Happy owner of CLSIIZ anc CLX ART

[KrellYourLife]

1. Member Name: Fabio
2. Location: Italy
3. ML Model(s): CLS IIz, CLX ART
4. Year Purchased: CLS’s 1996, CLX 2018
5. Mods/Changes: none

I also own a pair of Wilson Audio Watt-Puppy 8

Associated Electronics:

DAC Chord Dave
Auralic Aries Mini
Streamer CXN v2 Cambridge Audio
Player Bow Tech. ZZ8
Player NAIM 555
Player esoteric DV-50
VPI TNT V-HR, JMW Memorial 12.5 tonearm and e XYZ Universe cartridge
Preamplifier ARC Phono REF3
Pre: ARC REF3, Convergent Audio Techologies LS Ultimate, BAT VK-5i
Ampli: Krell FPB 300 CX, KRELL FPB 350 CX Mono x 2, KRELL KSA 100S, KRELL KSA 100, KRELL FPB 600

Cables, mainly MIt and Nordost, switch, router, etc....

I have always been a fan of electrostatics, especially the ML's, since i started my first hi-end system. I 'm delighted with their capacity to play music with a liveliness and a freshness that i never found in other speakers.

I start with the CLS picture, others will follow soon.

Greetz,
Fabio

 

[Robert D]

Great equipment! I just wanted to tell you how much my family enjoyed our trip to Italy last summer, 2019. We live in the US.

We started in Venice, and then went to Florence. After that we went to Sorento and then Rome. Rented a car in 2 cities and got to drive your crazy streets! I liked it but it made my wife very nervous when we drove in towns.

Such a beautiful country with so much history. Your citizens were so friendly to us. I was heart broken to see the flooding hit Venice after we left and then covid-19 hit. I hope your country is recuperating fast.

 

[Brad225]

Welcome KYL. Wonderful group of speakers you have to choose from each day.

 

[KrellYourLife]

thank you guys.

@Robert nice to hear you enjoyed travelling in Italy. Sometimes as italians we tend to forget the huge amount of Art and History that this country has, Art which is most of time very badly "managed". We should take a better care of our heritage. In some way also Venice without floodings would not be "Venice" anymore. But seems, they finally tried this last week after many years, the system of Barriers (called MOSE) which should protect the city from floodings works. so floodings should not be a problem anymore.

 

[Robert D]

thank you guys.

@Robert nice to hear you enjoyed travelling in Italy. Sometimes as italians we tend to forget the huge amount of Art and History that this country has, Art which is most of time very badly "managed". We should take a better care of our heritage. In some way also Venice without floodings would not be "Venice" anymore. But seems, they finally tried this last week after many years, the system of Barriers (called MOSE) which should protect the city from floodings works. so floodings should not be a problem anymore.

The favorite place we went was Florence. It's nice too because with renting a car we could drive to Pisa and other sites. The city is awesome!

Venice was too crowded, except at night.

I had to drive in Napoli and it was crazy! Drove to the train station. That part of the city was ugly, but I've read there are some beautiful parts.

 

[twich54]

Fabio, nice piece of kit you have there, enjoy !

 

[highfidelity]

Nice gear KYL. What would you say are the major differences between your CLS and the CLX? I own an early pair of CLS's and I am contemplating a purchase of the CLX. Thanks.

 

[KrellYourLife]

Betters the CLS in all aspects. The most important is bass range. Really no need of subwoofers anymore.
Other big improvement are dynamics. Now the slam is there.

 

[Chops]

If I owned a pair of CLS IIz's and a pair of CLX Art's, I'd be a happy owner as well.

Welcome!

 

[roberto]

Nice gear KYL. What would you say are the major differences between your CLS and the CLX? I own an early pair of CLS's and I am contemplating a purchase of the CLX. Thanks.

