System #34 (Clarity)

[mattables]

Matt
Austin, Texas U.S.A.

Speakers: 1 Pair ML Clarity (purchased October, 2003)
Pre-Amp: McIntosh C29
Amp: McIntosh MC2205 (200 watts/channel)
Amp #2: Marantz 4400 (just use this as a tuner for the XM Radio)
Cables: Nordost Flatline Gold
DVD/SACD: Sony DVP-NC685V
Turntable: Pioneer PL-630
TV: 32" Sharp Aquos LCD
Power: One of those over-priced Monster things.
Computer: Dual 2800 AMD Video Editor

Favorite Music: Lyle Lovett, Diana Krall, Dave Matthews, U2, and any blues.

I had never heard of Martin Logan until I bought these speakers in late 2003. The salesman had me listen to about 12 different pairs of speakers, all on the same system, and all with the same song. The ML Clarity simply sounded and looked better than anything else. My previous system was a mix of Bose and Polk Audio, and I have to say: I don't miss it a bit

 

[mattables]

another pic

Here is another picture from the front.

 

[Peter_Klim]

Nice system!

just wondering...when you had the bose & polks, were they also powered by the McIntosh?

 

[mattables]

Originally no. I had the Bose 901 and some nice Polk bookshelf surrounds, both powered by a standard Sony receiver. At that point in time, I thought the system sounded great. However, after I bought the McIntosh system, all of the weaknesses of the Bose were exposed. (The usual bug, the system sounded magnitudes better with the McIntosh, but it left me wanting more.) The system sounded great when played really loud, but when played softly, all you could hear was the hissing of the treble. I like to listen to music to help me sleep, but the constant hissing in my ears was driving me nuts. That is what sent me out to shop for more speakers. The ML Clarity simple sounded the best at very low levels, but can still rock when I need them to. I think the warmth of the sound coming from the McIntosh works beautifully with the electrostatic sound.
I don’t want to be too hard on Bose. I think they are the best speaker company around! Their speakers are no longer my favorite, but their customer service and loyalty are unsurpassed. My family originally bought those Bose 901s in 1978. When they finally broke, I called up Bose to find out how much replacements would cost. The person on the other end of the phone apologized that the speakers had failed, and said if I would send them back, they would replace them with the new 1999 version for only the cost of shipping. You can’t beat that!

Matt

 

[Wayne]

Good to see another plug for the Clarity's.......... they and the Mosaic's are my choices for mains....... I have not had a side by side demo yet. Nice looking system !!!!!!!!

 

[mattables]

updated the pictures

 

[mattables]

New Old Stuff

Well, I moved, built an entertainment center (don't know what color to paint it?), and inherited a Marantz 4400 and a Pioneer PL-630 turntable. Sent the new old stuff off to www.circlestereo.com to get fixed up, and I am loving them. I forgot how much fun an old record could be; they sound great!

 

[mattables]

more pictures. I love the classic stereo equip. Can't get away from that analog sound!