About to buy a set of SL3 - couple of questions

[Flavio]

I am about to buy a set of SL3's from July 1995.

The seller says they come with an extra set of new panels which are still in plastic.
How can I recognize if these are actually new? I remember reading somewhere they are visually different from the old ones?

As the woofers are 28 years old I am also thinking of replacing them with the Scanspeak Discovery 26W/8534F. Should I get the 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm version? And is it a straight bolt in replacement or do I need to modify anything?

And lastly, how difficult is it to make the SL3 active? This will save me the hassle of having the passive crossover checked and possibly upgraded. And what crossover frequency and filter steepness is recommended for the woofer and the panel?

 

[Robert D]

The panels will have a serial number on them, and that can be decoded to tell you exactly when they were built. You can search on this forum for the directions that show you how to decode. I think it might be a sticky. The speaker cabinets should have their own serial numbers too. So the panels have one and the cabinets have their own.

I've got a set of Prodigy speakers built in 2000 and the only thing I've replaced is the panels. My woofers and crossovers are original and the speakers sound amazing to me. I wouldn't figure automatically having to replace those. The "new" panels might have been made awhile ago, but if never used and covered tight they should be good as new.
I think most original panels last about 15 to 20 years. When does the owner say they bought the new panels?

 

[Robert D]

So if you don't own these yet, have the owner send you pictures of the serial numbers on the panels.

 

[Flavio]

The owner is deceased, it is the daughter selling them and she does not know much about them. I've already got the serial numbers of the speakers and I will ask for the panel serial numbers. Do these use the same coding as the speakers?

 

[Flavio]

The fitted panels serial numbers are SS3OB721 and SS3OB720. Am I correct in assuming these are from February ('B' ) 2003 ('O')?
SS3 presumably stands for SL3 panels?

 

[Robert D]

The fitted panels serial numbers are SS3OB721 and SS3OB720. Am I correct in assuming these are from February ('B' ) 2003 ('O')?
SS3 presumably stands for SL3 panels?

I think you have it right. So the owner bought new panels when the speakers were only about 8 years old. Seems early. I'd assume the serial numbers on the other panels on the speakers now are coded for 1995.

I bought my Prodigy speakers from a doctor that passed away. I think many ML owners only part with their speakers because of that. I think I'll be that way.

 

[Robert D]

The fitted panels serial numbers are SS3OB721 and SS3OB720. Am I correct in assuming these are from February ('B' ) 2003 ('O')?
SS3 presumably stands for SL3 panels?

Just noticed you said fitted panels. Do you mean that those are the panels already on the speaker?

 

[Tosh]

The fitted panels serial numbers are SS3OB721 and SS3OB720. Am I correct in assuming these are from February ('B' ) 2003 ('O')?
SS3 presumably stands for SL3 panels?

Agree that you have it right. So perhaps the panels wrapped up are the originals from '95?

If the SL3 are from 1995, they would have the older woofer, which has a smaller counterbore than the SS takes, but yes, it is very straightforward and worthwhile to run the bass active.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

Old panels seem to be hit and miss, mine are original and over 20 years old, they still work perfectly but your milage may vary. As long as the new ones have been stored properly they should be fine.

I wouldn't go changing woofers unless Martin Logan has spec'd them as a direct replacement, the woofers are chosen specifically to match with the frequency response of the panels. You can delete the internal woofer crossover and use an external amplifier with electronic crossovers but that's obviously more work and money.

 

[Flavio]

As the panels are 20 years old I have decided to let these go and look for another set.

 

[Mirolab]

I put new panels in my SL3s just over a year ago and they sound Amazing!! After about 6 months, I went in and updated all the crossover caps, and that resulted in a relative treble boost. The new sound was too bright for the "bright" amp that I was using, and so I switched over to my more "neutral" amp and they sound perfect now. I'm still running the original woofers, which sound great, if just a tad prodigious. But the extra bass is fun. It's not really boomy, since they're sealed enclosures, but just a bit fat. I'd gladly upgrade the woofers if I was guaranteed an improvement, but I haven't got that. I did increase the stuffing inside the woofer enclosure, FWIW.

I'd consider going active on the bass with a plate amp, but subwoofer amps don't crossover as high as 250Hz and I really don't want a complicated setup with an external crossover and bi-amping. So, for now, I'm very happy with how my SL3's are performing. Plus they still look great! (golden oak trim).

 

[dutch]

I am about to buy a set of SL3's from July 1995.

The seller says they come with an extra set of new panels which are still in plastic.
How can I recognize if these are actually new? I remember reading somewhere they are visually different from the old ones?

As the woofers are 28 years old I am also thinking of replacing them with the Scanspeak Discovery 26W/8534F. Should I get the 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm version? And is it a straight bolt in replacement or do I need to modify anything?

And lastly, how difficult is it to make the SL3 active? This will save me the hassle of having the passive crossover checked and possibly upgraded. And what crossover frequency and filter steepness is recommended for the woofer and the panel?

 

[dutch]

Hi Flavio, I am also living in the Netherlands and an SL3 owner, (not in use at the moment). I changed the panels in 2009 for new
clearspars, i also changed the woofers for the Scanspeak 26W4534G , 4 Ohm! because of the passive filter, so you can change everything back if you want. And i have experience with active X overs and how to do it.
If you are interested you can mail me at [email protected]. A bit easier in dutch than english. i am playing now with Summits.

 

[Flavio]

Hi Flavio, I am also living in the Netherlands and an SL3 owner, (not in use at the moment). I changed the panels in 2009 for new
clearspars, i also changed the woofers for the Scanspeak 26W4534G , 4 Ohm! because of the passive filter, so you can change everything back if you want. And i have experience with active X overs and how to do it.
If you are interested you can mail me at [email protected]. A bit easier in dutch than english. i am playing now with Summits.

