System #215 (SL3)

[Tin Man]

1. Member Name: Tin Man Wong

2. Location: Round Rock, Texas

3. ML Model(s): SL3

4. Year Purchased: 1999 new from dealer in Austin

5. Mods/Changes: Replaced the woofers due to shipping damage from ML to the dealer (noise from woofers) and panels due to aging with buzzing noise in certain frequency. Both under warranty and the dealer was great to assist for the parts but I replace the units myself.

6. Associated Electronics:
Analog: Acoustic Research The Turntable with Audio Technica AT1005
Harmon Kardon T60 with original arm
Ortofon MC15 Super MK II, Dynavector 10A, Shure V15 Mk-V
Rothwell MC Step Up Transformer
VPI 16.5 record cleaner
Phono Pre-AMP: Music Surrounding Phonomena, Parasound PPH 100
Digital: Sony SCD777ES, MSB Link MK-II (for DVD to stearo system)
Tuner: Marantz 112
Pre-AMP: Audio Reseach SP-16L
Audio Illusions M3
Power AMP: Audio Reseach VT-100MK-III, Dynakit ST70
Speaker: Martin Logan SL3 and Snell Type K
IC Cables: Nordost Red Dawn, Audio Technica, Home Make cables and etc.
Speaker Cables: Nordost Blue Heaven, Audioquest Bedrock, SEAC cables
and home make cables.

7. Comments and/or stories about your Martin Logan experience:
I have the SL3 for 8 years now and still love them sound, for transparency,
clarity, dynamic, details, speed, sound stage (wall to wall and depth) and
neutral. I mostly listen to stereo only for music from (classical, pop,
rocks, jazz, Chinese instruments and pops) sometimes I use the system for
movies.

8. An image of your system.

 

[TomDac]

Welcome Aboard!!

 

[Bernard]

Very nice system. Great to see another analog/ARC/SL3 system. I very highly recommend that you move your power amp from the bottom of the rack, or at least have more space above it for ventilation; I would put it on a separate amp stand.

 

[Tin Man]

Very nice system. Great to see another analog/ARC/SL3 system. I very highly recommend that you move your power amp from the bottom of the rack, or at least have more space above it for ventilation; I would put it on a separate amp stand.

Bernard,

Thanks for the recommendation. It is part of the wife factor that I can't do this yet. If I have my way then I will remove the TV and then place all components on the floor with the butcher blocks and get a coffee table level stand for the turntables and CD player in front or next to the sofa.

There are still many things the turntable and arms are not optimized yet but the sound is acceptable for now.

Tin Man:music: :music:

 

[philox]

Ahhh...Audio Research with Martin Logans...you can't do better. Do you have 2 phono-pre-amps and 2 pre-amps? Please clarfiy, thanks JD3

 

[twich54]

Analog, ARC and Logans, SWEEEEET !!!

welcome to the "nut house" !

 

[Bernard]

Analog, ARC and Logans, SWEEEEET !!!

welcome to the "nut house" !

Dave, when do you plan to get a REAL (read ARC) power amp ???

 

[Tin Man]

Ahhh...Audio Research with Martin Logans...you can't do better. Do you have 2 phono-pre-amps and 2 pre-amps? Please clarfiy, thanks JD3

Yes, I have 2 phono amps and 2 pre-amps now. This is just natural progression for my audio quest. I will keep them around for change of taste and sound.

AR amps work very well with ML speakers, in many occassions they are better than transitor amps, I had tried Mark Levison 333 (borrowed from my friends bass is huge and does not pair as well with ML) and Krell 300i (my original amp for SL3 but I never look back when I hooked up the SP16L and VT100 with the SL3). The different is huge.

Happy listening.:music: :music:

 

[MiTT]

Nice, musical looking system - I bet it sounds great! I was wondering about the multiple phono stages and pre-amps as well since I didn't see the Audible Illusions unit in the pictures. I get it, I've got a second and third system made up of components that have cycled through the main system.

Welcome to the nut house - sounds like you'll do well here. Long live analog!
:music:

 

[twich54]

Dave, when do you plan to get a REAL (read ARC) power amp ???

I think I'll go to Radio Shack today and check out their offerings !!

 

[philox]

TinMaN, I Also had a Krell 300i that ran some NHT-VT2 speakers which sounded great...lots of clean bass & balance, but once I hooked the Krell 300i to a pair of SL3's, the matched sounded dry compared to an Aragon 8008BB dual mono amp I was using at the time. I sold the krell & the Arago 8008BB is in the closet because I upgraded to Aragon Palladium mono blocks. I sold the SL3 & got a pair of Odysseys, but I would love to hear your SL3's with the Audio Research amps

 

[Tin Man]

TinMaN, I Also had a Krell 300i that ran some NHT-VT2 speakers which sounded great...lots of clean bass & balance, but once I hooked the Krell 300i to a pair of SL3's, the matched sounded dry compared to an Aragon 8008BB dual mono amp I was using at the time. I sold the krell & the Arago 8008BB is in the closet because I upgraded to Aragon Palladium mono blocks. I sold the SL3 & got a pair of Odysseys, but I would love to hear your SL3's with the Audio Research amps

Philox, You are correct that if a great pair of speakers have the resolution and capability to deliver good sound then the rest of the components within the chain can make a different. It is like a telescope all the elements are precisionly build but if only one of the element is out of alignment or not up to par with the rest then the system will not deliver the decided results.

I believe SL3 and the rest of the Martin Logan products are in this catagory. Of course, personal taste will dictate which components the owner will spend his/her money. SL3 is a fun pair of speakers to listen for music.

One draw back for owning a pair of SL3, there are many times that I have the itch to upgrade the speakers but I have not found a pair of speakers that can completely beat SL3 with reasonable pricing (under 5-6K). The speakers I like cost considerablely more than SL3 new price (12-20K) which I cannot afford.

Just to share some of my thoughts on HiFi. Happy Listening...
:music: :music:

 

[philox]

Tin Man, I got the Odysseys 2nd hand from an Audio Club, therefore I didn't have the fork out the over 6m. I agree with you the SL3 is the best clean sound for the money. It just lacks bass but a good musical sub woofer could take care of that. By the way, since your into LP's, what type of music do you listen to?

 

[Tin Man]

I listen to wide range of music, classical, pop, rock, jazz and Chinese music (instruments and songs), not rap or heavy metals and etc.

Since there are many re-issues of old recording LPs, I have purchased a few and found them sound wise is good but musicianship is much better than back then. I am particularly drawn into cello from Starker and Du pre (old records) now, they seems to get the emotions into the music better than other musicians.

I also purchased a lot of the re-issue of RCA and Mercury old recording, it is re-freshing and joy to listen to the these SACDs.

:music: :music: