Short: Wow, and I'm surprised that I'm wowed.
Long: I had first became enchanted by Martin Logan speakers back in the reQuest days upon hearing properly setup reQuest speakers at Spokane's only Martin Logan dealer, Magnolia Hi-Fi back many years ago. Putting in a Star Wars laser disc, I was shocked to hear clear separation between each of the members of the orchestra. For the first time in my life I heard music reproduced where I could 'see' the trumpets' sitting and sounding slightly different than the french horns apart from the violins, apart from the flutes, etc. It was *amazing* revelatory experience I've been chasing ever since. It sounded like there was sound/surround all around me even though there were only two speakers.
Well, as I was only in my late teens at that point, I couldn't afford any Martin Logan speakers, so I bided my time. I frequently went in to listen to Martin Logan speakers, and as the Magnolia kept upgrading their stock I got to hear Aerius, SL3, reQuest, Ascent, Descent, Odyssey, I think even the Prodigy...But none of the other displays at this retailer ever gave me the Magic. They all sounded GREAT, but I was never able to recreate that 'in the music' sense again.
At that time, I also got to hear Mosaic or Montage (I'm not sure) speakers and just wasn't impressed. They also had a Fresco 5.1 setup and I also was unimpressed. They all sounded shrill and thin at the same time, great imaging, but no magic.
So, I finally was able to afford a pair of used Aerius speakers, and was disappointed. They were a HUGE improving over what I had had, and so I loved them, and they could place instruments in the orchestra with their great imaging, but still no MAGIC. I eventually sold them to focus on a more traditional, slam you in the face theater. I wouldn't own more Martin Logan's for around 9 years.
In the time since, I'd gotten married, moved, and left my old home theater behind. I had been reduced to a 25" Best Buy television and no speakers. My Lexicon MC-1 sitting neglected in a closet. Eventually, we upgraded to a gorgeous JVC HD-ILA screen, which had surprisingly good sound after a 25" Best Buy television, but we needed more. I now had a great big picture, but no great big sound.
So, I had been lowballing offers on eBay when I hit on a pair of Vistas, and a single Fresco. The Vistas came, and like the Aerius had great imaging, but no MAGIC. They sounded thin and shrill. Yes, they could place individual instruments but they were flat. I have a very acoustically challenging room and I just don't think it could do these Martin Logan's justice. Incidentally, passively bi-amping them fantastically improved their sound, but I hadn't purchased them to keep them, but just to hear the new xStat technology and see where Martin Logan had gone in my absence. I sold the Vistas and still had my single Fresco.
Pathetically, I listened to music in Mono with my Fresco. I liked it! But the imgaging was no good - obviously, since I only had one. I ended up selling this too since I couldn't afford more speakers and keeping ONE was stupid. I had to bide my time.
OK Now I'm finally to the Fresco i Part! haha, what a ridiculous review this is why I'm not a professional reviewer.
I finally got a great deal on 'new' Demo Fresco i's. My long term plan was to move to Spires and a Stage and move this pair of Fresco i's to surround duty. But, one step at a time.
The Frescos arrived and I was a bit disappointed in that they were more beat up than I was hoping, but they were demos. I was also disappointed that the Fresco i really is just the old Fresco with the square faceplate changed, the rear of the speaker still has the exact same countouring of the original Fresco, so it's really the same speaker with a face lift. That said, the facelift is gorgeous, with the reflective lexan plastic looking kind of like piano black gloss. Really nice looking speakers.
Preparing to be disapointed by the sound, based on hearing Fresco 5.1 system, based on hearing Montage/Mosaics, in the past I hooked them up. We are talking low tech equipment here, there is no pre-amp, it is running straight through the TV to an Adcom 50 watt amp, to the Fresco i's. Just a pair, no center channel.
