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mgakathereaper

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Location
Avon Lake, Ohio
I have been watching these forums for some time now and have based some of my buying decisions on information found here. I appreciate people sharing their experiences.

I should be receiving my CLX's this week or next but here is my Martin Logan system once it all arrives:

Speakers:
Front Left/Right - CLX's
Center - Stage
Surround Left/Right - Stages
Subs - (2) Descent i

2 Channel Setup:
- Krell Standard SACD (looking to upgrade to EVO 505 soon)
- Krell EVO 202
- Krell EVO 402

Theater Setup:
- Denon DVD 2500BCTI
- Anthem Statement D2
- Krell EVO 202 (Theater Pass-Thru)
- Krell EVO 402 (Front Left/Right)
- Krell EVO 3250 (Center/Surrounds)

Power Notes:
- Dedicated 20amp circuits for each Amp (402, 3250)
- Dedicated 20amp circuit supporting all other sources, preamps, processors
- Wattgate 381 wall sockets for all circuits
- Richard Gray 1200C for all sources, preamps, processors
- Kimber Kable PowerCord10 Golds for all power connections

Cable Notes:
- Kimber Monocle XL's for Front Left/Right/Center
- Kimber Hero XLR balanced for each sub (LFE for Theater)
- Kimber Here RCA Left/Right for each sub (2-Channel)
- Kimber KCAG XLR balanced Left/Right from Krell Standard SACD to EVO 202
- Kimber KCAG XLR balanced Center/Surround Left/Right from Anthem D2 to Krell 3250
- Kimber KCAG XLR balanced Left/Right from Anthem D2 to EVO 202
- Krell CAST (Transparent cables) from EVO 202 to EVO 402
- Kimber HDMI HD39 from DirecTV and Denon 2500 to Anthem D2
- Kimber HDMI HD39 from Anthem D2 to Mitshubishi WD-73835

Room Treatments:
- (4) Realtrap Mondo Bass Traps (4 corners)
- (2) Realtrap High Frequency Mini Traps (On wall right behind my sitting position)
- (3) Realtrap Reflection Mini Traps (Left and Right walls)
- Note these are moving targets until I get the CLX's tweaked

Once I get everything setup I can take some pictures. My biggest challenge is going to be my room since it is not a dedicated listening room. It is around 15 feet wide on the front wall and about 16 feet deep. The room is open on both left/right sides to other rooms so sidewalls are not an issue. I plan to have the speakers about 3-4 feet off front wall, 9-10 feet apart and sit 10-12 feet back. All speculation until I actually get them setup. Each sub will sit somewhere between the front wall the the CLX's.

Look for initial impressions in the near future...
 
Welcome, I will be anxious as to how the Krell run them. I have heard them with only big Tubes and think that the Krell will really bring out the sound in them.
 
Indeed. The older Krell equipment in general had a tendency to sound a bit "clinical" but the new EVO stuff sounds really good in my opinion. I have not heard the EVO stuff on the CLX's yet so I am anxious as well. They ship tomorrow so hopefully I will have them before the weekend.
 
Congrats on your purchase and please post your system on the MEMBER SYSTEMS area once you get everything all set up.. Sounds like it's gonna be a winner!!

Welcome.
 
I should note that I am by no means an "audiophile" or an extremely critical listener. I simply enjoy music and I am fortunate enough to have the means for good equipment. I have not had a lot of exposure to different systems and thus my comparisons will be limited.

In general I enjoy all types of music with a slant towards Rock and Heavy. I am sure these speakers will expand my horizons into other areas and I have already purchased some new CD's/SACD's based on the recommendations in this forum.

I have made a quantum leap from my old system which consisted of Definitive Technology speakers and Rotel Pre/Pro and Amps.
 
Whilst I definately would not agree with CAP's Krell assertions, I do respect them.

We all like different things here, and there will always be the tube/solid state divide, but we have one thing in common - Martin Logan speakers!

Please do remember to post some pics in the member's area - it will really stoke some of the members here.

Congrats anyway - those CLXs are IMHO up there with the world's very best and in that sense, for the price, they are very good indeed. Enjoy!:)
 
Thanks User211. I myself have not heard enough Solid State and Tube comparisons with my own ears to form my own conclusion yet. I will be starting with Solid State but at some point I will want to compare to tubes so I can form my own conclusions. I realize this is a subjective and personal preference.

