Martin Logan Motion 15 Bookshelf speakers

DocG

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Recently heard the Ethos ESL speaker, which sounded full and fast, though a bit edgy at high volumes.

Never heard (or saw) the Motion series yet. The design reminds me of the Golden Ear speakers (http://www.goldenear.com/index.php/products/aon-series), with their folded ribbon tweeter. The latter sounds great, but is no looker; should the sound be comparable, then that Motion 15 might be just the ticket!
 

DocG

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womble72 said:
I saw the MLs in my local hifi shop last night, I'm to chicken to go in and ask how much :-D

I found these two (US) reviews online, with a price indication of $799 (apparently the Motion 15 was called LX16 before). British and Euro-prices may well be somewhat higher, often 1 $/£ or 1$/€...

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/motion-lx16

http://www.digitaltrends.com/speaker-reviews/martin-logan-motion-lx16-review/

What are you waiting for? Grab some CD's and go listen. And keep us posted! :)
 

matts

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womble72 said:
I saw the MLs in my local hifi shop last night, I'm to chicken to go in and ask how much :-D

Bad, rip off price in the UK as usual. $399 (approx £260) in the U.S. £795 in the UK. That's disgusting!

As a car audio enthusiast, I picked up on these after looking into Dipole speakers, and coming across the Martin Logan speakers.

For those who are interested in car audio enthusiasts approach to dipoles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCDR_PKk8FY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCwiuBZlLBU
 

DocG

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matts said:
Bad, rip off price in the UK as usual. $399 (approx £260) in the U.S. £795 in the UK. That's disgusting!

Hi Matts,

Could that be $399 per speaker in the US and £795 per pair in the UK? This would be the 'normal' ratio (incl. shipping, taxes, VAT, ...).
 

matts

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You could eb right .... however the price differnece still means a large saving if one were to buy them and import them, even with the risk of getting caught by the import tax.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Pair-of-Martin-Logan-Motion-15-Speakers-Black-/251391908352

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MartinLogan-Motion-15-Compact-Bookshelf-Wall-Speaker-with-Folded-Motion-Tweeter-/190926123431?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item2c741571a7 - single available shipping to UK

Don't we British just looooove getting ripped off!?
 

tone

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I'm a newbie here and can't give you the usual hifi adjectives but I do have ears plus playing guitar and music for over 25 years

I am about to purchase the motion 40's so I listened like crazy to all the motion series

The 15's are great . Only weakness to me is the low end could be a smidge more

Now I'll give you the adjectives. Lol

What I think is amazing about these speakers is that they have a really sweet extended high end and the mids sing.

The low end is tight and punchy as well

I listened to a bunch of b&w bookshelves and although I like them , they aren't as exciting .

The low end on the b&w sounds a bit deeper to me. Kinda more scooped sounding . While I like that quality as well the b&w just don't recreate the mids and highs like the Martin logans.

The motions might fatigue your ears a bit sooner than the b&w because of this.

But what nice fatigue ! Lol

I would kinda like to combine the b&w with the Martin Logan's if I could
 

tone

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I'm a newbie here and can't give you the usual hifi adjectives but I do have ears plus playing guitar and music for over 25 years

I am about to purchase the motion 40's so I listened like crazy to all the motion series

The 15's are great . Only weakness to me is the low end could be a smidge more

Now I'll give you the adjectives. Lol

What I think is amazing about these speakers is that they have a really sweet extended high end and the mids sing.

The low end is tight and punchy as well

I listened to a bunch of b&w bookshelves and although I like them , they aren't as exciting .

The low end on the b&w sounds a bit deeper to me. Kinda more scooped sounding . While I like that quality as well the b&w just don't recreate the mids and highs like the Martin logans.

The motions might fatigue your ears a bit sooner than the b&w because of this.

But what nice fatigue ! Lol

I would kinda like to combine the b&w with the Martin Logan's if I could
 

matt49

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tone said:
The motions might fatigue your ears a bit sooner than the b&w [...] I would kinda like to combine the b&w with the Martin Logan's if I could

Three thoughts:

1. if there's any possibility that you might find the MLs fatiguing, I'd think long and hard before taking the plunge. I'd look, for instance, at the Focal Aria 906s and Guru Juniors, which were both well reviewed in the recent group test in WHF and are of similar format and price.

2. the MLs might prove less fatiguing with a better source

3. a sub could be a good move if you're missing some bottom end.

:santa:

Matt
 

davedotco

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Interestingly (or maybe not) the Motion speakers use a folded ribbon tweeter derived from the Heil Air Motion Transformer.

This is virtually the same design as the Adam X-Art tweeter used in all of their designs, for roughly the same money you can get the Adam A7x.

This is a larger speaker than the MLs, a 6.5 inch bass driver which gives the bass end far more depth and weight. It is also, of course, fully active with a substantial 100 watt amplifier for the bass and 75 watt for the tweeter.