Once it was turned on...it was *CRAP*. Horrible. Super shrill and blatty. I was shocked how bad they sounded. Somewhat panicked, I began adjusting things. A little wider out, a little toe in, a little closer to me...What I had forgotten is my amp had been unused for over 4 years and sitting in a cold garage. Once the amp warmed up, and my placement improved, suddenly something happened. MAGIC. The type I hadn't heard since my late teen years with the reQuests. I was listening to the Superman soundtrack and it just all gelled. Despite the absolute lack of bass (note to self, get a sub) I had stumbled upon a setup that gave me amazing imaging and depth. I could place all the instruments and it was in a magically involving way. Unlike the request I wasn't completely surrounded by sound, and remember I'm used to my stupid TV speakers so the bar for the Fresco wasn't super high. But finally, all of a sudden, I had hit on magic! FINALLY. I was shocked it came from simple Fresco i's.
So, I spent the next 5 hours listening to a variety of music. (Low rez, 128k ripped MP3 even) and no matter what I was listening to, other than the huge and obvious lack of bass and mid-bass, everything sounded great. Vocals were great. Dead center and appearing to come right from within the television. Then I moved to movies. Some of my favorite scenes from films, not for slam but for good movies, but for emotionally tense moments, like the splashdown in Apollo 13 for instance. The speakers put me THERE. It was uncanny. Through various movies I was literally moved to tears, or had my heart rate jump up, and the speakers as they settled in and my amp got used to working again kept getting better and better.
I absolutely love how these speakers sound in my space and setup, the ATF setup finally found a situation where they worked for me, and provided me the magic that the electrostats have teased with and then not delivered to me for so long. I never thought I'd get to that point again, but I finally did. I may never hear that magic again, like that 5 hours of music and movies, from this system, but I *did* hear it again, for the first time in 14 years. I'm grateful for that!
So what does the future hold? I'm going to hold out for a good pair of used Summits or Spires, a sub, and make that my long term plan. In the short term, I have a pair of Mosaic speakers and another Fresco to move up to a 5.1 system (with a ML low end sub) and see what that does. If I can make the Mosaic do what the Fresco has been doing for me, I may abandon my long term plan and just stick with an all ATF 5.1 system.
I'm very happy right now, thanks Shawn at Da Vinci for the Frescos, I finally got the magic back again!
-Allen
Long: I had first became enchanted by Martin Logan speakers back in the reQuest days upon hearing properly setup reQuest speakers at Spokane's only Martin Logan dealer, Magnolia Hi-Fi back many years ago. Putting in a Star Wars laser disc, I was shocked to hear clear separation between each of the members of the orchestra. For the first time in my life I heard music reproduced where I could 'see' the trumpets' sitting and sounding slightly different than the french horns apart from the violins, apart from the flutes, etc. It was *amazing* revelatory experience I've been chasing ever since. It sounded like there was sound/surround all around me even though there were only two speakers.
Well, as I was only in my late teens at that point, I couldn't afford any Martin Logan speakers, so I bided my time. I frequently went in to listen to Martin Logan speakers, and as the Magnolia kept upgrading their stock I got to hear Aerius, SL3, reQuest, Ascent, Descent, Odyssey, I think even the Prodigy...But none of the other displays at this retailer ever gave me the Magic. They all sounded GREAT, but I was never able to recreate that 'in the music' sense again.
At that time, I also got to hear Mosaic or Montage (I'm not sure) speakers and just wasn't impressed. They also had a Fresco 5.1 setup and I also was unimpressed. They all sounded shrill and thin at the same time, great imaging, but no magic.
So, I finally was able to afford a pair of used Aerius speakers, and was disappointed. They were a HUGE improving over what I had had, and so I loved them, and they could place instruments in the orchestra with their great imaging, but still no MAGIC. I eventually sold them to focus on a more traditional, slam you in the face theater. I wouldn't own more Martin Logan's for around 9 years.
In the time since, I'd gotten married, moved, and left my old home theater behind. I had been reduced to a 25" Best Buy television and no speakers. My Lexicon MC-1 sitting neglected in a closet. Eventually, we upgraded to a gorgeous JVC HD-ILA screen, which had surprisingly good sound after a 25" Best Buy television, but we needed more. I now had a great big picture, but no great big sound.
