Going the Martin Logan route

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Phoenix3434

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Nov 22, 2009
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Location
Vaughan, ON, Canada
Hello everyone.

I am new to the whole audio scene and only started auditioning speakers a month back. Of all the speakers I've heard so far, I love the Martin Logan's the best.

Now, the problem is I live in Canada - and only Future Shop (Best Buy subsidiary) seems to carry them. The selection is poor and the prices are way too high compared to that in the US.
Please see: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/cla...=EN&catid=1047 (speaker type selection on side - front/center/sub etc.)

That being said, I listened to the Vista and the Source, and for my needs, I think the Source x 2 is perfect for my fronts. For the center I am thinking the Encore. I also have a Velodyne Optimum 10" sub which I will use as my sub.

Now I have a few questions:
1) Is this setup ok - Is the Source/Encore/10" Velodyne sub a good combo?
2) What can I use as my surrounds? The surrounds will be flanking my big couch so WILL have to be on a stand.
3) Is there a place in Canada which can give me a better price point than those of Future Shop? (1 US$ ~ 1.07 Cdn$)
4) If I make a trip down to the US to buy, does ML honor the warranty when I bring the equipment back to Canada?
5) Can I drive this setup with a 6/8 ohm capable receiver? Would a Pioneer Elite VSX 21 be enough?

Thanks!
 
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Well... FS is not the only retailer up here to stock ML's... so, depending on where you are located in the Great White Oblivion..I would seek out a reputable dealer as opposed to dealing with Future Shop. FS has an agreement to only sell up to the Vista,
If you have trouble finding a dealer in your area.. contact Plurison (the Canadian distributor) directly. They have been repping ML for many years in Canada, and are great to deal with, particularly when it comes to service matters.
 
Hi Double. Thanks.

I live in Vaughan - so we are pretty close to each other :). Can you please recommend a good store in our area that carries Martin Logans?

Given my current budget for my speaker set, I think the ML Source is the solution for me. And I do want a 5.1 setup with the 5.0 consisting of ML speakers. I will start off with a 2.0 setup first. They will be flanking my Panasonic 50" G15. I will be listening to Music and HT - 50%-50%.

As I listed in my original msg, another big question for me is - what's the least expensive "but appropriate" receiver I should use for a 5.1 ML Source setup that supports 1080p 24Hz video output? FS had it hooked up to a Pioneer VSX-9040, which has support for 6/8 ohm speakers. Even though I am new to audio setups, I do have a VERY good ear - and I did have this nagging feeling that it wasn't enough somehow.

I listened to couple of Paradigms (Studio 60/100) and B&W speakers yesterday, and to me the ML Source just sounded better. It's dispersion of sound is not as good though - when I move around (or stand up for that matter) the ML loses sound very fast.

Thanks for your help!

Pioneer VSX-9040:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...65974ABA99FC8&sku_id=0665000FS10127294&catid=
 
Well.. my suggestion would be to go visit either American Sound in Richmond Hill, or Ovation Audio in Aurora... or Audio Excellence in Richmond Hill as well.
They are all ML dealers.. and it seems to me that the last time I was in American sound they had the Source in a smallish system setup in one of the front rooms.
As Gordon suggested, you'll probably want something a bit better than the VSX9040 on the back end to drive them.
Again.. any of the above dealers will have something to suggest in terms of pairing up an HT receiver with the Sources (or Vista if you decide to go that route) that will be more capable in terms of driving the ML's.
I'm not trying to "go vague" on you.. I just believe that it's important that you consult with a dealer who can get you where you WANT to be, discussing budget, room, whether you will want to focus on more movies than music.. etc.. it might take a bit longer.. but the end result is that you will have a system that you will ENJOY.. and not regret the buying decision. :music:
 
Great recommendations.. I've been to all three and have purchased from Ovation & American Sound. Audio Excellence & American Sound always seems to have some Logans on display.. Ovation, not so much.
They all have different styles and recommendations so I would probably visit at least two of them and then decide.
When i upgraded my AVR, I took a look at the Pioneer but just perusing the specs, I don't think it has the gusts to drive Martin Logans to their potential. Even with a half decent AVR, I opted to go with an external amp and will never look back.
Good luck with it and let us know what you end up with.
 
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Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. I will check out those stores.

I checked out some of the Arcam products on some of the Canadian websites, but didn't see any in my current budget that has a price listed. I am willing to spend ~$1200 on a receiver.

I was thinking of the Yamaha rx v1900. It had good reviews. The negatives included colored high ranges and not enough power in the 4 ohm setting.

What do you guys think? I would "prefer" a unit that doesn't play with the signal and stays true to the content as much as possible.

I also don't know much about pre-amps vs amps yet. Googled around for a bit, and didn't see a "very good" link that goes into good detail. If you have a good tutorial about this please let me know as well.

Thanks.
 
I also don't know much about pre-amps vs amps yet. Googled around for a bit, and didn't see a "very good" link that goes into good detail. If you have a good tutorial about this please let me know as well.

Thanks.

Think of it this way:
Pre-amp = Control unit (switches sources, adjusts volume)
Amp = power unit (provides the power to drive the speakers)
Integrated Amp = Control unit with power amp
Receiver = Control unit with power amp and tuner
Audio Video Receiver (AVR) = Control unit with power amp, tuner and home theater decoder.
Processor = Control unit with home theater decoder.

AVR's will often have pre-outs which allow you to use a Amp to drive the speakers rather than using the internal amps. This reduces the strain on the AVR which allows the speakers to be driven more accurately.
 
Hi everyone. I am a lot more educated about the world of audioholics since my previous post on this website!

After reviewing various receiver models (HT), I am thinking of purchasing a Marantz 7002. Will this be a good receiver to drive the ML Sources?

Other alternatives:
Pioneer SC-27, Denon 3310, Yamaha RX-V1900 (too bright?), Onkyo 807, NAD 775 *w HD upgrade* (too expensive!)

Also, for cabling, I am thinking of going with the BlueJean Belden 5000.
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

Does this sound ok?

Thanks!!
 

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