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View Full Version : Of 'Logans,DCMs and ARs oh my


stuwee
07-03-2008, 09:50 AM
Everything as it sits for now is listed below. The M-Ls were a present from my mother,I've had them for 6 years, I believe they were built in the mid to late 80's. They were the first of the curvealinier line or the first series to have the curved 'stat panel for better disspertion. These are not for everyone, they are a very demanding mistress. Proper placement in a proper room is mandatory, along with a high current, powerfull amp and great sounding preamp and sources but get it right and the words "spooky" and "scary" are often heard from my non-audiophile friends, they often call when they get a new CD and what to hear it over here. They go back home and enjoy it on what they have perfectly happy, which I find very cool. I love playing DSOTM on the lowly Lux and stopping to flip the tape, and watch the "that was a cassette"*eyepop*

The 'Logans double as my 2-channel HT set-up, I don't need any additional speakers, since they use the room as a cabinet if you will. If a door slams or a bomb explodes way to the right, that's where you hear it. None of my equipment has decoding so I have no idea how this works as good as it does. Likewise if David Gilmour is sitting on a stool plucking an acoustic guitar, that's where he is in the room. K, enough on my pride and joys.....

Based on many accolades on the baby AR 4x's I picked some up. put them in the big room. I played these non stop for about 5 days, switching back to the M-Ls for reality checks, no comparison but, they are just so musical, enthraling is a good word for them, and how did Roy Allison get that much bass from a tiny speaker?? After you just sit and listen you don't notice the short comings at all, they do like some good clean power as well. And a re-cap is in the works.

The DCM's are in the Rock room as I like to call it. They just rock out so well, bass can be bring the cops to the door, vibrate nic knacks off shelves, accurate, hell no but, who really cares, it's a seperate system for a seperate sound, they boogie in their own special way.

I can't forget my favorite the Pilot, I haven't opened the back in awhile, IIRC there's big 15" Jensens with 20lb magnets with a mid and what looks like a piezo tweeter with the famous SA 232 el84 amp, this is by far the most musical of all, I only listen to classical on the college station on weekends on it, I've broke down in tears many times listening to this console. It brings me closer to God. And it's 50 years old and needs a complete refurb, says alot about the good ol' stuff....eh?

Craig

Acoustic
07-06-2008, 08:12 PM
Stu... just noticed you had the Martin Logans in your sig and was going to ask you about them but then found this. No wonder you can hear all the resolution between sources you talk about in your posts! Are they as detail sounding as I read about them? It's been years and years since I've heard a pair at Keif's in Lawrence KS.... the city where they are made... about 25 miles from me. Hmmm... I wonder if they have a sales outlet there with 'scratch and dent' deals like the Bose outlet stores do??? *sarc*

stuwee
07-07-2008, 12:44 PM
Stu... just noticed you had the Martin Logans in your sig and was going to ask you about them but then found this. No wonder you can hear all the resolution between sources you talk about in your posts! Are they as detail sounding as I read about them? It's been years and years since I've heard a pair at Keif's in Lawrence KS.... the city where they are made... about 25 miles from me. Hmmm... I wonder if they have a sales outlet there with 'scratch and dent' deals like the Bose outlet stores do??? *sarc*

Acoustic, cue evil laugh here,
Yes, they are that good:-)<-*omg* crazy, spooky good. Call 1-(785) 749-1033 ask for Jeff (super nice dude) Doesn't hurt to ask if they have anything. You live close, that's a huge bonus! Shipping is pricey, I've never seen a pair of The Sequel's for sale, The Sequel II's come up every now and then, usually in the $700 range, Jeff can tell ya about the differences better than I can. Mine will never leave my house, ever. I think everyone should hear some, properly set up at least once (or twice) in their life. I'm very biased on this matter though.

Acoustic
07-07-2008, 06:49 PM
Thanks for the comment and phone number. I'm going to have to plan a trip to Lawrence here in the near future. I don't **need** speakers at this time but if I were to upgrade anything in my system would be there. Even though the Polks I have sound very good. It would be only if I get my system into a bigger space.

Just to say... have you heard any Magneplaner speakers and sans the need for a subwoofer do they even have a chance against your M-Ls?? I do have an agenda for the question....*devil*

stuwee
07-08-2008, 09:26 AM
Thanks for the comment and phone number. I'm going to have to plan a trip to Lawrence here in the near future. I don't **need** speakers at this time but if I were to upgrade anything in my system would be there. Even though the Polks I have sound very good. It would be only if I get my system into a bigger space.

Just to say... have you heard any Magneplaner speakers and sans the need for a subwoofer do they even have a chance against your M-Ls?? I do have an agenda for the question....*devil*

a *devil*... eh??
a trust funded friend I had back in the 80's had my first uber nice IMHO, system I'd ever heard, he had the first Maggies, with a big MacIntosh front end, I don't recall the TT, I was blown away, I've been a di-pole sound fan ever since, I like and own box speaker's. And have friends now that use Maggies, mostly the older lower-line ones. Since my M-L's are also older lower-line as well, this is a fair compairison. They are very similar, not just in the super accurate, big sound stage, fast, fast transient response.

The 'Logans have a much bigger sweet spot, the Maggies are quite beamy, the 'Logans also have a dynamic 10" woofer in a ported box(part of the placement in the room problem) I can make pictures on walls 3 rooms away vibrate on the walls, that's some serious LF wave action, I could get better bass in the listening room with a sub, I'm not ready for that yet. Tube amps sound glorious with both, the mids are achingly beautifull, the upper highs and bass suffer IMO, my buds like the tubes, I like making them jump in their seats with SS, so I'm gonna cheat and say you can't go wrong with either, I prefer the 'Logans cuz I got 'em set up just right, for me right now..*devil*

Call Jeff and even if they don't have a show or listening room per se, you might talk him into hearing a pair they just got done doing some work on?? you could get a feel for the sound.... does this help.....*devil*

Acoustic
07-09-2008, 08:47 AM
Thanks for your assessment. The reason for my not so *devil* evil agenda is that I got a pair of Magneplanar IIIa's last year off of CL for cheap... reason they were cheap is that one ribbon is out and I didn't get the xovers. They were otherwise in good shape, so I got 'em. It's a project on hold that I'd like to get completed to so I can hear what these can sound like. Here is a pic..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2653149484_e8e431342a.jpg

Just like with your ML's, placement is key for the Maggies. But that is my living room and in a small apartment I don't think that even if I get them going I have the room for them. They are huge, that's my Polk Monitor 50 in the middle that I'm using now and for this room they sound pretty good.

stuwee
07-09-2008, 11:06 AM
Nice!! from research I've done, those IIIa's, in fact most Maggies are not for me as far as refurbing. Lot's of folks say it's easy once you get the hang of it, and aren't scared. Some even using tape on the tears and glue to reattach the mylar to the stator's. Scares me. I think those even have thingies attached to the mylar, to balance the panel, kinda like a car wheel, again, claims of not a big deal from the MN AKer's abound. The M-L's are just like changing a tire. slide the side panels off, seperate the metal stator's, the panels are drop in and hook up. I replaced the woofers already, piece of cake!! Very pricey $$ though, you can still get 'um from Lawrence. ++.
I'd seriously check on repairing the Maggies, sounds like the materials are cheap to do, you just need a plan and patients. Worth a pretty penny when working right as you Know!*devil* you dawg!