The new CLX is HERE - Exclusive Photos!!

[DTB300]

it's about 6 feet tall..

So 7' with SA stands....

 

[Kenscollick]

Well how long before we can hear it???????

Looks fine to me I see no reason for the wood frame, save the forest and clean up the metal edges and take a grand off the price.

hopefully they come mirror image.

 

[Rich]

The wife says: "Low WAF."

 

[cstory]

Ugliness and initial disappointment aside, I actually have to applaud Martin Logan becuase they are really trying something new with this speaker.

The easy path for them would have been to replicate the looks of the old CLS and just replace the panel with the new X-Stat panel. Low risk, instant accpetance, but nothing that improves or modifies the current designs.

But in this case they are trying something novel with the bass portion of the speaker (Well, even if they borrow from previous electrostatic designs, it is at least something new for ML). So regardless of the looks, I think it is cool that they are really trying to advance the state of the art by doing something different with the bass panels, and not just settling for the status quo.


I think getting the bass right is probably what lead to such a long development time. Listening will show if it was worth the wait.


Chuck

 

[nsgarch]

Are the Left and Right units sold separately?

I'd have to see a pair to comment on the looks, just as I'd have to hear a pair to comment on the sound.

My guess is that this picture is of a Right speaker, so that with a Left-hand unit in place, the two C-shaped wood frames will create a complete form.

I agree w/ cstory, getting a full-out electrostatic bass unit is the Holy Grail -- I wouldnt be surprised if that flat panel is the one with three stators.

 

[DrJRapp]

Ugly is an understatement. Looks like it was cobbled together in a week on Monster Garage. My wife's comments are: "I hope you aren't planning on getting those"..." there is a fishing rod named the Ugly Stick, ML should have named them that".

I'm not sure if I'm dissapointed or elated. On one hand was hoping there would be something to upgrade from my Summits to, on the other, we Summit owners won't have much fear of the the used value of our speakers dropping becaue of demand (???) for the CLX.

 

[twich54]

Looks fine to me I see no reason for the wood frame, save the forest and clean up the metal edges and take a grand off the price.

hopefully they come mirror image.

Agreed, Ken, but then again, the proto has that 'cobbled two by four look' !

 

[sjwjanssen]

So ugly, I like the new summit/vantage style.

 

[tsmooth]

It almost looks like Mr. Sanders dropped by half way through the development. I immediately loved the look of the vista/vantage/summit but this will take a little more getting used to. Wondering if anybody visiting the High-End Show in Munich can give any impressions?

 

[Wardsweb]

Well I know Martin Logan couldn't care less what I think, but either run the wood on both sides or don't use any around the sides and top of the panels. Just a little too asymmetrical for me.

I think someone in accounting was on the committee to build these. Trying to keep production cost down by using a Vantage panel mated to a bass? panel.

I need time to let this sink in.

 

[CLS2ASTAT]

Form follows function. The Germans will appreciate that.

 

[Satch]

I'm with cstory and nsgarch on this... It's all about getting the electrostatic panel magic in the lower bass regions. Is there an electrostatic panel subwoofer in the future?

 

[Joey_V]

Ugly.... or atleast to me right at this moment.... maybe I'll grow into it.

And I knew it was going to be dual panels....

If you fellas stare at the flat panel to the right (the bass section I assume), do you notice that there are 3 sections? Does this mean the bass section has been divided into 3 reproducible frequency sections, too?

I guess that's what they meant by triple stators?

 

[Joey_V]

I looked again.. the thing I don't like is the frame. I have no experience in woodworking and I think I could build a better wooden frame than that. I dont know.... I'll check back again later to see if I like it more.

The thing that gets me is that it looks like a "frankenstein" speaker... like someone took several units and just meshed them all together.

 

[Cherian]

I will agree it does not have the sex appeal of the original CLS. Maybe with better wood options and a full frame around the stats it could look better. Looks are not everything. "Form must follow function" so if it sounds great it may be good trade off. Still If it is 20k for a set I would expect more.

 

[zaphod]

hmm, well i like them. more than the summit styling, but less than my CLS. it's certainly a departure, and while i like the full range being done in panels, i would still have preferred one full range panel. but i can believe that they were done without a crossover.

 

[Joey_V]

I guess asking for a single curvilinear panel that does all frequencies is too much, huh? Man... .

I seriously pictured a svelte CLX.... something like a single aluminum airframe around the whole panel and a curved single panel this time around. However, I began hearing rumors of it being two paneled and so I began to wonder how this would be situated... for some reason, it just doesn't look right.

Even it sounds good, the price and the look is something that is tough to swallow. that said, sound is what we're after in the end, right? When we close our eyes to the beat of the music, nothing else should matter...

It's just tough to swallow at the moment.

 

[benleeys]

Am quite disappointed with the look of it, especially after so much expectations. Perhaps we expected to much. Anyway, my local dealer told me it's going to be a limited 25th anniversary edition. So, folks, expect a high price for it and ... place your orders early! :music:

 

[bigbanger]

Not to be too repetitive, but I am very disappointed in the industrial design of the CLX. I've always thought ML excelled in designing products that both sounded and looked great, but I think they've failed in the looks department here. Nothing about it appeals to me, but time will tell if the speaker's sonic qualities make up for it. Unless you've got a dedicated listening room, getting your spouse to accept these is going to be very difficult...

 

[DTB300]

If you fellas stare at the flat panel to the right (the bass section I assume), do you notice that there are 3 sections? Does this mean the bass section has been divided into 3 reproducible frequency sections, too?

I thought the bass panel has 4 sections for 4 different sizes?