Martin-Logan subs - how are they? (1 Viewer)

[Kenneth Harden]

In particular the Decent (3, 10" drivers) and the Depth (3, 8" drivers)

Don't worry about price, just feeling them out. Should have access to them soon, just have no idea what they are like.

They sure look like they are serious pieces of hardware!

 

[Mike_Gr]

I have heard the Descent and was very impressed. I watched scenes from a few DVD's but didn't listen to music.

 

[Alan Pummill]

I bought a ML Depth sub about a month ago to augment my 2 channel music only system consisting of Magnepan MG1.6q/R's. I also own a SVS PC-Ultra that is being used in a separate HT system.

The Depth is a better match with my maggies than the SVS. The maggies, are a very fine speaker, fast and accurate. The SVS is a great sub for HT, but the Depth is much more musical!! It has great connectability and adjustability!!

I was thinking of getting a Rel Strata III, which many maggie owners choose, but after hearing the Depth, I knew that it would be a great blend with my maggies, and I was right!!

I strongly recommend the Depth, I paid $1700 US for a floor model (list price is $1795). The Decent goes for about $2795 US. The Decent would have been over kill for my 14' x 19' room!! Hope this helps!!

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Yes, thank you both. Please keep comments coming.

I will be selling them, but am also looking for a sub for myself. Little 13' X 13'6 room.

The Depth is looking really good

Serious question: it has three really long throw woofers. If you want to, will this sub POUND if you just want to have some fun? With all the cone area AND excusrion, I bet the thing would be able to have some nice output.

 

[Dean_M]

I'm also interested in the ML subs, and I would like to add to the list of questions.
In reading the subwoofer literature on ML's website, I saw that the Depth and the Descent each have a set of fixed crossover points. I apologize if this is a stupid question, but can the crossover option be disabled so that the receiver or pre/pro can be used to set a different (higher) crossover point than the ones offered by the sub?

 

[Alan Pummill]

Dean,

Yes, the crossover (high pass filter) can be set at 40Hz, 70Hz, or none.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Alan:

Does that mean the subwoofer can play up to 20,000 Hz.!!!???



Dean, that was anything but a stupid question, I was wondering the same thing, and assumed it had that.

But you just gotta remember: there are no stupid questions, just stupid people :b

 

[Alan Pummill]

Kenneth,

That was mean!!

The high pass filter is only active if you are running the sub using the left and right outs from the pre/pro to the left and right inputs on the Depth.

Of course your preamp/processor will determain the signal sent to the sub if this switch is set to none!!

Here is a link to the Depth's manual for more info!!
http://www.martinlogan.com/spgal_depth_manual.html

 

[Daniel.Han]

My favorite dealer in town carries a lot of ML so I have listened to them a fair bit. I have always been very impressed with both subs, and even the little brother the grotto. I think that the offerings of SVS, which seems to be a popular brand here (and one I happen to own) can rival the MLs, and probably at a lower price, but they will not be able to compete with size at all, or in my opinion aesthetics.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Alan:

You do know I'm kidding and giving you a hard time, right? Don't want to 'start something'

 

[Alan Pummill]

Kenneth....

 

[Dean_M]

Quote
"But you just gotta remember: there are no stupid questions, just stupid people"


Kenneth, I teach for a living and I've heard lots of stupid questions over the years. Sometimes they're asked by stupid people and sometimes not.
Having said that, I'll risk asking another question. "Musicality" is a term that I see used quite a bit in reference to subwoofers. What main factor determines the musicality of one subwoofer, like the ML for example, over another?
I've been tempted many times to ask Tom or Ron at SVS this question in regard to Plus vs Ultra drivers, but I probably annoyed them more than enough when I bought my current subwoofer.

 

[Alan Pummill]

Dean,

Enclosure type plays a significant role as to the sound characteristics of a sub.

Here is a link that covers this subject lightly!!
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/le...ubwoofers.html

Enclosures
"Enclosure" is another word for the cabinet that houses a speaker. By altering the design of the speaker cabinet, you can change the performance and output of a subwoofer. The two types of enclosures that we carry are bass reflex and acoustic suspension.

Acoustic suspension subwoofers use a sealed box to provide bass response. This method reproduces tight, accurate bass, but typically requires more amplifier power than a bass reflex design.

Bass reflex enclosures add a "tuned" port to increase and extend the bass response. The port is basically a hole in the cabinet that releases some of the energy created by the inward movement of the woofer cone. Bass reflex subs are more power-efficient than acoustic suspension models, but they sacrifice some accuracy in exchange for the added punch.

Hope this helps answer your not so stupid question!!

 

[Patrick Young]

Hi All,

First Post in a long time. My local Dealer Sells ML's
I have heard the Grotto's and I liked them a lot.
My salesman actually has two of them with Paradigm S-8's for his two channel set up at home. It really is very musical.

But it also will get pretty low for HT also. It packs a nice punch. My dealer will let you upgrade speakers every year as long as you double the price of the original set.

I'm thinking of starting with a pdr-10 or 12 then moving up to the grotto next year.

The msrp on the Grotto is $995.00.

I'm sure if this helps or not?

 

[Dean_M]

Alan,

That was a big help, and even answered another question that I was going to ask in another thread.
I have read in numerous places that a bass reflex sub, like the SVS PB12-Plus/2 that I have for example, can be made to sound tighter and more musical by plugging the ports. I have never seen any reasons behind it given before. I may play with mine and tune it to 16Hz to see how it sounds. The sub is overkill for my room, and I only listen at moderate volume levels anyway, so I'll probably never notice the drop in SPL of the sub.
All that said, the Depth and Descent are definitely going on my short list to audition. Thanks for the subsonic education.

 

[Alan Pummill]

Dean,

Trust me, you will get a lower, more accurate, response when you plug 1 or 2 of your ports on the SVS.

My SVS PC-Ultra sounds better in this configuration for music then it does with movies. (You do lose a few dB's with 1 or 2 of the ports plugged)

All and all, most audiophiles will go with a sealed enclosuer for accuracy!!

 

[Dean_M]

Thanks for the tips, Alan. I tried plugging the ports this weekend. I don't know if it's my bias/imagination or not, but it seems to me that the sub sounds much tighter and quicker with both ports plugged. I've only tried it with music so far, but I'll give a couple of movies a try this week.

(Kenneth, I apologize for stepping all over your thread. Mea culpa. Please let us know which sub you end up with, and what you think of it. )

 

[John_Charles]

Alan Pummill,

I sent you a PM...


Regards,
John Charles

 

[Lewis Besze]

Many sub builders would dissagree with the last part of that "statement".While there are differences between sealed and ported on many ways,which is more accurate is a matter of prefference, not of fact .
I only read one review of the Descent and it was in Stereophile of all places,it was rather positive,but it lacked any objective data.

 

[Alan Pummill]

Lewis,

This statement was from Crutchfield. But I have several friends that have high end 2 channel music systems, and they tell me that they feel that a sealed sub is more musical than a ported sub. Like you said, "a matter of preference".

"I only read one review of the Descent and it was in Stereophile of all places,it was rather positive,but it lacked any objective data".

In my latest issue of Stereophille, (April 2005), the MartinLogan Depth was listed in the "2005 Recommended Components".

John,

I have not done a side by side in my present room between the PC-Ultra (with 2 ports plugged), and the Depth. But I did do a side by side in my old house between my old PW-2200 and PC-Ultra. The Paradigm was better for music, the PC-Ultra was better for movies!! And yes, I know the PW-2200 is a ported sub. And I'm not saying the PC-Ultra sounds bad with music...it's just that the PW-2200 and Depth sounded better with music to my ears!!