Has anyone ever stacked Martin Logan CLS panels

Hi Lacee! I just noticed your post and I am very interested that you tell me if you have done anything with your two pair of speakers. I am considering doubling up my speakers too!

Here is my setup using a 1000 pixel across jpeg

http://steinman.mesls.org/stereo/DSCN1658a.jpg

Neil, Nsgarch, I read all your posts and I do like the Logan subs too! Does anyone use room treatments with their CLS? My mains are a little over 6 feet into the room and about that far from the side walls too.

I use a computer and a CDP for my songs.

I have a Depth sub woofer and I have the second pair of CLS in my home theatre.When I had stacked ESL 57 for a couple of years I liked the improvement in overall sound the extra made. I am not looking for more bass, just more of what a single CLS does now. As far as amplifing I have 2 Classe DR 8 amps and could use one amp to drive the left pair and the other amp to drive the right pair of speakers I also have 2 outputs on my pre amp. I thought about running them back to back and make a dipole bipolar(?!). I did this once with a pair of Meadowlarks but ran the left output of the amp to the right rear speaker and the right output of the other amp to the rear left speaker. Made for some great mono kind of full sound.I wonder what four per side in a compas configuration would sound like? A real omni directional?

I agree with Nsgarch! If you need stacked CLS's, just buy a pair of Soundlabs and be done with it. In this way, you wouldn't risk potential damage to two pairs of expensive speakers.

Enjoy,

TIC

The reason for stacking the 57s was to get more output. Even in moderately sized rooms, folks were always blowing them up trying to get decent SPLs and/or bass.

I've never found (in 15 years) my CLSs to lack sufficient sensitivity to reach deafening SPLs before distorting or, God forbid! arcing -- with the right amp of course and a good subwoofer (I like the ML Depth, but whatever)

If your room is so huge they won't play at realistic levels, then don't buy two more. Just get a pair of SoundLabs, you won't need a sub either!

Why stop at 2? How about 4 per stereo side. The increased panel area could eliminate the need for a subwoofer. Each speaker should have its own dedicated amp (8 channels total) and you'll probably need some sort of distribution amp between the preamp and the power amps. On second thought, it might be easier to just go with the larger Sound Labs.

I don't have any actual experience with this, but, I wonder if there might be greater benefits by putting one behind the other back to back?

Quote Bignerd100: "I think that the two seprate speakers for each channel would defeat some of the benefits of using the CLS panels. THey act as a point source."

Actually the CLS behaves as a Line Source as do all of the Martin Logans hybrids above the bass driver crossover point. If you built a rigid frame which stacked the panels intimately together, I see two potential problems- Avoiding having the joint between the panels anywhere near ear level, and sorting out appropriate amplification for the high voltage transformer circuits. I imagine the panel pairs would need to be series connected to avoid your amplifier seeing a near short circuit at high frequencies. Build a pair of appropriate 8'+ tall open baffle subwoofers with say 6 12" IB drivers per side to handle low-to-mid bass frequencies and you'd have a poor man's ML Statement !

Happy Trails!
Vince@freewheelcycle.com

THe logistics of doing that would probably make stacking very difficult. If you can figure a way to do that it would be most impressive looking though. I think that the two seprate speakers for each channel would defeat some of the benefits of using the CLS panels. THey act as a line source. It could convolute the soundstage. Since you have a spare pair of CLS I will be more than happy to take them off your hands.

:)