DIY as good as Martin Logan's? (1 Viewer)

[Gary Joe]

I heard some Martin Logan's at Ultimate Electronics, and I liked the detail they produced. Is there anything in a kit that would provide that kind of detail? Maybe that GR-Research line array kit?

 

[Stephen Dodds]

The Linkwirz Orion might be what you're after.
Check it out at www.linkwitzlab.com
I'm assembling the parts for a somewhat modified version.
Steve

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

If you want detail I have heard nothing in comparison to Avantgarde Trio 3.0s. I think Horns can offer a large amount of detail due the drivers only having to move small fractions. The small movement then gets amplified by the physical nature of the horn and there's NO crossover due to the natural roll off.

The GR line array kit is probably in a different league than the ML Odysseys you may have heard. I gues I think that electrostats shine in transparency while detail shines in horns. I know there are DIY horn speakers, just that there arn't any kits that come to mind.

 

[Jay_H]

I've never heard the GR arrays, but I have cut my 'phile teeth on Martin-Logans. I doubt the GR arrays would give you what you want. If you're hooked on that ESL "snap" and detail, neither planars nor cone-dome speakers will do it for you any more.

I believe that Innersound is selling their panels directly to DIYers. These have even more focus and detail than MLs from what I'm told, at the cost of a much smaller sweet spot. Interestingly, they recommend a much higher XO than ML uses (about 1.5 octaves higher, 450Hz vs. 120-150Hz) and coupling to a TL bass unit rather than the sealed units ML prefers. (I'm intimately familar with MLs but not with the Innersounds.)

A simple, non-DIY option is to find a used pair of MLs. Pre-mid-1990s ones can be somewhat dodgy in terms of woofer-panel integration*, but the Aerius-i, SL3, and reQuest are all very good. (These three were big steps ahead of the earlier Aerius, Sequel, and Quest speakers.) I am of the opinion that the older series of MLs are cleaner in their design than the new ones, too. I think there's even a pair of that-generation MLs in the MOMA.

*except for the CLS, which is a full-range ESL with no woofer to integrate.

And then there's always Quads. Used ESL-63s regularly trade in the same range as high-end kits, US$1000-US$1500. Of course, from there you'll probably want to add the Gradient dipole sub/stands, or a DIY variant thereof....

Other speakers that do provide that kind of detail are horns. Horns are BIG, but they can be DIY'ed if not cheaply, than at least significantly more cheaply than commercial offerings. And often better, too. (I don't think the Avantgarde horns are that hot. You need a truly massive room to get the horns to integrate properly, and then the midbass modules are woefully inadequate. They are a stunning visual design and look great inside their plexiglas cubicles in the Frankfurt airport, but they're definitely better seen and not heard.

Peace,

Jay