PSB M2 vs. Martin Logan Clarity - Which is better?


Hello all:

I'm new to Audiogon and new to the world of "serious" hi-fi equipment. At present, I'm trying to put together my first good system. I've already got an NAD c 352 amp, Rega Planar 3 turntable, Musical Fidelity X-LPS V3 Phono preamp and an old Denon DCD-1420 CD player. Now, however, I need a great pair of speakers. The closest serious hi-fi shop near me (Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago) primarily deals in PSB, Spendor and Martin Logan. Yesterday afternoon, I auditioned the PSB M2 and Martin Logan Clarity against one another, as the salesman said these two speakers were the most neutral, true-to-life speakers I was likely to find in my price range (technically I'm only looking to spend $2K, but the Claritys are on demo sale for $2,300; whereas the M2s (with stands!) will run $1,500 on demo sale).

Anyway, I thought both were great speakers in the showroom, but I'm worried which ones will be better once I get them home. I live in an apartment with a main room of approx. 500 square feet. (I should also mention that the main room is twice as long as it is wide.) I tend to listen to everything from Hendrix to Coltrane, although I mostly go for guitar-based music (both acoustic and electric). Also, I tend to move around while I'm listening.

I hear Electrostatic speakers like the Claritys are very finicky - i.e. they sound great if you're positioned just right, but otherwise sound like crap. However, I also know they're supposed to be great on guitar-based music. Meanwhile, I thought the M2s sounded fantastic, but lacked that extra little bit of neutrality/clarity that the Logans provided.

Anyway, since I'm so new to all of this and want to make the right decision, I thought I would seek some advice here. Please help!

suicaine
Montytx - Thanks for the recommendation! How about Totem Rainmakers (as opposed to the PSB stuff) ?I've heard good things about them as well...
I'm coming at it from a practical standpoint. Deep bass extension and apartments just don't work, so I would think that a speaker that was easy to drive with minimal current and sounds good at lower volumes as opposed to higher volumes would be the way to go in an apartment.

All the speakers you mentioned are fine speakers and may be wise choices if you intend on moving into a more private setting that would allow you to open them up enough to benefit from their designs. I just depends on what you intend to do in the near future. I would hate to have a situation where my speakers needed current to sound good and my apartment lifestyle kept me from bumping them up loud enough to enjoy them.

Your situation might be one of those "less is more" situations. Good dynamics at low to moderate volume would seem to be a big plus. Whatever speaker you listen to, give enough attention at low volume levels to determine if they can thrill you or if they need to go loud to make your toes tap.
Montytx - Thanks for the recommendation! How about Totem Rainmakers (as opposed to the PSB stuff) ?I've heard good things about them as well...
Montytx:

Again, I really appreciate your thoughts. Actually, I just came back from purchasing a pair of PSB T45s, which I gather are the floor-standing, slightly larger brother of the B-25. I almost got the B-25s, but, when I found out I could get the T45s on sale for only $85 more than the B-25s, I thought I would be a fool not to go for them! Hopefully I made the right choice...