This makes for a very potent package indeed, a bit industrial looking perhaps but if you can get past that and if it's active configuration suits your setup, it is a rather a fine product.

Matt does of course have some experience of the X-Art tweeter in his Artist desktop speakers.
 

altruistic.lemon

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DDC, given the guy is on the point of buying what by all accounts are stunning passive speakers, why on earth would you think actives would suit his configuration?? Do you not think he knows what he has and wants?
 

davedotco

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altruistic.lemon said:
DDC, given the guy is on the point of buying what by all accounts are stunning passive speakers, why on earth would you think actives would suit his configuration?? Do you not think he knows what he has and wants?

It was a point that I thought might be of general interest, surprisingly I was not trying to corrupt the OP to the dark side...... :doh:

Still, good to see you putting your body on the line to protect the world from the evils of er, whatever........ :?
 

tone

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Listened to the motions through an Arcam A19

They sounded less punchy through a Peachtree

I liked the agressivness of the arcam
 

matt49

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tone said:
Listened to the motions through an Arcam A19

They sounded less punchy through a Peachtree

I liked the agressivness of the arcam

With the Peachtree, did you try toggling the valve stage on and off? Was it the nova or the decco?

I really like the look of those Peachtree amps: beautiful objects, lots of good tech, and nicely quirky. I plan to have a listen in the New Year.

:santa:

Matt
 

tone

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Based in San Francisco

Yep toggled the preamp tube on and off . Made a bit of a difference

Warmer less snappy with the tube

I think I liked the arcam A19 the most out of those amps

Oh also played a maranz with those speakers as well. It was good. Ok . Most bland of the other amps
 

davedotco

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tone said:
Based in San Francisco

Yep toggled the preamp tube on and off . Made a bit of a difference

Warmer less snappy with the tube

I think I liked the arcam A19 the most out of those amps

Oh also played a maranz with those speakers as well. It was good. Ok . Most bland of the other amps

More interesting.

Without wishing to talk down British equipment, surely you must have some interesting local branded product that will drive these speakers rather well?

Imported stuff is rarely good value, particularly if the 'home' market is strong, as it is in the US.

Maybe something like the W4S Mini, onboard dac, plenty of connectivity 100wpc, just $1500. Pug ugly though....... ;)
 

tone

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Ah screw British equipment. lol

Just messin,

Well it all comes down to what you have in front of you to listen to.

Resources

Just like guitars and amps. I own pretty much all I have been exposed to.

Sound is so subjective so just like guitars and guitar amps I have learned to trust my ears and pick whatever they like.

I have heard numerous reviews and I use them as a guide to seek out stuff that is around me.

In the Magnolia store there was the Arcam, Marantz , peachtree, mcintosh, and some onkyo etc... I used those with the speakers they also had out on display. Martin Logans, B&W, energy, and some others which i cannot remember their name but werent memorable.

Maybe some people can argue and are correct that there are better speakers out there for the price but I dont know unless I dont listen to them.

I went in the store with the salesman advising me with the B&W but i preferred the ML motions.

To tell you the truth I didnt search the Amp part as much because I tried about 5 for a little while and some higher end ones to see how much of a difference the amp makes.

This is my first system ( higher end) so I am sure that in the interm I will hear more stuff and gain more knowledge to guide my choices more.

It takes A LOT of listening and in your own environment to get things "right" for you.

remember I am a newbie here but over 25 years strong in guitar, another 5 for piano and violin. So i have ears.

If a speaker and amp combo give me goosebumps, THAT is the determining factor, not dispertion, imaging, response time, and all those sound adjectives.

Sometimes old crappy speakers sound pretty cool for some applications as well.

subjective.

I would love to and cant wait to try more stuff.

oh btw the Arcam is $700 for the floor model which is a pretty good price for that model and amp.

Do you guys like the Arcam A19?

cheers!
 

davedotco

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tone said:
Ah screw British equipment. lol

Just messin,

Well it all comes down to what you have in front of you to listen to.

Resources

Just like guitars and amps. I own pretty much all I have been exposed to.

Sound is so subjective so just like guitars and guitar amps I have learned to trust my ears and pick whatever they like.

I have heard numerous reviews and I use them as a guide to seek out stuff that is around me.

In the Magnolia store there was the Arcam, Marantz , peachtree, mcintosh, and some onkyo etc... I used those with the speakers they also had out on display. Martin Logans, B&W, energy, and some others which i cannot remember their name but werent memorable.

Maybe some people can argue and are correct that there are better speakers out there for the price but I dont know unless I dont listen to them.

I went in the store with the salesman advising me with the B&W but i preferred the ML motions.

To tell you the truth I didnt search the Amp part as much because I tried about 5 for a little while and some higher end ones to see how much of a difference the amp makes.

