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MartinLogan Subwoofers- Don't Overlook Them!

With everyone on the SVS, Rythmik, JL Audio and REL bandwagons MartinLogan’s subs tend to be overlooked by many.
After reading the Stereophile review of the ML Dynamo 800X subwoofers with app based controls and ARC room correction I picked up a pair at my local dealer.
They have an excellent feature set for seamless integration including continuous phase, high level speaker inputs, multiple crossover slope settings all done from the listening spot.
The app works really well and they connected via bluetooth without a hitch. I renamed each sub to indicate the left and right positions and it is so easy to adjust and control them to get the best results.
They sound excellent! Very "musical" with no bloating, very tight and fast. They go deep enough with strength and clarity. Sustained deep notes are presented with power and authority with no breakup.   They also deliver excellent punch- kick drums sound great with appropriate impact.   The only drawback is that they are so far a little dry sounding, a little too tight.  I'm sure they will loosen up with time but even with that I am still enjoying them quite a bit!  
For anyone in the market give these some consideration.   And yes, two subwoofers offer many advantages over a single sub and the resulting sound is fantastic.   
avanti1960
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
What I find well and truly amazing is the way four or five subs spaced out asymmetrically around the room are able to recreate bass that is just as solidly and accurately placed within the sound stage as anything else. 

As much fun as it probably is being able to play with settings with a remote, the more subs you get the less it matters where they are. The better it sounds. The less you need to tweak. And the more you just relax and enjoy the music. 
gochurchgo
923 posts
 
I’ve been following @avanti1960 thread on that forum I do not mention. Based on his recommendation here I will look into them.


gochurchgo
923 posts
 
@avanti1960 how do you have yours connected? They seem to have really good connection options.
oilheadoug
10 posts
 
Mijostyn,

Unfortunately you need to adjust each subwoofer independently.

avanti1960 OP
1,482 posts
 
@millercarbon   of course two subwoofers in a room do offer advantages but the design and spec of the subwoofer is critical.   At this point having two subwoofers has negated the issues I had using a single sub and until I find something to complain about two is all there will be!  
@mijostyn   you have to adjust the subwoofers one at a time as far as i can tell.  
@noble100  I agree about the directional cues when at the listener spot but while moving about the room, the sound of a single sub can change dramatically.  I had a single sub previously and the sound was so defined and powerful when standing at a certain spot about 10 feet from the front of the sub and lost those qualities as you moved away from that spot.  With the two subwoofers it is true- the room is equally balanced.  
With respect to stereo sub-bass it can come off as directional when the higher frequencies of a given note can be localized to a certain direction.  Although the corresponding sub bass "hit" is not directional within the room, the fact that the higher frequencies are directional tricks the ear into believing that the sub-bass is also coming from the same spot- e.g  powerful stereo drum work.  



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