 Great but want more.. |
| Review Date: March 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: C. G. Chambers, Baltimore, MD |
| I absolutely love the sound of these speakers. However, I made two mistakes when getting them. First I should have opted for a Martin Logan center channel speaker. I use a less expensive Definitive Technologies Mythos 8 for the center. The blend is not opitmal. The Mythos is too harsh and I end up cutting the center out for optimal listening. Second, I tried to optimize placement before fully breaking them in. I should have simply played them at a healthy volume non-stop for a few days - then placed them. A wasted time optimizing placement out of the box, then had to start over after about 72 hours of play because the soundstage become quite different. If this is the best ML you can afford - get it. |
Awesome
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| Review Date: March 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: jim02886, RI, USA |
| Just got these. i initially was going to buy Mirage or Def Techs, went to Best Buy to hear them both. Happened to hear the ML's and that was it. it's more money but you won't be disappointed. You hear so much more. I matched with th Onkyo 607 (95 watts), my suggestion is go up in the line for the power-not for sound quality but for volume if you really crank it. These will handle 200 watts and they are power hungry. It's plenty loud for the house but if you want the neighbors to listen in... ML's customer service is one of the most professional/knowledgeable that I have dealt with-I called regarding the Purity/Source/SE diifs. I spoke with a guy named Scotty-really knew his stuff and very helpful. The SE is the same as the Source except for the cabinet and it does not tilt. ML considers it a step up from the Source, internally they are the same. The SE (special edition) has a wood veneer cabinet. The Purity has an internal 200 watt amp-not really necessary.....These things make the hair on the back of my neck stand up! Worth every penny. Another aside-go with the dynamo 700 subwoofer, the 500 is not ML design but a repackage. Go with the Fresco center as it has thin film technology. Both a little more money but worth it. |
Perfect
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| Review Date: February 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Elsass, |
| I just ordered two pairs of ML Sources which came yesterday and I could not be happier. I was kind of nervous about having them shipped through UPS (came in 3 business days including 2 days which Charlotte was shut down because of a snow storm = 1 inch of snow) but ML has apparently invested a lot of time into the packaging of these as well and they were flawless. I have not had time time yet to readjust the Denon 2808ci which is powering them as the front and rear channels or to fine tune the imaging of the speakers but even after a rough set-up, songs I have heard a thousand times are suddenly so clear that they sound unfamiliar. I plan on picking up the ML Matinee center channel and an ML subwoofer in the future and adding an Adcom 5 channel amp but I have to say this is already the cleanest sound I have ever heard. Over the years I have heard many loudspeakers in the $2000 to $3000 price range but have always came to the same conclusion the MartinLogan was easily the hands down winner in the class. |
Great speaker for the money
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| Review Date: May 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Timothy Lam, Temple City, CA United States |
First off, I would like to preface by saying I am a long-time Bose owners and fan, whose product people either love them or hate them. Martin Logan is the same way in many ways, people either love how they look or sound or think they look ugly or the electrostatic speakers sound 'thin'. I think this is because of three main reasons:
The optimal sound field or sweet spot where the ML electrostatic speakers sound their best are generally smaller than conventional speakers, so placement is critical.
Secondly, the power amp selection is very important, you need something beefy to drive them. I have used an Onkyo TX-SR875 and it worked fine, of course the Onkyo 905/906 are even better! I also heard many people used Denon AVR-3808 to drive them without any problem. If you don't want to worry about this, then you can always get the more expensive ML Purity speaker with built-in amp, just provide the source, could just be an iPod and you are ready to listen, no amp/receiver required. Personally, I would save the extra cost for a good amp or receiver to power these speakers.
Third, I found ML break-in period tends to be longer, Mine required 200 hours to sound their best.
Bottomline is if your price range is $1000 per speaker, this is a no-brainer, get a pair and pair them with a good strong amp/receiver and you won't regret it! |
Audiophile quality and great looks at low end prices!
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| Review Date: May 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Tech Junkie, San Jose,CA |
Let me confess first - I own Aeon I (and before that Aries 2) speakers for the last several years and I swear by Martin Logan speakers; I do not own this particular Source SE but have heard this in Magnolia Hi-Fi a couple of times.
That said, Martin Logan electrostatic speakers are a class by themselves - known for music hi-fidelity, the best soundstage you can get for the money. You can hear details and small things that you never heard before using other speakers. For e.g. I hear the small sound made by the violinist while pressing the chords with a finger in some recordings. Beware if you have bad recordings!
The ML speakers usually require high current at low impedance (typically 4 ohms) that are only supported by some of the mid range or high end receivers (Denon AVR-3808CI 7.1-Channel Multizone Home Theater Receiver with Networking or above is a good bet; for audiophile quality, may be you can try such brands as Classe, McIntosh, Adcom etc.).
But Source and Source SE can manage with lower end receivers (from the spec the nominal impedance is 5 or 6 ohms that are usually supported by a 500$ range receivers today).
Another thing to be said about ML's electrostatic speakers - placement of speakers in the room - does make big difference to the soundstage - and so where you sit might matter too.
All things considered, once you have this set up, put in a good classical music and you are in audiophile heaven! I wouldn't trade Martin Logans for any other speaker...they are a lifetime investment.
These are one of the low end of Martin Logan's lineup but still good enough to have the Martin Logan label!
UPDATE: Checked denon's website on the current generation of Denon receivers and it looks like the lowest end of Denon receivers - Denon AVR-589 375-Watt 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver support 6 Ohms easily and so they can support this speaker! |
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$430 off MartinLogan Source SE Loudspeaker in Dark Cherry
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