a truely involving sound, a step into thed electrostatic community

small sweet spot

This speker is amazing. WHen I sit down in front of it I feel as though I am at a concert. The soundstaging is unreal. As noted in the previous reviews, this speaker, lacks some depth, in the deep lows. Otherwise its transparency and details are phenominal. Several people complain about the flaws, well let me point out a few things, 1st it has gotten everything but the lows down - but guess what, this is a surround speaker or one for a second room system. To many people attempt to buy a product from a company that they cannot afford, and expect to get the same sound from an entry pair of speakers as they do from one several models up. In the right applications, such as the surround, this speaker will flourish, especially in conjunction with other ML's as fronts. DO not get me wrond, one can use this as the main poair, however just do not ecpect the value for your money to be their as it is with bigger ML's. It is true that thier is a small sweet spot, but that is how things are with the majority of spekers, until one purchases a larger pair of quality speaks.

Similar Products Used:

ML entire line, also own aerius i's

I just got them last week and I'm shocked. With the right electronics will give you a very good bass, even if the woofer is only 8 inches. The clarity, transparency and right image of the stat panels are unmatched. They play very loud and very but very dynamics. The mid-range is natural and well balanced. I really like them very much! My system is: Sonic Frontiers Pre SFS 2, Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amplifier, Sonic Frontiers CD transport, Theta Digital Processor, Harmonic Recovery System, Linn Sondek 12, Oracle Delphy turntables with Sumiko Talisman IIIS mc cartridges, harmonic tech cables (interconnect and speakers)

Detail, transparency

Requires low bass supplement

Bought these speakers a little over a month ago. I was looking for a speaker that could match my older Stax headphones in accuracy. The bass on these doesn't extend as low as my Stax, but then again, loudspeakers must output considerably more power to equate to a transducer less than an inch from your ear. Radiation/propogation principals, don't 'ya know. I agree with the others when they say that everything upstream from these babies MUST be of the finest caliber to obtain the best possible sound. However, when you do that, the magic is there in spades. If you don't like sub-woofers, I would suggest that you invest in a larger model. Also, get ready to move them around some for the finest sound. I love them. They give me back exactly what I put into them with imaging, transparency, and speed that can't be matched.
Associated equipment:
Metronome CD-1V player
McCormack TLC-1 Deluxe
McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe
Nordost Red Dawn interconnects
Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cables
Marantz tuner

Transparency, firm soundstage, and midrange on up

Don't buy without a sub

Electrostatic technology is so far superior for sounstaging and the mid to upper frequencies that I wonder why more manufacturers don't make hybrids.

The ONLY problem with the Scenario is the lack of bass (what can you expect from an 8" cone). Without a sub, they sound pretty dry. Unfortunately, this somewhat sabotages the speaker's incredible detail, soundstage and transparency.

I auditioned them a second time with a sub (Mirage Substrata 1500) and voila! It was audio nirvana. Of course, adding a $1,500 sub puts you into a totally different price range, but I think this combination can compete admirably with any combination under $5,000.

Also, I recommend using a laid back amp like McCormacks and top notch cables. Be careful if you use them with a A/V receiver and make sure you have a high quality source.

Imaging, clarity, transparency, dynamics, homogenity

Ultimate bass depth and Bass slam, image focus, small sweet spot

While waiting an eternity for the B&W Nautilus 805 to arrive, I decided to take a listen to the MartinLogan Scenario. I am very glad I did!

When set-up carefully (at least 2-3 feet from the rear wall) and with the right electronics and cables, these speakers SHINE! There is so much more detail to be heard in music and movies with these speakers, that dynamic speakers from the same price class simply need not apply! I do not agree with Bob Y, that these speakers are bright and/or edgy. They are not. Most of the time, it's the electronics and cables that do the "musical damage". So make sure you have at least 100-150 Watts on tap and use the best cables you can afford.

The transparency and imaging properties are really striking, although image focus is a little worse than what can be achieved with small stand-mounts. The sound has much depth, but less width than dynamic speakers, because of it's more controlled dispersion. The dispersion is better than from most other panel speakers (for example from Final, Audiostatic, Quad, Magnepan), but still not GREAT. If you don't like a small sweet spot, than it might be better to look at other speakers, but I think good placement of the speakers will solve most sweet spot problems.

The bass wasn't as bad as I expected (it even betters the bass from the Aerius, being very tight and detailed), but it definitely needs a sub for reinforcement. I can heartily recommend a sub from the REL range (distributed in the States by Sumiko), because these blend in with the stats most succesfully. I am using the REL Storm myself, which is brilliant in it's own right.

I wouldn't recommend these speakers to all out metal or indi fans, because they could sound a little cautious and bright with this kind of music, but vocal and jazz lovers will adore the detailed, "hear-through" sound it gives to the performance. Don't misunderstand me: these speakers CAN rock, it's all just a bit more polite than what can be achieved with dynamic speakers. What's the (musical) truth? You should decide this for yourself I guess...

As a home theatre speaker, it makes all sounds so much more realistic and "correct" (clearly hearing bullet shells falling to the ground, with explosions and screaming at the same time is no mean feat), that it can be really startling and exciting. No blurry mids, no loss of detail and dynamics, just a very controlled, composed, understated sound. I love that. 7 Voice-matched MartinLogans make one of the finest home theater speaker packages money can buy, if you ask me...

Associated equipment:
MartinLogan Scenario front and rear speakers
MartinLogan Script side speakers
MartinLogan Cinema center speaker
REL Storm LFE/front sub
2x REL Q100E side subs
Parasound HCA-1205A/HCA-1000A amps
Lexicon DC-1 v.4.00 pre-amp
Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player
Pioneer DVL-909 LD player
Nordost Red Dawn and Blue Heaven interconnects
Nordost Blue Heaven and Flatline speaker cables
Van den Hul The First digital interlinks

Similar Products Used:

Chario Academy Millennium 1, B&W Nautilus 805