French Martin Logan enthusiastic

[dixio88]

Hi,

I'm Nicolas from France (south west).
My father was manufacturing amplifier (brand is Revar) and I spent a lot of time with him in auditorium hearing systems...
Martin Logan has a special place in my souvenirs.

Happy to be with you to talk about elctrostatic!

Nicolas

 

[JonFo]

Hi,

I'm Nicolas from France (south west).
My father was manufacturing amplifier (brand is Revar) and I spent a lot of time with him in auditorium hearing systems...
Martin Logan has a special place in my souvenirs.

Happy to be with you to talk about elctrostatic!

Nicolas

Bienvenue Nicolas!

Happy to have more International members join.

Which ESLs do you have and what you drive them with?

Salut,

Jonathan

 

[dixio88]

Hi,

I don't have ESL right now, I come on the forum to choose one. To be clear this is the last piece of my audio system that I need to change.
The amplifier is a Revar.

Best regards,

Nicolas

 

[twich54]

Welcome aboard Nicolas !

 

[Lightloopy]

Welcome! Some factors to consider to determine if these are right for you and your listening space. You will find a wealth of information here.
If they are right for you-then let the journey begin.

 

[amey01]

Welcome.

 

[patounet]

Hello and Bienvenue to you. I live in Paris and I am found of Martin Logan speakers. After owning Request, Prodigy... I am breaking in new ESL15A. My actuel system on pictures attached. Regards my friend !

 

[Robert D]

Hello and Bienvenue to you. I live in Paris and I am found of Martin Logan speakers. After owning Request, Prodigy... I am breaking in new ESL15A. My actuel system on pictures attached. Regards my friend !

How do your new 15a speakers sound compared to your Prodigies when they were new?

 

[patounet]

Very different indeed. The old Prodigy sounded like a big electrostatic headphone, very smooth and silky. Big sound but very bad bass, not tight, very boomy. Everybody knows that it was a pity ! The new ESL15 are a huge improvement in this part of frequencies, the sound is more articulated on medium bass, better bass with the 500W amp included, especilay with ARC ON. The medium is more efficient and dynamic, because the new microperf panels, sometiimes harsh, less silky. So the ESL 15A is more like conventionnal speakers, precise in space, image is smaller too. So it is wrong to say that ESL15A is a better Prodigy, it is very different speaker in presentation. Break in is very long, more than 100 hours ! Better design too, with "aerial" and see through panels !

 

[Robert D]

I've got Prodigy speakers now and ML is building new panels for me. The bass on them prior to this was underwhelming, but I think that was because Audyssey had the bass frequencies turned way down because the panels were weak. I will see in a few months how the bass sounds with new panels. I have a depth i sub I use for bass, so that carries most of the load.

From what you're saying, the old Prodigy panels sounded better than the new 15a, but the woofers in the new speakers are far superior?

 

[patounet]

I tried to improove the bass of my old Prodigies but I never succeeded. Changing and experimenting different capacitors in the filter for exemple... I got better articulation and dynamic with the woofers but... these modifications changed the global presentatation of the Prodigy and spoiled the ESL pannel. I preferred to forget the bass and keep the transparency of the electrostatic panel. The balance that Martin Logan gave to the Prodigies is very delicate. So I mooved to Renaissance 15A last august. I cannot say that Prodigies ESL are better than Renaissance, but they are more "impressionnist" and silky. The new panels are more dynamic with a medium which mooves ahead, more realistic if you prefer. No more trebles than the old series, that is the limit od the ESL I am afraid. If you remember the Mark Levinson HQD speakers, they put a DECCA tweeter above the double QUAD ESL's. I heard Odyssey and I think they are a better match in a small size living, they give less boomy sound than Prodigies. Prodigies need large rooms and no ARC there... So, I have friends which wait to buy CLX instead of ESL15A, a new model between the rena

 

[patounet]

the Renaissance and Neolith. CLX are quiet old now, difficult to make them sound great, so is there a new speaker to come from Martin Logan ? Do not hope any change in the bass performance of Prodigies, this is because the choice of Scanspeaks woofers and capacitors by Martin Logan...
Look the size of expensive and better quality capacitors I tried in the low pass filter of Prodigies. Instead of cheap chimical Erse and Bennic capacitors used by Martin Logan. But I got back to originals models to get the "original" presentation of these Prodigies... "Nobody is perfect"

 

[Robert D]

Prodigies need large rooms and no ARC there...

