New to Martin Logans and 'Stats

[Jeff Zaret]

CM,
Yes you can change the panels by yourself. It is a lot easier than it appears. I changed mine.

Jeff

 

[Charliemike]

CM,
Yes you can change the panels by yourself. It is a lot easier than it appears. I changed mine.

Jeff

Good ... I have a set I would like to be able to use to do a replacement at some point

Thanks

 

[Joey_V]

So, one cannot replace panels on their own?

No no... one can replace the panels. What I meant is that I know how David (skyline) thinks and I know he will upgrade as he moves through the years. What I meant was that the SL3 are considerably larger that there is no doubt that it is more difficult and more costly to ship than the Clarity, should he ever move up the ML line.

Joey

 

[Charliemike]

No no... one can replace the panels. What I meant is that I know how David (skyline) thinks and I know he will upgrade as he moves through the years. What I meant was that the SL3 are considerably larger that there is no doubt that it is more difficult and more costly to ship than the Clarity, should he ever move up the ML line.

Joey

Ahhhhhhh okay

 

[Skyline]

No no... one can replace the panels. What I meant is that I know how David (skyline) thinks and I know he will upgrade as he moves through the years. What I meant was that the SL3 are considerably larger that there is no doubt that it is more difficult and more costly to ship than the Clarity, should he ever move up the ML line.

Joey

Yup, you definitely hit the nail right there. If I like the sound of the MLs' I will eventually try and move up the line when I acquire more cash. A smaller and lighter pair of speakers would definitely ease the shipping bill a bit when it comes time to ship them out.

I've been thinking it over and what do you guys think would be better; ML Claritys + Cheap (Under $500) sub with my current front end gear/amp, ML Aeon i w/no sub + current front end gear/amp, or ML Mosaic (What's the current going price used on these?) + Plinius 8200 Integrated w/an eventual upgrade around spring/summer next year to a higher end pair?

BTW thanks again for all your help guys, this thread has been really helpful for me!

 

[Charliemike]

Yup, you definitely hit the nail right there. If I like the sound of the MLs' I will eventually try and move up the line when I acquire more cash. A smaller and lighter pair of speakers would definitely ease the shipping bill a bit when it comes time to ship them out.

I've been thinking it over and what do you guys think would be better; ML Claritys + Cheap (Under $500) sub with my current front end gear/amp, ML Aeon i w/no sub + current front end gear/amp, or ML Mosaic (What's the current going price used on these?) + Plinius 8200 Integrated w/an eventual upgrade around spring/summer next year to a higher end pair?

BTW thanks again for all your help guys, this thread has been really helpful for me!

If you can find a used pair of Claritys like the ones that just sold on Audigon for $1450, the Mosaics aren't going to be THAT much cheaper ... About $500 more or so (Videogon had a pair going for $1k).

I listened to the Claritys and the Mosaic and it just wasn't the same. I would start with Claritys and move up in terms of speakers to consider. If there's a Best Buy with a Magnolia HT area inside, go listen to the Mosaic and Clarity and I promise you that you'll swear off anything without an ESL panel

 

[Joey_V]

David,

I would always beef up on the speakers, then let the electronics lag. That's what I did. I couldnt go all out and get the Plinius, the Cary, and the Summits at the same time! Heck, I couldnt even get the Squeezebox3 until my gf gave me one for my birthday!

One at a time.... I would say.

Go with the best speakers you can get (even better than the Clarities if possible) and then work on the rest when you have time.

Joey

 

[Joey_V]

I mean, seriously... how can you deny the beauty of the Clarity?

 

[Skyline]

So it looks like the Clarity is the winner...for now.

We have a couple of Best Buys here so I'll give them a call and see if they have the Claritys available for demo. Then the search begins for a pair at a good price!

 

[Joey_V]

So it looks like the Clarity is the winner...for now.

We have a couple of Best Buys here so I'll give them a call and see if they have the Claritys available for demo. Then the search begins for a pair at a good price!

Remember... position, position, position.

