Prodigy advice needed please?

[ford427]

Hi all,
I am considering replacing my aging Sequel II's and saw a pair of Prodigys on a local auction site down here in New Zealand.

They are asking NZ $12,000.00 for them which equates to around $9,300.00 USD. They seem a little pricey to me but what do you guy's think? What is the ballpark market value in the US at present?
What are everyones thoughts on the prodigys? I would like to demo some new CLX's but cannot find any dealer with them in stock here in NZ. So maybe these might be the next best option for a larger panel ML as I have a big room to fill with sound.
Thanks in advance,
Nigel.

 

[GaryG]

They are asking NZ $12,000.00 for them which equates to around $9,300.00 USD. They seem a little pricey to me but what do you guy's think? What is the ballpark market value in the US at present?
Nigel.

Nigel,

$9300 USD is certainly high. Here, typically Prodigys go for around $3800. The price range is something like $4500 - $3500 but nothing close to $9300 in the US.

I have had Prodigy's in my system for nearly 9 years. Until recently they were my mains and now they serve as the rears in a 7.1 system with CLX's as mains. For Large rooms both the CLX and Prodigy's are great speakers. If you are going to use them in a two channel system the Prodigy's can be used without a sub as their bass extends to 28 Hz (-3db). However most CLX owners would recommend one and preferably 2 subs even for 2 channel music with the CLX. In large rooms the Prodigy's are great. In large rooms the CLX's are fantastic. Not my opinion, just the facts.

How much do they charge for new CLX's in New Zealand?

Gary

 

[ford427]

Well, I am having trouble finding a current ML dealer (NZ)to get a price. I have emailed ML(US) for some advice on the nearest dealer but have a feeling it might be Australia?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Wardsweb]

Yes, over $9000 is high for the US market. Do you know what they would have cost new there? If so, about half would be a very fair price. In the US, originally 10,000 to 13,000 depending on the year and finish, are now selling between 3,000 and 5,000. Check the internet at places like Ebay and Audiogon. This will give you an idea of what they are selling for now and where.

Good Luck, I love my Prodigy's; big majestic with a sound to match.

 

[Rich]

In large rooms the Prodigy's are great. In large rooms the CLX's are fantastic. Not my opinion, just the facts.

Any subjective assessment is opinion, and not fact. The prodigy is a FANTASTIC speaker, in my opinion. If you compared both stand-alone (without subs) in a large room, it may very well best the CLX due to its lower extension, lower crossover point, and larger ESL radiating area. Don't forget that the Prodigy has a crossover that is over 100 Hz. lower than the CLX; it has about 200 sq. inches more radiating surface (per speaker) in the panel that plays above the crossover point; and it goes almost 30 db lower than the CLX in bass extension. So while the CLX may have a cleaner sound around the crossover point and more natural-sounding bass, I expect the Prodigy does a better job of filling a large room full of sound and oomph without having to resort to subs.

And yes, Ford427, $9300 is about twice the going rate for used Prodigy in the U.S. They only sold for $10,000 brand new.

 

[robertawillisjr]

I am just curious here. Do they have a VAT in NZ?

 

[amey01]

And yes, Ford427, $9300 is about twice the going rate for used Prodigy in the U.S. They only sold for $10,000 brand new.

Unfortunately, that is the reality for us non-US people who must deal with greedy and unrealistic distributors. Unfortunately, manufacturers (ML included) condone (and exasperate) the issue by forcing us to use these greedy pigs.

Case in point - ML ensuring that your 60Hz power supplies don't work here, even though there is absolutely no technical reason why this must be the case. It is just a plain and simple shelter and cover for money-making distributors.

That's why you get such a vehement response each and every time the issue is raised.

Used Summits (original, not X) typically go for around AUD$15,000-$18,000 here. And with our dollar hitting parity with the US, that is well.......$USD15,000-$18,000! That is MORE than they sold for new.

It's a joke, but what can we do?

 

[MOON]

The price is a little high. I follow audiogon several times a day, for years and have never seen any under 4K.A pair was just on our Canadian site www.canuckaudiomart for $5500 and sold in a heart beat.

The way I look at it is used Prodigy's don't appear everyday. If you took shipping into account from the States, what would that come to?if buying off audiogon. I have a soft spot for Prodigy's and would buy them if my room was 2 feet wider.Follow your passion!!

Cheers, Greg

 

[ford427]

Thanks everyone! I think I will take a listen to the prodigys and negotiate from there? I really like my old Sequel II's. They are like an old friend to me now and they actually still sound great compared to many modern speaker alternatives I have listened to in recent years. I run Sunfire amplification. Do you think I can expect a little more from the Prodigys?
Have a great weekend,
Nigel.

 

[Duane Rogers]

The price is a little high. I follow audiogon several times a day, for years and have never seen any under 4K.A pair was just on our Canadian site www.canuckaudiomart for $5500 and sold in a heart beat.