Curious as to why you say they need no audio correction software. Maybe you can explain. Im pretty new to using room correction software.

Ive been using Audyssey on my Marantz and the difference in the sound is incredibly better. Maybe its because my panels are old and need replacement. the db output of them is quite low compared to how they should be. My new panels should be with me by early February. I will experiment with switching off the room correction and see how they sound.

So what are you doing with your Prodigies now?

 

[patounet]

I did not told you that Prodigies do not need ARC... They have not ! Only the new models 11A, 13A and 15A with active numeric amp in bass are equiped with ARC. Not the old ones. I did not want to sell my Prodigies to unknown person so I gave them to my brother ; but he has no place to put them anywhere. So, he put them in stock... that's a pity because the panels have been changed in 2010 and still work fine. So with Odyssey or Prodigies you only have to look for a large place with space behind and asides the speakers, spikes, good and fast speaker cables, tight and powerfull amp, bi-amp is better... No way to correct the bass ! At home, Odyssey and Prodgies were powered by Classe, Mark Levinson and then Cello's amp. Have a look. I think you can find some of these on ebay or Le Bon Coin but carefull the age of ESL's. Average price is around 3000,00€.

 

[Robert D]

I did not told you that Prodigies do not need ARC... They have not ! Only the new models 11A, 13A and 15A with active numeric amp in bass are equiped with ARC. Not the old ones. I did not want to sell my Prodigies to unknown person so I gave them to my brother ; but he has no place to put them anywhere. So, he put them in stock... that's a pity because the panels have been changed in 2010 and still work fine. So with Odyssey or Prodigies you only have to look for a large place with space behind and asides the speakers, spikes, good and fast speaker cables, tight and powerfull amp, bi-amp is better... No way to correct the bass ! At home, Odyssey and Prodgies were powered by Classe, Mark Levinson and then Cello's amp. Have a look. I think you can find some of these on ebay or Le Bon Coin but carefull the age of ESL's. Average price is around 3000,00€.

Ok, I misunderstood what you said about the Prodigy speakers. I like mine a lot and cant wait until I get my new panels in. I hope that I dont have any problems getting them installed. Hopefully they fit ok. Ive read some reports of customers having problems with the new panels being too thick. I think with the Prodigy model that this is less common.

 

[patounet]

What do you mean "too thick" ? That's a problem if new replacement pannels are not exactly the same as the old ones ! You will have problems to place them in the frame, with previous holes for the screws. New ESL's will not change the bass of your Prodigies, but they will give a new and more efficient medium that will hide a little bit the lack of thight and articulate bass reproduction. You follow me ? You didn't tell me if the Martin Logan replacement pannels are the new micro perf design ESL or still the old one's. Because not the same sound, not at all !

 

[Robert D]

What do you mean "too thick" ? That's a problem if new replacement pannels are not exactly the same as the old ones ! You will have problems to place them in the frame, with previous holes for the screws. New ESL's will not change the bass of your Prodigies, but they will give a new and more efficient medium that will hide a little bit the lack of thight and articulate bass reproduction. You follow me ? You didn't tell me if the Martin Logan replacement pannels are the new micro perf design ESL or still the old one's. Because not the same sound, not at all !

I read online that a customer had trouble fitting his new Prodigy panels in because they were too thick, or some other issue. Im having trouble remembering. He had to do some work to get them in and it wasnt easy. Im hoping that doesnt happen to me.

I think they told me that the panels will be just like the old ones, and not micro perforated. Im not 100% certain. Its not like I have a choice.