SL3's - what should I do?

[michaelkingdom]

Hi everyone,

I have found a set of SL3's locally. The owner is willing to part with them for $500. I have been desiring a pair of these for quite some time.

My question is, when I go to demo them, what should I be aware of? How do you assess the condition of stats? What are the telltale signs of wear, abuse, decline?

They belong to an older gentleman who uses them for home theater. I don't think they had their limits pushed!

 

[Tosh]

It's a very attractive price (as these usually go for at least $800), which makes me suspect the owner knows they need new panels. If they've lived in high humidity the panels will deteriorate earlier (but can be replaced for ~$700 - if someone could confirm this price?) A search will turn up what to expect with older MLs.

I found a pair of SL3's made in their last year (2000) a couple of years ago, but was hopeful that new panels would not be needed until they are 15 years old. So far so good!

The later SL3's have better woofers than earlier ones. I have seen an SL3 with a slipped stator (so the front and rear holes don't line up), some that were obviously very dirty, and some with wrinkles. Good luck!

 

[eknuds01]

Couple of things you can do:

Get a hold of the serial numbers to determine the exact age. You can use the serial number decoder here:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5178

or maybe call ML to verify.

I would check/ask if the speakers were kept in direct sunlight. Is the house or room clean or dusty? Were the panels ever vacuumed? If so, how regularly were they cleaned? Does the owner smoke?

If the volume is not uniform across the panel, it may be dirty or the panel is going bad. You can take the panels off and give them a shower if you think they are dirty. Often this can breathe new life into them!

You can buy new panels and it would be worth contacting ML to get a quote for the new parts. It might set you back $1000 (or a little more) but when you can get 15+ years out these speakers that's not an outrageous cost.

Looks like you could get be getting a really nice deal at $500 if the speakers are in good shape. Be sure to give them a nice audition before you buy.

good luck!
Erik