help a potential new Martin Logan owner

[randycsvt]

I have been doing some searching and would like some advice. I am in the process of building a home theater system, and I figured I would turn to you guys for help. I am new to audio equipment, so sometimes I get confused...so please bear with me. I would like to know if these speakers will match well.

Fresco center channel
Montage left and right front
Definitive technology supercube 1 sub
Mirage omnisat V2's for the rears (already purchased these for $250 a pair, and I like the way they sound)

this system will be used mostly for watching movies and playing games in 5.1ch surround. I will also be listening to music, but not as much as movies or xbox360.

I haven't decided on the reciever yet, but I am leaning towards a nice yamaha. I was considering Denon, but I talked to some home theater installers, and they seem to dislike the HDMI switching in the denons.

I will be buying all of my gear at a magnolia home theater store because I get good prices and don't have to deal with snooty premium audio sales guys who don't pay attention to me becuase I am young. I know some of you may not like magnolia becuase it rids you of exclusivity, but I just want good sound and don't want to spend all my money on a sound system. I am not here for bragging rights, just looking for good sound. Sorry for this rant, but my searching the forums brought up someone bitching about ML's being sold to common folk through best buy. That kind of crap ****es me off. I hate people who buy nicer or more expensive stuff just to look cool.

Thanks for the help! I really like these martin logan speakers, and hope they are a good match for me.

 

[Joey_V]

:welcome:

My my... we've been getting a lot of new members lately!

Anyway, I have several tips for you:

1. Fresco and Mosaics should be your front end, ditch the Montage.
2. Keep the Def sub... it's a good sub. Although maybe look at some ML Depth on audiogon for something of another flavor with servo control.
3. Keep the Omnisats, good surrounds.

And relax about the Magnolia bit. Most of us here dont like it not because of exclusivity, I could care less. Most of us here dont like it because the demos are usually not properly setup (although Tweeter is just as bad), the people there dont know much about audio, and Magnolia at Best Buy robs the consumer of the ability to haggle... unlike when you go to hifi stores. Not only that but there isnt much selection!

And I dont think that hifi salesman can be stereotyped as snooty. They're usually open and welcoming if you're a real customer and not just another person "kicking the tire" so to speak.

It's not about buying things for the sake of looking cool.... there are far cheaper ways of going about that. This community of ours is among the best on the internet, so careful before you step on toes.

Besides, how young are you?

PS
I like Lartin Logan speakers too!
(Just pulling your leg!)

 

[randycsvt]

Not trying to step on any toes. I am 25, but I look about 19. My options are the montages and the clarity's. I didn't see anything on ML's website about mosaics. I need to buy these new, because I want the warranty.

I love the look of the clarity's, but I am not sure I can justify the price. I am tempted to get the montages, because they will be really cheap....about $780 a pair. I would spend double that to buy a pair of clarity's. If I buy the clarity's I will have to wait a while before I buy the sub and center speakers.

 

[Joey_V]

Not trying to step on any toes. I am 25, but I look about 19. My options are the montages and the clarity's. I didn't see anything on ML's website about mosaics. I need to buy these new, because I want the warranty.

I love the look of the clarity's, but I am not sure I can justify the price. I am tempted to get the montages, because they will be really cheap....about $780 a pair. I would spend double that to buy a pair of clarity's. If I buy the clarity's I will have to wait a while before I buy the sub and center speakers.

No more Mosaics? Hmm... I remember they were being sold at Magnolia for like $999 for the pair, from $2000 retail normally. If you can spring for the Clarity, I would most certainly do it. Hold off on the center and the sub... better to do it right the first time than having to settle. Besides, how much are you getting the Frescos?

Also, I'm 24, but people say I look 18.

Welcome to our club, and say goodbye to your disposable income per TonyB.

