Vantages to Spires for new member

Hi Good to join you. Currently enjoying Piazolla's tango band via Vantages. Previous speaker history Quad ELS 57, Quad 63, ML SL 3, Ascent. Awaiting home demo of Spire ( nearly bought Summit, in 2006 after home demo of both Vantage and Summit but chose Vantage partly cost and partly dislike of size and shape of woofer cabinet. Spire looks neater from the pics. Room 18 x 13 feet by 7"6 with Linn transfiguration and Moon w7 p7 and LP5.3 phonostage + Supernova Cd player and Magnum Dynalab tuner. Hoping for bigger soundstage and awesome midrange naturalness and the ease at high volume that the summit displayed with the Spire appearing a tad less muckle than the Summit. Any further thoughts on Vantage to Spire or that long awaited review would be excellent!! Will have to wait 3 weeks for the well run in demo pair to arrive. Hope to relinquish vast REL Studio sub, too!!

Cheers

The spires will win your heart with their size and outstanding performance. I just listened to them right next to the CLX and they can play !

Hey thanks for the quick reply. I must say I expect them to. I am even tempted to order a pair which would be here much quicker!!! Steady boy? Please say more about your impressions your enthusiasm is infectious.

"Dougster"

Read this link !
http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7490

This was this past Monday !

Dougster said:

Previous speaker history Quad ELS 57, Quad 63, ML SL 3, Ascent.

Click to expand...

Vantage->Spire!

That's six pairs of stats! A site record, surely, or has anyone else owned more? ML must love you, Dougster!

Spire->CLX????

Enjoy those Spires. What did you have to pay for them over here, if that's not a rude question? My ML dealer in Oxford has dropped the price of his ex-dem Summits by £1000 to £4995. They still haven't sold... credit crunch stuff, I expect, but it's still a lot of money, and they are slightly damaged! I think it's a pair I heard a few years ago. But I could be wrong.

Here is another thread:
http://http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7487

I believe I'm done upgrading for a bit. Well, stashing cash for a future TT. By the way my REL Brittania B1 is on the sideline right now and is not being used with the Spire.

Gordon

P.S. Could you define "muckle" for us folks on this side of the pond?

Gordon said:

P.S. Could you define "muckle" for us folks on this side of the pond?

Click to expand...

And this side. Must be a Scottish thing.

Would also be cool if you posted your system in the member's section - even if it is about to go out-of-date!

User211 said:

Vantage->Spire!

That's six pairs of stats! A site record, surely, or has anyone else owned more? ML must love you, Dougster!

Spire->CLX????

Enjoy those Spires. What did you have to pay for them over here, if that's not a rude question? My ML dealer in Oxford has dropped the price of his ex-dem Summits by £1000 to £4995. They still haven't sold... credit crunch stuff, I expect, but it's still a lot of money, and they are slightly damaged! I think it's a pair I heard a few years ago. But I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

I've gotten pretty close.

Acoustat 1 + 1's

ML Cls 2A's

Aerius

SL 3's

Summits

GG

Hi thanks for the responses. I shall put system on website ASAP! As for the word muckle I thought it might be fun.... Best translated as large clumsy ungainly, and my iPod wants to spell it Mugabe!!! I have yet to hear these Spires but they should be ideal for me. My music loving wife will go with them and any bigger ML would not work in the room. I tried dynamic speakers briefly over the years including Sonus Faber Guarneri (delightful top and midrange but bass and low level listening disapointing when used to ELS) Interesting that your Sub is out at the moment Gordon.

Vaguely tempted to gamble on purchase without the demo...... Would be quicker!!! whatcha reckon??

User211 said:

Vantage->Spire!

That's six pairs of stats! A site record, surely, or has anyone else owned more? ML must love you, Dougster!

Spire->CLX????

Enjoy those Spires. What did you have to pay for them over here, if that's not a rude question? My ML dealer in Oxford has dropped the price of his ex-dem Summits by £1000 to £4995. They still haven't sold... credit crunch stuff, I expect, but it's still a lot of money, and they are slightly damaged! I think it's a pair I heard a few years ago. But I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

Got you beat there....

