Magnepans or...Martin Logan


Dear All, ....sorry very interested but only newby.

Could I have insights on which to choose - up to USD 2.500 - and the reasons. Used or new. Brand and models.

Live in Santiago, Chile so very high addtional shipping and insurance costs - at least double.  Furthermore no possibility of local testing - no models available -...so I must get it right blindly first time. 

Type of music I listen to: Folk, Jazz, Movies, New Age.

Much appreciate your help.

Thanks and regards !
Robert
128x128rpeebles
I would agree with those who suggest the Maggies - they have more weight and substance than the ML’s. The ML’s have great clarity, detail and resolution, but there is more to music than that.

Of the Maggies any of the LRS, .7, or 1.7 are great. the LRS are a real bargain, and get great reviews.

But... If you want something that does acoustic music about as well as it can be done, and which is trouble-free and easy to place in small space, which sound engineers revere - get the Proac Response D2. When driven with the right electronics - there is very little that sounds as good in all respects for Jazz, and acoustic sounds. When driven by the Line Magnetic 518ia, there is very little that can compare. Check out the YouTube videos of this set up - nothing quite compares.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXgADIsgRrk&t=105s

If you want a "giant killer" amp that can drive the Maggies, or the Proac R D2, that is a real value, you will be wowed by the Class D Audio SDS-470C with enough power to drive the Maggies well, which require a lot of power. At $695, nothing can compare for less than $2500+. 600 watts rms per channel into the 4 ohm Maggies. It has none of the Class D gremlins - but sounds like a tube / SS hybrid with resolution and clarity that can only be found in much more costly high-end amps. And it’s light and runs cool - so, you don’t spend a lot on shipping, and air conditioning, or electricity.

https://classdaudio.com/sds-470c-class-d-audio-power-amplifier.html
If OP lived in the US, I would vote ML. But I'm biased because I've owned MLs for over 25 years. While I like Maggie's, I prefer MLs due to their clarity and resolution, and lack of "Maggie slam". Having said that, MLs are very unforgiving of poor recordings, which may not be as big of a problem given OP's music preferences.

Because I bought my most recent pair of MLs used and paid almost as much for shipping as I did the speakers, I can't recommend shipping them to Chile. On top of that, as others have mentioned, if anything goes wrong he's going to have a lot of trouble getting affordable, reliable service.

As much as I love planar speakers, I would go with easily obtainable quality box speakers, as others have suggested.

Buena suerte! 
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I have owned Magnepans and ESL's exclusively since 1973. Both sound much better to my ears than anything else.

I have owned ML hybrid speakers, in fact, still have them in my home theatre. But not for music. The crossover distortion (at 250Hz) bothers me a lot. So does the disconnect between cone sound and ESL panel sound: the ESL panels are very accurate and fast, the cones sluggish and ugly. In my opinion. In my system. In my room.

Magnepans tend to sound a lot more integrated, and this is especially important for acoustic music like folk. Also, they are a whole lot simpler than ESL's. ESL's have (1) high voltage supplies (2) step up transformers and (3) protection circuits, none of which are used in Magnepans.

More things can go wrong with ESL's. And if you try and fix them yourself, well, ESL's can kill you 2 ways if you don't know what you are doing. So bring your will up to date first.

If you are far from a qualified high voltage technician, I suggest Magnepan speakers over any ESL's, but especially over ML hybrids. But be aware, some people just don't like either Magnepans or ESL's; exactly how that can be beats me, but I know it's true. Something to keep in mind.

Good Luck!

PS: I have used Quad ESL's for years now.