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ML Choices for your room I owned the original Summits before I upgraded to CLXs. Your room is slightly but not dramatically smaller than mine (20x15x8). If you get the Summits you will probably not need a subwoofer. If you go for the Spires you might need one but it depends on your room...

I don't have the ability to make that comparison. However, a few points to consider. The CLS's have performed very favorably with amplifiers that are tubed or have tube-like qualities. The XA series is the most tube like solid state amplifiers that I have ever heard but without the noise or...

I have had considerable experience with Pass amplifiers and the M-L ESLs although it has been on either their hybrids (Ascent, Summit) and most recently the full range CLX. I don't know how big your room is or how far you sit from your speakers but having recently owned a X350.5 (traded for...

There has been a lot of buzz (mostly on the PS Audio website) about the PerfectWave digital duo. I have not seen any legitimate reviews of this equipment. It is allegedly the only current set up other than a computer that can play the new Hi-Rez 176.4 stuff without down-rezzing. The idea of...

Rich, don't discount the 100.5's. I have never driven them out of Class A with the CLX's and, while they are heavy, the 200.5's are real back breakers and room heaters. Unless you have a large cathedral-type room, you probably won't need that much power.

Beatles are Back! : Mono, Bi-mono, Stereo, whatever WARNING: FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE THE BEATLES AND NEVER DID-PLEASE READ NO FURTHER! I was one of many Beatlephiles that got suckered into the 1987 stereo reissues. Fortunately, I stopped at about 6 sets (Pepper, Revolver, Hard Day, Help...

Classical music reviews If there is enough interest in reading BRIEF reviews of classical music, I would be happy to do some. I have done this professionally in the past. The issue is whether readers would be interested solely in new material (within the last 6 - 12 months) or reviving older...

Nirvana vs Reality I have very much enjoyed this thread because it touches on alot of the issues that audiophiles think about when they reflect on their present and possibly future systems. I don't know if the CLX's are the ultimate speaker but I doubt that I will be replacing them any time...

I have a combination of Nordost Valhalla and Odin in my system. These are their top of the line while the Heimdall, Baldur and Frey are the next level below. You did not mention your electronics which are extremely important for cable selection. There is no real science to mating cables to...

This just in! I have a set of XA-100.5 monoblocks now driving my CLXs. They run no warmer than my venerable X-350.5 and image like crazy with simply beautiful sound and plenty of dynamics. The XA series is the most musical amplifier series that Pass has ever made. I think you need to compare...

I have a pair of CLX's as my main speakers and have powered them with the Pass Labs X350.5 which I have used with previous M-Ls (Ascents/Summits) quite successfully. I have recently auditioned a set of Pass Labs XA-100.5 monoblocks. I can tell you unequivocally that the XA-100.5's and CLX's...

Balanced power transformer The Thor is not a transformer per se but an isolating power distributor. I have used several transformer based units, like the PS Audio, Chang lightspeed and others. I found that most colored the sound compared to no transformer. The Thor was by far more neutral...

I have had the same issues with these subs. Lifting the ground with a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter reduced the hum to barely audible unless you were right on top of the speaker. Certainly not audible from the listening position.

Depth vs Descent From your description, you have an average size room. I have had Ascents with Descent subs (2). You could easily find Descents for sale used (since they have been discontinued) and were designed to mate well with your speakers. They have the same type of woofer driver as the...

Omni-Mono, Selected Stereo I ordered the Mono box just because most of the early stereo mixes were goddawful and I didn't think that remixing them would necessarily be an improvement-the old "lipstick on a pig" rationale. I selectively ordered the stereo releases just because there were only a...

Outboard power regulators: Do you need them? Most of us have noisy power lines running into our homes. You can avoid the noise but setting up your own power station and running the lines directly into your home circuits. However, this solution comes at a price-millions of dollars! A much...

Pass Labs Amps I have owned Pass Labs amps for years beginning with the Aleph series and migrating to the X.5 series which I currently use to power CLXs. Your room is relatively small which means you will be listening in near-field speaker placement (less than 10 feet). Also your listening...

I second the motion! I have used a variety of Pass Labs amplifiers with the Martin Logan speakers that I have owned (Ascent i, Summit, and now CLX). They are built like tanks. The X-series operate in Class A mode at normal listening levels (still the best amplification mode out there). The X-A...

I have had VPI turntables for years. In your price range, you could consider a VPI Classic (just released) or a lightly used Scoutmaster with JMW 9 tonearm. The Aries is a bit more expensive and the differences may be negligible. The nice thing about VPI tables is that they are upgradable when...

squeezebox duet plus squeezebox classic: best of both worlds CJFan, I am glad that you have discovered this delightful source of music. I got into the Duet about a year and half ago after reading Steve Stone's review in The Absolute Sound. I use it mostly for internet radio and subscription...