Hello fellow ML fans! I may be new here, but have been a ML owner since 1992-3 (Aerius i, Quest, Summit, Script i, Descent i, Logos, Stage), and have a new pair of ESL 15A's being delivered next week! Looking forward to learning from everyone here!!!
New Member
- Thread starter BDH55
- Start date
Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:
Lightloopy
Well-known member
Congratulations and welcome. Currently breaking in 11A's. Do not be surprised how thin they will sound out of the box. TTOCS has an excellent thread about the experience which is spot on.
Welcome Robert. Don't forget to post pics. We love pictures.
First photos... the boxes barely cleared the garage door!!
Sorry, but it is going to take awhile for me to get these a) moved to my basement AV room, and b) unboxed and ready for the 'better' photos, but I'll get there!!
Sorry, but it is going to take awhile for me to get these a) moved to my basement AV room, and b) unboxed and ready for the 'better' photos, but I'll get there!!
Welcome to MLO forum. Congratulations on your recent acquisition.
15A’s I imagine will be big step up sonic ladder from your previous Martin Logan hybrids.
Well, I fired up my ESL 15's today. I haven't done much more than a rough positioning, they are online and initial impressions are VERY good. I asked my wife to step away from her work at home job to 'check something out'. While my neighbor(s) helped us get them into our lower level on Sunday, she was unaware that I was working to bring them online today. She came down, sat down, and of course I had some music queued up. I hit play, and about 15-30 seconds later she had an unbelievable ear to ear grin... she looked at me and just said 'WOW!' (she actually convinced me to go for the 15's as I was leaning toward a pair of 13's). Since positioning has not been fine tuned (and I am dealing with a horrible room shape), and haven't yet run ARC, it can only get better from here.
Here's the progression...
1) original setup with Summits...
2) ESL 15's unboxed...
3) size comparison ESL 15 vs Summit and Descent i...
4) ESL 15's installed and playing!!!
I'll soon post a system overview. Open to thoughts and suggestions (even though I'm opening myself up to rabid Meeechigan fans)!
Here's the progression...
1) original setup with Summits...
2) ESL 15's unboxed...
3) size comparison ESL 15 vs Summit and Descent i...
4) ESL 15's installed and playing!!!
I'll soon post a system overview. Open to thoughts and suggestions (even though I'm opening myself up to rabid Meeechigan fans)!
Very Nice Setup!
Raise the Stage, put a little absorb-o-tron behind it. Robby the Robot can make some up for you.
And, so you don't ruin the decor, bring the 15's farther from the wall. The Right doesn't need it as much as the Left does (due to the alcove behind the Right speaker). When I had nothing behind, it took about 5' before I could live with the reflection. Now, I use a severe toe-in so what's behind doesn't matter - as much.
Raise the Stage, put a little absorb-o-tron behind it. Robby the Robot can make some up for you.
And, so you don't ruin the decor, bring the 15's farther from the wall. The Right doesn't need it as much as the Left does (due to the alcove behind the Right speaker). When I had nothing behind, it took about 5' before I could live with the reflection. Now, I use a severe toe-in so what's behind doesn't matter - as much.
Those are great looking speakers! I bet they sound just as good. Congrats.
spkrdctr
Well-known member
Yowza! I see a VERY nice system there. Congrats on your wise purchasing.
Mirolab
Well-known member
Wow... what an amazing entertainment room! For me, I think I'd move the screen about 18" to the left and have the speakers more equally balanced on the wall..... though i'm guessing you like having that ceiling beam centered over your screen.
I like the new Logans, but simply cannot deal with the depth of them. The 13A would be the perfect size for my room. I wish M-L would make a shallow version, with just one forward 12" woofer. I know it would be a compromise to their current LF design strategy, but it would be less expensive, less intrusive, and a more attractive speaker too, IMHO. So much can be done with DSP on the woofer these days! I think i'd buy a shallow 13B, if they made one.
I like the new Logans, but simply cannot deal with the depth of them. The 13A would be the perfect size for my room. I wish M-L would make a shallow version, with just one forward 12" woofer. I know it would be a compromise to their current LF design strategy, but it would be less expensive, less intrusive, and a more attractive speaker too, IMHO. So much can be done with DSP on the woofer these days! I think i'd buy a shallow 13B, if they made one.
Thx for the comments!
Re: raising the Stage... since the stand is adjustable, it is angled up to point as close as possible to our ear height. Also, I'm hiding a PS Audio Power Plant 12 behind the Stage. The other thing is that I 'likely' have an Illusion in my future. Just not quite sure when as I am much more interested in my two channel system, than I am in my home theater (although moving from the Stage to the Illusion takes the Center bottom end down from 69 to 45 Hz). I will search for the absorb-o-tron though. Just not familiar with it...
