Cinema to replace Encore TF for Center? Match with Purity?

[JediMstr]

I see a few auctions for Cinema centers (not the "i" models) used for a fairly good price, much lower than "new" Matinee's, but I am wondering if they'd be a good fit with my Purity Front Mains in my 7.2 setup.

Since my Purity's have CLS2 Panels, will they match alright with the CLS Cinema's? I figured they would still match better than my current Encore center.

I looked for Theater i and Cinema i's, wanting to find a matching CLS2 based center but can't find any used/refurbed for sale. Matinee's on eBay look like they go for prices similar/close to new prices on Amazon and can't find anything on Audiogon or AVS/MLO for sale sections.

So will the Cinema's be a good fit or should I keep looking?

 

[projectormovielover]

The cinema will go great with your purity because they both have aluminum woofers

I have 2 matinee center channels and I'm in negotiations for a sale with one of them at the moment .If it goes through I could sell the other for $800 to you

 

[JediMstr]

Thanks for the offer but I just bit the bullet on a last minute find: a Cinema I for only $400.
Found it via Google Shopping search on a Pawn shop clearinghouse site. It has a few dings in the photos but is stated to work. We'll see. It's definitely a steal if it's a working unit.

If not, I may take you up on that offer

 

[|Tch0rT|]

Damn! Nice find for $400.

 

[JediMstr]

Received the Cinema i. Since it came from a Pawn shop's online store and it was sitting on the shelf for about a year, I was wary about what condition it would arrive in.

It actually came packed in a garbage bag, surrounded by lots of foam peanuts and a super large box marked Fragile (I think that's Italian for Special Prize) . The actual speaker casing had a few scrapes and dings but nothing a little jab with a permanent marker couldn't easily hide.

After cleaning (it was super dusty) and vacuuming/blowing I plugged it in and crossed my fingers...

So far with everything I played, no distortion or static, just a bit low in output. Had to raise the level of the center channel to +4.5 while most of my other channels are much
lower (-11 and -7.5 for Purity Front channels and ranging from -4 to -2.5 for the Encore TF surrounds and backs). Tried unplugging the low voltage power adapter, but no difference in sound. I think it could be something to do with the panel since there "seems" to be a drop off between the tweeter and side woofers where the panel sound should be during a test tone test. But with the channel level raised, I can't detect any lack of range when listening to content including Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert, The Tempest, Top Gear, or any TV shows. To isolate it more I turned off/disconnected all the channels except the center and the Subs, and I still heard what sounded like full range singing on the Les Mis Blu-ray, whether it was the females, males, the kids, or even the anemic sounding Jonas Brother (can't blame that one on the speaker).

I already emailed ML support, so I hope to hear back soon. In the meantime I disconnected the power adapter for the evening so I can test it again tomorrow and guarantee it's not retaining a charge.

Even if I have to repair this thing to bring it to its full glory, I still think it was a great deal at $400. Especially since even in this underpowered state it has no distortion and sounds less boxy than the Encore TF it's replacing.

 

[jmschnur]

You Might vacuum the panel

 

[JediMstr]

You Might vacuum the panel

Already said I vacuumed and blew the panel with air, so that's probably not it. It also "looks" clean now. Removing the power adapter and not hearing a difference seems to be the big clue to me.

Even without the a connection to the Mains, will the panel be "powered" enough to emit low level sound from the speaker level connections? I read elsewhere on this board about a batch of cinema i's with a bad transformer. Hope that's all it is.

 

[projectormovielover]

I think it just may be the panel is at an end because they tend to just fade away as they end their life time .When the speakers power is not on then you really dont hear anything from the panel .Here is one other alternative, it could be the connection to the panel itself as the solder from the wires that makes contact cant sometimes come loose . The happened to me as 3 wires contact the panel and one of them was broken at the solder joint.

I got the broken wire and made contact against the solder and the volume jumped way up and the range was fuller and more lively .The cinema center is harder to get it up and singing than the matinee I talk about here so give that thirsty cinema plenty of juice

 

[JediMstr]

Update: so Dana from ML Support thinks it could be an internal Power Supply board issue. Ordering a new circuit board and sent instructions that does not look too difficult, so hopefully I can swing the repair myself.

In the meantime I'm still going to wall install the Cinema i because with the gain pushed up for the channel levels on my receiver, it still sounds more transparent and less boxy than my previous Encore TF.

 

[GaryG]

Dana knows his stuff, so I would say you are in good hands.

 

[JediMstr]

Replaced the Cinema i's power circuit board and now the stats have definitely joined the party. On a test tone, I now get full sweep of sound from the woofers to the stats to the tweeter.

Oddly enough, I still have to raise the gain on the receiver relative to the other speakers, but that could be because I need more juice. I have an Emotiva XPA-5 on the way that should feed the Cinema I nicely.

 

[sdolen]

I realize I'm digging up an old thread but I'm in the same boat with my Cinema I. Sounds exactly like my experience right down to upgrading from the Encore. I guess it's time to call ML.

 

[JediMstr]

I realize I'm digging up an old thread but I'm in the same boat with my Cinema I. Sounds exactly like my experience right down to upgrading from the Encore. I guess it's time to call ML.

I'd definitely recommend calling up ML. Replacing the Power Supply board did the trick.

 

[sdolen]

Finally got around to calling ML and they think it's the power supply same as Jedimstr. They even dropped the price since I was in the industry in a past life and might have even met Melodie when I was out there for a tour/training in the late 90s. Great customer service again!

P.S. Jedimstr, did you get the Emotiva? As much as they get crapped on around here, it seems the more budget conscious people at Martin Logan really like the product and unofficially recommend it for MLs. I'm plaiingon grabbing a XPA-3 next time the have a sale.

 

[JediMstr]

Finally got around to calling ML and they think it's the power supply same as Jedimstr. They even dropped the price since I was in the industry in a past life and might have even met Melodie when I was out there for a tour/training in the late 90s. Great customer service again!

P.S. Jedimstr, did you get the Emotiva? As much as they get crapped on around here, it seems the more budget conscious people at Martin Logan really like the product and unofficially recommend it for MLs. I'm plaiingon grabbing a XPA-3 next time the have a sale.

Yup, I have the XPA-5 running to my Cinema i, Encore TF Surround sides and rears. My Purities are going straight to my receiver's Pre-outs through interconnects. No problems and sounds great to my ears.