Acoustat 2's, 3's, 2+2's, Spectra 1100's, 1+1's, back to 2+2's (I moved a lot between 82 and 92), Quad 57's, CLS, Aerius, Vantage, Summit, Spire and now CLX. To be fair, the Vantage and Spire were here for review for about 4 months each, but owned all the rest. Also had the Final 600i and 1000i here for about six months along with both pairs of Eminent Technology speakers.

And in the middle of all that had MG-1's, MG-2's, Tympani's and Apogee Calipers. Still own a pair of MG-12's, but don't tell anyone!

My wife is truly hoping that the CLX is it! I guess you could say the panel thing has been an obsession.....

Gulp!

I make that around 10 pairs of owned stats... Anyone got Jeff beat? I don't think so...

If it were up to me, I'd still have em all, but you know what
being married does to your hifi collection!!!

Well done Jeff ... Do I need to audition the Spires or just go wild and buy them? Please check my expectations earlier on the thread ... If accurate/ realistic should I take the plunge?

I could add Stax headphones Srd 5 and 4040 and CLS which I tried but couldn't get to work and which were also significantly more tiring in treble than the Quad 63s I had at the time. Interestingly Alvin Gold in a review in latest Hi Fi Choice Collection cites Spire as resolving this ML trait. My view is that it has been gradually resolved with each new range.

Dougster: may I divert this thread for 1 question? How do you like your Moon LP5.3? I'm looking for an excellent phono stage, and currently Modwright, LP5.3 and Bryston are available here.

PS: Moon SuperNova? I'm jealous! I have a Moon Equinox SE. I heard the entire line of Moon CDP's, and the SuperNova seemed the be the best price/sound ratio, but was still above my price point.

The top of the line Moon stack plus Summits our dealer had was the best sounding system I have heard. I was entranced!

jvitez said:

Dougster: may I divert this thread for 1 question? How do you like your Moon LP5.3? I'm looking for an excellent phono stage, and currently Modwright, LP5.3 and Bryston are available here.

PS: Moon SuperNova? I'm jealous! I have a Moon Equinox SE. I heard the entire line of Moon CDP's, and the SuperNova seemed the be the best price/sound ratio, but was still above my price point.

The top of the line Moon stack plus Summits our dealer had was the best sounding system I have heard. I was entranced!

Click to expand...

Hi Very happy to report re Moon. The W7 is an excellent power amp with very natural and detailed sound with life rhythm and very engaging. When I added in their P7 preamp the effect was trebled. The phono stage LP5.3 is excellent with the quietest background I have heard. It has the Moon hallmarks of subtle detail and musicality. They also intend to produce an improved power supply for it in future. The current one is already excellent and very good value. There is a review in Stereophile on their website. Looking forward to the speakers!! Also to close on the phono stage I have tried of with new top spec Linn LP12 and Clearaudio Master Solution which represents two very different vinyl solutions and sounds and the moon simply made both sound excellent and contrasting imposing very little of itself on the sonic signature of two excellent turntables.
Cheers!!

Thank you Dougster! Real life experiences are exactly what I was looking for. Enjoy your fabulous system.

we also had a good review of the moon, it's fantastic for the money.

Getting nearer

Glad the LP5.3 comments were helpful.

I am on verge of going for Spires straight off, given everyone's comments esp Gordon and Jeff (for which thanks)-plus the fact that Summit worked fine in my room and also the Hi Fi Choice Collection review of the Spire by Alvin Gold. I will almost certainly not wait for a demo as the fall in £ Sterling over here means I would pay a lot more if I did it that way. I shall keep in touch. Any comments re run in - how long? how best? and when to start listening?!!!

Dougster

Dougster,

Can you check your private messages, I have sent you one.
Cheers

Spires Ahead

Have ordered Spires and will post comments once in place! Also have placed order for new LP5.3PSX external Moon phono power supply!
Expect speakers in 1 week!