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Are Martin Logans considered polite?

I've been going through this saga with some Magnepan 3.6Rs. I originally thought they were bright in my room, so decided to keep the Martin Logan Odysseys I bought at the same time and put the 3.6Rs up for sale. Since I've been trying to sell them, I've kept the Magnepans hooked up to demo them and tried some different speaker cable. With a different speaker cable and better termination, they sounded pretty damn nice, enough so that my wife even provided unsolicited feedback on a few occasions on how nice they sounded. So, I've been listening to them for the last few weeks. I've never heard piano sound as realistic in my room ever.

I literally just sold the speakers and they went out the door an hour ago (for those of you who have read my other posts, I ended up selling them at a steep discount to nice couple who can take the time and effort to get them repaired and still come out ahead). I hooked up my Martin Logans again. Now they sound a bit rolled off and muffled to me. After having lived years with a system that was on the bright side (with my PSBs), I naturally found the sound the Odysseys are producing attractive. Poor recordings are not so irritating, but this seems to come at a cost.

So, in the end, my question is are MLs generally considered rolled off/polite/laid back in comparison to other brands? Is it also a function of the narrow dispersion as well? This is a new room for me so have not yet started with room treatments and a lot of glass on one side, hard wood floors so i would expect this room to be brighter than many.
donato
calanctus
151 posts
 
Every time I've auditioned Martin Logans, I've gone in and wanted to enjoy them...but I've come out with the impression that they are shrill...not polite at all, rather overbearing. Perhaps it was the setup or the amps (Macintosh solid state stuff, in both cases).

I certainly disagree strongly with Danielk141's assessment. I own ribbon-based speakers and have extensively auditioned electrostats. I have found Quads, Sound Labs and Innersound all to be at least as transparent in the midrange as any ribbon driver, and maybe a bit better with good setup and amplification.
Ribbons are probably the best at this time for treble.
danielk141
489 posts
 
Calanctus,

I totally agree with your take on auditioning Martin Logans. If you want to hear them here in Phoenix, you go to Showcase (owned by the Tweeter group). You'll hear them with Krell multichannel & they are bright & forward in this demo. (This is a corporately arranged marriage!)
I've heard MLs sound very good with an Adcom mosfet amp.
I bought an Adcom 5500 a friend traded in on an Aragon 4004MKII. The Aragon has more power, but I like the MOSFET sound better.
I've heard current Quads, Sound Lab(s) & even with the purpose-designed Innersound amp, I like Maggies & Apogees better. This is just my personal preference.. Without that ribbon, something is missing.
Maybe that's why Martin Logan uses a dynamic tweeter in their top center channel?
calanctus
151 posts
 
Danielk141, I love the extension on my ribbon tweeters--they are better than anything I've yet heard. I'd really like to hear Apogees, and I'd still like to hear Martin Logans with a good amp--maybe a tube amp with good current delivery.
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Not polite at all. Very analytical and precise. Even if others think the top end is rolled off a "polite" speaker will sound warm and inviting, not razor sharp and unforgiving like the ML's. ML's can sometimes make vinyl sound like digital - that says it all.

Enjoy,
Bob
dorylux
1 posts
 

Hi all ML owners,

I have had been using my Sequel II - Martin Logan’s fantastic ESLs since Aug. 1990 !!!

I had my first issue with one panel only after 3 months of use, (Balance issue)

I noticed that the sound "moved" to the left area of the speaker yet in almost full db., I have contacted ML and got a brand new pair of panels shipped by airplane to Israel free of charge, after installing the new pair the speakers worked 29 years without any degradation signs until recent year after moving to my new home by the sea-shore for 7 year... that the sound got weaker and weaker from the static section yet evenly heard.
I have read some reports in other forums and do my own several tests btw, after air-conditioning the room the sound level from the stat. gets much better and I enjoy the sound after all.

I wish that Martin Logan’s service department will sell me new panels in resonable price, afterall the shipping to israel is humangous..(LOL)
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