Just ordered my CLX's

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radicalsteve

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Heads up!

Just ordered my new CLX's. I tried to buy one of the anniversary pairs on A'Gon, but could not get a reasonable price, so I have decided to order a new standard pair. I will run them from my Spectron bridged amps, but will also try the Plinius SA-250 to see if the warmer class A mode has more synergy. I am a bit concerned that the Spectron open sound coupled with the transparency of the CLX's might be top out the treble - but the reason I am going for the CLX's is for transparency, so I guess I should be careful what I wish for!

Updates to follow as soon as they are in the system - hopefully next week;)

Steve
 
Congrats Steve!

I look forward to your impressions.
 
Congradulations Steve. Can you take some pictures after they are all set up.
Thanks, Greg
 
That is great news! Not too many here posting about a personally owned pair. Look forward to your impressions. Congrats!!!

Gordon
 
CLXs: Congrats!

Heads up!

Just ordered my new CLX's. I tried to buy one of the anniversary pairs on A'Gon, but could not get a reasonable price, so I have decided to order a new standard pair. I will run them from my Spectron bridged amps, but will also try the Plinius SA-250 to see if the warmer class A mode has more synergy. I am a bit concerned that the Spectron open sound coupled with the transparency of the CLX's might be top out the treble - but the reason I am going for the CLX's is for transparency, so I guess I should be careful what I wish for!

Updates to follow as soon as they are in the system - hopefully next week;)

Steve


Steve, you have made a great purchase. I don't think you are giving up anything by not having the anniversary pair as the differences are mostly cosmetic. I have had the CLXs, regular edition, for about 10 months as they replaced the original Summits. They are, by a large margin, the best speakers I have ever had in my home, and I have had many speakers, including MLs. Your system appears to be as complicated as mine with many peripherals, multiple turntables, and doubling as a stereo as well as HT system. I think the biggest issue you will have to deal with is placement far enough from back and side walls (this will be very different from the speakers you have now due to the CLX size). You also will need subwoofers to support the low end which is definitely rolled off. I have had good luck with a pair of Descent-i's modded to go with the CLXs. The ones you have now may work perfectly well if they have multiple phase, filters, and gain settings. I can guarantee that you will have a blast with these speakers!
My system is #308

Lawrence
 
Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I will be pleased to post pics and comments and we will get Bernard over to give an independent assessment as well!:bowdown:

I hope to get them next week;)

Steve
 
The CLX's were unpacked last Thursday and by now they have enough hours for some preliminary observations, but I feel there are still some changes as the electronics are getting burned in. Thanks to Brian of The Mac Group here in Ottawa for getting them, delivery and helping me set them up.

Current system has them driven by my Spectron monoblocks, but I do have a Plinius SA-250 that is also poised to join in.


First impressions just reinforce the comments about these being very detailed and transparent transducers. Imaging is truly exceptional and I am not fussed about room placement at this stage - I suspect my ReQuests already gave me good clues about that, but I have pulled the CLX's a bit more forward, to be 48" from the front wall and 22" from the side walls, both of which are treated with absorbers.

How good are they in a home setting? So far I have to say that they behave impeccably, very much like a live performance sound, whether acoustic, jazz, female vocal, orchestral etc. Not agressive in any way though, best way I can describe it is being able to see and feel into the music as a performance, not a collection of individual parts - soundstage is truly realistic as you would get in a club or live venue. Instrument and vocal placement is uncanny, leading edge and trailing transients are very believable. They are truly world class for sure and for me, really room friendly. Very dynamic on HT stuff as well - finesse with power and control so that they load the room with a wall to wall sound and great depth front to back. Right now, although I think I am a vinyl die-hard, the noise coming out of my digital media is now so positively different, detailed and insightful, the music is just flowing!

I always loved my old Quad Pro 63's for their articulate mid and bass, but they had shortcomings in that they were rolled off at the top and while they had quality, they couldn't handle quantity. So I moved on to dynamic driver systems until I found a great local deal on those ol ReQuests recently, so I could decide if the Logan sound matched my needs. Clearly there is a mega change with the CLX's. Having said that, those ReQuests are very decent speakers and a great buy on the used markets compared to other options.

As to the build. looks and so on of the CLX's:

They come in cardboard boxes that are not as sturdy as they should be after shipping and handling. The speakers are wrapped in a velvet cloth and a poly liner when you maneuver them out of the box - not so intuitive despite a crude pictorial on the box itself.