With much respect, I think that both are different monsters. The CLXs have double bass panel, and micro-perf stators. Part of the improvements is this...Advanced MicroPerf stator technology gives MartinLogan's latest-generation CLS electrostatic transducer almost twice as much exposed diaphragm surface as a traditional electrostatic panel of the same size. This dramatic increase in effective radiating area translates to higher efficiency and an even more effortless, unlimited dynamic presentation. The XStat pulls no punches! This feature is what I do like most. In my room, the CLXs disappear and provide a stable stage with the right size of the musical instruments and voices. Also, ML claims that this model represents what they have learn over 25 years of building electrostatic speakers.
Previously I had all the CLSs models, my last one was the CLS IIz, and got a PC boards that Mr. Jim Power specially made for me.
The metal wind instruments have that metallic sound, and when you hear a wood wind flute, you get the wood too. I love the voices presentation. There are more air between the instruments and voices. The percussion instruments are quite impressive too. A lot of dynamics. The cymbals shows that sweetness when are played with wood sticks, and when the nylon tips are used, that crystal sound is evident. There are Indian percussion instruments that produces a big bass energy that I never got this from my CLSs. On the piano, both hands are easy to understand.
Again, the CLXs represents a breakthrough on electrostatic design. They really are a jewell to listen!
Happy listening!

 

[Lightloopy]

Question about the CLS ( and I guess the CLX) What makes the bass panels produce lower frequency? It seems the whole panel gets the same signal and there is no XO. Thanks

 

[KrellYourLife]

The principle is the same of a guitar string. The longer is the portion of unconstricted string, lower are the frequencies it produces and it can produce.
For panels is the same. The bass panel has non divisions, so you can think to it like a long 1.4 meters string, while the higher and mid are divided in smaller zones.
This makes it impossible for smaller zones to reproduce low frequencies while the the full panel of bass can.

 

[Lightloopy]

That's an interesting analogy -but as a guitar player I would have to disagree. The strings are all the same length but have different frequencies based on gauge and tension. Your comments have me thinking of a piano or harp.

 

[roberto]

Question about the CLS ( and I guess the CLX) What makes the bass panels produce lower frequency? It seems the whole panel gets the same signal and there is no XO. Thanks

The lower frequencies are at the both sides of the stat panels. Having you the second older model, both sides have the same width. The CLSIIz, the left speaker has wider the left outside of the stat panel, and the right has wider the right side of the stat panel.

The CLXs are totally different. They have double stat bass panels.
Parts of a MartinLogan DualForce™ Transducer
Low Frequency Range

 

[roberto]

Here, you can read more about the CLXs. The total area for bass is bigger than the area for the mids and highs...

https://www.martinlogan.com/en/product/clx-art

 

[Lightloopy]

Thank you Roberto. You are a wealth of information!

 

[KrellYourLife]

That's an interesting analogy -but as a guitar player I would have to disagree. The strings are all the same length but have different frequencies based on gauge and tension. Your comments have me thinking of a piano or harp.

Yes the strings are same lenght, but when you move the fingers up and down the guitar neck you set a constraint on the length of the string that can vibrate freely.
If you move the hand up the frequency is lower, down is higher.
That is exactly what i meant. A shorter free string reproduces higher frequency than a longer one. It's simple physics.

The same principles can be applied to a surface. this is exactly what happens in an electrostatic panel.

 

[Lightloopy]

Agree, Is the spectrum of frequencies tuned to different sections of the panel ? I notice the center panel on the CSL( likewise the 11A) has different widths from top to bottom. Are each of the strips in the center panel playing a slightly different range?
I always thought my SL3 was one big panel from 250 up.
Sorry if this is all common knowledge...It's always been black magic to me..

 

[KrellYourLife]

We can say it's a kind of mechanical crossover.

 

[roberto]

Hola Chicos...

Just do this test: while playing your favourite music, bring your ears close to the stat panel, almost touching it and listen. The electrostatic panel is so clear and clean, that you will hear like having earphones. You can't tell the if the center has more midrange or the small frame of the spars has more highs. The role of the spars is to prevent to have a loosen diaphragm.

Did you know that the ML diaphragm is so light that it weights less than the air that it moves? This is what you have there, in your place and It is the fastest transducer on Mother Earth. Also the distortion is so low, that all what you hear is perfect. Do this test with any brand of cone speakers, and you will find only garbage. Even on very expensive nice looking boxes, you get closer and you can hear the resonances of the box.

There are many consideration that ML have taken making the whole line...all have a kind of ML magical sound.

Happy listening!