System #88 (Aerius i)

MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum

Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
R

rrayda

Guest
Speakers:
- Martin Logan Aerius i bi-wire electrostatics for L/R mains, I bought these in 2002 and plan to have them for a long long time
- Paradigm LCR-350 center
- Paradigm Atom v.1 direct-radiating surrounds
- Paradigm PW-2200 400W powered 12" sub

Source Components:

- Denon DVD-3910 universal player
- Sony CDP-XA20ES CD Player (Notice the puck that holds the disc to the platter in the pics. This player is unique in the fact that it uses a fixed-pickup transport mechanism. Instead of moving the laser as most players do, it actually moves the disc.)

Receiver and Amplification:

- Denon AVR-3805 receiver - used mainly as a pre/pro while powering the center and surrounds
- Sunfire Load Invariant Stereo Power Amplifier - Driving the 'Logans. This amp has the rare distinction of actually possessing the ability to double its power output with each impedance halving of the loudspeaker load. That means that into the low impedance load of the 'Logans (about 1.5 Ohm nominal) this amp is kicking out over 1200 Watts (yes, you read that right, 1.2kW of power). Amazing.

Display:

- InFocus X1 DLP Front Projector - All source signals converted to s-video and routed to the back of the room where the projector lives. Component video is not an option with runs of this length, hence the s-video connections. I'm running a screen size of about 160" right now.

Connections and Controls:

- Philips Pronto TS-1000 - Fairly old-school, but still the best touch-screen remote control ever made.
- Audioquest Type 4 in hi/low bi-wire configuration on the 'Logans
- Audioquest Type 4 on all other speakers
- Audioquest Ruby interconnects on the CD player
- Audioquest Topaz interconnects form the receiver to the Sunfire amp
- Audioquest CinemaQuest S3 silver s-video cable on the DVD player
- DenonLink III cable from universal player to receiver (eliminates need for the standard six analog interconnects, and I LOVE it).

It's just yummy. Pop in a good disc, sit back in the sweet spot and just float away.......

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • sys2.jpg
    sys2.jpg
    131.2 KB · Views: 1,486
Last edited:
More pics

Some more pics for y'all
 

Attachments

  • sys4.jpg
    sys4.jpg
    191.8 KB · Views: 1,210
  • sys7.jpg
    sys7.jpg
    129.4 KB · Views: 1,009
  • sys6.jpg
    sys6.jpg
    131.9 KB · Views: 1,096
  • sys5.jpg
    sys5.jpg
    125.8 KB · Views: 1,058
  • sys7.jpg
    sys7.jpg
    129.4 KB · Views: 770
Fantastic System...

rrayda,

Welcome to the ML Club!
Your system looks great... :D What type of projector screen are you using for your InFocus X1 DLP projector? Can you describe how awesome your InFocus X1 DLP picture delivers? As I've heard some good things but not directly, from an actual owner.
Also, what are the dimensions of your HT? What percentage of the time do you watch films vs listen to music?

Beautiful system... :D
It's good to have you here... :D
 
Very nice setup. I'm jealous of your projection video setup, as my rear projection TV and wall unit play havoc with my audio imaging!

I presume you are using the Denon "sub out" direct to your Paradigm, and the rest of the signal "direct out" or "line out" to the Sunfire. If so, I'm curious what freq the Denon crosses over at?

I have a similar setup using a Yamaha as Pre/Pro (90 hz crossover for sub-out) for Home Theater/Surround.

However for 2 channel, I have eliminated the Pre-amp altogether by feeding a Squeezebox (analog out) directly to my Sunfire. I was amazed at how much CLEAN Bass the Aerius puts out (albeit bi-amped) in this configuration, sounding even better than my NHT Sub.

Also, if you post your system on the Frapper Map, you'll be the first "Wyominger" to do so!
 
Wyoming listening

Hey Robin

Glad to be a part of the club here. I am using the cheapest screen you can get for my X1...nothing. The installation details of a screen in our room were just a little too much for my wife so we just throw it up on the wall. Our walls are pretty much bright white with little texture, so it works pretty well. I would prefer a negative gain screen since the X1 is a DLP unit, but the wall works just fine.

