....

My system of Helos 100's in ceiling for rears, plus Voyages front L&%, and Passage center channel, has been installed an running for about a week. New home, and rugs and curtains not in the room yet, so the room is very "bright" at the moment. Having said that, I am extremely pleased by the total system.

The Helos 100's are nicely articulate. Warm enough. Great sound. But of course I am using them as surrounds, so they have not had primary channel sound coming through them. A few details ...

First, the speakers are aimable as you know. However to aim them you turn the entire speaker by loosening the screws that hold the speaker to the bracket. I can't imagine anyone wanting to change the aim once it is in place, but if that is your mission, these are not for you.

Second, there is a switch to adjust the speaker to / from a wide field of coverage of the sound, to a narrow spot. The installer initially had it set on narrow and I can tell you narrow is a microscopic sweet spot. Switched to wide and the impact was wonderful.

I also had several B&W in-ceilings installled in other rooms. There is absolutely no comparison. The Helos 100 are vastly better.

Just to add my share to a dead thread.

Recently bought a pair of Aerius on craigslist. The guy had taken such good care of his that it looks practically brand new. The sound is amazingly smooth and rich compared to my Deftech BP7002. Lacking on the bass, but that is easy to fix. Anyways here is the rest of my setup.

Pioneer Elite PRO150FD
Pioneer Elite SC-27
Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD

ML Aerius (Music Duty only)
Deftech BP7002
Deftech CLR2500
Deftech BP2X
Deftech Studio Monitor 450
Deftech SuperCube II

I'm thinking of picking up a pair of Preface speakers for the fronts and buying a used Fresco i for the center. Anyone have an opinion on this match?

I know the Preface are the bottom of the rung for ML, but they fall within my budget and I was impressed by the sound.

The power that will be pushing these is an Emotiva XP-2 and XP-3

Surround suggestions welcome too.

Thanks.

I'm a bit late learning about this thread. As mentioned by others, I also usually visit the ML Owners Club website for all things ML. But it's nice to see a dedicated thread here for ML.

I have been a ML owner for many years, and in all that time I have enjoyed these speakers so much that I have never felt the need/want to go with anything different. Martin Logan rocks! Some here may already be familiar with my setup. My ML's are the reQuest, Theater i, Aerius i, and Descent (x2).

Here are some pics of my system.










Seth

I demo'ed the Frescoes. I like them for their price point a lot. They have just been discontinued. You will need a sub.

I hope you know that I am hating you right now. I am still in college so I don't have the money for a system but once I graduate my first big purchase is probably going to be a pair of prefaces and a dynamo 700 with an onkyo 3007. I may get sources or puritys but I doubt I will be able to afford that.

The system you plan on putting together looks like a really good one! Whether it's the Preface based setup or the step up Source or Purity, it'll be a fine sounding system. Once you graduate and get your system put together, I'm looking forward to seeing some pics.


Seth

I'm planning on the Fresco over the Encore, despite the significantly more attractive price point of the Encore. The Fresco's can be had used for about half of the new retail and it's a more substantial speaker. Plus, it matches my Pioneer Elite 151 nicely.

As for a sub, I'm sticking with ML and considering the Dynamo 1000.

For the surrounds (5.1), I'm looking at the Def Tech ProMonitor 800. The size is right and the price is right. Any opinions on how they match with the ML's?

Have not heard the def tech

Getting ready to pull the trigger on some onwalls in another room, and the Frescoes are discontinued. B&W FPM series onwalls are being recommended as an alternative. Have not heard them yet, but just thought I'd throw that out there.

MartinLogan is one word... I guess, that's how the spell it. Anyway I just own a DYNAMO sub (10"), and I am veryy happy with it, but my next system is about to be all ML, though not the high end stuff that they are really known for. Still I am expecting good things, I will wait to see how good these new Motion speakers are, but I was planning on getting a couple of the Preface along with the Encore for the center and a pair of Helos 20 for rears, but that all might change come next month...

ML's new Motion series are an entirely new design. They are at an entry-level price point, but the early demo'd prototypes got some rave reviews. More details here... http://www.martinlogan.com/motionSeries/index.php
and here... http://www.martinloganowners.com/for...ad.php?t=10284

ML is reportedly also working on some new/updated versions in their high-end electrostatic line.

I would go with a Fresco over the Encore anyday. The encore is rather disappointing in my opinion. It lacks some clarity compared to other ML centers. And the Pro Monitor 800s work well for rears with any of the MLs. I use the Pro Monitor 1000s for the rears when I demo any MLs because they get a little more power which you need if you don't want them drowned out by the power if the fronts.