Go from ReQuest to what?

[Shaftish]

I have a pair of ReQuest that me and my wife really enjoy. But, as it seems, one panel is close to dead. So time for some decisions.
Buy new panels or buy a new pair of speakers.
The thing is that we really like the ReQuests. We like the powerful sound, the ability to play quite loud at times, the magical midrange and resolution.

We went listning to ESL13, we they sounded good, better resolution but not as powerful/large in their performance. And that we really missed. I got the feeling that they would break.

What model should we look for? summits? The Summits seems quite equal in panel size and plenty of bas power.
Would we be happy campers or will we long for our ReQuests?

 

[Ronin]

Not sure if this will help you but here goes. I had ReQuests and they were brilliant. I did not like the "modern" MLs and grabbed a pair of CLSii with new CLSiiz panels. These sound excellent and I don't miss the Requests (or any speaker really) at this point and that is coming from Wilson DAW and YG. However I do have REL subs. So maybey that's cheating but the overall combo is very nice.

 

[Shaftish]

CLSii look really nice, they are not very common in Sweden thou.
I think the new models look very good but I kind of love the huge design of the ReQuest haha. And it sound as big as it looks.

Maybe new panels are they way to succes after all, even if they are expensive, about 5000 dollar. But what speakers in the 5000 range sound better?

 

[Paul172]

The request panels should be available directly thru ML. Not sure of the cost.

 

[Shaftish]

Yes they are, they cost 5000$ from the Swedish distributor.

 

[DanR]

CLSii look really nice, they are not very common in Sweden thou.
I think the new models look very good but I kind of love the huge design of the ReQuest haha. And it sound as big as it looks.

Maybe new panels are they way to succes after all, even if they are expensive, about 5000 dollar. But what speakers in the 5000 range sound better?

Warning: long post
I’m sure Ronin is correct in his words about the CLS line, I wish that a pair of CLS would fit in my listening area but damn it they just won’t, I know I’d like them.
Now I am right there with you on your thoughts about what speakers are out there that would sound better than your ReQuests with new panels, I for one think none at all, period. I’ve been down a kind of strange road with Logan speakers. It started with a pair of Ascent i speakers that I bought new, I was blown away with the sound at first and then I realized the bass just did not integrate well at all with the panels and it drove me nuts I tried subs and all different amps and I could never get it right so I sold them and if I knew then what I know now about why that bass didn’t integrate well I NEVER would have sold those. After I sold those I tried numerous different speakers including Linkwitz Orions, and Geddes Abbey 12A speakers. The Orions I sold pretty quickly, just wasn’t impressed with them at all they sounded ok at lower volumes but wouldn’t play well at higher volumes which I like sometimes. Then I met and had Dr Earl Geddes build me a pair of his Abbey 12A speakers, I still have them and will never sell them, they sound great, absolutely great but I found myself still missing that Logan sound I can’t explain that any more than that, they have a sound that is just IT for me anyways. What I really also gained from dealing with Dr Geddes was his method and procedure for setting up subwoofers for your ROOM, not your system but your ROOM. Once you have it set up it will work with most quality main speakers that don’t try and play down to frequencies below about 35-40 Hz max the Geddes play down to 50Hz, the subs take over after that. Martin Logan finally figured this out with their 11A,13A, and 15A speakers where the bass is set using dsp and the not the panels. So anyways I bought a pair of 9A Logans to get back into the Logan sound. Well I wasn’t happy with their sound as it just didn’t measure up to the Ascent i that I had in the same room their imaging was great no complaints there but the soundstage wasn’t close to the Ascent i speakers either depth or width, the Ascents stage was well outside the edges of the speakers noticeably, the 9s nope no matter how I placed them in the same room mind you as the Ascents were in. So I set out to find a pair of Logans from that line my Ascent i were part of. I would have loved to have found a pair of Prodigys but couldn’t find any then a pai of nice Odysseys came up for a good price and I jumped on them. Even with one of the panels on the way out after 20 years that sound I was looking for was back but still with the bass integration problem. Well with a combination of some very helpful members here that helped me modify the Odysseys to eliminate the really mediocre passive crossovers (and I’m being nice there) and run the woofers which I replaced with nice quality woofers on an active crossover using my dsp unit that had 3 extra channels not in use for the woofers and 2 amps of 200 wpc. And that with my subwoofer set up and BINGO they sound just excellent!! I also ordered new panels as soon as I figured out the one panel was on the way out they still sound good up to medium volume but if I go too high the bad panel bows out too much and the image shifts to the good panel side. My new panels should be done sometime in November, can’t wait!!!!!

 

[Paul172]

Yes they are, they cost 5000$ from the Swedish distributor.

Yikes. I didn’t realize you are in Europe. Not that they would be much cheaper here in the states. With the costs rising and hifi speakers at all time high prices 5000$ might be a bargain

 

[DanR]

I’ts the Europe thing Paul I really feel bad for the people that have to pay those prices because of their location. The panels for my Odysseys are $1550 for the pair shipped here in the States.

 

[DanR]

Correction on that price for the panels here it’s $1855

 

[OldMacGuy]

I understand your dilemma. I have been down that same road.

