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MixinSammy

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Mar 20, 2012
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I'm new to Martin Logan and just starting out. I am updating my home theatre sound system and trying to get the most out of my new speakers and receiver. I bought my first pair of Martin Logan speakers a week ago and am very happy. However, as I piece my home theatre system together I'm trying to make everything sound better and give me that true movie theatre quality to the sound. So far, I've bought new motion 4 speakers for my fronts. These sound amazing so far and I really love them. I am using a left over cube KLH speaker I used from my "theatre in a box" system that I used to have hooked up in my living room. I also bought a Pioneer Elite VSX-50 for my new receiver. I'm on a limited entertainment budget so can only do so much. With the new receiver and motion 4's in front, everything is much improved. My problem is that dialogue is weak and the effects from movies are just "ok". I was hoping to get a real surround effect and movie theatre quality sound from the Martin Logans. Is it worth my money getting the motion 6 center?? Or should I just jump up to the motion 8?? I want to keep the style uniform in my setup, so want to stay with the motion line. Anyone else using motion 4 speakers for music and movies?? I also have it all hooked up to a yamaha sub. I am still using my old KLH cubes for my rear speakers. I don't have the cash to upgrade that yet. I was told working on the front two and the receiver would be my best bet. So, that is why I decided to go that route.

I am also interested in what people are listening to on motion 4's or Martin Logan's in general. I have found that live and acoustic stuff sounds great, but modern music is a bit muffled. Tom Petty, Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Bruce Springstein all seem to be great on the system. Coldplay, Lana Del Rey, Rihanna, F.U.N., REM, and others not so much. Trying to find ways to make it all shine. Suggestions welcome.

I am hoping someone reads this and can help me with some of these issues. Really want to get the most out of my new system and especially out of the great speakers. Any help would be great. Thanks

Sam
 
The center is the heart so I say go for the MartinLogan EMC2 ElectroMotion Series Center Channel Speaker and it will blow the wig of your grandma
 
I completely agree. If you want to use this mainly as a home theater setup, poor the most money into the center speaker. It would not be unreasonable to spend 1/2 your entire budget on the center channel as this is where most of the sound will be coming from, and almost all the dialog. If your looking primarily to play 2 channel audio, then the get the best Front R and L speakers you can and play the music in "direct stereo" mode.

I would also look into perhaps buying used. You may be able to boost yourself into the electrostatic type of speaker and this is where you start hearing the "good stuff."
 
I would also look into perhaps buying used. You may be able to boost yourself into the electrostatic type of speaker and this is where you start hearing the "good stuff."

Yep the electromotion series would mate well with the emc2 with your motion 4 up back then go for fx surround. With this route you have an incremental upgrade path where the sound gets better and but also sounds superb through the journey
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. Like I said, trying to boost my home theatre system and fell in love with Martin Logan in the process. I use the motion 4's for my main front speakers. Those were outside my budget, but wanted them so badly. So, don't think I will be moving them to the back anytime soon. I will use the motion 4's as my front L and R and work on the center. Nobody mentioned the motion series 8 center or motion series 6?? I would like to keep it uniform as far as speaker series go. Since I just bought the motion 4's for the fronts, I don't think I can replace them just yet. I will be checking out the EMC2 though. THanks and keep the advice coming if you can. I really appreciate it and want the best setup I can afford.
 
I can tell you that the Motion 8 mates very well with the 4s. I have never heard the 6, but I'd be surprised if it was as good. The 6 would be more appropriate with a pair of 2s I would think. I would think the emc2 would be a consideration if you thought you might someday upgrade l/r to electromotion electrostatics. If that day is a long time away, it is quite a bit more money than the 8.

Just my opinion...
 
rblum,
Thanks for the insight into my center speaker dilema. I am on a tight budget right now and was lucky to be able to pick up a new receiver and the motion 4's. I too think the emc2 would be awesome, but out of my price range right now. I'm thinking I will end up with the motion 8 most likely. Do you have any of the motion series?? Trying to find others who might have these speakers and find out what they think about them?? I've really enjoyed music on them and am trying to get my movies rocking next. Thanks again for the feedback.
 
I can ask a few friends if they will part with a motion 8 anytime in future and let you know a price

I hear ya on the budget thing, When I came here I was fighting to get my wife to buy me some ML source and $1500 was unfathomable for speakers at the time after moving up from $200 polks with an onkyo receiver. Now since being here and reading up I have spent thousands of dollars I dont have lol . I always find a way and each new purchase I make gets more expensive than the last. My wife has also become understanding of my passion and becomes numb to the shock factor with each purchase I make. I even gave up smoking and drinking to save a little each week for my audio purchases
 
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Need Center Recommendation for Spires

I have Spires now in my 4.1 system with no center speaker(actually have a Sunfire center but i doesn't tonally match the spires at all hence its disconnected). What center speajer would best match my Spires?

Thanks,
David
 
I have Spires now in my 4.1 system with no center speaker(actually have a Sunfire center but i doesn't tonally match the spires at all hence its disconnected). What center speajer would best match my Spires?

Thanks,
David

If you are planning this for home theater (ie watching movies), then you should try to put most of your speaker budget into the center speaker. I have read that putting even 50% of the entire speaker budget into the center speaker is worthwhile as the center will be the most used channel in the setup (ie dialog, sounds, etc..). Having Spires in your system you are not going to get close to this because the most expensive ML center is the Stage. In a high end system such as yourself I don't think there is any other choice than the Stage. Anything else in their line you would be cutting yourself short. You can of course look into other high end speaker manufactures that can offer great centers, but the tonality may be off again.
 
rblum,
Thanks for the insight into my center speaker dilema. I am on a tight budget right now and was lucky to be able to pick up a new receiver and the motion 4's. I too think the emc2 would be awesome, but out of my price range right now. I'm thinking I will end up with the motion 8 most likely. Do you have any of the motion series?? Trying to find others who might have these speakers and find out what they think about them?? I've really enjoyed music on them and am trying to get my movies rocking next. Thanks again for the feedback.

