2.2 Sonus faber Olympica Nova V with stereo REL Subs. Quick Cell phone snap.
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So I thought the Sonus Fabers were full range, and subs might not be needed.
I had an opportunity to go to a few dealers and check out some speakers. The Harbeth 40.3 XD, Harbeth SHL5+, Credo Evo 900 Mkii with a Chord Dave > Gryphon Diablo 120.
I also heard a Paradigm Floorstander, a Kef R3, a Focal Kanta and a Martin Logan ESL Impression 13A with a Chord Qutest > Pass Labs Int 60.
I fell in love with both the Harbeth and the ML Electrostats. I am very much a tone guy and both sets of speakers were very involving - made me just want to listen to music for hours and not leave (specifically the HL5+ and the Impression 13A). The 13A is a bit more expensive, but in discussing discounts, both systems would be in my price range. That said, Iām leaning towards the Martin Logans because they did technicalities at a higher level than the Harbeths, while still maintaining the tone. My next favorite was the Focal Kanta no 2 - so I may listen to that again in comparison to the other two.
I am going to do more listening, but I donāt think anything can compare to the MLs to me. Plus, I have a relationship with that dealer and he will check out my room, make recommendations before purcgase, install and calibrate after. The MLs also had near perfect cohesion between woofer and panel. In this generation, apparently, itās nearly been perfected. The sweet spot isnāt huge, but I can live with that if the sound is great in the sweet spot of my room.
That said I am still a little overwhelmed by what Iām reading about the fussiness of electrostatic drivers. Certainly installation and calibration helps a lot. Iām curious to hear from any one who has electrostatic panels and their experience. I also have a Martin Logan sub with Anthem, so am familiar with how well that system works - which is a huge plus.
I also think my Dave/MScaler combination could be incredible given the resolution of the electrostats. For amplification, if I purchased the Martin Logans I would demo more amps - but I demoed them on a Pass Labs Int 60, and there was more than enough power for these particular panels - and the sound was spectacular - so that very well may be what I land on.
Yes, it is not necessary to have the subs with them; however, the subs do dip about 5hz or so lower, and I find that once integrated with the Olympica Nova Vās, they have a very nice icing on the cake effect to the overall sound quality in my room.
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My wife, Barbara, loves the HL5+ also. Iād like to hear why you like them more than the 40.3 - is it just price? I also like ML, but more from a few years back, the Odyssey was my favorite. When you listen again to the ML, be sure to pay attention to upper bass/lower midrange because that is where they cross over from electrostatic panel to the dynamic woofer. The precise imaging can get fuzzy there. Try a small chamber group with piano and cello that can hit that range plus something that has good highs. Or this, one of my favorites has the right notes in the right places:
If you can find Vandersteen, they have some very nice floorstanders that compete in your price range. I was far less impressed with the KEF, Paradigm, and was sort of OK but hardly bowled over by the Focal Kanta also. I got to hear some of the less expensive Magicos at the same time, and only liked the ones that were significantly above my price range.
I donāt know when Iāll be able to go out speaker hunting. At least my stunt kite flying hobby is much more reasonably pricedā¦
I wouldnāt say I like the HL5+ more, except for the fact that they seemed to play better at lower volumes. The 40.3 seemed like the superior speaker, and had better extension on top and bottom - but especially with the bass - it was enough for me. The 40.3 also provided a bigger sound, as can be expected - which I liked better. But from a tonality standpoint, It was a very similar sound, so hard to justify 3x the price - out of my budget.
The Martin Loganās, though, are kind of having my cake and eating it too. The sound was as big as the 40.3, or bigger in terms of vertical and horizontal soundstage, the tonality was very natural, similar to the Harbethās (at least with the Pass amp) - and it extended even further top to bottom, and had better technicalities than the Harbethās.
The biggest thing Iāve read with Martin Loganās ESLs is their fussiness. It has me concerned but not overly concerned, based on what I experienced. I wasnāt in an ideal listening room, and the dealer just plopped down the ESLs after we were done with the other speakers. I was sitting basically nearfield - less than 6 feet away and the Martin Logans were in the center of a rectangular room on the long side, only about 6 feet apart. It was brick and hard wood flooring with no treatments and a lot of other speakers and equipment around the room. The sound was still absolutely magical. Yes, if you stand up the sound changes, but moving seats left to right it was still perfect. I played close attention to the integration of bass and the panel, and I could not detect any incoherence at all. While I didnāt look at the lower mids specifically, what struck me is that both the Martin Logans and the Harbeths didnāt have the suck out there a lot of other speakers I demoed had. That said, I am going to demo them again and will most definitely play the tracks youāve suggested. I was told by the dealer that the bass/panel integration really made giant leaps with this particular generation when I asked about it. That said, I havenāt listened to any previous Martin Logan ESL so I canāt compare.
Iām very much leaning toward them if I can get them to work in my room. The Martin Loganās are better priced than the Harbeths as Iām in the US (and if Iām honest with myself, I like the Expression 13As better than the SHL5+ AND the 40.3s), so I may be able to get more speaker for my money - plus I have a dealer thatās willing to work with me on price, setup, calibration, etc.
