Sl3

Is the SL3 still considered to be a good speaker by todays standards if it has little use and is in perfect condition?

Marlin_Logan said:

Is the SL3 still considered to be a good speaker by todays standards if it has little use and is in perfect condition?

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Nope....total piece of junk and should be sent directly to me for proper handling under "The cash for Clunkers" program.. ........ now on a serious note................ Absolutely it's a good speaker !!

BTW, welcome !!

Dave.... LMAO! :ROFL:

I was gonna say it sucks... but I think we've had enough of that one

I still think it's great - but hit it with at least 100 WPC, because it genuinely does need a bit of juice.

Hola...the first unit with a ten inch woofer was the Sequel, then came up the Sequel II, having the new on-off switching power supply sensing circuit. And then came the SL-3, offering much better panel-woofer interaction. A class sound with the right power amp. You need quality watts not quantity to drive them. The Sunfire power amp is one of those that can drive them easy. Also Aragon, Conrad Johnson, Mark Levinson 23.5, Jeff Rowland, Classe, Bryston, Blue Circle, Pass Labs, Krell, Audio Research, Audio Analogue, are some brands that use Martin Logan as a tool design. The impedance of an electrostatic speaker is not easy to drive...these brands are some that I do remember that you can use with no problem regarding the impedace. When the amplifier is not capable to drive low impedance, the most notice thing is a roll-off of the high frequency. These brands are just some that I remember, but sure there are a lot more in the marketplace today. You just found a diamond. With the right gear, will shine clean. Trust your ears, and choose the amp that you liked most...happy listening,
Roberto.

Marlin_Logan said:

Is the SL3 still considered to be a good speaker by todays standards if it has little use and is in perfect condition?

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Hello,
While the SL3 is most definitely still an excellent speaker, an important thing to look into is the condition of the panel. Or perhaps the panel has been replaced? I am not sure of the price of repaneling the SL3's, but the prices have gone up quite a bit.

As long as the panels are in excellent condition along with the rest of the speaker, there is no reason not to purchase them if they are what you want.
How much are they being offered for? Considering there are many Martin Logans available for sale, if the price is not excellent, you might be able to get an even better pair.
Cheers,
AD

Was very happy with the SL3.

Is the Summit better? You bet but the SL3, which I owned for five years prior to the Summit upgrade was and I am confident still is a very musical transducer. As others have said, make sure you got adequate power and be aware of the fact that they will be sensitive to all things electronic, cabling, room placement, room acoustics, etc.

Good luck.

GG

I have 400 watts per channel of mcIntosh power with a Mac tube pre-amp. Also, the pair belongs to a friend, nine years old, but only used for about 3 years; in storage the rest of the time in the original packing and climate controlled. these were the last of the SL3s so they have the more current binding posts. I have been trying them and they sound really smooth and open. I also like that they are all black. The panels have a little darkness on them in the holes, but it's very faint. They have been vacuumed and there is no static or distortion. I was going to pay $1200 for them because they are like new and have the original boxes and packaging. Does that make sense?

Hello,
1,200 Dollars is on the high side for SL3's. Granted when buying used, it is a huge advantage to know the previous owner took meticulous care of them. In addition, it is great that they have the newest binding posts. However, at minimum, they are 9 years old. (production 1995-2000)
Cheers,
ML

Mark Linkous said:

Hello,
1,200 Dollars is on the high side for SL3's. Granted when buying used, it is a huge advantage to know the previous owner took meticulous care of them. In addition, it is great that they have the newest binding posts. However, at minimum, they are 9 years old. (production 1995-2000)
Cheers,
ML

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they were bought in 2000. How much are they worth?

Hmmm... under $1K I would think... 850 maybe?

Marlin,
Of late, I have seen SL3's listed for between 900-1100. A pair of SL3's just sold on Audiogon with an asking price of 1,100. However, who knows what the gentlemen accepted for his SL3's. Then again, they did sell in 9 days which is pretty good these days.

SL3's are excellent speakers. They go down to 30Hz and the panel crossover to the woofer is 250Hz. This is actually lower than the Summit (270Hz). According to the Stereophile review, they are 85db efficient and go down below 2 ohms. Thankfully, you have amplification which can properly drive these speakers. This is huge because unlike the current generation, the SL3's are also quite demanding at lower frequencies as well.

Considering the condition and they have the original packaging, that is not a bad price. There are not many choices in Martin Logans at that price point. Ascents still seem to be listed around 2 thousand. Occasionally, you might come across someone desperate to sell Vista's within a couple hundred Dollars of your friends asking price.

Since you have auditioned them in your room and are pleased with them, go for it. That is a great deal of speaker for the money. My comments on them being on the high side applies to what I have seen SL3's listed for lately and it being your friend. However, when buying used, you cannot put a price on knowing they were well taken care of. With a speaker of that age, there will be a chance of the panels or transformers needing tending to at some point. True for any used Electrostatic Speaker without a warranty.
ML

I absolutely love my SL3's! I feel I would need to get Ascents (>$1700 used) to improve on them.

Sounds like you couldn't really find a better used pair than these, Marlin (at least with original panels). As to what they're 'worth,' that depends on a lot of things for different people. If you can't live without them, $1200 is OK for what sounds like mint condition speakers.

QUESTION!

If the panels have not been used much.............3 years in a smoke free house and the speakers have been stored in their original packing in climate control the rest of the time, would the panels need to be replaced anytime soon?

BTW, my friend agreed to take $1000 for them

Marlin_Logan said:

QUESTION!

If the panels have not been used much.............3 years in a smoke free house and the speakers have been stored in their original packing in climate control the rest of the time, would the panels need to be replaced anytime soon?

BTW, my friend agreed to take $1000 for them

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That's a decent price, and if stored for 7 years or so, then maybe will not need repaneling for another 5+ years