In spite of this, the picture is excellent. The only problem I have is that the throw distance for the lens is pretty short, so the picture is bigger than I would like it to be. We probably only sit 12 feet from the image and it is over 120" at its smallest zoom setting. So aside from the obvious size/distance problems here, the picture is nice. It pops well due to the X1's high contrast ratio even though I run it in power saver mode (reduces light oputput in favor of darker blacks). All in all, a great alternative to a bulky and ugly RPTV. I have been using front projection (mostly all In Focus, one older Sharpvision LCD beast that didn't stay around for long) for over 5 years now and will probably never go back to anything else.

The actual room I have my HT housed in is a little odd. We have a vaulted cieling (from about 8' to about 20') that opens to a loft above and an open joining with the kitchen. Not much constraint here in a room that's about 26x22. The sound is pretty smooth with some small suckouts in the 50-60Hz range and pretty good room mode at about 35Hz. The highs and mids (and who doesn't like these with 'Logans?) are simply delicious.

Now, I'm a music man at heart, so the system probably gets used something like 70/30 in favor of music. I listen to a little of this and a little of that, mostly all on CD through the XA20-ES (I do love that little redbook player). The sound makes me happy...and really what else is there?

|R|
 
And the details.....

Hey Sleepysurf.

I am, in fact, running the Paradigm off of the line level sub out from my Denon receiver. I have about 10' of normal audio cable going to a Y-adapter abnd plugged into the stereo inputs of the Paradigm. You get a 5dB-ish increase in gain using this configuration. Not that I need it as I have the volume control set at about 25% on the amp panel of the sub and there it sits. The have the Denon crossing over at about 75Hz. The bass management on the Denon is pretty well-executed, pretty much being continuously variable from 60-120 Hz. I like flexibility.

I used Yamaha as my pre/pro for the longest time (the RX-V800 was the last one I had) and decided to try the Denon on for size this time. Operationally, it's a little more customizeable than the Yamaha was and the sound seems pretty much a wash to me. The Denon is perhaps a little crisper and somewhat more dry whith the yamaha being a little warmer and ever so slightly softer. I just always think they matched the display colors on these so well....a nice warm amber on the Yamaha and a cool blue on the Denon...someone was thinking there.

And hey, look at that...I am the first Wyoming Frapper here....Wow!

|R|
 
rrayda, have you owned the speakers since new or did you pick them up used? Is the whole system about the same age?

Nice set-up.
 
Logans and tubes

Hey Kach22i.

I bought the Logans from a guy on Audiogon about 2 years back. They replaced a set of Paradigm 9semk3 speakers I bought back in '96. The Paradigms will always hold a special place in my heart, 'cause they were the first real pieces of music reproduction equipment. The Logan smoke 'em in all areas, but I did love those things.

I hopped on the system building merry-go-round after that and haven't got off since. I've slowed down, for sure, but I'll probably never get off. I was originally driving the Logans with the Parasound (HCA-100aA) amp I used on the Paradigms, but I soon found that wasn;t gonna work so well. I wanted something that could supply some major power ot these Logans since I knew thaey could use it. The Sunfire is a result of that and I couldn't be more pleased. So really, the system is a total amalgam of different ages, changing tastes and financial abilities (I started building it when I was a Sophomore in high school). It just keeps getting better, too.

Now your turn.....how the heck sre the tubes working out with your power-hungry Logans? I really wanna know. I've alwas been fascinated by tubes but just decided it wasn't worth the trouble nor the cost, but then again.....

|R|
 
rrayda said:
Now your turn.....how the heck sre the tubes working out with your power-hungry Logans? I really wanna know. I've alwas been fascinated by tubes but just decided it wasn't worth the trouble nor the cost, but then again.....|R|
Maybe I should link you to "Bad day at stereo ranch" thread:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=1124&highlight=ranch

I love the tubes, but like my old car - there are somethings I have to trust others to do. Being 100% dependable and maintenance free is not as important to me as I grow older. Being 100% enjoyable however is, hence the tubes and a Porsche. Hey, I used to have a Diesel Golf and solid state amplification, priorities do change.:)
 
Excellent System...

rrayda said:
Hey Robin

Glad to be a part of the club here. I am using the cheapest screen you can get for my X1...nothing. The installation details of a screen in our room were just a little too much for my wife so we just throw it up on the wall. Our walls are pretty much bright white with little texture, so it works pretty well. I would prefer a negative gain screen since the X1 is a DLP unit, but the wall works just fine.

