9" panel versus 11" Xstat panel.

[dmusoke]

Hi anyone:

I was wondering what the difference in sound quality would be between a 9" wide panel(Ethos/Theos) and an 11" wide panel (Spire). I am torn by this as i don't want to spend more money than i have to if the two panels are identically sounding. Is the sweetspot size the same? How about depth & imaging.

Thanx,
David

 

[roberto]

Hola dmusoke. I assure you that 2 inches make a big difference! Try to audition both and choose the one that you liked most. Use the serch engine. There is a lot of info regarding this. Happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[zaphod]

11"? get a CLS with a MAN SIZED panel width

<timtoolman>arf arf arf</timethetoolman>

 

[robertawillisjr]

That 2 inches is a big deal and I agree with Roberto, audition if at all possible.

 

[hifiaudio2]

wonder why the CLX went back to a 9" panel?

 

[dmusoke]

Thanks guys ...I appreciate the advice. Can you please be more specific in what i'd hear more or less using an 11" panel? Its not easy for me to get to an ML dealer.

Now another 'problem' is that all 11" wide panels use active bass woofers versus the 9" panels (Theos) that uses a passive woofer. Is there a difference in bass reproduction using active woofers versus passive ones? I have seen various posts slamming the active bass method used on the higher end panels. I have a sunfire 7 x 400W/Ch amplifier so power would not be a problem if i were to use a passive woofer.

 

[robertawillisjr]

Here is my take. If the types of panel are the same (say both are XStats) then get the speaker that is wider. When we start discussing different types of panels, then it is an Apples and Oranges situation. ML will tell you that the new type of panel can be narrower (and sound better) because of smaller holes in the metal. Some people disagree.

IMHO, ML has learned from the Prodigy that a huge (some say ugly) but great speaker doesn't sell very well. The newer and smaller speakers have generated better sales (no I don't know the numbers) and sound quite good due to innovations such as XStat panels and better crossovers.

I don't know why the Theos has a passive woofer. I can only speculate that this is due to cost considerations. Perhaps one of the ML persons can answer this.

 

[roberto]

Hola. I am going to chime here again. On the first thing, Robert ment the Ethos model, not Theos. The Theos does not have a passive woofer. But I can tell you more about the new models starting with the new Electromotion, these babies are so good that you will be re-descovering all your recordings...and if you start going up, them you will get more good specs and sound improvement. From the Vantage model, (a classic) to the Summit X you will find self powered woofers and they do exhibit a much more detail at bass. You can "tune" your room becasue you have a knob control +- 10dB @ 35Hz on each speaker. (the Summits X has two controls, one at 25Hz and another at 50Hz for room bass control). This feature is great for bass performance. I am not saying that the models that do not have self powered woofers the bass is poor, no sir. You will be amazed too with the quality of the bass too that they do have. As I said before, 2 inches make a big difference and this is my statement. Your Sunfire amplifier will drive any ML product without any effort. The new ML product generation has many new good things and one of these is their sensitivity. You do not need too many watts to make them to sing. The older models, yes you did and do. Another vantage with this feature is that you can search for a lot of different great sounding amplifiers on the marketplace today and get the one that you liked most, even that the wattage of the amplfier might be as low as 20 watts!!! for a pleasent sound pressure level. If you want to rock then you need power of course. ML sound is ear fatigue less. You do not need to play them loud to get a concert hall in front of your ears. With moderate level you get a truly 3D stage with the right size of the instrument(s) and also the soul of the musician(s) easily can be listened. These nuances can be listened better as you start to go up in the ladder products. With 2 inches you get everything of these ML magic but effortless. The cimbals sing along at the air in all the room, the piano notes are played with more harmonich texture, the wind instruments are more real life like, the drums are clearly projected in your room, the voice(s) even female or male, are astonishing! Everything is a matter of liking. As I said before, any ML product is magical...no matter which model you chosse, you will be in heaven as we are too. Happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[ronjor]

Since purchasing the Electromotions, I have unhooked my powered subwoofer. I wouldn't want to muddy the sound and the Electromotions provide great bass that is very well balanced with the speaker.

I am a two channel listener and quite fussy about the "correct" sound.

 

[GaryG]

...The new ML product generation has many new good things and one of these is their sensitivity. You do not need too many watts to make them to sing. The older models, yes you did and do. Another vantage with this feature is that you can search for a lot of different great sounding amplifiers on the marketplace today and get the one that you liked most, even that the wattage of the amplfier might be as low as 20 watts!!! for a pleasent sound pressure level. If you want to rock then you need power of course. ML sound is ear fatigue less. You do not need to play them loud to get a concert hall in front of your ears. With moderate level you get a truly 3D stage with the right size of the instrument(s) and also the soul of the musician(s) easily can be listened. Happy listening, Roberto.

Hola Roberto, very well said.

The following is from the Larry Greenhill review of the Prodigy's in the July 2001 issue of Stereophile:

"The louder I played the Prodigy, the better it sounded... Its bass blossomed when driven hard. At a level where my usually unflappable Mark Levinson No.334 began to show signs of compression, the Prodigys opened up. The bass became forceful and taut, and the instruments separated and became more distinct."

I have CLX's for my mains and Prodigy's for my rears. For the past 3 weeks I reversed this placing the Prodigy's in front. I was really exploring whether I should buy a second pair of CLX's for my rears (hummm ... 4 CLX's could be delightful). I have had the CLX's for nearly one year and my Prodigy's for more than 9 years. My Meridian dealer (I use the Meridian 861 v6 processor) dropped by last week and so I put the power (Bryston 28B-SST^2 ) to the Prodigy's and played the "Dark Side of the Moon" SACD at 103db peak in the sweet spot. The sound truely did blossom as Larry's review suggests. Last Saturday I restored the CLX's to the front, put on some Eva Cassidy, and marvelled at how great the CLX's were even at just a few watts. I'm not saying that the older ML's are bad because they are not. I still enjoy my Prodigy's and they are still a fine speaker. Roberto is right when he says "any ML product is magical...no matter which model you choose". Let me add that the magic just keeps getting better.

Gary

 

[tsv_1]

put on some Eva Cassidy, and marvelled at how great the CLX's were...

Talk about a match made in heaven... Eva+CLX... just sublime!

 

[dmusoke]

Wow guys ...thank you SO MUCH for the wondeful and detailed feedback you've given me far. You guys really know what you are talking about. I have a 5.1 Sunfire ribbon speakers system used for both movies and 2CH music and its sounds great but the buzz over the ML Xstats sound has me itching bad to get them. I've heard the Magnepans 1.7 and they sound great as well with superior vertical dispersion. Whether you are sitting or standing, the image remains stable with no change in tone but i feel they wouldn't be a good fit in my small apartment with only a max of 3' of sidewall distance (I have a 60" plasma smack in the center of the wall) And they are big as well for the size of my apartment.

Since my current ribbons have side-firing speakers i.e they have the ribbon upfront (ofcourse) but the two midrange cones are on the sides, they create an enveloping diffuse 3D soundfield which makes the room bigger than what it is and i like it a lot. See http://sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=24 for further details.

I hope i won't loose this kind of imaging if i go with the ML's (Spire or Ethos/Theos).

BTW .... Does the Spires have the same panel type technology as the Ethos/Theos even though its 3 years older (Size differences not withstanding)? I thought i read somewhere that the newer speakers have better technology (though i may be mistaken)?

 

[Hocky]

The spire uses the new panel technology.