The boxes are not ergonomically designed and they are cheap for a speaker of this cost - bit of a cottage industry approach imho

The manual available from the ML website is not included in the box, just a short "get you started" version.

Not really easy to unpack out of the box, again better packaging design required.

My natural cherry finish is very acceptable, and the speakers are not as intrusive visually as you might expect, or as I remember from seeing them at the Montreal show for example.

I did note after Brian had left, that the top rails on both speakers holding the panels were somewhat loose, and I discovered that you could take out some foam inserts and tighten them up with a hex key. Firstly, they should not come loose in shipping, and secondly ML might make it known in the manual or to dealers to check for this.

So, I would give ML an average mark for the "pride of ownership" on delivery.

Anyway, I am more than pleased, my expectations have been exceeded and they sound better in my home than I heard at the Montreal show, by far. I will have to work on dialing in my large 2 x 12" Focal polyglass corner loaded TL woofers, but that can come later. Speakers without woofers still sound very fullsome, but that lowest register is missing if you are used to an extended low end, as I am. BTW I don't use my Shiva sub(s) though, except for HT theater.


More critique and pics to follow - consider this an early stage preview of what is a world class speaker, can't imagine what else I would need. other than live musicians, in my own home right now.

Steve
 
Steve, I'm really happy for you and look forward to more of your impressions, but your room is so beautiful, I can't help but to say...

:ttiwwp:
 
try this Tim ...... :)
 

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that is sick!!! congrats on the new speakers.
 
New additions: Micro-SX 8000 for vinyl with SME 312S and ZYX UNIverse Dynavector 507 Mk 2 and Allnic Verity Z carts. Accuphase C17 head amp. Also now using Powermac G5 as music server (major sound upgrade!).
 

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Steve,

First Congrats, you are at the beginning of a great journey.

I have owned CLXs since August of 08 and I have posted a couple of times about the unique requirements of the CLX, in fact there is a tweak that you might want to try. It costs very little and is very easy to do and it will bring the low end more in to focus for you. It is in the tweaks section.

I read your delivery and setup description with interest. My local dealer delivered and setup my CLXs and my experience was much different than yours.

My CLXs came with quite a bit of documentation including two manuals, one an owners manual and another on care and maintenance and it also came with a quick set-up guide pictorial.

My speakers came in what can best be described as a reinforced card board coffin. Both sturdy and heavy. I have them stored in the rafters of one of my horse barns and they are not light by any means. Mine were well packed and it actually took two people at least to open it and set the speakers up. The dealer provided two people plus myself, so we had it covered. The whole process took over three hours.

My dealer showed me the foam inserts on the top rail and he actually said that they had to be tightened after delivery, which he did in front of me and then he recommended I tighten them again after 1,2 and 3 hundred hours of listening. There are also bolts on the bottom of the speakers, but since setup I have not tightened those.

It kind of sounds like your dealer was not real experienced in setting up the CLXs, it would have made your experience better if he was I am sure.

Regardless, I have been so impressed with the CLXs that I am actively looking for a good used pair, so that I can replace my rear speakers with CLXs. Hopefully I can find a used pair, within driving distance that need a good home.:D
 
With that kind of Surround Sound system, I just gotta ask.

Have you turned the lights off and played the SACD of Dark Side of the Moon in 5.1?:devil:
 
not yet with the CLX's - but ..... previously I found my UK vinyl original 1st pressing or my Japanese Pro pressings to be better than anything digital, but with the Oppo SE I have it might just give the vinyl a run for its money!
 
Congrats! very nice indeed.

Could I ask what are the dimensions of your room? (Length, Width, Height) to better appreciate suitability to different rooms.

Thanks!
 
Another OPPO 83 customer, interesting......you will have to try the DSOTM SACD 5.1 with the Oppo 83SE via analog 5.1 and let us know what you think of your surround sound system with the CLXs and Pinkus Floydacus. The Beatles Love in DVDa is another one that the CLX will show you things that you never experienced before.

I find that the CLXs in surround mode can literally take you to another time and place. I listen to mine almost every night, but be careful if you listen to them to much, your wife will take half of everything you own and you really will be in another time and place.:D

Make sure you turn out the lights:D
 

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