Re: pulling the 15's out... it was the depth of both the 13's and 15's that almost kept me with my Summits. The problem is there is seating both to the left and right of our main listening/viewing position, and the Summits are in the way of viewing the screen (although, we only face that situation a couple times a year. Normally it's just the two of us). Ultimately, we decided to put 'us' before 'friends' and chose to upgrade to the 15's despite the viewing issue. My initial setup followed the advice of the guys at Audio Advice, and ML, which said to start with them 12" off the front wall which put the panels approximately 40" off the wall. I had my Summits pulled out more from the front wall, but even so, the panels were still only 32" off the wall. I am concerned about the difference between my left and right speakers from the front wall. With my Summits, the right speaker was kind of in front of the wall... with the ESL 15, there is no hiding it... it sits in front of my equipment rack and a wall that is about 3.5' deeper than the wall behind the left 15.
I think I am just going to have to let things settle in and make minor changes until I find out what the best compromise is. Keep the suggestions coming..
Thx for your kind words!
Like my post to ttocs, the challenge is unless you are physically here, you can't see the entire space (hey, maybe I should post a floor plan
).Yes, I'd like to move everything up front to the left. Two issues... 1) it's not just that the screen looks like it should be centered on the I-beam... it's that at the other end of that I-beam, is where my JVC projector hangs which lines it up directly with the with the screen. Once they make affordable flat panels at my screen size (106"), I can consider that. 2) the other thing you can't see is my rear wall does not run the whole way across the back of my 'AV Room'. There is a gap of approximately 8' where my AV Room opens into another room that mostly is filled with a pool table, and access outside to the patio and fire pit. That makes it great for years ago when we occasionally held big house parties, but not so much for serious listening now. To put dimensions on this... from my front wall to my rear wall looking from my right ESL 15, is a little over 16'... from my left ESL 15 is more like 37.5'. It's going to be interesting to see what ARC does with this mess!!
Nice system!
roberto
Well-known member
Hola,
In 15 days you will be in heaven, and having nirvana. Enjoy the wonderful musician(s) and keep the music on! Those are great speakers!
Happy listening!
In 15 days you will be in heaven, and having nirvana. Enjoy the wonderful musician(s) and keep the music on! Those are great speakers!
Happy listening!
^^^^^^ What he said.
Plus, the bass on my Expressions is great, and measure below 20Hz in-room. So yours should be astounding!
Plus, the bass on my Expressions is great, and measure below 20Hz in-room. So yours should be astounding!
Hmmm, I hope I'm NOT in heaven in 15 days (although that would certainly beat the alternative), as I've still got stuff to do right here!!!
Roberto, I read thru your equipment list, and you have got a lot of great gear! One thing I am considering, is whether to place my ESL 15's on the existing ML feet, on the included ML spikes, or go a completely different route and place them on isolation feet (like your GAIA II's). I'm curious what type of floor your CLS are sitting on, and what differences you heard with them? I have a post on this under the More Feet/Spike Advice post if you want to comment there...
roberto
Well-known member
Hola,Hmmm, I hope I'm NOT in heaven in 15 days (although that would certainly beat the alternative), as I've still got stuff to do right here!!!
Roberto, I read thru your equipment list, and you have got a lot of great gear! One thing I am considering, is whether to place my ESL 15's on the existing ML feet, on the included ML spikes, or go a completely different route and place them on isolation feet (like your GAIA II's). I'm curious what type of floor your CLS are sitting on, and what differences you heard with them? I have a post on this under the More Feet/Spike Advice post if you want to comment there...
I have been with ML as a dealer here in Costa Rica for over 33 years. I don't want you to get bored with my history, but I assure you that I do like a lot the Gaia II feet. They are like a mini shock absorbers. I really have too many tweaks around, but I do get an incredible stage wide open. Also I have a truly sense of 3D. My speakers disappear. While listening the music here in my room, you can't tell if the CLXs are sounding, I have a huge stage. Part of this, are the Gaia II, they do clean more the overall sound.
My floor is ceramic, so no wood to resonate. But its reflexion is terrible, so with the aid of a good rug I fixed that.
Thx for your input. You are the second person using isolation feet that mentioned being on a hard surface (the other was a hardwood floor). I'm sitting on a concrete floor, with a heavy carpet pad, and relatively thick berber carpet on top of that. Based on the reviews I've read, I'd really like to try them. Problem is the ESL 15's require the GAIA I, and at $600 for each set of four, I'm not quite sure whether I'll see that amount of benefit. I'm not in a huge rush as I am only beginning to find the right location, distance from wall, etc. I think once I am certain on the location, I will probably just spike them and see how I like that for awhile...
What floor surface is best for sound? I'm going to guess carpet, but is there a type that is best? Low or high pile, density etc?
