Sold Martin Logan CLX ART for sale

[Dean S]

I am new to this site, and would like to post my CLX ART speakers here - if interested in purchasing them please let me know. I purchased these 2 months ago, newly refurbished by Martin Logan, with full 5 year warranty from an active member of this site, Shawn M (Davinci Media). They are amazing!! Magnificent sound. Love them. I set them up and was immediately knew I had made a great decision.
I had last purchased ML in 1986...CLS....and remembered those fondly. These CLX ART speakers are lightyears ahead of that game.
I have bought and sold (on audiogon and privately) for several decades and have owned speakers too numerous to count.
When my wife returned home from work, upon opening door, she said, "you're kidding, right?". They stand tall and they are wide and make a statement. I think they are magnificent. She is not happy. Needless to say, I have committed, since that moment, to sell them. I have procrastinated long enough. I have no choice.
Shawn offered to extend the 5 year warranty to the new owner, which is very kind and generous of him!
These are no longer made ( I learned that the reason for that is that they are too expensive and the wood details too difficult to manufacture.)
The sound is incredibly transparent and FULL. Percussion sounds life like. I (had) envisioned acquiring subwoofer at some point, but I must say that the sound is extremely dynamic and full bodied and my blues/jazz/electronic music sounds perfect to me!!...as is!!
This would be a great opportunity for anyone who is honestly interested and hoping for a discount on a perfect pair in dark cherry wood, fully warrantied.
These sold new for $29,900 before they were discontinued and that is a BARGAIN. I paid Shawn just under $24,000 two months ago. I think that $18,000 ((40% off new - fully warrantied) would be a generous discount after 2 months of ownership -a great deal for anyone as long as you take care of shipping/insurance..or come to my home to pick up. You can audition if you are local and prefer that..then pack up after audition.
I am located in suburbs of Philadelphia.
If you are interested, let me know!!
Dean S
Dean S

 

[Robert D]

Do you still have the boxes? Im guessing that you do. Such a shame that your wife is being so unforgiving.

 

[Dean S]

Do you still have the boxes? Im guessing that you do. Such a shame that your wife is being so unforgiving.

Yes I have the boxes and packaging and I always save freight pallets for shipping.
yeah - I have had a “wife factor” for many years!!

 

[kkruse]

I find it fit the room well! Have you showed the size of the alternative speakers to buy instead?

 

[Dean S]

Yes… about 12 inches less height and significantly less width.
Also the Martin Logan’s sound best to me when placed more forward than in the photo. about 6 feet from front wall. They are currently placed back in line with audio cabinetry which does look nice.

 

[Tmort]

EM-ESLX might meet the wife’s approval, far smaller footprint!

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Oh boy... that's one sad story indeed mate. However, I would say not too sad, such that you're a caring person and still "listens" to the wife! This means that you do care for her and her sincere values and you're not acting selfish at all... good man!

I was listening to Eric Bibb on LP when I came across this post, which notified me on email... I had to stop the train immediately! Simply because I had a very similar journey with my wifey... you see, it's all part of a sharing game, at least it was for me.
Approximately 20yrs ago, when our daughter was born, I took delivery of the Maggie top of the line, MG20. They were huge! In our modest cmb home going back to 2002. Before the MG20's, I always had mostly panel type speakers, MG3.3, MG3.5, MG3.7, various Quad ESL's, and ML CLSIIz's, so she was quite used to it. In 2004/05 we migrated to Aus, and I showed her those massive Infinity's, Genesis, and the new Maggie MG30.7's, huge aren't they luvs? Massive ugly double bass panels, with separate mids&highs panels, needs a huge dedicated room, why did they even come up with this eh? So during our trips to Spore, I would always show her those massive speaker affairs...

Of course before that, you must always treat her with respect! So I always make it a point to get the BLING! Diamonds, precious stones and whatever her heart & fingers desire... oh! It's never enough is it? Surprise her! And I must say, she's put up with all my madness over the decades, and I truly owe it to her, in fact I wouldn't even be in Aus if not for her!

So, when I finally bought the CLX's in Sept 2018, she said, "oh my, what a beautiful work of art!"
And that's all she wrote!

She absolutely loves the CLX's and I make it a point to always play her type of music first! Simon & Garfunkel, Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones, Taylor Swift and of lately, Sam Smith. Once these few tunes are played, only then do I play my usual jazz tunes. Right now, it's 2:45am and she's fast asleep. I'm listen at very low levels and still enjoying it to the fullest!

I noticed that you have Dan 'D Augostino amplifiers and Nordost cables. I know exactly how those CLX's are performing! It's a real shame letting these go, they're one of a kind and in a class of their own... absolute legendary!

