New ML Statements Ev III

OK - here's a risky thought I'd like to float for us all to ponder for a while:-

Isn't it time we saw an extreme high-end product to lead the ML range? Isn't it time to see the Martin Logan Statements Ev. III ?

I love my ML Prodigies - and the CLX is an *amazing* product that i'm seriously considering funding in the next 6-9 months - but I'm a tiny bit sad that there isn't a current ML Uber-product to truely aspire too...

Flagship products (for ML or anyone else) help the entire product line to sell well -

Statements Ev 2 (and 2x) are still one of the very best speaker systems i've heard at any price - despite it's complexity. it was also an appealing design (Wilson Alexandra anyone?!) but it's now discontinued and lacking the latest ML scientific improvements...

A new version of the Statement Ev. 3 could bring (an almost) cost-no-object and physically large & impsoing / zero compromise / higher power handling product with matching ultimate bass sections.

- and with the success of the CLX technology at the c. $20k price point it's bigger brother (at 5+ time that price) could surely the best speaker system in the world...

Comments anyone?

JayJayHahce

Fun but doubtful.

When I talked to David Allen when doing the CLX review, he said that if the current management ran ML back then, the Statement would have never been produced.

I'd be highly surprised if they ever went down this path, however a more dedicated subwoofer system (something like the JL Gotham) for the CLX could really be interesting.

why not I wonder ? is it a profit percentage thing? I do things in my line of work sometimes not for the pure profit %%%%'s but so I and others can stand back and say wow how cool is that! that's the die hard hobbyist pipe dream come to fruition! sometimes its cool to see a company flex their knowhow just because they can its like wow if they built that I am going to by something they made just to be a part of it. even if you can't afford a pair of statements and you buy a pair of vistas it still feels like you own a part of the statements.

First off, I fully agree and would love to see a Statement E3. To qualify, very few high-end speaker manufacturers have a range that tops out at the $USD25K of the CLX.

but..........

JayJayHache said:

surely the best speaker system in the world...

JayJayHahce

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Saying this and actually producing the best speaker system in the world are two different things. Any Statement E3 would actually have to perform near enough to the best speaker in the world. There's no point having a sexy and expensive speaker that performs like crap because that would have the opposite effect and cheapen the rest of the range. I'd say the cost of creating that sort of thing would be prohibitive, especially since ML is now owned by a large conglomerate that would no doubt place profit above all else.

......as nice as it would be!

dare I say that perhaps the new CLX paired with double subs perhaps sounds better that a pair of Statements ???? has anybody ever compared the two??? maybe modern martin logan technology has made the statements obsolete !

No Gayle Sanders no Statements! The company was started by two guys who were audiophiles and also loved music. That day has come and gone unfortunately. At least the CLX made it into production.:bowdown:

FISH_MAN said:

dare I say that perhaps the new CLX paired with double subs perhaps sounds better that a pair of Statements ???? has anybody ever compared the two??? maybe modern martin logan technology has made the statements obsolete !

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Quite possibly. And in some areas, maybe even exceed. I've not heard the CLX with two Descent is, and not heard the E2 for about three years.

That still, it'd be nice to have an E3!

I really think that ML does need something with more elan than the CLX to be it's flagship. If the CLX were the best of the best and I could afford it, I'd still forgo the CLX due to it's f ugliness.

I have always thought its a bit ugly for $25,000.00

Ugly it is - in my opinion too. See the "airframe" CLX mockups on this site. Much better I think.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=6459

Hello,
It would seem telling David Allen's comments regarding the Statement. Given Shoreline's ownership of ML, the idea of a 100k+ super system seems most unlikely. However, a limited edition CLS revamp with the Xstat2....

