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Electrostatics

V

Vinny

pfm Member
This is very much prompted by the ad' for the Martin Logan's posted by @flinx, but I have been tempted before.

Electrostatics, and hybrids, are a major bit missing in my hifi experience (I have definitely put the valve power amp' lust to bed now). So what to try, if anything at all, to something like £1k?

Current speakers - 15 inch Tannoys, with 12 inch HPDs awaiting my attention, and a pair of Infinity 7 Kappa.

Musical taste too wide and varied to pin down, from pop to folk/country, to electronic to modern classical to west coast/cool jazz.
 
I loved my Martin Logan SL3's, though they need a decent sized room with space behind and a muscly amplifier.
I used a Martin Logan A1001, sounded brilliant though the base was a bit wooley.
 
As is well known, some people struggle with hybrids because they find that the electrostatic panel and the cone don't blend well enough. (It's not just the different modes of operation - it's monopolar point-source bass combined with dipolar line-source mid-treble, too.) Others don't seem troubled. I guess you might have to try a hybrid to see which camp you're in. I've had two hybrids: ML Vista and Innersound Isis. Both were wondeful in their own way, but the cone/panel thing bothered me.

For a full range within your price range it's hard to look past Quads - 57s would be good, if you could find the right pair, and have the right amp (valves probably). The 2805s can be a bit of a secondhand bargain these days, but they're still above your suggested budget.
 
If I were spending a grand I’d go for Maggies, the new LRS
https://www.magnepan.com/model_lrs

Logans are brilliant but the ones I have heard/owned are higher end ones. The usual comments from reading up over last few years are there is a noticeable change from bass to mid/treble.

Quads of any interest, they would be in budget.
 
On a budget,Magnepan for me (making sure they’re not about to delaminate) and for the big high end stuff, big Martin Logan hybrid.
Be aware, the Maggie’s are rather easy to drive but not the Matin Logan, at least the ones I listened too.
Quad in a small room gives good results but not my cup of tea as a rock music fan.
 
Thanks - food for thought.

Amps are NCC300, so maybe 40W or so? Power never gets talked about with Avondale units.

Arkless Electronics said:
Large Martin Logans driven by Trilogy 100W valve monoblocks quite impressed me.
Click to expand...

I've not looked, but the amp's sound dreadfully expensive, to buy, run and maintain (valve life).
 
I auditioned quads and couldn’t get them loud enough and they sounded a bit soft for me. I eventually got Martin Logan clarities with a Krell 400xi which sounded so much better than the quads and went loud without stressing. My next speakers when I move will probably be a 2nd hand Submits. Martin Logan’s are not perfect but if you like big sound loud and the ability to produce stunning acoustic music and singing then I personally think you can’t do better.
 
BIG Martin Logans, ie no cone woofer in the bottom... 'cos they don't need them, are very good indeed but quite inefficient. They also sound effortless which means you end up playing them louder than you think... So unless you only play "girl with guitar" music at low levels you will need some Watts available.
 
Had Quads , ML & Sanders but Stats need lots of power , lots of volts & lots of space
Active Sanders ran 4 x 900wpc
 
BIG Martin Logans means a big room to put them in.... if you can afford both it's probably pretty well upholstered 'n all... and you're more than normal distance from speakers.... + low efficiency... + complete absence of the usual "stress and strain" from the speakers that's telling you "it's getting loud now" = lots of Watts required. Same with BIG Maggie's.

I've said it before but the best reproduction of a symphony orchestra at full tilt I've ever heard was Magneplaner Tympani IV's.... was only about 6-8' away so like big headphones really! Girl with guitar rather less successful as although it sounded amazing you had to put the 12' high 4' wide girl with 8' guitar out of mind scale wise...

ESL57's in small room used "near - near field" and a Stereo 20 or pair of Quad II's is just great:)
 
I got hooked on electrostatics after hearing a pair of Martin Logan Aerius at the Heathrow Hi Fi Show in the late 1990’s. Fast forward to 2015 and I bought a used pair off eBay and used ever since in a 12 x 12 room. Amp is an Exposure Super XVwhich drives the Aerius to adequate levels in my small room. The bass is loose compared to a stand mount speaker but Ive heard no other speaker that can produce vocals so lifelike. I’ve been very happy with the MLs. Just be cautious about the panels as they can fail and are expensive to replace.
 
Had 57s with Berning otl amps, near field the volume is not an issue. Prob my second fave combo, the human voice made real.
 
I have had 57s and 989s as well as three Magnepans.

Older ones had essentially *delamination* issues. Newest production may have eliminated it and ML may never had it.

My planar of choice is Eminent Technology LFT-8b. Totally reliable and bulletproof. Uses industry standard plating and etching to get a circuit on Mylar.
 
Loved my OTA ESL57s. Just couldn’t quite live with their positioning requirements but wish I’d kept them since they were a properly sorted pair.

I’d love to try 63s. However, the Tannoys are staying.

That being said, I get all the electrostatic love I need from my Mjolnir/Stax head rig…..
 
JTC said:
That being said, I get all the electrostatic love I need from my Mjolnir/Stax head rig…..
Click to expand...

I'm t'other way round. My speakers are Quad 2905s and my cans are Focal and Senn. Suits me sir! The Focals are crisper, but the whole headphone business can't really be compared to speakers and their plethora of different outcomes for different situations.
 
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