Martin Logan vs. Everything

Wow! It’s great to see all this love for the Logans @erik_squires  mentioned dynamics.. I added a pair of rel s/812 a year ago and it definitely took everything to the next level.  @newbee the Logan’s are very particular what you feed them.I basically Taylor’s my whole system around them. They need absolute quiet power.. (I once had a bug zapper bulb in  garage and you could hear it coming through the panels. I now have dedicated lines, and grounding ) they also need lots of watts and love high voltage amps so I use the sanders magtech http://sanderssoundsystems.com/products/amplifiers/magtech-amp

@bigtwin  the sweet spot is very sweet but small I’ll agree. I have been able to broaden it with my room treatments though 

I owned them and even modded the Xovers to better parts ,they don’t have the dynamic impact and imaging is a bit diffuse ,soundstage is though very big 

,sound labs are a much better speaker ,much bigger but has its own section 

for highs,mids,and Bass ,and separate box for transformers they are by far the best electrostatic speaker made , at the time I traded the ML13A for Big Sonus Faber Sarafino speakers which I though much more uniform as a whole ,their new G2 

are much better still but more $$ costly as is theSound labs.. to each their own 

they are still a good speaker ,the ML prefer a powerfull SS amp to sound their best .

I had a pair of ML e-stat's - loved them except three nit-picks:

1. Small sweet-spot
2. Demanding current (1.8 ohm)
3. 'Hybrid' bass was "slow" compared to panels

I replaced them with Linkwitz LX-mini + Linkwitz Phoenix (alt) OB-subs (x2). This resulted in same virtues of e-stats plus; sounds great everywhere in the room (no room treatments), easily driven with pair of Hypex FA-123, and articulate bass that keeps-up. Actually, that open-baffle bass was the biggest surprise - last thing I'd give up. Those little LX-mini's replaced Tekton DI (upgraded), B&W, and ML's. And I know exactly what you mean about ML e-stats - they were the last to go.

Still a big fan of ML and use them in the HT system for center/side/surround/atmos - where GoldenEar Triton One's are the mains there.

So to answer your question... what contenders are there with similar attributes...

Linkwitz LX-mini or LX521.4, Magnepan (never owned, but there is quite a following - likely good reason), Spatial Audio, Pure Audio PrProject, GR-Research, Kii and Dutch&Dutch will all likely provide similar sound attributes.

Gentleman,

I have heard this debate before. Here is my 40 year experience with high end audio. It doesnt matter !!!! A well setup system with a box or a electrostatic, dipole design will sound great. I have heard both sound just phenomenal when setup properly with that synergy which is hard to get sometimes. Do your homework, and enjoy. I currently have Quad S2 a class B, and a brand-new pair of Marzipans LRS+ What my wife calls them, and I am running tube gear. I could not be happier.

  I put off trying Martin Logans for most of my life thinking they were not a real speaker, or a gimmick, I could not have been more wrong. Now I have a pair of Theos in my main HT and they sound amazing. I have not noticed the negatives many have mentioned. They simply sound different from other speakers and I like that. Just utterly clear vocals, huge sound stage, details I have never heard before, and they make my HT come alive . I am pairing these with a Stage center, Dual SVS SB3000's and some Def Tec surrounds.   I thought I would like the Montis more but I was wrong, I guess they were too big for my room or something but I like the way the Theos integrate in my system much more. I am powering these with a Bryston 4B3, so there are no power issues. But you have to remember how highly subjective this is to one's own tastes. 

  I thought there could not be a box speaker that could do what the ML does at a price I could afford and I was wrong about that also. Luckily there was a hi fi shop that would let you take stuff home near me and try stuff out in your own home for 15 days.  I went through 6 pairs and eventually got some used Audio Physic Avanti III. To me they are in a league of their own and simply disappear while throwing up a huge immersive sound stage with every nuance and detail coming through. FWIW, these are not new but were 11k 20 years ago.  These were Michael Fremer's reference speakers for a while and he did a glowing review of them for Sterophile.

  If you have the right space and proper set up, Martin Logan's are hard to beat, IMO.

Note to self : never type anything like this first thing in the morning again.