Krazikiwi
Well-known member
1. Member Name: F Jeff
2. Location: Middle Earth, New Zealand
3. ML Model(s): Quest Z
4. Year Purchased: 1996
5. Mods/Changes: Resprayed failing surfaces in Piano Black gloss finish, ML Quest z's vertically bi-amped, newer ML spikes.
6. Associated Electronics: Michell Gyrodec, SME 309 & V, Benz, Koetsu, EAD DAC & Transport, Sony SCD XA777ES SACD, Magnum Dynalab Etude Tuner, Jeff Rowland Consummate pre amp & phonos with 2x Model 8 power amps, Cardas Hexlink Golden 5-C balanced end to end.
7. Comments and/or stories about your Martin Logan experience: The long road to Martin Logan began with KEF Concerto speakers which gave way to Magnapans (I could never own another ‘normal cone speaker’ again!), migration without said planars got me into Quad ESL 57’s to tide me over until repatriation of my gear some 5 years later.
It was on one of my many business trips to the US that I first heard Martin Logans demonstrated in Denver that I realised I could have 3 dimensional bass together with the ‘stat’ sound. Finding amps that could ‘do the business’ was an entirely different act altogether. I would say that 85% of the demos I heard were harsh, downright unlistenable (to me) and often it was the amp that either had not enough current or I simply did not like the sonic ‘hifi’ signature of them. It was clear to me that MLs were incredibly revealing and took no prisoners in exposing what was in the chain before them.
I finally found (by accident) the American amp with the closest audio and musical signature to my valve Quad amps but with the V8 delivery the MLs required – Jeff Rowland Design Group.
Once this was finally sorted, I set about finding ‘my’ MLs......they appeared as 8 month customer owned out of Oxford HiFi in the UK and I duly shipped them back to Germany where I lived. Fine tuning (taming!) the system was done with Cardas cables as I was too chicken to go with a more ‘open’ cable in case I got the ‘edginess’ I had so often heard in demos around the US.
My music tastes are universal but Jazz, Italian Baroque followed by rock and other classical are the order I like my music.
The MLs are not perfect, they do not have the ‘air’ of my Maggies or the absolute purity of mid range of my veteran Quad ESLs but they do (IMHO) all things so well, enough of the time, that I can accept their compromises. They are unique and I constantly smile in wonder when I sit down and discover performances and music events via LP, CD, SACD and FM.
What else can make one smile every time one gets up after a ‘music session’ after all these years.........only a live concert can, my Martin Logans are my next best thing!
All these years and no more ‘upgrade-itis’!
Take care
Jeff
2. Location: Middle Earth, New Zealand
3. ML Model(s): Quest Z
4. Year Purchased: 1996
5. Mods/Changes: Resprayed failing surfaces in Piano Black gloss finish, ML Quest z's vertically bi-amped, newer ML spikes.
6. Associated Electronics: Michell Gyrodec, SME 309 & V, Benz, Koetsu, EAD DAC & Transport, Sony SCD XA777ES SACD, Magnum Dynalab Etude Tuner, Jeff Rowland Consummate pre amp & phonos with 2x Model 8 power amps, Cardas Hexlink Golden 5-C balanced end to end.
7. Comments and/or stories about your Martin Logan experience: The long road to Martin Logan began with KEF Concerto speakers which gave way to Magnapans (I could never own another ‘normal cone speaker’ again!), migration without said planars got me into Quad ESL 57’s to tide me over until repatriation of my gear some 5 years later.
It was on one of my many business trips to the US that I first heard Martin Logans demonstrated in Denver that I realised I could have 3 dimensional bass together with the ‘stat’ sound. Finding amps that could ‘do the business’ was an entirely different act altogether. I would say that 85% of the demos I heard were harsh, downright unlistenable (to me) and often it was the amp that either had not enough current or I simply did not like the sonic ‘hifi’ signature of them. It was clear to me that MLs were incredibly revealing and took no prisoners in exposing what was in the chain before them.
I finally found (by accident) the American amp with the closest audio and musical signature to my valve Quad amps but with the V8 delivery the MLs required – Jeff Rowland Design Group.
Once this was finally sorted, I set about finding ‘my’ MLs......they appeared as 8 month customer owned out of Oxford HiFi in the UK and I duly shipped them back to Germany where I lived. Fine tuning (taming!) the system was done with Cardas cables as I was too chicken to go with a more ‘open’ cable in case I got the ‘edginess’ I had so often heard in demos around the US.
My music tastes are universal but Jazz, Italian Baroque followed by rock and other classical are the order I like my music.
The MLs are not perfect, they do not have the ‘air’ of my Maggies or the absolute purity of mid range of my veteran Quad ESLs but they do (IMHO) all things so well, enough of the time, that I can accept their compromises. They are unique and I constantly smile in wonder when I sit down and discover performances and music events via LP, CD, SACD and FM.
What else can make one smile every time one gets up after a ‘music session’ after all these years.........only a live concert can, my Martin Logans are my next best thing!
All these years and no more ‘upgrade-itis’!
Take care
Jeff