Martin Logan Speaker Advice
 

Hello all -

Many moons ago I was at a local dealer and heard a pair of Sequel II's and Quest's with some Mark Levinson amps. This would have been in the early to mid 90's and I really liked them. However, being just out of college at the time I could not afford them and had to dream.

Fast forward to the late 90's or 2000's and I was shopping again and listed to a set of Martin Logan Aerius and Magnepan 1.6QR speakers. At the end of the day the Magnepan's were purchased. For some reason the Aerius did not sing to me.

Well after several years I felt the Magnepan's were physically to large and the initial euphoria wore off. They became Dynaudio Special 25's which I have to this day.

So - If you were looking to create an original Sequel II or Quest like experience what would you look at in the current line up or would you get a used pair and have ML factory refurbish them?

Thanks for the advise.

What's your budget? The newest ML line offers much better woofer/panel integration than older models, plus the newer "X-stat" panel design, and Anthem Room Correction for the bass, so I'd go with one of those. You can get a used ML Impression 11A for ~$5500. Used Expression 13A's, or Renaissance 15A's, would be substantially more.

Agree with sleepysurf, it really comes to budget. The bigger the panel the bigger the sweet spot and I imagine more precise sound across frequency range. I have not A/B tested small vs. large panels to see how much of an impact. Size of room should also be considered.

I have the 11As and they are fantastic. One thing to note is that once you get to the 11A level you will need a good amp to power them to really bring out that full and 3D electrostatic sound.

There is a dealer on Audiogon that still has a NIB warrantied pair of Montis for $5999 shipped. Pretty hard to beat that if you can accommodate the size. Probably the last factory sealed pair around.

I agree with Alan as well, depending on your room size and budget. Keep in mind, to do Logans right you MUST give them room to breath !

nice deal, a no-brainer !

Thank you for all the replies. I did listen to a few of the current speakers including the CLX, 13A, and 11A. Not the best demo room. Also the 13A and 11A speakers were on a terrible integrated that did not power them well. The CLX's were on a McIntosh system and I liked them the best.

One thing of note that helped. I noticed the newer speakers tilt back slightly and the older were vertical. We changed their position so the panel was almost vertical and not tilting back. Made a huge difference difference to the balance and spatial imaging of the system - even on that terrible integrated.

Agree about the room - and my current room may not work but could work in a new listening room of sufficient size.

I would highly recommend reaching out to the dealer, Albert. Know him well, bought my 11As from him and recently my Luxman 509X. Trustworthy and top notch.

I was actually in Chicago on business and was able to swing by and demo a few integrated amps at his shop. I have never seen so many top speakers and amps in one room, especially ML (including the Neolith). He was very helpful and patient while demoing 4-5 amps/integrates with the 11As before landing on the 509X.