Which ML Center?

[Holiday]

I am very glad to hear the motion c is ideal. But if i spent the extra 500 or 800 on a higher end center channel would that be a huge improvement or would it offset the sounds of my motion series speakers?

People say that center channel is most important. Keep in mind by no means am I a huge audio expert. This is my first set of Martin Logans so thats why I am here asking you guys. I would rather get it right the first time before building my theater room and making huge changes. I am thinking I made a mistake with the motion 10s for the sides in my 7.2 system. Anything that compare to those that can go into the ceiling?

 

[invenio]

I am very glad to hear the motion c is ideal. But if i spent the extra 500 or 800 on a higher end center channel would that be a huge improvement or would it offset the sounds of my motion series speakers?

People say that center channel is most important. Keep in mind by no means am I a huge audio expert. This is my first set of Martin Logans so thats why I am here asking you guys. I would rather get it right the first time before building my theater room and making huge changes. I am thinking I made a mistake with the motion 10s for the sides in my 7.2 system. Anything that compare to those that can go into the ceiling?

If this is primarily a "movie watching" setup (and not 2 channel music), I would strongly suggest getting the best center you can afford. The majority of all the sound you hear will be coming from the center channel. This is where all the dialog and majority of the action in the movie will come from. Their is no good way to "quantify" how much sound each speaker puts out, but essentially, you will be listening to the front speaker 90% of the time when watching a movie, and the other 10% of sound will be distributed over your other 6 speakers. This is the reason why it's so important to have a good center for home theater application. Don't skimp, you'll just regret it.

If you doubt a significant difference, try to find a local dealer so you can audition the two speakers.

 

[Holiday]

So many different opinions and glad to hear them all. Your room looks amazing. Im hoping to have something like your setup projector wise. As far as bass traps and sound proofing how did you do it and how much did it cost?

And as far as center channel and in particular that you would recommend?

 

[invenio]

So many different opinions and glad to hear them all. Your room looks amazing. Im hoping to have something like your setup projector wise. As far as bass traps and sound proofing how did you do it and how much did it cost?

And as far as center channel and in particular that you would recommend?

I basically looked online for sound proofing foam and then went with something that I thought was a good bargain, would deliver the performance that I wanted, and would match the room aesthetics. I don't actually recall how much I paid, but I know that if you buy from one of the acoustic foam wholesale providers it is quite inexpensive, especially if you buy in volume. If you buy 1 panel, it's ridiculous, but if you buy over 150 panels like I did, they can often give you a discount, free shipping, etc.

As for the center channel. I am obviously a firm believer in getting the best center you can get for a home theater setup. It's just that this is going to be the most important speaker for watching movies. Although their are many great choices from many manufacturers I believe that you should stay with the same brand. I find that their is "unique sound" to each manufacturer and if you mix and match they don't seem to match. I would stick with ML in your case. Ideally I think your best option would be either the Motif, or the Stage if you could afford it. I know that it is more expensive than your other speakers, but like I said before, this is the speaker that you will actually be listening to 90% of the time.

 

[JonFo]

Speaking of mix and match, I'm going to disagree with Inveno on this a bit, as I do not see the stage or Motif as the best choice to mate with a set of folded-motion tweeter Motion series speakers.
I stand by the recommendation that a Motion C is your best bet. Even a Motion C2, which is arguably a better performing center, might not be ideal, as the larger folded-motion XT tweeter is different than the one found on your Motion mains.

 

[dmusoke]

Speaking of mix and match, I'm going to disagree with Inveno on this a bit, as I do not see the stage or Motif as the best choice to mate with a set of folded-motion tweeter Motion series speakers.
I stand by the recommendation that a Motion C is your best bet. Even a Motion C2, which is arguably a better performing center, might not be ideal, as the larger folded-motion XT tweeter is different than the one found on your Motion mains.

I agree ...there's no point wearing size 10 shoes if you have size 7 feet!

 

[Holiday]

Well by going with a Motion C it would save me around $1000 bucks. Maybe more if they ever decide to drop the price on it.

Now sitting here with 2 Motion 12s and 4 Motion 10s and 2 Dynamo 500s and not even listened to them yet I want a set of those big boys. But If i decided to sell them and upgrade I am looking at spending a couple thousand more to have my system.

 

[invenio]

It sounds like there are many opinions which I think is good. At the end of the day I would strongly encourage you to find a shop that sells ML and go in and see if they can demo the Motion C compared to the Motif. I think this will be the best way to judge what kind of performance difference there is between the models and whether it is worth it for you.

 

[Holiday]

When I get the time I will go listen to both. What sucks is I wish I could hear a movie and be able to switch back n forth and decide

 

[Tristan]

Just an update, I ended up going with a Cinema i, black oak finish. The pictures of the speaker reveal a perfect condition. I should be getting it late next week or early the week after.

I spent quite a few hours looking at tv stands which would accommodate a center like this plus my 50" DLP TV. I found the perfect fit, a modular Sanus Euro AV40. The pillars can be swapped out to make larger openings, etc. I'm going to buy an extra shelf to put the center channel in. This will be at a perfect height, starting at 26" off the floor and ending at 34". Also, it will put the TV slightly higher than it is now, an ideal viewing position to optimize chill mode. Can't wait for this upgrade! I'll post pictures when I get it all set up.

 

[Holiday]

Update... I got all the paint done in the Theater room this week and many other things..

I still have not ordered a center channel or a receiver..

Few options now for center channel since I see there were new ones released..

My options:

Motion C
Electromotion C2
Motion 30

I guess the journey still continues

 

[invenio]

Update... I got all the paint done in the Theater room this week and many other things..

I still have not ordered a center channel or a receiver..

Few options now for center channel since I see there were new ones released..

My options:

Motion C
Electromotion C2
Motion 30

I guess the journey still continues

Post some pics if you have time. I'm always interested in fellow dedicated home theater setups!

 

[JonFo]

Holiday, that new Motion 30 looks interesting. It has the same folded motion tweeter as your Motion 12s, and larger woofers than the Motion C, so a better match IMHO.

The Motion C2 is a great center, but since it has the larger folded motion XT driver, possibly not as good a match to the 12s. It's generally best if the center high-frequency driver is identical to the front L/R units. And even better if all 5/7 speakers use the identical tweeter and primary mid-bass drivers.

 

[Guitarist]

I really like my Motif. The clarity is amazing--I can hear all sorts of little details such as lip noises that I never heard before, but I can also tell when actors have "looped" dialog as the acoustic environment is a bit different. It also sounds awesome with my multi-channel SACDs. I finally got around to taking some photos: