2. speakers
  3. 149687-65619

MartinLogan Subwoofers- Don't Overlook Them!

With everyone on the SVS, Rythmik, JL Audio and REL bandwagons MartinLogan’s subs tend to be overlooked by many.
After reading the Stereophile review of the ML Dynamo 800X subwoofers with app based controls and ARC room correction I picked up a pair at my local dealer.
They have an excellent feature set for seamless integration including continuous phase, high level speaker inputs, multiple crossover slope settings all done from the listening spot.
The app works really well and they connected via bluetooth without a hitch. I renamed each sub to indicate the left and right positions and it is so easy to adjust and control them to get the best results.
They sound excellent! Very "musical" with no bloating, very tight and fast. They go deep enough with strength and clarity. Sustained deep notes are presented with power and authority with no breakup.   They also deliver excellent punch- kick drums sound great with appropriate impact.   The only drawback is that they are so far a little dry sounding, a little too tight.  I'm sure they will loosen up with time but even with that I am still enjoying them quite a bit!  
For anyone in the market give these some consideration.   And yes, two subwoofers offer many advantages over a single sub and the resulting sound is fantastic.   
avanti1960

Showing 3 responses by avanti1960

avanti1960 OP
1,545 posts
 
@gochurchgo  I have them connected with high level speaker connections, which has sounded better on my particular amplifier than line out connections.  Having these connections (like my old JL Audio sub)  was one reason that I picked them
avanti1960 OP
1,545 posts
 
@millercarbon   of course two subwoofers in a room do offer advantages but the design and spec of the subwoofer is critical.   At this point having two subwoofers has negated the issues I had using a single sub and until I find something to complain about two is all there will be!  
@mijostyn   you have to adjust the subwoofers one at a time as far as i can tell.  
@noble100  I agree about the directional cues when at the listener spot but while moving about the room, the sound of a single sub can change dramatically.  I had a single sub previously and the sound was so defined and powerful when standing at a certain spot about 10 feet from the front of the sub and lost those qualities as you moved away from that spot.  With the two subwoofers it is true- the room is equally balanced.  
With respect to stereo sub-bass it can come off as directional when the higher frequencies of a given note can be localized to a certain direction.  Although the corresponding sub bass "hit" is not directional within the room, the fact that the higher frequencies are directional tricks the ear into believing that the sub-bass is also coming from the same spot- e.g  powerful stereo drum work.  



avanti1960 OP
1,545 posts
 
noble,

" I’m fairly certain the exact number of subs considered acceptable in a domestic room is higher for most men than most women" 
we definitely agree on that point !  I would like to hear the 4-subwoofer swarm system one day, possibly at AXPONA next year? As of now my 2-subwoofer system has been carefully dialed in and sounds excellent,  integrated, dynamic and with balanced, well defined notes.  One key I have found to avoid smearing my main speakers is to use the higher order crossover option on these subwoofers.  The 4th order crossover (24db per octave) set at 65Hz sounds excellent and does a great job at eliminating the directional energy since 130Hz would be 24db down from the main signal.  Doing this saves the need for any kind of high pass filter for the main speakers. 

@gochurchgo2
I am running my main speakers full range.  I connect the subwoofers in parallel connecting at the amplifier speaker terminals.  The high impedance of the subwoofer creates minimal load on the amplifier and draws a very small amount current- just enough to let the subwoofer amplifier do its job.  

More to discover