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I may get some LOLās for saying thisā¦but honestly I love my Corsair 2.1 system that Iāve had for years.
The SP2500. You canāt even find them anymore new as they stopped selling them.
This was back before I even understood all the definitions of sound. Even today on the odd occasion when I take my headphones off and power on the speakers, I still get some joy in how they sound.
Some day I will get into speakers again when my kids are grown a bit and I can enjoy it!
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Pulled the trigger on a pair of Martin Logan 13a with a Pass Labs Int 60, after numerours demos.
For my taste in listening which is predominantly jazz, vocals, classical, and some rock - IMHO - they really canāt be beat. Spectacular imaging/soundstage (both tall and wide) and timbre, decays that go on forever, and a very natural engaging mid-range. The biggest weakness is that they are very revealing and recordings that are not good sound unimpressive. The Harbeths are better all-arounders, especially the 40.3s, but at significantly greater cost - and what the ESLs do well - the Harbethās, even at a higher price point, canāt match. On the vast majority of jazz/blues recordings, and well recorded rock (e.g. Dire Straits), they were just mesmerizing and the best I have ever heard that music on systems of any price. I admittedly mostly listen to high-end headphones with some two channel mixed in, and there is always another speaker to demo, but at my price point - Iām astonished that I got something that is this good.
I didnāt notice any real discontinuity between woofer and panel that has been one of the complaints of these hybrids, but admittedly havenāt listened to a lot of previous generation MLs. It could be that the technology has improved signficantly, or simply it didnāt register with me. I played a lot of music with heavy bass - and it just sounded fantastic.
If the Harbeth 40.3s were $10k cheaper, I may have considered them more seriously. But ultimately, I think I would have went with the MLs anyway if Iām honest with myself.
I listened to the 11a and didnāt enjoy them quite as much, mainly as I found them a bit brighter - and slightly fatiguing - which is a deal breaker for me. After the ML 13a and Harbeth 40.3, my favorite speaker was the Focal Kanta No 2.
Also, the Martin Logans were very sensitive to being paired with the right amplification. I listened to some McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Rogue Audio - and while some got close - nothing matched the Pass Int 60 except the Pass separates, which were more detailed and exerted more control over the driver, but werenāt quite as warm and involving as the Int 60.
I did all of my demos with a Chord Qutest, rather than my personal DAC - but was comfortable with it as I own a Hugo 2 and am very familiar with how the DAC compares to my Dave. and the Chord sound signature in general. I will be pairing them with my Lumin U1 > Chord Dave > M Scaler combo - and am quite excited to hear them. It will be nice to have a two channel system that can compete with my headphones for listening time.
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Big congratulations. I really like the ML sound. In my price range they are compelling, especially since Iāve been spousally forbidden to put big Maggieās in the living room.
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Check out our latest video on one of the best values in the 2 channel streaming networked amplifier space! The Marantz 40n!
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Everything so new. Streaming networked integrated amplifier. I felt like I was breaking the rules when I had an integrated amplifier. I feel like Iām breaking them now when I connect the iFi Zen Blue V2 to the Sansui. Echoing in the chambers of my youthful mind are the Dynaco PAS 3X and pair of Mark IIIs that I never never should have gotten rid of. Would have to be board level restored or rebuilt today of course. The power is OK on this Marantz, but itās a touch light for the speakers I have in mind.
Iām listening, but when I replace the old speakers, whatās my next move? @MRHifiReviews please donāt make me think. I just want to watch those smooth pans across the hardware.
And when I think of āThe Sourceā I think of competition to Compuserve.
Tomorrow April 17th, at 8 am PST our TSAV McIntosh MB20 Giveaway goes live!
Here is the link to our YouTube channel where we will announce it:
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Marantz Model 40n Integrated Amplifier vs Marantz Model 30 Integrated Amplifier
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Trying something new! This morning at 9 am PT grab your best headphones and give this video a watch and a listen and see which amplifier you like best. Leave us a comment in the video and let us know what you think. Have a wonderful Sunday friends.
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Audio Research Corporation I/50 Integrated Tube Amplifier and REL Stereo T/9x Subwoofers Sound DEMO!
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Iām getting closer to my end game speakers. Yesterday I ordered a tanzanite for my better half.
The obvious way is not always the best one.
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- McIntosh MAC7200 Receiver (w/ DAC)
- Klipsch La Scala (vintage, 1979-ish)
- Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable
- Apple TV 4K (Apple Music, AirPlay)
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I love your setup and Room esthetics brother! How do you like the MC7200? I have been debating on one or a Michi @huntca
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Thanks man - we got the 7200 in an attempt to consolidate a bunch of other boxes and cables and have been happy with it. There are so many good options in this price range, so for us it was 1) resale value of McIntosh is excellent and we just enjoy the brand 2) replaceable internal DAC that actually sounds good (weāve upgraded once already) 3) lots of passthrough and output options if we ever want to add a center channel or sub (for movies).
If our shop had the MA8950 at the time we purchased, we probably would have leaned that direction instead. Itās mostly the same machine, but comes with the upgraded DAC from the shop and has physical tone controls. The 8950 is lacking the AM/FM tuner from the 7200, but weāve used that zero times so it would not be missed. 
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