Anyway, sorry to bore you with my shenanigans... I truly hope you find the speakers the Mrs will be happy with.
Cheers and all the best, RJ

*sorry forgot to add; I agree!!! They definitely don't require subs! I will never use subs with CLX's, unless I was listening to deep organ music or heavy synthesised bass... which I don't care for at all.*

 

[Necrosuit]

I had these exact speakers years ago...Got them brand new for $11k cause there are deals out there. Id give you $7k cash

 

[Big Dog RJ]

11grand for CLX's brand new...??? What planet is that mate? Over here, they're around 50grand! That's in $AUD not USD... even then, 11grand... jeez what a deal.

I sincerely feel these are truly worth 20grand used or around 30grand new. That's what the new price was over here, just before they were phased out. Now, they go side by side with the Ren15a's at approx 49grand a pair. There are only a handful of new/ ex-stock left at selected dealers in Aus. You guys in the US must be darn lucky to get CLX's at under 20grand. Wow! I'll be damned.

Anyway, once these are "properly" set up, they can easily surpass the big guns price tags and can easily compete in the league of Alsyvox, Apogee's, YG Acoustics, Rockports, Genesis and Wilson's. No sweat whatsoever! Trust me, I've extensively been there...

Cheers to CLX's! One of a kind stats!
RJ

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Wish you all the very best Dean S.
I truly hope the next person who gets these CLX's are truly deserving and appreciates what the team has done with the CLX Art design.

Like I've said many times before, there's no other speaker I would rather own. CLX's are absolute legendary full range stats, and they HAVE to be set up properly in order to unleash their full potential. Also, matched with the best of gear, there are no compromises, especially at this level.

Dont worry Dean, the right buyer will come in sesrch of these. One who truly appreciates full range stats at a fine level! Not just someone looking for a cheap deal...

This type of person will be truly passionate about fine recorded music, and will have a high level of experience with stats, especially full range. They will also have equally fine gear to partner the CLX's with, similar to those other CLX owners. Not everyone can afford Dan'D's designs in amplifiers, they are superb! So, this is one SOTA system you have there. It doesn't get any better than that!

All the best Dean, hope it goes well.
Keep us posted. Woof!
RJ

 

[Necrosuit]

11grand for CLX's brand new...??? What planet is that mate? Over here, they're around 50grand! That's in $AUD not USD... even then, 11grand... jeez what a deal.

I sincerely feel these are truly worth 20grand used or around 30grand new. That's what the new price was over here, just before they were phased out. Now, they go side by side with the Ren15a's at approx 49grand a pair. There are only a handful of new/ ex-stock left at selected dealers in Aus. You guys in the US must be darn lucky to get CLX's at under 20grand. Wow! I'll be damned.

Anyway, once these are "properly" set up, they can easily surpass the big guns price tags and can easily compete in the league of Alsyvox, Apogee's, YG Acoustics, Rockports, Genesis and Wilson's. No sweat whatsoever! Trust me, I've extensively been there...

Cheers to CLX's! One of a kind stats!
RJ

whoa! Yea I got a brand new pair of CLX Art for $11,500 5 year warranty but that was back in 2011. Dealer out of California. I feel all the ML speakers are worth the bang! I currently have 15A's, love them better then the CLX to be honest. Didn't mean to offend but I look for deals always! And I find them. Brand new 15A's with a 5 year warranty for $16k, gotta find the avenue's, people buy and sell all the time with certain stipulation's and there are deals to find

 

[twich54]

Dean I wish you the best with your sale but I must admit your ad made me laugh. You bought those and then told the wife ?? !! I guess that explains the countless number of speakers you've had over the years !

 

[Big Dog RJ]

whoa! Yea I got a brand new pair of CLX Art for $11,500 5 year warranty but that was back in 2011. Dealer out of California. I feel all the ML speakers are worth the bang! I currently have 15A's, love them better then the CLX to be honest. Didn't mean to offend but I look for deals always! And I find them. Brand new 15A's with a 5 year warranty for $16k, gotta find the avenue's, people buy and sell all the time with certain stipulation's and there are deals to find

Ah! now I understand. I also believe that the US and Spore are very competitive markets. These prices simply cannot be matched in Aus, no chance! Over here, if you're considering actual highend gear, you have to be a top dog in your business/ industry, not for the average Joe. Prices on highend are through the roof, and Aus has always been that way. The most affordable gear is what you would find at Harvey Norman, The Good Guys or JB Hifi (equivalent to Circuit City or Best Buy...) They would stock the ordinary Klipsch, Dali, JBL, Pioneer, Denon & Marantz stuff. Then we have Audio Lab, NAD, Musical Fidelity and Rotel so called highend but at speciality stores with price tags way over several grand.This is where the purchase power is and gear moves...

Actual highend, ARC, CJ, VTL, Pass Labs, Plinius, Dartzeel, CH Precision, Alsyvox, ML, Sonus Faber and so on, starting price tags 15grand and above... the "entry level" Alsyvox are 125grand a pair, and that's their lowest model (Tintorento).