 

[captain_tinker]

Randy,
I have a Fresco center, and Mosaic fronts, and a pair of Paradigm Titan's for surrounds, and a ML Grotto for a sub. I also got my Fresco and Grotto at a standalone Magnolia store, not at a Best Buy Magnolia. The Mosaics and Paradigms somewhere else. I only bought them at Magnolia because they had a better price than the other price, by several hundred dollars so don't worry about it. I would say if you can't find Mosaics instead of the Montage, then go ahead with the Montage. They are still good speakers, just not quite as nice as ones with more ATF panels. It's good to hear that someone else is discovering the joys of Martin Logans!
As for the Yamaha, I've heard good stuff about them, but I've heard a lot better things about Denon. I have a Marantz receiver that I really enjoy, if you want to look into something like that.

Let us know any questions you have, some of the guys here are really knowledgeable, and will be able to help, some of us are still learning, me included. I'm a very recent "convert" to Martin Logans. Don't worry about what anyone else says, it has nothing to do with exclusivity, or with hey my speakers are better than yours, it's all in your ears. Enjoy it!



-capT

 

[randycsvt]

I have to make sure I don't get the fiance mad, and I need to spread my disposable income across many hobbies. My two big ones are cars and home theater.

The fiance wants another HDTV. I currently have a 42in plasma, but she wants a 46in aquos LCD. If I can convince her to wait on the LCD I may be able to swing the clarity's.

 

[captain_tinker]

Randy,
Yeah I had to work hard to convince my wife to get the ML's too. I listened to Clarity's, and Loved them, though the directionality was an issue. When you moved out of the line of sight, the sound changed, but when you are in the right spot, OH MAN!!! I would do them before the Montage, but hey, if you want, get the Montage now and then in a few years, sell them and upgrade. No worries. I still think you would like them. It's always wise to keep the wife/SO/fiance/GF happy, if she aint happy, aint nobody happy. I have to keep reminding my kids of that. Oh and since we are talking age, I'm only 30 and I look 29. Haha! ;-)

-capT

 

[Joey_V]

I have to make sure I don't get the fiance mad, and I need to spread my disposable income across many hobbies. My two big ones are cars and home theater.

The fiance wants another HDTV. I currently have a 42in plasma, but she wants a 46in aquos LCD. If I can convince her to wait on the LCD I may be able to swing the clarity's.

BTW, how much were you thinking you can get the Frescos? I assume this is brand new?

Swing for the Claritys if possible, wait on the rest for now (sub etc...).

 

[randycsvt]

In an effort to keep myself from going broke I have picked up a part time job at a local best buy. I get a pretty good discount, but I can't go all out just yet. I am about to finish grad school this semester, and I need to start saving for a house.

I have to keep fighting off the temptation to upgrade. I am the kind of person who would say the montage's are nice, but for a little bit more I can get the clarity's. Those little bits more tend to add up.

I also run across the occassional open box deal. I got the omnisat's cheaper than my discount and they are brand new. Two for the price of one! Some guy bought them, but never used them. The boxes were opened and therefore they cannot be sold as new, but the speakers were never even removed from their plastic wrap.

 

[discocarp]

I have the clarities and they're really great. They are going to be discontinuing the clarities supposedly, and there are some great floor model deals going around right now. If you check out sound advice/tweeter I think many of the stores had clarity floor models selling for $950ish each with full warranty IIRC. Just something to consider.

 

[randycsvt]

any idea when they are discontinuing the clarity speakers. I might be able to get the floor stands dirt cheap if the go out any time soon.

Anybody have a date for them to be out and something new to replace them?

 

[Joey_V]

any idea when they are discontinuing the clarity speakers. I might be able to get the floor stands dirt cheap if the go out any time soon.

Anybody have a date for them to be out and something new to replace them?

No specific date that I know of, but I do know that they are being discontinued as we speak. The new one is probably coming out this summer or so.

The reason why I asked about the Frescos is because they are $999 retail, but my dealer in Wisconsin is selling a boatload of them for $599 a piece, and he ships, which means you dont get taxed for it. If your discount price goes less than that, then you're solid. But if not, you may want to get a Fresco from this guy. You get full ML warranty and it's brand new.

