Matinee Center unveiled

[bober]

Hey guys, I just got the new ML Design Series center channel in my store here at Magnolia BB. I see its not even on the ML website. Well I displayed it today and gave it a listen.

The system is as follows (for now):

Mains: Martin Logan Purity
Center: Martin Logan Matinee
Surrounds: Martin Logan Vignette
LFE: Martin Logan Abyss

Receiver: Pioneer VSX-94
Source: Sony BDP-S300 Bluray Player
Disc: Fantastic 4 w/ DTS HD Master Audio track.

Cabling: All Audioquest HDMI & speaker wire terminated with bananas, and with 36v DBS.

I haven't had a chance to connect the Purity's with the Line In input, but so far, the system sounds AMAZING. Wow what a difference an ESL center channel makes. They match PERFECTLY. I have all the speakers 3 feet from the wall with the Abyss in a forward-firing position placed in the corner about 8 inches from both walls.

You can literally feel every part of the movie. You don't just hear it like with other speakers, you feel it. The sound brings you into the movie. Whenever someone on the Stewart 120" screen talks, the sound is literally coming from their mouths, not from the speakers themselves. What a transparent sound.

My only complaint would have to be the Vignettes. I feel that this system would sound so much better with Fresco i's as the rears.

Do any of you guys that actually have these speakers (doesn't have to be these particular models) in your house have any tips on making anything even better? I've used a lot of the tweaks already on the tweaks section of the forum. I'm probably switching out the Pioneer VSX-94 for the Denon 4308 this week and seeing how it sounds then.

Stupid question: does anybody know how to hook up the Line In on the Purity's? The manual said by using the pre-outs on the receiver, which is what I thought but it has a red and white pre-out for each channel and only 1 in on each speaker.

 

[mapmustang]

The receiver should just have 1 preout per channel. 2 fronts, center, sub, 2 surrounds, 2 rears. I've never seen anything different. You got any pics?

 

[bober]

No it does have one preout.. its a pair of white and red analog per channel. The Purity only has the input for the white (half the pair). Maybe I am not hooking it up right?

 

[Brian_74]

I looked at the <a href = "http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/kuro/product/details/0,,2076_310069789_475749029_tab=D,00.html?compName=PNA_V3_ProductDetailsComponent">Pioneer </a>website for your receiver. From the image shown, it looks like you have a Left (white) and Right (Red) pre-out for Front, Surround, Surround Back in the Pre-out section. So this is just like any other receiver. It's just that the color coding doesn't match the Purity because there is no distinction for left and right. Connect one preout to each speaker and you're set!

 

[tsmooth]

Matinee Price

What does a Matinee run $$? Is it close to the Motif? Thanks

 

[roberto]

What does a Matinee run $$? Is it close to the Motif? Thanks

Hola...The U.S. MSRP list is $ 1395.00. The size is about the same...no xtat panels and no aluminun woofers...the look is the same. Great to use with the Purity and the Source. The Motif is for Vantage...happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[JonFo]

The 'official' info is up on the MartinLogan site for the Matinee.

The panels IS an Xstat panel (all panels being made now are Xstat except for repair stock).

The woofers are paper vs the Alu of the Motif. (although the write-up (which was abviously cribed from the Motif) still mentions Alu cones down in the body (ML- Might want to correct that )

And not to resurrect this painful topic, but they also claim 'vertical' mounting option for this:

The Matinee LCR speaker easily installation on a set-top or shelf. Additionally, using the included wall-mount brackets and installation template Matinee may horizontally/vertically mounted to a wall (under or beside a plasma screen, for example).

This is wrong, wrong, wrong.
If we need to, let’s open another thread to go over the why’s of that so this thread stays focused on the other aspects of this nice new center.


The Matinee is basically a slightly decontented Motif. The lower cost woofers and possibly some savings in the crossover I'd guess are the biggest difference.

Nice little unit for paring with the new lower end ESL models.

 

[FatJ]

Actually Roberto was right on the panel. All 3 of the new design series products use the Gen 2 panel instead of the xstat. If ML said somewhere that they use xstat then they likely have another typo like the one you found on the woofers.

 

[JonFo]

Well, Xstat is the microperf panel, which the Matniee has, the Gen 2 part is described as the vapor deposition on the mylar. Nice, but not the dif between Xstat and gen 1 panels.

I'm thinking they are using Gen2 as new marketing term to distinguish it from older gen1 panels. Xtsat was too vague it seems...

Technically, I'm not seeing much difference between the panel in a Motif and the Matinee. Matter of fact, I bet they are the same physically and electrically.

But it does beg the question: Is there a difference between Xstat and Gen 2, or are they the same?

My take: Little if any.

 

[Joey_V]

Well, Xstat is the microperf panel, which the Matniee has, the Gen 2 part is described as the vapor deposition on the mylar. Nice, but not the dif between Xstat and gen 1 panels.

I'm thinking they are using Gen2 as new marketing term to distinguish it from older gen1 panels. Xtsat was too vague it seems...

Technically, I'm not seeing much difference between the panel in a Motif and the Matinee. Matter of fact, I bet they are the same physically and electrically.

But it does beg the question: Is there a difference between Xstat and Gen 2, or are they the same?

My take: Little if any.

Jon,

I thought xstat was more than just the microperf. As described by Roberto below, they redid some of the processes that go into the production of the membrane. If I remember correctly, the Clarity had a microperf panel but was not considered an xstat.

I could be off, but that's what I recall.

Joey

 

[roberto]

Jon,

I thought xstat was purely the microperf in addition to gen 2 mylar changes. However, if I remember correctly, the Clarity had a microperf panel but was not considered an xstat.

I could be off, but that's what I recall.

Joey

Hola...this is what I got from my good friends at ML regarding the xtat..."The XStat panels (Vista, Vantage, Summit and Motif) go through an extra step during production and visit our vacuum forming table. This process ensures a more consistent 30 degree (CLS) bend... more importantly it ensures also ensures a more consistently stretched diaphragm that aids in sound quality and increased sensitivity"...happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[sleepysurf]

Sounds like the XStat panels include THREE technological improvements...
1) Newest mylar conductive coating
2) Microperf panels
3) Vacuum bonding process (that was demo'd in Lawrence)

Given the irregularly bent shape of the Motif (and Matinee) panels, I doubt they are able to vacuum bond them, but I could be mistaken.

 

[Burke]

Given the irregularly bent shape of the Motif (and Matinee) panels, I doubt they are able to vacuum bond them, but I could be mistaken.

Vacuum bonding was invented for applying even pressure to irregular or hard to clamp shapes. As long as ML built a matching form for the inside curve they should be able to use the vacuum table to do the bonding.