Next to a good set of tubes and a Class A ss amp, position is the biggest mistake most people make with their MLs. Best buy especially!

DO NOT base your purchase off of what you hear at BB, poor electronics and the Clarities are poorly spaced, usually too far apart and not toed in enough.

Joey

 

[Charliemike]

Remember... position, position, position.

Next to a good set of tubes and a Class A ss amp, position is the biggest mistake most people make with their MLs. Best buy especially!

DO NOT base your purchase off of what you hear at BB, poor electronics and the Clarities are poorly spaced, usually too far apart and not toed in enough.

Joey

And yet they still sound amazing! Just shows you how good those speakers really are that Best Buy's setup is busted and yet they sounded better to me than $10k B&Ws at another store properly set up.

 

[Skyline]

How are the Scenarios? A pair from a reputable seller popped up today for less than a grand!

Edit: I realize this may not be the best place to ask this, but how do the Claritys stand up to other brand speakers in the under $2k price range like the Sonus Faber Grand Pianos, Klipsch RF-83, Thiel CS3.6, Von Schweikert VR-4 (Original), etc?

 

[attyonline]

And yet they still sound amazing! Just shows you how good those speakers really are that Best Buy's setup is busted and yet they sounded better to me than $10k B&Ws at another store properly set up.

Exactly. but Joey is right too, when you get those Claritys home and set them up correctly, they will sound MUCH better than in the showroom, which is a huge bonus to most buyers. I am always amazed when I go to my local BB/Magnolia and switch from whatever speaker they are playing to the Claritys. The improvement over brands like Mirge or Vienna Acoustics is just staggering IMO, even if they are set up poorly. A tribute to the great design.:rocker:

 

[Joey_V]

How are the Scenarios? A pair from a reputable seller popped up today for less than a grand!

Edit: I realize this may not be the best place to ask this, but how do the Claritys stand up to other brand speakers in the under $2k price range like the Sonus Faber Grand Pianos, Klipsch RF-83, Thiel CS3.6, Von Schweikert VR-4 (Original), etc?

Klipsch RF83, I heard, muted midrange I thought.

VS VR4jr, I heard several several... no... many times, harsh top end and overly airy to the point of "artificialness".

SF GP (Home series, not Domus), good and very detailed. However, vocals were colored to me. Very evident when playing male vocals.

Thiel 3.6, have not heard.

Clarity is a good speaker to start out on. They may not be the best, but they will afford you the capability to scale your front end equipment up and will also afford you with the convenience of resale once you do upgrade to bigger and better things.

Joey

 

[David Matz]

Another idea to throw around

I also was looking for speakers under $2k and found the Ascents for a very good deal. Although I had a Bryston Amp, which is absolutely phenomenal, I tried them running my 80 Watt per Channel Yamaha. The sound was nothing like the Bryston, but it was Logan like non the less, especially at lower volumes.

There is something about the large panel size and Logans. My fear is that if you get the Clarities and a better amp, you will be obsessed with upgrading your speakers almost immediately.

Also, check out some used gear here:

http://audioconsultants.com/used.html

Their price on the Ascents is reasonable, and the Aerius is a real steal - as it will allow you to upgrade your amp or maybe get a sub, while staying close to your budget.

 

[Skyline]

The price on the Aerius i seems reasonable, do you think they would ship to Honolulu Hawai'i? It seems most of the stuff is sold only locally.

Will the Aerius i outperform the newer Clarity?

About the other brand speakers, I have the RF-82s and it seems the RF-83s haven't improved much in the weak areas of the 82s so I'll cross those off the list. The original VR-4s from the '90s seem to have some flabby bass issues so I'll rule those off the list too. The only ones that still have me intrigued though are the Sonus Faber Grand Pianos and the Thiel CS3.6s. Anyone have any other input on how those would compare with the Claritys or other MLs?

 

[David Matz]

I know they sell on Audiogon - so I imagine they would want to get rid of them. You would not have to pay tax, but will have to cover shipping. Give them a call and find out. I think they would want your cash sooner rather than someone else's later.

With your savings you can get a decent used power amp or a sub.