Kappa 9 vs Martin Logan Quest Z

The Martin Logans are very good. I set up set of the ML Quest Z for a client and they sounded great. However I have owned several sets of Infinity speakers. I would agree that the ML Quest Z sound better than the 9 Kappa, however the 8 Kappa is the sleeper that nobody talks about. In the late 80s when I worked in an audio video store while I was in high school. I bougt a pair of 9 Kappas through dealer accommodation. It was October 1989 at the time and the 9 Kappas were selling like hotcakes. My boss asked me if he could sell my 9ks to a very good customer so he could have set for Christmas and replace my set of 9ks at a later time. So I would not do without speakers the store lent me new pair of 8kappas. To my surprise the 8kappa sounded better than the 9kappa. My dad loved the fact that I brought goodies like this home. He provided the music room & the front end and I bought the speakers & monoblocks Forte amps. When I mentioned to my boss that the 8ks sounded better. In disbelief and several months later when the store had 9ks in stock we did shoot out between the 9k & the 8k and it was unanimous among the store staff we just never mentioned it to the customer we would let the customers form their own opinion. When the store had both models in stock we would know which customers had good ears by which of the two they would pick. It was funny there were some customers that when listening to the 8k thought they were listening to 9k. We would always display them next to each other probably not the best listening environment. In my opinion if buy a set of 8k or the ML make sure you have real amp or both. One of best friends owns my 8k with a set of Threshold SA1A monoblocks . He has refoamed the woofers, redone the crossovers & re-wired the 8ks to this day are damn good. Used in good condition are a steal.

I cannot say which I like better the ML or the Kappa 8. I Like the Kappa 8 over the ML Zquest and the Kappa 9s. The ML is bright and hashy and the Kappa 9 has too much going on in one cabinet. The dual woofers in the kappa 9 fight with each other. The Kappa 8 is also a difficult speaker to drive but it is kinder to amplifiers but not but not by much from the other two speakers discussed in this thread. If you want a bargain buy the Kappa 8 it blows the doors over the other two. I do not think you can go wrong with the Kappa 8. They disappear and have a great tonal balance. The friend that has my old set has changed everything in his system accept the Kappa 8 and the Threshold SA 1A monoblocks. He has tried other speakers but keeps comming back to his original choice. ML are bright as niles on chalkboard. The Kappa 9 the bass is muddy and fat confused and incoherrent.