Coming from my previous system, I am sure I will be blown away initially. Once that starts to wear out then I imagine I will try some tubes for comparison.

My system is also devoid of any Vinyl but that might be an area I investigate as well.
 
My system is also devoid of any Vinyl but that might be an area I investigate as well.

As well you should. If you're able to afford the best transducers, you should indulge in the best source as well! :devil:

Seriously, you're going to have a great time setting everything up and listening. You may not be a critical listener now, but I suspect you will be soon enough. Most importantly, have fun!
 
oh yes this will be a great system I can't wait to see the pics
 
Sounds like a killer system....

Enjoy and let us know what you think when you have
it set up!

A good Christmas present to yourself!
 
I should note that I am by no means an "audiophile" or an extremely critical listener. I simply enjoy music and I am fortunate enough to have the means for good equipment. I have not had a lot of exposure to different systems and thus my comparisons will be limited.

In general I enjoy all types of music with a slant towards Rock and Heavy. I am sure these speakers will expand my horizons into other areas and I have already purchased some new CD's/SACD's based on the recommendations in this forum.

I have made a quantum leap from my old system which consisted of Definitive Technology speakers and Rotel Pre/Pro and Amps.

Hi mga,

So, given the fact that you are not a crazed (lovingly stated) audiophile or a critical listener, as well as the inherent obstacles that we all encounter to optimize placement and resultant performance, please tell all of us why you choose the CLX versus other speaker options that you were able to consider / afford?

GG
 
Thanks all for the kind welcome.

Mitt - Vinyl is definitely on my road map and yes I plan on having fun with my newly acquired assets.

FISH_MAN - Pics will follow if my CLX's ever arrive... seems like forever waiting.

tonepub - Christmas is definitely early for me this year. I am sure I will have tweaking questions once I get some gross adjustments made.

Gordon Gray - About 5 years ago I had my first exposure to Martin Logan in the form of the Statements. At the time I did not have the means to afford the price tag or the room to put them in but I knew I would have them or one of its siblings at some point in time. I don't have a lot of exposure to other high end systems but at the time it was the best thing I had ever heard given my limited exposure.

I was pretty much sold on Martin Logan at that point in time. I don't know all the proper nomenclature for critiquing a system, but I do know that I was consumed by the music and literally felt the music. The imaging was outstanding and it felt so airy and non-directional. I never knew you could get such a 3D image from only 2 channels. I felt like I was front row at a concert and the bands were performing in front of me.

Fast forward to present time, I had been holding off until I built another home with a dedicated listening room but given the current market I have been unable to sell my current home (or actually get my money out of it). I got tired of waiting and started investigating Martin Logans again.

I had been considering the Summits or the Spires given my room size until I saw the CLX release. Given the 5 year gap from the Statements and the speed of technology I jumped to the conclusion that the CLX's would probably provide me with the same feeling the Statements did. I was right and I was sold.

My only restraint was my current room layout (14.5' x 16', open on sides, vaulted ceiling from right to left and open loft above on right) so I may not get the maximum out of them in the short term but I am optimistic.

Now a smart buyer would have gone out and looked at all other speaker options in that price range and made a + and - list. I myself made the emotional purchase without looking elsewhere. Now I have heard some B&W 800D's which sounded pretty damn good but I never had the chance to do an A/B comparison and they did not impact me as much as the Martin Logans. Granted some of this could have been due to setup and equipment driving them but nonetheless I was still sold on the CLX's.

That's it. Not a very scientific or analytically sound process but also not "analysis paralysis". A little long winded but I figured I had to give some history so I did not sound like some yahoo randomly buying stuff.
 
Auditioning the CLX this month

Sounds like an awesome system. As an FYI - I've been running Krell and Martin Logan together for around 6 years and I love the music I get. I'm driving Prodigy's with a 700cx and an Evolution 2 / Evolution 505 set up...

For later this month I have finally managed to schedule a private demo of the CLX's in London - I'll post my honest views once I'm done. I'm not in a position to buy CLX's right now - but at least this should help confirm what I hope will be the inevitable upgrade. If all goes according to plan I will also add the Descent i (L& R channels) with the CLX dedicated cross over. I currently run the orginal Descent L&R with the Prodigy's and it works very well.

