Martin Logan Aerius i vs. Spica TC-60

Thanks, All, for the feedback.

Honest1-
Much as I like and respect the Spicas, I can't keep 'em now that the Aeriuses are imaging well. I don't have room for them, and money's tight. The Spicas have more of a "Wow!" factor on some intimate vocals in near-field listening, and I'll miss that particular thrill, but the Aeriuses paint the entire front wall with sound from farther away, and that's a strength that's enjoyable on a wider range of material. They're very different listening experiences, but I'm finding that although a few CDs work better on the Spicas, most of the time I prefer the Aeriuses. In addition, the extra money spent on the Aeriuses (twice the price) buys more realistic bass and slightly better detail. For under $1,000, the Spicas are incredible. But, the Aeriuses are over $2,000 and worth every penny. (Of course, I bought used and paid only half those figures.) I hesitate to even compare them: it's like putting Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring with Muhammed Ali. They both punched above their weight, but it wouldn't be much of a contest. They're both champs.

I don't know which model of Audio Physics I auditioned, but they were current models retailing for $3k. Serious suckout in the upper bass, and imaging decent but not comparable to the Spicas.

Slikrik-
As they're on hardwood floors, and I'm too cheap and lazy to go out and pay $50 for brass disks, I'm using pennies with tiny dabs of poster putty to stick 'em to the floor and keep 'em from slipping or rattling. Seems to work quite well.

Doncar-
Although I've never heard the larger MLs, I have no doubt you're right about the advantages of larger panels. Unfortunately, I have a brass wallet to go with my golden ears. The Aeriuses are probably the best speakers I'm going to be able to afford for a long time. From here on out, I'm strictly limited to cheap tweaks. The only thing I can see spending more than a couple hundred bucks on in the next year is the front end. As for cables, well, let me confess that I'm a heretic: I've always been skeptical about claims for expensive wire, and after reading the following articles,

http://sound.westhost.com/cablewhitepaper.htm
http://sound.westhost.com/cables.htm

I can't see spending more than $200 to find out if my skepticism is warranted. The first article, by one of the founders of ESL-maker Innersound, seems to indicate that the ESL panel may benefit from low-inductance & low-capacitance coaxial cable, whereas the woofer will benefit from heavy low-impedance solid or braided cable. It makes sense to me, too, that direct biamping would give the amp tighter control over the woofer more than any cable tweak used with passive biamping would. However, direct biamping of the MLs seems to be a complicated endeavor fraught with peril, so I'm content to sit tight and just enjoy the already stellar performance I've got right now. I'm already enjoying sound far better than I dreamed I could afford, so it feels ungrateful to keep pushing for more.

If a $200 set of cables would make a clearly audible improvement over my Monster XP, I'd be tempted though...

No Money & Barnes-
I'm sure the MLs can take more power. I'm just not sure what I'd do with it. Live levels on even low key stuff like Steely Dan is already running the risk of alienating my neighbors in this quiet prewar NYC apartment building, and Little Feat is definitely pushing it.

Thanks, everybody, for the conversation. I'm having fun both listening and learning. Ain't that what it's all about?

Doncar-
I'm sure you're right about the CDP - it's an H/K CD changer. Although the specs look good on paper (dual 20-bit Burr-Brown A/D converters and HDCD decoding), H/K has never won much praise for its CD players. Probably just competent mid-fi. Not sure where to go from here for $500 or less.

As for analog, I've got an AR table from the early '80s with a Sumiko Premiere MMT arm and a Dynavector DV-10x4 HO MC cartridge that's in need of replacing, but it has sat in a closet up in NH since the mid '80s, when I left the country for most of 14 years. Unfortunately, during that time of inactivity, the weight of the platter deformed the motor bearings, resulting a nasty once-per-rotation "thunk". The motor's gotta be replaced, and as I only ever had about 200 LPs, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble to rent a car (I live in NYC - no car) to drive up and pick it up along with my ancient LPs in unknown but dubious condition. A terrible waste, I know. Haven't decided what to do about it.