So, I had been lowballing offers on eBay when I hit on a pair of Vistas, and a single Fresco. The Vistas came, and like the Aerius had great imaging, but no MAGIC. They sounded thin and shrill. Yes, they could place individual instruments but they were flat. I have a very acoustically challenging room and I just don't think it could do these Martin Logan's justice. Incidentally, passively bi-amping them fantastically improved their sound, but I hadn't purchased them to keep them, but just to hear the new xStat technology and see where Martin Logan had gone in my absence. I sold the Vistas and still had my single Fresco.
Pathetically, I listened to music in Mono with my Fresco. I liked it! But the imgaging was no good - obviously, since I only had one. I ended up selling this too since I couldn't afford more speakers and keeping ONE was stupid. I had to bide my time.
OK Now I'm finally to the Fresco i Part! haha, what a ridiculous review this is why I'm not a professional reviewer.
I finally got a great deal on 'new' Demo Fresco i's. My long term plan was to move to Spires and a Stage and move this pair of Fresco i's to surround duty. But, one step at a time.
The Frescos arrived and I was a bit disappointed in that they were more beat up than I was hoping, but they were demos. I was also disappointed that the Fresco i really is just the old Fresco with the square faceplate changed, the rear of the speaker still has the exact same countouring of the original Fresco, so it's really the same speaker with a face lift. That said, the facelift is gorgeous, with the reflective lexan plastic looking kind of like piano black gloss. Really nice looking speakers.
Preparing to be disapointed by the sound, based on hearing Fresco 5.1 system, based on hearing Montage/Mosaics, in the past I hooked them up. We are talking low tech equipment here, there is no pre-amp, it is running straight through the TV to an Adcom 50 watt amp, to the Fresco i's. Just a pair, no center channel.
Once it was turned on...it was *CRAP*. Horrible. Super shrill and blatty. I was shocked how bad they sounded. Somewhat panicked, I began adjusting things. A little wider out, a little toe in, a little closer to me...What I had forgotten is my amp had been unused for over 4 years and sitting in a cold garage. Once the amp warmed up, and my placement improved, suddenly something happened. MAGIC. The type I hadn't heard since my late teen years with the reQuests. I was listening to the Superman soundtrack and it just all gelled. Despite the absolute lack of bass (note to self, get a sub) I had stumbled upon a setup that gave me amazing imaging and depth. I could place all the instruments and it was in a magically involving way. Unlike the request I wasn't completely surrounded by sound, and remember I'm used to my stupid TV speakers so the bar for the Fresco wasn't super high. But finally, all of a sudden, I had hit on magic! FINALLY. I was shocked it came from simple Fresco i's.
So, I spent the next 5 hours listening to a variety of music. (Low rez, 128k ripped MP3 even) and no matter what I was listening to, other than the huge and obvious lack of bass and mid-bass, everything sounded great. Vocals were great. Dead center and appearing to come right from within the television. Then I moved to movies. Some of my favorite scenes from films, not for slam but for good movies, but for emotionally tense moments, like the splashdown in Apollo 13 for instance. The speakers put me THERE. It was uncanny. Through various movies I was literally moved to tears, or had my heart rate jump up, and the speakers as they settled in and my amp got used to working again kept getting better and better.
I absolutely love how these speakers sound in my space and setup, the ATF setup finally found a situation where they worked for me, and provided me the magic that the electrostats have teased with and then not delivered to me for so long. I never thought I'd get to that point again, but I finally did. I may never hear that magic again, like that 5 hours of music and movies, from this system, but I *did* hear it again, for the first time in 14 years. I'm grateful for that!
So what does the future hold? I'm going to hold out for a good pair of used Summits or Spires, a sub, and make that my long term plan. In the short term, I have a pair of Mosaic speakers and another Fresco to move up to a 5.1 system (with a ML low end sub) and see what that does. If I can make the Mosaic do what the Fresco has been doing for me, I may abandon my long term plan and just stick with an all ATF 5.1 system.
I'm very happy right now, thanks Shawn at Da Vinci for the Frescos, I finally got the magic back again!
-Allen