Yes, I have the Motion 4s as front l/r and the 8 as the center. I also use a subwoofer to supplement music and provide lfe with TV and movies. I found the sound to be vastly better than things I had before. The "folded motion" tweeter is ML's take on a design developed by Heil that is now available for others to use as the old patents have expired. Others, such as GoldenEar, are now using it as well. ML has made its' name on a very clean pure sound, made possible with their electrostatic panel speakers. I happen to feel a clean sound is the most important thing. Others like loud and boomy... This tweeter design allows for a sound that "approaches" the ML sound but at a very much lower price.

That said, if this sound is good for you, it's fine. Many of us start developing our next upgrade plan about an hour and a half after each purchase :) My next plan is to get electrostatic panels for front l/r and move the 4s to surround. I have room requirements that prohibit many of the designs and I'll probably wind up with wall mounted panels, but that's another story.

The 8 will work very well with the 4s. I got mine on a sale about a year ago for $299 - maybe another sale will happen for you.
 
If you are planning this for home theater (ie watching movies), then you should try to put most of your speaker budget into the center speaker. I have read that putting even 50% of the entire speaker budget into the center speaker is worthwhile as the center will be the most used channel in the setup (ie dialog, sounds, etc..). Having Spires in your system you are not going to get close to this because the most expensive ML center is the Stage. In a high end system such as yourself I don't think there is any other choice than the Stage. Anything else in their line you would be cutting yourself short. You can of course look into other high end speaker manufactures that can offer great centers, but the tonality may be off again.

Thanks for your comments Invenio. I wasn't aware of the critical role the center channel plays in a hometheater system. Though the Stage is the high end speaker that ML has, how does it sound with the main Xstats such as my Spires? Is this a good pairing or should i look somewhere else and if so, where should i look? You seem to be using a Polk center. BTW I've got a tentative price on the Stage at $2K...
 
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My ML Stage center sounds almost like a tower speaker and it is a great match up for the Vista and a good match up for the spire
 
Thanks for your comments Invenio. I wasn't aware of the critical role the center channel plays in a hometheater system. Though the Stage is the high end speaker that ML has, how does it sound with the main Xstats such as my Spires? Is this a good pairing or should i look somewhere else and if so, where should i look? You seem to be using a Polk center. BTW I've got a tentative price on the Stage at $2K...

I can't comment on the Stage as I have not auditioned it personally. I can tell you from experience that it's a good idea to keep a setup whether 2 channels or 8 with the same speaker brand. Each manufacturer has a certain "sound" and you can take "good speakers" from different manufactures, put them in the same system, and they can sound off. I have two separate setups in my home theater room. I have a 2 channel setup with my ML Vantages. I also have a completely separate 8.2 setup for movie watching. This second setup is made entirely of Polk Audio speakers (including the subs). I find that the Polk's work really well for movies and have great presence. However, when it comes to more "refined" 2 channel music listening, then it's off to the Vantages connected to some high end audiophile equipment. Playing a blu-ray movie vs an LP has very different requirements, and thus I decided that I would optimize two separate setups for these vs going "half way" with each in one setup.
 
I can't comment on the Stage as I have not auditioned it personally. I can tell you from experience that it's a good idea to keep a setup whether 2 channels or 8 with the same speaker brand. Each manufacturer has a certain "sound" and you can take "good speakers" from different manufactures, put them in the same system, and they can sound off. I have two separate setups in my home theater room. I have a 2 channel setup with my ML Vantages. I also have a completely separate 8.2 setup for movie watching. This second setup is made entirely of Polk Audio speakers (including the subs). I find that the Polk's work really well for movies and have great presence. However, when it comes to more "refined" 2 channel music listening, then it's off to the Vantages connected to some high end audiophile equipment. Playing a blu-ray movie vs an LP has very different requirements, and thus I decided that I would optimize two separate setups for these vs going "half way" with each in one setup.

Thanks invenio !
 
I just read a review of the Stage center (with Summits as the mains) and they mentioned mainly 2 negatives. Since its curves inward, the sound pattern only has a very narrrow spot and hardly any on the sides such that listeners away from the sweet spot will suffer. Secondly, that it was slightly tonally different than the Summits and not as blended as it could be. I wonder why they discontinued the Theater center speaker since its curved outwards like all other Xstat and has a wider frequency response?
 
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I just read a review of the Stage center (with Summits as the mains) and they mentioned mainly 2 negatives. Since its curves inward, the sound pattern only has a very narrrow spot and hardly any on the sides such that listeners away from the sweet spot will suffer. Secondly, that it was slightly tonally different than the Summits and not as blended as it could be. I wonder why they discontinued the Theater center speaker since its curved outwards like all other Xstat and has a wider frequency response?

Disappointing. I guess the large ESL panels sound so unique that it's hard to match a conventional speakers to it. As for the sweet spot, I think this is an inherent limitation to electrostatic speakers. I sit about 12-14 feet away from my Vantages (and they are approx 10 ft apart) and I would say there is an 8 inch sweet spot. If I move my head off center by more than half a foot either way, the sound stage changes and I immediately know I am off center. Despite all the advertising, I think any flat panel setup is a one person listening affair. IMHO.
 
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