New Neolith stuff

Well, maybe because he is a long term employee. No one is doubting it's the best ML speaker. It's the price tag that seems a bit silly to me at least. ML has usually delivered much more than the value, at least with it's hybrids. I think with the CLX itself they had started playing with the value a bit. To have a panel at that cost that cannot deliver full range is a bit much, especially with the Analysis doing that at a lower rate and the Soundlabs doing that at a slightly higher cost. Now the Neolith is costing 55k, 60k more than a CLX + 2subs? If yes, they surely did not do a good show of that value at Munich. Of course, their product strategy is different and this could possibly be to signal a high value for the entire product line

Martin Logans, more than most speakers, require a good setup, IMO. My own experience with my Aerius clearly taught me that fact! In the same room, they sounded thin and weak, with no bass at all and then, presto, add some acoustic treatments and they became wonderful sounding. Knowing this, when I listened to some CLX's at a dealer in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area recently and they sounded thin and weak, not audiophile quality at all, I knew it was setup and ancillary equipment that was at fault. My advice is to not judge at all the sound capabilities of the Neolith from any listening experience at an audio show.

Fair Point. But ML should also showcase an 80k products accordingly, just feedback for them if Peter is reading this. I have heard a Montis sound bad at a show, and most speakers sounded bad in Munich.

Even then 50k more is quite a statement, they need to be grand

bonzo said:

Fair Point. But ML should also showcase an 80k products accordingly, just feedback for them if Peter is reading this. I have heard a Montis sound bad at a show, and most speakers sounded bad in Munich.

Even then 50k more is quite a statement, they need to be grand

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Yes, it always amazes me when a quality product is displayed/setup so poorly. I wonder, what they were thinking! Luckily, even with the typical hotel rooms at RMAF, most vendors get at least adequate to good sound, while some manage to get exquisite sound.
I bet, set up correctly, with room treatments, the Neolithic would sound quite grand. $80k worth? Well, who knows.

IMHO the room was fine. I just wouldn't personally drive them with the Moon SS amps etc.

That's just my opinion, though. There's no way the Neolith wasn't one of the best sounding speakers at the show. It was up there with the best offerings - in the top 5 maybe. And by no means the most expensive.

So it costs $80K. Personally, I don't really care as it is irrelevant. Whilst I like my hi-fi, a Duetta Sig setup is as far as I need go speaker wise.

bonzo said:

Fair Point. But ML should also showcase an 80k products accordingly, just feedback for them if Peter is reading this. I have heard a Montis sound bad at a show, and most speakers sounded bad in Munich.

Even then 50k more is quite a statement, they need to be grand

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This is so plainly obvious, I don't understand why so many manufacturers slip up here. Can't comment specifically on Munich, but there is so much bad setup at shows.

Steve, Thanks for the video. That brings back some old memories. Of course the song was anti-drugs but I often use it to refer to life in general and in particular when I enter the realm of the "Law of diminishing returns".

Gary

Gary, you're welcome. Since we're close in age (I also was in high school in the late 60's), I knew immediately the song and the band you referred to.

I think Kedar is overstating the case. The rooms at Munich are good. The sounds produced are world class. If you're not happy with world class, where are you going to go?:ROFL:

People expect too much from replay systems. Even the best domestic replay systems have flaws which are easy enough to hear. C'est la vie.

Justin, no. Keith from Cessaro too told me they were losing bass. Two of the speakers there, the Audio Exklusiv and the horns pl, which seemed to lack bass in a big way, had excellent bass when I heard them outside Munich. Especially for stats, there was no imaging as well.

They were losing bass because the walls were very thin, and in some cases glass.

An interesting Neolith perspective:

http://www.dealerscope.com/slideshow/around-show-floor-cedia-expo-2014#10

Gary

Sorry, I can only see a pic. Is there any text?

bonzo said:

Sorry, I can only see a pic. Is there any text?

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It simply said:

"MartinLogan’s Justin Bright, with the mammoth $79,999/pair Neolith tower speaker."

With the speaker on a pedestal it made Justin look small. Nothing new just confirming price.

GaryG said:

It simply said:

"MartinLogan’s Justin Bright, with the mammoth $79,999/pair Neolith tower speaker."

With the speaker on a pedestal it made Justin look small. Nothing new just confirming price.

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Is it REALLY $79,999 ?

If it is that is weak. After a certain point, the "it doesn't cost $80,000! I saved a dollar" is kind of ridiculous. That communicates to me that Martin Logan doesn't think it's worth $80k. Price it at $80,001. I could respect that and reviewers would gleefully mention it.

Must be the ex-dem price.

Edit: Something wrong with the brand management team here. They seem almost apologetic for the high price and are trying to put in a 70s handle to make it look cheaper, worried that the 80 might make it look expensive. This is often the strategy in the UK for chocolates and shampoos

bonzo said:

Must be the ex-dem price.

Edit: Something wrong with the brand management team here. They seem almost apologetic for the high price and are trying to put in a 70s handle to make it look cheaper, worried that the 80 might make it look expensive. This is often the strategy in the UK for chocolates and shampoos

Click to expand...

Oldest marketing trick in the book.

bonzo said:

Must be the ex-dem price.

Edit: Something wrong with the brand management team here. They seem almost apologetic for the high price and are trying to put in a 70s handle to make it look cheaper, worried that the 80 might make it look expensive. This is often the strategy in the UK for chocolates and shampoos

Click to expand...

Just chocolates and shampoos? It's used for everything here.

The AEs were about 3 ft from a huge glass pane. Madness but that is their fault they could have done better.

There were rooms full of treatments that sounded pretty dire TBH.

All I am saying is it is too often excuse for poor sound.

On a phone forgot to quote Kedar's post too much hassle to put right.

Hah... Way too expensive for me.

Wow, $80K is steep. I'd likely prefer the TAD Reference One for that price. Of course I've never heard the Neolith, so....