This is my first system ( higher end) so I am sure that in the interm I will hear more stuff and gain more knowledge to guide my choices more.

It takes A LOT of listening and in your own environment to get things "right" for you.

remember I am a newbie here but over 25 years strong in guitar, another 5 for piano and violin. So i have ears.

If a speaker and amp combo give me goosebumps, THAT is the determining factor, not dispertion, imaging, response time, and all those sound adjectives.

Sometimes old crappy speakers sound pretty cool for some applications as well.

subjective.

I would love to and cant wait to try more stuff.

oh btw the Arcam is $700 for the floor model which is a pretty good price for that model and amp.

Do you guys like the Arcam A19?

cheers!

$700 for the A19 is actually cheaper than the price here in the uk, so clearly a great deal. I expected $1200 plus.

Unlike musical instruments, hi-fi is meant to offer at least some degree of accuracy, ie impose itself on the sound to the minimum degree. To put it in perspective, would you buy a guitar amplifier, however 'good' sounding, that makes all your guitars sound the same?

Clearly it is up to you, but over the years I have heard many, many systems that sound 'great' on one level yet completely fail to give any insight into the music, particularly noticeable if the music in question is outside your usual genre. Nothing wrong with this of course but it is not hi-fi and should not be confused with such.

It is a music playback system in the same way as your guitar and amo combo, virtually a musical instrument in its own right. I have, many years ago, been down that route myself but in the end I got a bit bored because everything sounded the same. (In some respects anyway)
 

tone

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Yeah $700 is a good deal and I really like the sound of that amp compared to what I have been exposed to.

Actually I tried the Martin Logans with ALL genres of music. Even stuff I really dont listen too much to. I brought a bunch of my CDs and overall I loved the Martin Logan sound compared to the rest of the stuff I heard.

yes, HiFi is suppose to not color the sound as much as possible, but in the end it is trying to get different flavors of goosebumps.

So no i dont buy guitar equipment to make all my guitars to sound the same. But I do buy guitar amps for their specific flavor that they add. In guitar the amp is almost as much of an instrument as the guitar itself.

I think it is really difficult to accomplish the hifi thing also. As long as there is a physical medium between the instrument and the reproduction of it other than itself it is always going to color the sound to some degree. Of course I dont want a bass drum to sound like an empty boom or sound like a speaker enclosure but more close to the acutall bass drum. I dont want a tweeter to sound like a physical tweeter itself but the actuall high frequencies of the instrument which was recorded. But still the WAY in which the instruments are reproduced are done so in a different way between all of the different equipment.

B&W might add more low mids to a bass drum sound and Martin Logan might add higher mids to that same bass drum or accent those frequencies more.

i just have learned to trust my ears.

again it takes time and experience to do all this. So just like guitar amps I may find down the line that I prefer a different sounding speaker in the long run.

for now with the stuff I have listened to and can afford the Martin Logan 40s blow everything else out of the water on the goosebump level.
 

davedotco

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tone said:
Yeah $700 is a good deal and I really like the sound of that amp compared to what I have been exposed to.

Actually I tried the Martin Logans with ALL genres of music. Even stuff I really dont listen too much to. I brought a bunch of my CDs and overall I loved the Martin Logan sound compared to the rest of the stuff I heard.

yes, HiFi is suppose to not color the sound as much as possible, but in the end it is trying to get different flavors of goosebumps.

So no i dont buy guitar equipment to make all my guitars to sound the same. But I do buy guitar amps for their specific flavor that they add. In guitar the amp is almost as much of an instrument as the guitar itself.

I think it is really difficult to accomplish the hifi thing also. As long as there is a physical medium between the instrument and the reproduction of it other than itself it is always going to color the sound to some degree. Of course I dont want a bass drum to sound like an empty boom or sound like a speaker enclosure but more close to the acutall bass drum. I dont want a tweeter to sound like a physical tweeter itself but the actuall high frequencies of the instrument which was recorded. But still the WAY in which the instruments are reproduced are done so in a different way between all of the different equipment.

B&W might add more low mids to a bass drum sound and Martin Logan might add higher mids to that same bass drum or accent those frequencies more.

i just have learned to trust my ears.

again it takes time and experience to do all this. So just like guitar amps I may find down the line that I prefer a different sounding speaker in the long run.

for now with the stuff I have listened to and can afford the Martin Logan 40s blow everything else out of the water on the goosebump level.

One of the keys to the sound of these speakers is the folded ribbon tweeters.

I don't know what you may have seen, but are you familier with the Adam Audio range of studio monitors that use a very similar tweeter?

They are German and pretty well known all over Europe but I have no idea how easy to find in your part of the world.

The A7X is a serious speaker but only costs about £800 in the UK. bear in mind that this is a fully active design with some serious power amplifiers built in. If you are out and about in studios or, more likely, pro audio/music shops you should check them out.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_a7x.htm
 

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