BTW, please don't take my skepticism about cables personally. I don't mean to snub anyone, as I'm sure you all have practical experience to back up your advice. It's just a pathology of mine - I don't believe things until I see/hear them for myself, especially when they threaten my tiny puddle of filthy lucre. I'll definitely keep your cable advice in mind, though, as I continue my audiophile education.

Hi Jacquescornell
I (sincerely) hope I didn't convey audio cable arrogance in my offering - that was certainly not my intent. In fact, I will freely admit to the same "brass wallet" challenge that you profess. :-)

Specifically, I wanted to reassure you that Aerius is a truly excellent speaker. I'm the dummy - I spent way beyond my means (upgrading) only to learn in the end, that my problem was "dirty power" and my (CD) source! (The "Silk Sock/Sow's Ear" thing)

We might debate "cable value" as I believe the ultimate villain is "Digital Noise" and all it's trappings. It's everywhere in your system...and add to that all the additional EMI/RFI running through your residential power environment. Compliments to Martin Logan Aerius - they are doing a marvelous job of reproducing it all. I wasn't smart enough to understand that, until I had spent my way into financial oblivion on larger panels that allowed me to "hear" exactly what I was listening to.

If you require evidence of that claim, see if you can "borrow" a good turntable and a couple of pristine records; disconnect and "unplug" the CD Player - then listen to your Logans (as late as possible) some "Sunday" evening. (When NYC's power grid isn't flexing it's muscles) I promise euphoria! (No cost!)

By the way, I also live in an apartment, in a heavily populated area.

Jacquescornell, why not try a California audio lab Alpha tube dac in your system? This should bring more out of your Logans. I have this dac with my transport, it sure made a big improvement in overall sound quality. For under $500 you won't regret this. By the way I have the Ascent i.

Geronimo, thanks, that's an interesting suggestion. I had always assumed that a product like that would be much more costly. My H/K CD changer does have a coax digital out, so adding an outboard DAC is a possibility. I'm kinda tempted, though, by a Rega Planet 2000, as it's only about $100 more than the CAL Alpha, it seems to have a much nicer transport and all-around build quality than my H/K, and the price is only going to get lower now that Rega's new Apollo is replacing it. Still, a tube DAC is an interesting proposition. Thanks for the heads-up.

As for the Aeriuses, now that I've had 'em for a few days, my feeling about them hasn't changed since my last post - they're great, even with my modest electronics. They still don't give me goosebumps on intimate vocals the way the TC-60s do, but they bring much bigger more open imaging to atmospheric material. Little Feat's "Waiting for Columbus" is absolutely thrilling - the sound from the audience is huge and very, very detailed. I feel like I'm standing on stage with the band. On Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue", the horns and drum kit are equally good on both speakers, but the piano is more life-size on the Aeriuses.

In almost every respect, the Aeriuses are exactly what I wanted. The tonal balance is nearly perfect, needing just a tiny tad more brightness on voices. Bass is very satisfying, if not quite as tight and tuneful as on my friend's Brentworth IIIs. I suspect this would be better in a bigger room with more distance to the front and side walls, and in any case, bass is what I care least about. Detail is right up there with my Stax Lambda Pros - I've never heard better from any speaker. Treble is the way I like it - balanced and open, but not exaggerated. I've heard more extended treble, particularly from the Gallo Reference 3, but I found it not bright but just a bit overwhelming. The only improvement I'd care about would be making the image more solid. If I hadn't had the TC-60s but had gone instead directly from my Mission 772s to the Aeriuses, I'd be in audio heaven right now. The TC-60s, though, showed me what a truly solid, reach-out-and-stick-a-fork-in-it image is. With the Aeriuses, the image is equally well-defined and dimensional, maybe more so, but somewhat insubstantial. I feel like I can see the musicians and instruments, but that if I reached out to touch them, my hand would pass through. I think this is just a product of the dipolar design. The late arrival of the reflected soundwave creates a feeling of space and depth, but also gives the image that ethereal quality.

The Aeriuses are easier to enjoy, though. The TC-60s demand that I really concentrate to appreciate them. The Aeriuses don't care whether I'm paying attention or not. They're just happy to put on a show. And, what a show it is.