System #248 (Sequel II )

UPDATED TO SHOW CURRENT CONFIGURATION AND EQUIPMENT LISTING


This is my Martin Logan based system. Hope you like it.

Owner: Matt Vanderrhoer
Location: Adrian, Michigan


Main Speakers: 1994 Martin Logan Sequel II -- Bi-wired. Shown in latest config w/ ClearSpar panels.
Subwoofer: Martin Logan Depth w/ crossover set at 30Hz, level 3.3, phase @ 180.

Amps: Two Acurus A-150. Since the preamp has the capability of feeding two separate stereo amps, each one of these is operating both of its channels in mono. The one amp feeds the left speaker, the other does the right. Better known as vertical bi-amping. Rated output is in excess of 300Wpc at 8 ohms, and at least 500Wpc at 4 ohms -- more than enough power and current to drive the Logans to their limit.

Pre: Acurus L-10. Nice, neat and simple.

CD player: Marantz CC-48. Great sounding player for under 5 Benjamins. Currently eyeballing the Rotel RCD-1072 in black....

Blu-Ray/DVD: Samsung BD-P1400. Pretty pictures and sound.

TV: Toshiba 50" plasma.

Cables: All interconnects are Siltech 4-80 with WBT 0150 terminations (unbalanced) or Zebra Cables. HDMI cables that feed the TV the signals from the DirecTV receiver and Blu-Ray player are heavy-gauge jobbies from MonoCable. Speaker cables are double runs of Siltech 2-45 that bi-wire each speaker.

Treatments: GIK Acoustic panels in front and back of room. The fronts absorb the rear wave coming from the Logans and backs kill the reflections in the room.

This system, pieced together in the mid-nineties and reconfigured recently, is a real gem. And it sounds as good as it looks. Plans are in place to construct a home theater in my basement, so it will be expanding in the future. Expect to see some crazy stuff and more Martin Logans on this page.

Thanks for looking !!

~VDR

Matt, welcome aboard, much better write up !!

welcome aboard!

More pix

Closer shot... Right channel gear and sub woofer.

Last one. Left channel amp.

Nice setup!

I have similar vintage Sequels (mine are from '93), they are great speakers.

Have you updated panels yet?

Nice setup! What is the back portion of our rack stand have that hides the wiring? It looks like a ML panel? What company made it?
Thanks,
Torry V.

Very nice setup. You really need to pull those speakers out more into the room, and add some room treatment. Have you tried biamping instead of biwiring with monoblocks ?

BTW I like the colour of the carpet.

LOVE that blue carpet, btw!! very cool.

Gotta love Sequel's.

Nice system.

Congrats, and nice write-up.

The clear spars sure look good, don't they?

Cheers,

Sweet.

Im thinking about doing the same to my Sequel's.

I whis i had black rails like you...

Swap?

update

vandaro thought you were going to update the woofers also. i hear they are made of different material than the old ones. what happen? happy listening.

change

pixel: paint them the black ones are also oak. use a good satain spray paint and take your time. good luck

VDR,

How tall are those Sequels anyway? I've never seen one in person...

Joey

Joey_V said:

VDR,

How tall are those Sequels anyway? I've never seen one in person...

Joey

Click to expand...

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32

Dang... nearly 6 feet tall? Man, the new generation Summits are short.

Can someone refresh me, the Sequels came after the Requests which came after the Quests... but the Sequels preceded the Ascents. Right?

Joey_V said:

Dang... nearly 6 feet tall? Man, the new generation Summits are short.

Can someone refresh me, the Sequels came after the Requests which came after the Quests... but the Sequels preceded the Ascents. Right?

Click to expand...

The current models ARE short. They look short, and to my ears (as a Sequel owner, and someone who fell in love with MLs during the ReQuest/Sequel/CLS era) the new MLs SOUND short too. Maybe that has to do with the fact that they moved the ESL panel downward by 8-10 inches on the Vista/Vantage/Summit line, as compared to the Prodigy/Odyssey lines...

I think ML is doing a grave disservice to their line by making shorter speakers. By sliding the panels down almost a foot closer to the floor, they have greatly decreased the majestic soundstage that I fell in love with in their previously taller models. Sure the new MLs look sleeker, sexier, and have a tremendously higher SAF, but at what cost?

So anyway, Joey, here is the time-line breakdown for early models of ML speakers:

model:........introduced:
------------------------------
Monolith.......1982
CLS.............1985
Sequel.........1987
Statement....1988
Sequel II......1989
Quest..........1991
SL3.............1995
reQuest.......1996


So, actually, you can see that the Sequel had gone through two interations BEFORE the Quest came out, and three before the reQuest.

And they were all TALL. My original Sequels are a bit over 72 inches tall on their OregonDV 1.5" spikes. They are big, bulky, heavy as hell (the original Sequels weigh 110 lbs EACH), and they look like surplus parts from Stonehenge sitting in the room. But they sound wider, deeper, and HIGHER than the room's dimensions. The soundstage doesn't stop at the top of the speakers, or even the ceiling with the older MLs.

The few Vistas, Vantages, and Summits I've hears all actually sound like they are just about 60 inches tall, no matter how high the ceiling is in the room. Sure their clarity, speed, resolution, and pace is unparalleled, but to me, the new MLs just sound small...

Funny thing about that, all the CLS setups I've heard sound almost as BIG as the taller early MLs, even though the CLS actually IS only 5ft tall. I never could figure that one out...

--Richard

Dreamer said:

Funny thing about that, all the CLS setups I've heard sound almost as BIG as the taller early MLs, even though the CLS actually IS only 5ft tall. I never could figure that one out...

--Richard

Click to expand...

The full range panel actually has three sections to it, two side bass panels and one center mid range ! The full range panel is unlike any other panel they have made. The Monolith has a panel the same size but drastically different ! All Martin Logan speakers have horizontal spars that radiate the sound but do not need bass in the lower regions as they have a woofer to pick up the slack. That in it self is a area that has caused many a problem. The woofer can blur things up and ruin staging. The full range with its bass section and separate mid section are all at the same speed and coherency. I have had several ribbon ,panel speakers and NONE can compete with the CLS for overall realism and detail !