Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Martin Logans - Spectacular Realism

So, I was hanging at my local Best Buy choosing between the new Samsung Moment cell phone, Droid, and Crackberry. The cell phone area was right next to the Magnolia apse. After a while I realized I was hearing spectacular music reproduction. I took a look and saw a pair of modestly sized Martin Logan electrostats.

I wandered over and checked the Pioneer Elite receiver. I think the source was a Pioneer BluRay player. There was a DVD music disc of a wonderful jazz performance, some male vocalist I do not know, some wonderful trumpet solos. These Martin Logans were incredible. The realism was superior to anything I have heard for quite a while.

I ordered a Music Hall MMF 2.2LE turntable today. {Glossy white, Goldring made cartridge) So, while I was at Magnolia stunned into pleasure by the Martin Logans, I noticed they had a Pro-Ject Debut III table paired with some wimpy looking Mirage, I dunno, minitowers and a Mirage mini sub, and the sound was ... mini. Since the 2.2LE is made in the same factory as the Debut III, and comparable, I was fairly bummed and now looking forward with some unease to receiving my newest audio experimental devices.

I still need to hear some electrostats. I should have actually tried to listen to some stuff when I was in a Magnolia Best Buy recently. Duh.

Which Martin Logan’s were they? I see at least two different ones listed on the BB web site.

Best Buy

I listened to some electostats at a magnolia store once. I can say that they sounded good, but I wasn't overly impressed with them.

Hello Mr. Grunt

OK, so I called Magnolia, hooked up with Amir, a very nice and knowledgeable sales person, who gave me the lowdown.

The Martin Logans I heard were standing out in the middle of the Magnolia apse firing into a huge space [warehouse size]. There was no subwoofer. The sound was electrifyingly good. The music was a Kris Botti live in Boston BluRay playing through a Pioneer Elite SC25 receiver and Pioneer BluRay player.

The Martin Logans were the middle of the entry level range of models - called the "Source."

These speakers are special. The Purities are two levels better. I'm going in for a listen next week.

And there's the reason they sounded so good. Dipole speakers are so picky about reflections off of the wall behind them. Get rid of the wall, get rid of the placement issues.

Please post your impressions I’m interested in reading them. I’ve always wanted to demo some electro static speakers since I first heard them years ago. Might just have to go out and do that.

Realism. That is the only standard by which to judge audio equipment reproducing source material.

What caught my attention was the way these speakers reproduced horns and piano. To my ears, almost all systems fall down when it comes to reproducing horns. Their frequency response curves may be flat, but there is something usually missing. With these Martin Logans, I was hearing it. Blatt, fullness, saliva in the mouthpiece, I dunno, whatever it was, it was not missing. I liked it.

So, then one of the sales people, whose situational awareness correctly identified me as interested, turned the volume up ... way up, painfully up. But, although a bit bright on top, they held up. I was kind of shocked. I turned the volume way down, and interestinly, they still held up at low volume. Sweet sounding.

So, how good were they? They had the sweet fullness and sense of live music that I associate with the best tube equipment and speakers. However, to say I did not do any critical listening is an understatement.

I blew one of my amps in my big system (Yamaha M80) so I have not listened to my Thiel CS3.6s for some time. I can't say for sure, but I think the Martin Logans may be better than the Thiels.

Future Shop carries ML speakers now, I'm curious to hear them as well.

Now all you need is a cavernous space in which to blast them and you're set. I know you're out in SoCal -- land of few basements -- but you could start excavating a subterranean, acoustically ideal lair specifically for the enjoyment of these Martin Logans (or their big brothers).

You get excited about products often, but I have not seen you like this since you first told us about your Njoe Tjoeb. Clearly, a purchase must be made. Underground lair is optional, of course.