I also had a pair of ReQuests, from about 2002 or so until about 2008. I bought them used. At the time, I couldn't afford a new pair of ML Summits. Those were the first ML speakers my wife and I heard at a dealer's showroom, and we immediately fell in love with the sound of ML electrostats.

In 2008, I purchased a used pair of Summits. Over the course of several months, I compared them carefully to the ReQuests, and ultimately decided to keep the Summits and sell the ReQuests.

Per my recollection, the sound was not as "big," but it was close. Both speakers really disappeared in the right rooms after they were set up properly. However, the integration of the Summit woofers (two 10-inch powered woofers per speaker) with the electrostatic panels was much more seamless than I was ever able to accomplish with the ReQuests (one 12-inch unpowered woofer per speaker). The bass from the ReQuests was deeper, more pronounced, but slower.

If you can find a used pair of Summits in Sweden, I think you might be pleased with the sound.

 

[Robert D]

I’ts the Europe thing Paul I really feel bad for the people that have to pay those prices because of their location. The panels for my Odysseys are $1550 for the pair shipped here in the States.

Wow, huge markup for overseas.

Those are a lot more affordable than the Prodigy panels I got. Those were over $2800 several years back.

 

[Shaftish]

I have a great shipping contact in Dallas, if someone would do me the honour of buy them and leave them to the shipping company

I was just about to start with DSP integration of the woofer and then this happens.

 

[DanR]

Wow, huge markup for overseas.

Those are a lot more affordable than the Prodigy panels I got. Those were over $2800 several years back.

Yeah I was surprised how much more the Prodigy panels are than the Odysseys. I sent Ron at ML an email a while back to make sure that price was right and he assured me it is. The customer service at ML especially in the service dept is some of the best I’ve ever dealt with
And it’s the shipping that makes that price so much higher, it’s getting out of hand here in the states too. When I bought my Odysseys it was $200 less to drive the 260 miles to Chicago with my wife and pick these speakers up and that savings included gas, breakfast and dinner.

 

[DanR]

I have a great shipping contact in Dallas, if someone would do me the honour of buy them and leave them to the shipping company

I was just about to start with DSP integration of the woofer and then this happens.

If you do end up keeping the ReQuests the dsp active crossover for the woofer will make a very noticeable difference, it will take care of EXACTLY what Oldmacguy talks about the bass being slowwwwww, he has a very good ear and it’s great that you are getting different opinions and ideas what has worked for others. Take your time and consider what has worked for others but make your decision on what will work for YOU, because what works for me, or Oldmacguy, or anybody else may not work for you or be what you are looking for. Oldmacguy did it right, carefully listened to and analyzed the difference between the two speakers he was considering and made an informed decision on which worked best for him and it sounds like he’s very happy with the results!

 

[Shaftish]

I think that new panels are the way to go, because I have no idea what other speakers to buy haha

And I really do think DSP will do a great job transforming the speaker to modern great standard.

 

[JonFo]

And I really do think DSP will do a great job transforming the speaker to modern great standard.

Absolutely will transform them, many of us have done that and it is night and day better.

As for DSP, the DriveRack Venu360 is a solid option. My 4800 has been running 24/7/365 for fourteen years, works perfectly.

 

[DanR]

I think that new panels are the way to go, because I have no idea what other speakers to buy haha

And I really do think DSP will do a great job transforming the speaker to modern great standard.

Well I’ll agree for sure that the price of things has gotten crazy to the point of you really have to consider buying quality used equipment or replacing worn elements of your current gear. The amp I bought in May I was looking at class A amps and was floored by the prices, I ended up buying a beautiful Krell KSA-100 MK II that was completely refurbed all new capacitors and completely gone thru by a shop in L.A. that specializes in Krell service for less than 1/3 of the price of the new units I was considering from Krell and Pass Labs. I’m sure those units sounded great too but they are completely out of my budget league.

 

[Paul172]

I’ts the Europe thing Paul I really feel bad for the people that have to pay those prices because of their location. The panels for my Odysseys are $1550 for the pair shipped here in the States.

I love the odysseys I had a pair before I found the deal of the lifetime on a pair of CLX Art speakers! I’m pretty sure when the day comes I’ll wish I’d could pay the odyssey price on panel replacement with the CLX’s!

 

[Robert D]

Well I’ll agree for sure that the price of things has gotten crazy to the point of you really have to consider buying quality used equipment or replacing worn elements of your current gear. The amp I bought in May I was looking at class A amps and was floored by the prices, I ended up buying a beautiful Krell KSA-100 MK II that was completely refurbed all new capacitors and completely gone thru by a shop in L.A. that specializes in Krell service for less than 1/3 of the price of the new units I was considering from Krell and Pass Labs. I’m sure those units sounded great too but they are completely out of my budget league.

I don't know how so many people afford such high prices. We are pulling back on everything and concentrating on saving up cash now, be ready for when the recession gets bad.

 

[Shaftish]

I have a MiniDSP HD that I had in mind.
A newly refurbished Adcom GFA-555ii for the woofers and McIntosh mc275 for my panels. That is the setup I had in mind.