Ik heb je gemaild.

 

[Mirolab]

Just a couple days ago, I put my SL3's on heavy cutting boards and the difference was even greater than I'd expected. Previously, they were sitting on the carpet, without the included spikes. I never liked the spikes because they are loose and wiggly. So, even though they poke through the carpet to the wood floor, they are not stabilizing the lateral vibrations of the entire speaker. (the speaker is being perturbed horizontally, not vertically!)
So.... I always thought that placing them on something heavy would improve their solidity. I think I was right!
Immediately, they sounded about a dB louder on the boards, with greater dynamics, and tighter bass.
Some of this may also be due to raising them by nearly 2 inches.
The cutting board was originally 18"x30" and I cut it exactly in half, and it cost $92.
It's a low gamble tweak because if you don't like the change, at worst you've got a couple new cutting boards.

 

[Russr]

My favorite trick for my SL3's and Aerius i's is to use oversized pavers (Terracotta, concrete, whatever). I found some 20" X 20" pavers at Home Depot, tho' any construction supplies company will have similar. They're about 50lb/25KG each, and a lot cheaper that nice cutting boards!

Mine are on hardwood floors, so I place large pieces of self-adhesive under-furniture felt at each corner at the bottom of the pavers. The weight of these things serves to decouple the speakers (I DO use the spikes on the speakers - they make for a nice contact with the top of the pavers.

@ Miro - that an AVM 50, or Statement? I love my Anthem pre-pros! Saving up for a AVM 70 (tho' might go for a second-hand 60 at the right price). I pair them with Bryston and Anthem amps

 

[Mirolab]

My favorite trick for my SL3's and Aerius i's is to use oversized pavers (Terracotta, concrete, whatever). I found some 20" X 20" pavers at Home Depot, tho' any construction supplies company will have similar. They're about 50lb/25KG each, and a lot cheaper that nice cutting boards!

Mine are on hardwood floors, so I place large pieces of self-adhesive under-furniture felt at each corner at the bottom of the pavers. The weight of these things serves to decouple the speakers (I DO use the spikes on the speakers - they make for a nice contact with the top of the pavers.

@ Miro - that an AVM 50, or Statement? I love my Anthem pre-pros! Saving up for a AVM 70 (tho' might go for a second-hand 60 at the right price). I pair them with Bryston and Anthem amps

Russr, It's a Statement D2V, and boy do I love it!! Anthem just got everything right with this unit. Little features most people wouldn't even think about... like when the unit is OFF you can just press an input button, and it will turn on to that input. Plus it has built-in Timers. Every weekday, my living room stereo wakes us up at 5:50am for work. How great is it to wake up to your main stereo every morning?? Tell me ONE other modern pre-pro with this feature!! Also.. the analog-pre path is stellar. It sounds better than many analog stereo preamps I've owned. Sadly, its HDMI is stuck in 2K land, and I don't like anything that's out there.

I love your pavers idea, and sonically probably even better than my cutting boards. The wood sorta matches the SL3's trim tho.

 

[Robert D]

Just a couple days ago, I put my SL3's on heavy cutting boards and the difference was even greater than I'd expected. Previously, they were sitting on the carpet, without the included spikes. I never liked the spikes because they are loose and wiggly. So, even though they poke through the carpet to the wood floor, they are not stabilizing the lateral vibrations of the entire speaker. (the speaker is being perturbed horizontally, not vertically!)
So.... I always thought that placing them on something heavy would improve their solidity. I think I was right!
Immediately, they sounded about a dB louder on the boards, with greater dynamics, and tighter bass.
Some of this may also be due to raising them by nearly 2 inches.
The cutting board was originally 18"x30" and I cut it exactly in half, and it cost $92.
It's a low gamble tweak because if you don't like the change, at worst you've got a couple new cutting boards.

View attachment 24002

I love your room decor too, its really cool. Bold colors! Too many of us these days are scared of color, everything is white.

 

[Russr]

Russr, It's a Statement D2V, and boy do I love it!! Anthem just got everything right with this unit. Little features most people wouldn't even think about... like when the unit is OFF you can just press an input button, and it will turn on to that input. Plus it has built-in Timers. Every weekday, my living room stereo wakes us up at 5:50am for work. How great is it to wake up to your main stereo every morning?? Tell me ONE other modern pre-pro with this feature!! Also.. the analog-pre path is stellar. It sounds better than many analog stereo preamps I've owned. Sadly, its HDMI is stuck in 2K land, and I don't like anything that's out there.

I love your pavers idea, and sonically probably even better than my cutting boards. The wood sorta matches the SL3's trim tho.

Yeah, I'm sporting a (used) AVM 50v at the moment. My first Anthem was an AVM-2, and the beautiful 2-channel analog performance won me over!
Still trying to figure out if I want to try find a AVM 60 or 70 next... I have a a fair bit of DTS PlayFi infratsructure around (supported directly by the 60), but REALLY keen on all the new features of the 70 (but I will hold back on that until I hear more about how it handles our ol, favorite analog Pre-path stuff!

BTW - on the timer side of things, way back when with my AVM 2 I set up a "poor man's whole house" system with russound/sonance amps and ceiling mounted speakers (B&W, Polk, Russound, etc.). I fed into the whole house system using the AVM Zone 2 output... I could always downmix (Hold down "Main" zone, then press "Zone 2 at the same time) if I wanted to have my main signal pumped around the house, or vise-versa... BUT, I didn't want to run up the hours on my ML Electrostatics using them as an alarm clock! I have a spare pair of brand new (2002!) unused panels, but I want to get a lot of years out of these guys!