About to buy CLX's but have a few quick questions

[Toology]

Hi guys, long time reader, first time poster. Im about to purchase a pair of CLX's used ( a little over a year old ) and was curious on a few things. First, i live in the desert ( palm springs area) and was curious on how long the average panel last. The reason i ask is because i have seen how expensive they are to replace and was hoping for at least 5 to 6 years before i have to replace them, the area i live in is very dry but i keep my house at around 75 degrees F. Second, this is my first electrostatic loudspeaker and is there anything i should know in terms of maintenance. Thanks again

 

[Hocky]

Assuming you keep them clean, don't have a lot of airborne filth/smoke, etc, you should get 10+ years from them easily. The only thing to keep in mind is to vacuum them on a fairly regular schedule.

 

[Toology]

Is weekly ok? or is that to frequent? I am going to assume that when i vacuum them, i will want to like put my hand as a separating device to keep the suction at low levels right? Thanks again

 

[Hocky]

Weekly is fine, you're not going to hurt them. I personally do them once a month. You can put the tip right on the stator. I vacuum with a dyson flat on the panels and no issues. One thing to keep in mind is to leave the speaker power cables unplugged for a few hours to let the stators discharge and keep them from holding the dirt in while you vacuum.

 

[cocobob]

I keep my Vistas covered all the time'Only when I listen do I uncover.Also a good air purifier in the room is a must.It sucks all the loose dust up.I have cats so it really does help.

 

[Rich]

With MLs newer speakers , this is not quite the problem it used to be. The stators are no longer charged all the time like the older models. When they don't have a signal for a period of time they turn off and the charge dissipates. When they aren't charged, they don't collect dust. So you would be fine to vacuum them once a month or even once every few months. I rarely bother to vacuum mine and haven't had a problem. Also, being in a dry climate is much better for the long term health of the speakers than being in a humid climate.

Having said all that, for the money you would be paying for used CLX's, I would be very concerned about MartinLogan's new pricing policy for panels and parts. If anything does go wrong with the speaker, it would probably cost you an arm and a leg to get them fixed. For similar dollars, you can get a good Soundlab, Quad, Sanders Sound, or Magnepan speaker. I would strongly consider my options before I purchased ML at this time. Personally, I would go with Soundlab or Sanders.

 

[User211]

I have to agree with Rich. Current used CLX prices are too close to the $9000 odd full panel replacement costs.

Also consider other planar designs from Magnepan, or if you are feeling brave, some restored Apogee Divas or Duettas from a US refurbisher. Replacement ribbon costs for the Apogees, which WILL last at least 10 years unless damaged, will be considerably less. Bass panel replacement will require returning the speakers to the refurbisher.

 

[tsv_1]

Also, keep in mind that you WILL need a subwoofer with the CLX... where as you may be able to get away without one with some of the other models mentioned above.

That said, and all panel longetivity/replacement discussions aside, I've never heard a speaker get closer to the music than the CLX. Granted, I haven't heard every model out there - but out of the wide range I have heard and owned, the CLX brings me more contentment than any other.

Good luck with your decision and pls keep us posted.

Welcome to MLO!

 

[User211]

At the end of the day - above all logical considerations - if you REALLY ARE an enthusiast, buy what amazes you the best. Sod EVERYTHING ELSE.

Just BE SURE to sample lots of alternatives first.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Very good advice Justin.

GG

 

[Toology]

Thanks for everyone's advice, ill keep you guys posted on what i decide to do. Thanks again!

 

[GaryG]

I live in Vegas and have never had a panel issue. My CLX's are a couple of years old and my Prodigy's are over 10 years old and everything sounds great. Also I clean my panels once per month (cleaning is not high on my list of things to do). It won't hurt to clean more often if you wish.

Gary

 

[Horchem1972]

Remember that used speakers do not come with warranties. If you are willing to accept a $9000 panel replacement cost then your answer is yes. If not, then I would look elsewhere. Buying used ML speakers used to be a no brainer in my opinion, but the current high cost of panels had made this an issue.

 

[Necrosuit]

I agree with some here, sample as much as you can, but if your hell bent on CLX you cant go wrong. If your worried about $$ and panel replacement down the road then it is a legitimate concern. but if your in the market of a speaker or any gear at this cost range then in my opinion your lucky and doing well to even be in this market. So if those are concerns then go elsewhere or buy the CLX along with a huge box of tissues. It will help on this site. I recommend getting the CLX.