The way I look at it is used Prodigy's don't appear everyday. If you took shipping into account from the States, what would that come to?if buying off audiogon. I have a soft spot for Prodigy's and would buy them if my room was 2 feet wider.Follow your passion!!

Cheers, Greg

Just as a point of interest I was in a local audio shop last week (EHR in Hamilton Ontario) They still have a set of Prodigies (demo) for 7997.can. IIRC. List price was in the 18000. range. Surprised to see them still on the floor. How long have they been discontinued by M.L? D.R.

 

[Neil H]

I believe the price here in Australian is around $8k to $10K. I had a pair a while ago and sold them for $9k but the dealer would have charged a commission.

They are however hard to come by in Australia. You should contact Audio Connection in Drumoyne Sydney as they are the Australian Importer and also sell both new and second hand through their shopfront.

Unlike the US models you would not have to worry about the different voltage.

 

[Bruce Weiland]

Hey mate,

What voltage to you run down (down to us) there?

The current required to charge the Prodigy stats is minimal.

I believe you could by a used pair of US Prodigy, from Audiogon or eBay, pay shipping, and by a very small converter for the power supply, and be thousands ahead.

Bruce

PS I am a Prodigy owner with a small room and TWO subs. :music:

 

[ford427]

In NZ the Voltage is...

240V 50Hz. I am going to take a trip to listen to those Prodigys then maybe we can work on a deal if I am impressed by them. I would suspect importing a set from the US would be cost prohibitive.
I am disapointed with ML USA as I emailed them asking for advice on where I may find the nearest dealer to me so I can demo some CLX's but as usual no reply. These modern companies have forgotten would good old customer service means unfortunately. It does not take to too much effort to acknowledge a customers email, especially a customer planning on spending a large sum of money on one of their high end products.
At least there is plenty of good advice to be found here. Thanks guys.

Nigel, New Zealand.

 

[Bruce Weiland]

Nigel,

First let me make it clear, MY Prodigy are not for sale. OK, now I feel better.

You might be correct on the shipping. I think shipping weight for the pair, which would come in three boxes, is probably around 300 lbs.

However, if the shipping is not too prohibitive, I am sure you can buy a pair for $4,500us, or less.

I am sure that a power supply/converter for 240/50Hz to 120/60Hz must be available in Oz, for not much $$$.

Well, good luck.

Bruce

 

[amey01]

I believe you could by a used pair of US Prodigy, from Audiogon or eBay, pay shipping, and by a very small converter for the power supply, and be thousands ahead.

NO! You "believe" wrong. Read post #7.

ML insulate and condone their thieving distributors' behaviour and expressely prohibit a customer from employing this common-sense approach.

The voltage and frequency here (and NZ I believe) is 240v/50Hz, you have 120v/60Hz in the 'States. The 120v boards are engineered (probably at great expense) NOT to work with 50Hz. The only way around this is if you have a complete power inverter and regenerator. Then you will no longer be thousands ahead.

 

[Bruce Weiland]

Adam,

NO! You "believe" wrong. Read post #7.
OK Let me restate that, I KNOW one can buy (from the USA) from Audiogon, Craig's List, and eBay Prodigy for $4k to $5k. I just (a few minutes ago) saw a listing for $4,500.


ML insulate and condone their thieving distributors' behaviour and expressely prohibit a customer from employing this common-sense approach.
Bash ML all you like, I was just trying to give Nigel another option that might be more affordable.


The voltage and frequency here (and NZ I believe) is 240v/50Hz, you have 120v/60Hz in the 'States. The 120v boards are engineered (probably at great expense) NOT to work with 50Hz. The only way around this is if you have a complete power inverter and regenerator. Then you will no longer be thousands ahead.
Maybe yes, maybe no. I think someone resourceful may very well be able to find an inverter that would fit in the budget.

I have not found a price for this one yet, but here is an example.

http://www.deployabletechnologies.com/uploads/SSG500-UPS_BROCHURE.pdf

One could even create some sort of Rube Goldberg device by first finding a very inexpensive step down transformer, and then locating a 50 hz to 60 hz converter.

Where there is a will there is a way.

Bruce

 

[vic]

Hi Nigel,

RRP in Australia was $29k aus,not sure about NZ pricing.

Victor.

 

[amey01]

Adam,


I have not found a price for this one yet, but here is an example.

I certainly wasn't doubting your suggestion that you can get them for a cheaper price in the US. The "NO" was specifically referring to the fact that ML's 60Hz power boards will not work on a 50Hz supply!

Trust me - I am a victim of this daylight robbery (I wasn't just "bashing" ML, but a LOT of manufacturers - but really I'm bashing the distributors) - I have exhausted all avenues to make it go away. Sometimes it's just not possible.

 

[amey01]

Where there is a will there is a way.

Sounds like you need a mini science lab just for some bias current!

 

[Bruce Weiland]

Maybe not. Give me a few days to contact some people.

Depending on what I find, this very difficult problem may be solvable in a not so difficult way.

Bruce