In spite of this, the picture is excellent. The only problem I have is that the throw distance for the lens is pretty short, so the picture is bigger than I would like it to be. We probably only sit 12 feet from the image and it is over 120" at its smallest zoom setting. So aside from the obvious size/distance problems here, the picture is nice. It pops well due to the X1's high contrast ratio even though I run it in power saver mode (reduces light oputput in favor of darker blacks). All in all, a great alternative to a bulky and ugly RPTV. I have been using front projection (mostly all In Focus, one older Sharpvision LCD beast that didn't stay around for long) for over 5 years now and will probably never go back to anything else.

The actual room I have my HT housed in is a little odd. We have a vaulted cieling (from about 8' to about 20') that opens to a loft above and an open joining with the kitchen. Not much constraint here in a room that's about 26x22. The sound is pretty smooth with some small suckouts in the 50-60Hz range and pretty good room mode at about 35Hz. The highs and mids (and who doesn't like these with 'Logans?) are simply delicious.

Now, I'm a music man at heart, so the system probably gets used something like 70/30 in favor of music. I listen to a little of this and a little of that, mostly all on CD through the XA20-ES (I do love that little redbook player). The sound makes me happy...and really what else is there?

|R|
rrayda,

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate your very wonderfully articulate and detailed discription of your InFocus X1 and your HT room imaging. Your system is most excellent indeed... :D

Thanks again,
 
rrayda said:
Now your turn.....how the heck sre the tubes working out with your power-hungry Logans? I really wanna know. I've alwas been fascinated by tubes but just decided it wasn't worth the trouble nor the cost, but then again.....
Welcome aboard. Here are come clarifications to popular belief that Logans are power-hungry due to the low-impedance load hovering around the 1-ohm region... It's not the low-impedance load of 1-ohm that you should be concerned about. This 1-ohm load only occurs at the frequency extreme of 20kHz where there isn't much musical energy to be reproduced. The issue posing havoc on the amplifiers is the wide impedance swing from 30-ohms to 1-ohms that the amplifier must deal with. If one were to concentrate on a single impedance point (say 1-ohm in your example), I can pick the 30-ohm load at 1.5k (smack in the important midrange region) and your amplifier now pumps out...30wpc. Not a fair reflection of the SunFire, is it? The point is that you need to consider the entire impedance curve as a whole for the Logans. Now, if you have a solid-state amplifier on the bass, and complement it with tubes on the panels, you're set for musical nirvana. The tube amplifier on the panels don't need to be high-powered, but they need to have a really good power-supply to deal with the wild impedance swing. Depending on your taste, something between 50wpc to 100wpc on the panels suffice. I currently have 50wpc on the panels of my ReQuests and have not looked back at solid-state amps at all.

Good luck with your system
Spike
 
Tubes....yum

Spike.

So how do you have the bi-amp set up at the amp end? My pre/pro only has one set of pre-outs for the front channels and that's currently feeding the Sunfire. Are you just running a y-adapter or something I'm too slow to think of? I am doing a sort of bi-amp configuration on my Aeris i's becuase the Sunfire has the voltage and current source outputs. Voltage source on the low range, current source on the panels. Only requires one connection to the pre/pro, though....It sounds good but I've always wanted tubes and think I may take the plunge sometime. Thanks for the info.

|R|
 
My ModWright pre-amp has 2 sets of RCA output for driving 2 (stereo) amplifiers. Most modern pre-amp nowadays come with 2 sets of RCA outputs to accomodate for bi-amping. In the past, I have use these RCA Y-splitters from Monster Cables with excellent results. The issue with most Y-splitter is that they usually involve a short cable which may or may not be up to the quality of the rest of the cables in your system. This compact unit from Monster Cables bypasses that issue. Good luck with your system.

Spike
 
Pre-out fever

Spike said:
Most modern pre-amp nowadays come with 2 sets of RCA outputs to accomodate for bi-amping.
Spike

Damn, my preamp only has one set of pre-outs for the front channels. It does have a second zone output (I'm using an A/V receiver) so maybe I could make that work...I'll take a look. Thanks, Spike.

|R|
 

Latest posts

Back
Top