I can certainly see why you like the Ren15a's over full range stats. In fact, the Ren15a's were on my short list! Apart from the CLX's, it was AG horns- Duo XD's, Ren15A's, Audio Analysis Omega's, and the CLX's. The moment I auditioned the CLX's at my mates place in Spore, driven with a full array of Dan D's amplifiers (Momentum preamp & Relentless monoblocks) I knew straight away that was it! They were around 35grand brand new in Aus 2018. Quite different to the US, that's for sure!

Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

 

[Robert D]

Maybe if you have them up for sale for a long time and have no luck selling them, she will give in and let you keep them? How dead set is she on getting rid of them?

 

[Necrosuit]

Ah! now I understand. I also believe that the US and Spore are very competitive markets. These prices simply cannot be matched in Aus, no chance! Over here, if you're considering actual highend gear, you have to be a top dog in your business/ industry, not for the average Joe. Prices on highend are through the roof, and Aus has always been that way. The most affordable gear is what you would find at Harvey Norman, The Good Guys or JB Hifi (equivalent to Circuit City or Best Buy...) They would stock the ordinary Klipsch, Dali, JBL, Pioneer, Denon & Marantz stuff. Then we have Audio Lab, NAD, Musical Fidelity and Rotel so called highend but at speciality stores with price tags way over several grand.This is where the purchase power is and gear moves...

Actual highend, ARC, CJ, VTL, Pass Labs, Plinius, Dartzeel, CH Precision, Alsyvox, ML, Sonus Faber and so on, starting price tags 15grand and above... the "entry level" Alsyvox are 125grand a pair, and that's their lowest model (Tintorento).

I can certainly see why you like the Ren15a's over full range stats. In fact, the Ren15a's were on my short list! Apart from the CLX's, it was AG horns- Duo XD's, Ren15A's, Audio Analysis Omega's, and the CLX's. The moment I auditioned the CLX's at my mates place in Spore, driven with a full array of Dan D's amplifiers (Momentum preamp & Relentless monoblocks) I knew straight away that was it! They were around 35grand brand new in Aus 2018. Quite different to the US, that's for sure!

Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

Hey man, id like to have some convos about gear. I dig your attitude and opinion. Ill hit you up

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Hey man, id like to have some convos about gear. I dig your attitude and opinion. Ill hit you up

G'day mate, noticed that you have the Rega P8, so do I! Using the RP8 with a Benz Micro Glider SM, with a CJ TEA2SE Max version phono-preamp, it's a marvelous combination! Initially, when I was on the lookout for my speakers' short list, I was trying out the Michell Gyrodeck, Michell Orb and the RP10... eventually I borrowed the RP8 and partnered it with the CJ gear and it sounded so darn good, I just kept it! Couldn't really be bothered with the rest...
Sorry for digressing... just excited to see another Planar 8 and Ren15A user.
Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Maybe if you have them up for sale for a long time and have no luck selling them, she will give in and let you keep them? How dead set is she on getting rid of them?

I think she's pretty dead set Rob, otherwise, I highly doubt that Dean S would even think about selling them off... since he does like them. So why on earth sell something that you really like and not just that but also something that brings you so much satisfaction. The reason is other factors, and those factors are the Mrs... like I said, it's a sharing thing and something that you just have to run by them before divulging in any sort of gear. Once they're happy or allow it then it becomes so much more enjoyable. If you go against their wishes, you really can't enjoy it. Trust me, I've been there! Now, after nearly 21 years together, I can understand how the wifey feels and thinks, and what she likes and dislikes.

The best part is when both parties come to an agreement and she truly appreciates the design and the sonic performance of the gear you buy, you can share the enjoyment and live in bliss! Been there, and currently living it! It was certainly not easy to get to this point, especially after two decades of marriage.

That's one SOTA system and amplification that Dean has. The Dan'D Agostino amplifiers are truly special, and when partnered with a full range stat, such as the CLX's, it's one awe-inspiring performance. I've experienced these with the Momentums, Progressions, and Relentless monoblocks. This is a serious level price range, along with a serious level of performance. It really is the best money can buy, doesn't get any better in terms of SS finesse! Since I'm passionate about tubes, I prefer tubes but in terms of SS, there are only two brands that I would personally engage with, Pass Labs and any of Dan'D's designs, their in a different league!

Hope it all works out for Dean, time will only tell.
Cheers, RJ

 

[Reverb]

Hi Dean, any updates?

 

[Dean S]

Sold last week for 14000!

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Ah! So they were finally sold... hopefully the new owner appreciates these full range stats, they're one of a kind and no longer made. A rare breed indeed! I truly believe the new owner should be enjoying some fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

Ps. Any idea on what sort of amplifiers were been used with the CLX's? Always interesting to know about other brands and types of gear.