 

[randycsvt]

I would have looked into online prices, but ML's website states that they have no online authorized dealers and there would be no warranty.

I have been giving these speakers a lot of thought. Would I really see any advantage to using claritys for surround sound and gaming? I have noticed that many people use these speakers for two channel systems, but listening to music is my lowest priority. This system will mostly be used for games and movies.

 

[Joey_V]

I would have looked into online prices, but ML's website states that they have no online authorized dealers and there would be no warranty.

This is not an online deal, you call up Ben from University Audio which is an authorized dealer and you get the Fresco brand new with warranty. I bought my Vantages from him this way... and the current Summits are through him also. Like I said, you get warranty.

Just trying to save you a few bills here, like I said earlier, if you get a lower price at Magnolia through employee discount, more power to you then and you got yourself a solid deal going there.

$599 is hard to beat.

 

[Joey_V]

I have been giving these speakers a lot of thought. Would I really see any advantage to using claritys for surround sound and gaming? I have noticed that many people use these speakers for two channel systems, but listening to music is my lowest priority. This system will mostly be used for games and movies.

Frankly, if you're not going to be listening to a lot music and if 2ch is indeed your lowest priority, you can probably get away with going with some of the Klipsch Reference speakers that Magnolia at Best Buy carries. For one, those are highly efficient, which would mean that you can run them easily with the Yamaha receiver or whatever you choose. Secondly, you can get them for a lot less than the MLs.

That or DefTechs which I know you guys sell.

Either way, it seems from your last comment that you're not really into 2ch stereo listening, I would suggest going with a less expensive company that is just as good for overall HT purposes and getting that LCD that your fiance wants at the same time.

 

[aerius007]

:welcome:

Besides, how young are you?

PS
I like Lartin Logan speakers too!
(Just pulling your leg!)

Joey, Joey. Sooner or later some other "kid" is going to come along. Learn to deal with it in a positve way and not feel threatened. You may have gotten this guy by a year, but like I said, sooner or later...

JUST SCREWING WITH YOU! !

 

[randycsvt]

Joey, Joey. Sooner or later some other "kid" is going to come along. Learn to deal with it in a positve way and not feel threatened. You may have gotten this guy by a year, but like I said, sooner or later...

JUST SCREWING WITH YOU! !

I take it Joey is the youngest guy on here.

 

[randycsvt]

I talked with the misses and I have some sad news. She thinks the clarity is an ugly speaker. I think I will go with the montages or mosaics ( I found them on the magnolia website). I really liked the claritys because I thought they looked nice and probably sound better.

I heard all of the def tech towers, and they were louder at the same volume, but I liked the overall sound of the ML's. The bottom of the bucket montages sounded better than the biggest def tech towers.

The other speakers i was thinking about were vienna acoustics, but the ML's were my favorite.

 

[Charliemike]

I would suggest going with a less expensive company that is just as good for overall HT purposes and getting that LCD that your fiance wants at the same time.

YOU! BE GONE WITH YOUR MAD RAVINGS!

I listened to all those speakers. Klipsch, DefTech, yada yada ... The Claritys roped me in ... Those other ones just can't hold a candle.

I haven't tried Claritys in phantom center mode but my SL3s are just amazing. Not only are they better than any Left, Center, Right setup I've heard I don't miss not having a center.

I know the 46" Aquos is calling but I'd rather go with a pair of Claritys and skip everything else for a while.

 

[randycsvt]

I thought it was funny when I searched the forum and read about WAF (wife approval factor). It seemed really funny until I asked the fiance for her opinion on the speakers. We had just gotten to the martin logan webpage and she jumped out and said the clarity's were ugly. I had not even said anything yet!

How have you guys inproved the WAF? I need to convince her that these clarity's will look good in our living room. She doesn't get why I want this stuff and has really only been ok with the omnisat rears I already bought, because she thinks they are cute.

I need to demo these with her and hope I can convert her to ML speakers!