I do realize that the CLX is certainly thought to be the successor to the CLS, but it certainly does not seem to look like it.
ML

FISH_MAN said:

I have always thought its a bit ugly for $25,000.00

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boy I never wanted to offent anyone who shelled out $25 k for the CLX's on here, but I thought they look ugly as hell also! I will take the look of my SL3's any day over these ugly boxes!

gordonmenninger said:

boy I never wanted to offent anyone who shelled out $25 k for the CLX's on here, but I thought they look ugly as hell also! I will take the look of my SL3's any day over these ugly boxes!

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I said a bit ugly for $25,000.00 I would pass on the SL3's over the CLX for sure.
I would pass on my spires over the CLX if I had the room lets get realistic gordonmenninger. what I meant to say is that as far as aesthetics go martin Logan did not slam dunk this one as they have done and as they have been known to do in the past

BTW you have a nice setup I dig your couches

I have seen and heard them and they sound great! they actually do look really cool in person none of the pics really do them justice its just that when you get up into that price range I am going to get awfully critical

Martin Logan has pretty good design as far as speakers go, so I think we're a little spoiled. I mean, I wish all speakers looked better, but the CLX isn't the worst looking speaker on the market by far. I'd rather have the CLX in my living room the than Sanders 10c in my living room. (Though I wouldn't even consider buying either since I don't have a dedicated room to hide them away. I think my Spires are obtrusive enough)

FISH_MAN said:

dare I say that perhaps the new CLX paired with double subs perhaps sounds better that a pair of Statements ????

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I've heard both - but obviously I've never heard them both under true test conditions with the same source / same room etc...

...but I'd have to say that the Statements E2 had MUCH better power throughput and presentation - and the CLX sounded more open and integrated - what any music lover would want is a combination of both

Hm... there was a lot of dynamic speaker in the Statement E2, wasn't there? The huge subs, and the dynamic driver array the same height as the ESL panel. That just isn't going to sound like a CLX... it'll have way more authority, I think, innocently speculating.

I'd like to see them make a speaker with an even bigger dual force driver - big enough to get the +/-3DB figure down to 20-25 Hz. I wonder just how big that would need to be?

Now THAT would be a true full range stat.

That's all I'd like to see them achieve. A pure, full range stat with no dynamic driver support of any kind.

Why? Because it is just a "problem solved" with a purist approach, and they have never really achieved that goal.

Anyone know how low the original Statement went without the dynamic driver support? That panel was HUGE.

The original Statement did have dynamic woofers 6 per side if my memory serves me. I couldnt find a picture but they looked like tall CLS's with pretty conventional woofer towers. The set that I seen were at the CES in Chicago a few years ago they were mated with Krell electronics exhibited at an art gallery a few blocks off Michigan Ave.

I couldn't find any info regarding the original statement, but you are correct the ES panel was huge compared to the hybrid designs and especially the CLX.

When I visited the ML plant in 2007 Talking with Jeff he told me that he had driven those statements to Chicago. so there may be a source for the answer to your question "how low did they go"

User211 said:

I'd like to see them make a speaker with an even bigger dual force driver - big enough to get the +/-3DB figure down to 20-25 Hz. I wonder just how big that would need to be?

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Depending on design, it's possible with a panel about 3 to 4 feet wide.

Now THAT would be a true full range stat.

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No argument here, but how about ESL dipole bass relatively flat to 14 Hz, with useful extension to 8 Hz? It exists.

An alternative is to use the ESLs into the mid 20s and extend to DC with the Thigpen rotary woofers, no crossover required. That's serious bandwidth.

The original Statement panel, huge though it was, was presumably crossed over at 80Hz - more stats here, of course: http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33

And Brian, as you know, the Soundlab Ultimate hits 24Hz - but no tolerance is specified on the website...

The CLS is quoted at 33Hz +/- 2 DB - not bad!!!

I heard the E2 at an invite demo in Sarasota:bowdown:...dynamics and clairity combo were the best I have heard...now if ML would just drill/cast those smaller holes in my CLS stators and use the newer diaphram material...cross it over to a good sub..the ol' CLS would give it's funny looking replacement (CLX) some competition.