Good luck with the new system: the set up will be absolutely critical so have fun with that!!
 
Welcome, I will be anxious as to how the Krell run them. I have heard them with only big Tubes and think that the Krell will really bring out the sound in them.

C.A.P, your conjectures are pretty much exactly what I experienced. I have heard the same CLX driven by Krell evo and Manley 500 (tubes). For my tastes, I like the SS much better. Krell has better control of the panels and the speakers sound more alive and fill the room better.


However, as we all know, it is all personal tastes. At a recent shootout of a CJ musical muscle amp and their top tube amp on the CLS, 3 out of 4 guys liked the SS, while one person liked the tubes. To me it was not even close - I thought SS way better. Obviously this is all anecdotal evidence. But it does illustrate how experiential this all is.


Mgakathereaper, you got an awesome system. If you are not an audiophile, don't bother comparing. Just enjoy the music. However, as you enjoy the music, you may be tempted to swap out your equipment...

Have Fun!
 
C.A.P, your conjectures are pretty much exactly what I experienced. I have heard the same CLX driven by Krell evo and Manley 500 (tubes). For my tastes, I like the SS much better. Krell has better control of the panels and the speakers sound more alive and fill the room better.


However, as we all know, it is all personal tastes. At a recent shootout of a CJ musical muscle amp and their top tube amp on the CLS, 3 out of 4 guys liked the SS, while one person liked the tubes. To me it was not even close - I thought SS way better. Obviously this is all anecdotal evidence. But it does illustrate how experiential this all is.


Mgakathereaper, you got an awesome system. If you are not an audiophile, don't bother comparing. Just enjoy the music. However, as you enjoy the music, you may be tempted to swap out your equipment...

Have Fun!

Full range panels really need the extra current that SS can deliver. The CLS is actually a laid back speaker and tubes tend to even make it more so. IMHO. (No tube VS. SS argument please)

I think the Krell will do wonderful , especially since he has Krell ancillaries to run with it. Krell really designs their stuff for their own amps and such for their house sound . All together it really has synergy, alone it can rick havoc when mismatched.
 
Hopefully your CLX's won't get lost in shipping like mine did and take an extra two weeks to get there!!

Bottom line on the amp thing, try it! If you have the means to buy what you have, I'm sure that if you don't love the Krell setup, you'll move on to something else, but it's a darn good place to start.....

Enjoy.
 
SteveH -
Good to know the Krells can get good results with the Logans. On the topic of setup, I already have my floor marked up with tape indicating exact distances from Front, Back, Side walls and seating positions. I also have strings pinned to certain points in the room so I can double check my measurements once I get them setup. This is all theoretical until I actually receive the speakers.

David Matz -
It sounds like another endorsement for the Krells and Logans. This is encouraging for me. At some Point I will do some tube comparisons. I will have to find some local folks or dealers to accommodate some A/B testing down the road.

C.A.P -
Another good endorsement. This is great. The next upgrade to my system will be adding the EVO 505 so I have a pure CAST pipeline from Source to Amp. I have the Krell Standard hooked up to the EVO 202 with Balanced cables and then CAST from EVO 202 to EVO 402 so the source is my week link as it is. I am working on my "Black Stack" and everything is black from top to bottom.

tonepub -
No CLX's yet. As of last week they were supposed to ship on Tuesday but I have had no update yet. I am hoping they arrive tomorrow but I wont hold my breath. It has been about 5 weeks now. Apparently these things are just laying around in a warehouse and they had to make them after my order.

MiTT -
On the topic of turntables and Vinyl, are there any recommendations from the crew on a good entry point into this realm using my current system as a data point? I know the sky is the limit but are there any reasonable places to start since I have zero experience in this space?

Thanks
 
What's the status of your current record collection?

Are you starting from scratch or do you have a fair amount of vinyl that
you've just ignored?

Also, how fiddly do you want to be....
 
Since I see you will have a 'Surround Sound' set up and that you are just 'into listening to music' set your SACD player to multi-channel. And get SACD versions or Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon, Dire Straits Brother in Arms and either Steely Dan Gaucho or Elton John Yellow Brick Road, too start. When played on a CLX based surround system it will blow away any prior music listening experience that you have ever had, including the Statements. Trust me on this, just take a chance, you may find that you will like it over on the 'Dark Side' known as Multi-Channel.
 
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