 

[Horchem1972]

So if those are concerns then go elsewhere or buy the CLX along with a huge box of tissues. It will help on this site. I recommend getting the CLX.

If you cannot go wrong or need a box of tissues, why are you selling yours?? For someone bent on praising Martin Logan, why are you jumping ship?? Could be you be trying to get a higher resale value, whch everyone else has been worried about?

 

[boycer11]

With MLs newer speakers , this is not quite the problem it used to be. The stators are no longer charged all the time like the older models. When they don't have a signal for a period of time they turn off and the charge dissipates. When they aren't charged, they don't collect dust. So you would be fine to vacuum them once a month or even once every few months. I rarely bother to vacuum mine and haven't had a problem. Also, being in a dry climate is much better for the long term health of the speakers than being in a humid climate.

Having said all that, for the money you would be paying for used CLX's, I would be very concerned about MartinLogan's new pricing policy for panels and parts. If anything does go wrong with the speaker, it would probably cost you an arm and a leg to get them fixed. For similar dollars, you can get a good Soundlab, Quad, Sanders Sound, or Magnepan speaker. I would strongly consider my options before I purchased ML at this time. Personally, I would go with Soundlab or Sanders.

Rich, would you be recommend those other speakers over new ClX? What about new summit X? Guess Im wondering if your recommending to stay away from ML completely or just used ones. How long are the panels warrentied for if you buy new?

 

[Rich]

Rich, would you be recommend those other speakers over new ClX? What about new summit X? Guess Im wondering if your recommending to stay away from ML completely or just used ones. How long are the panels warrentied for if you buy new?

I would strongly recommend someone spending 15-25,000 dollars on a new pair of ML speakers do a lot of research and demoing of the competition. The brands mentioned above make as good or better speakers for the same money and seem to have much more customer-centric management. Were I about to spend 25,000 on a new pair of speakers right now, I would invest that money in a pair of Soundlabs.

MartinLogan has a five year warranty and their panels are known to last between ten and twenty years, depending on conditions. With the recent price hikes, buying replacement panels is no longer a reasonable option, making panel life the defacto life of the speaker. That isn't the type of company I personally care to do business with.

 

[marck]

I love my CLX's. I heard and demoed other speakers but found that these significantly outperformed the alternatives.

Why don't you give ML a call directly and ask them re panel life expectancy? The new panels are meant to last much longer so this may not even be an issue. Also do you have a dealer that you can speak to? Get their views too.

Cheers
Marc.

 

[boycer11]

I love my CLX's. I heard and demoed other speakers but found that these significantly outperformed the alternatives.

Why don't you give ML a call directly and ask them re panel life expectancy? The new panels are meant to last much longer so this may not even be an issue. Also do you have a dealer that you can speak to? Get their views too.

Cheers
Marc.

Marc, Thanks for the response. I have a ML dealer a little over an hour away and have listened to them and they are awesome. Even the wife likes them. Though I like idea of them at $13,000 used or might have to go with brand new summit x. About 2 hours away is a dealer for Wilson Audio, focal labs, dynaudio, and magnepans. I will have to go demo those also before I make a final decision. The top of the line magnepans are only $14,000. Course I didnt see anything on magnepans sight about warrenties at all.

No Soundlab dealers close and it seems like their speakers are higher priced.

 

[Horchem1972]

Marc, Thanks for the response. I have a ML dealer a little over an hour away and have listened to them and they are awesome. Even the wife likes them. Though I like idea of them at $13,000 used or might have to go with brand new summit x. About 2 hours away is a dealer for Wilson Audio, focal labs, dynaudio, and magnepans. I will have to go demo those also before I make a final decision. The top of the line magnepans are only $14,000. Course I didnt see anything on magnepans sight about warrenties at all.

No Soundlab dealers close and it seems like their speakers are higher priced.

Remember that used speakers come with no warranty unless the dealer will give you the remainder of the original 5 year warranty.. A full panel rebuild for CLX speakers will run you a little over $9000. As long as you understand the cost to replace all the panels , buying them is up to you. If you feel the panels are worth 9-10K then that is your answer. Good luck whichever road you decide.