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What beats the Evolution Acoustics MM3 ??

With 500 hours on my MM3s I'm feeling comfortable that they're sufficiently broken in to begin to draw conclusions on their performance. I'm wondering if anyone else has found a speaker with similar characteristics?

The MM3s are unlike any speakers I've ever owned- B&W Silver Signiture, WATT/Puppy 5.1, 6, Dunlavy IV, IVa, V, Kharma Midi Grand, etc.

The MM3s simply stated allow you to enjoy the music. They are so utterly natural in their sound reproduction that you can actually forget about hearing two loudspeakers in the chain and get a closer connection to the music. I know this sound like so much holistic drivel, but I struggle to find a better way to express the sensation. In analytical, terms the following audiophile attributes, when veiwed holistically, help to explain this end result.

- Seamless driver integration.
- Flat frequency response with exceptional extension at the frequency extremes.
- Natural sounding dynamic swings and transparency.
- Truly effortless full scale presentation.
- Rivals Houdini in their ability to completely disappear.

These characteristics, in concert, allows you for once to focus solely on the music- something most audiophiles sorely need. The quality of the components comprising the MM3s must also help to achieve this level of "rightness".

- Linear, smooth, sweet & extended ribbon tweeter.
- Two ultra high-line ceramic midrange drivers- D'Appolito arrayed.
- Two 15" powered woofers in sealed enclosures- D'Appolito arrrayed.
- Super premium crossover parts and internal wiring.
- Computer modelled cabinet structure finished to extraordinarily exquisite standards. Think Sonus Faber meets Magico Mini.

Ultimately, the performance level these speakers achieve must certainly be attributed to their designer- Kevin Malmgren- formerly of Von Schweikert Audio. Kevin designed most of the current VSA line, including the legendary VR-11 and the equally impressive VR-9. While on the subject of the VR-9s- I listened exrensively to the VR-9s driven by the DartZeel pre-amp, DartZeel amp and EMM Labs digital front end at the '05 RMAF and was mightily impressed. Last year- 06' RMAF- is spent many hours listening to the MM3s driven by the EMM labs CDSD and the Dart combo (BTW the Darts and the CDSD are what I'm currently using on the MM3s) and the '06 RMAF MM3 system was significantly better, to my ears, than the VR-9 based system of the prior year.

This brings me around to the great value I belive the MM3s represent. At approximately $40k the MM3s significanly bettered the VR-9 which run $75K. Are the MM3s the equal to the enormous VR-11- I don't know, but perhaps they are- at almost 25% of the $150k price.

The Evolution Acoustics modular design allows you to start with MM1s or MM2s and add woofer modules as your budget allows. I've got my MM3s in a relatively small room of approximately 18x17 dimensions and the speakers perfectly integrate into the room. I was a little suprised by this ease of integration, but needless to say am now delighted. No bass boom or overload- not even close! And as an additional bonus the tweeters, woofers and woofer/midrange crossover points are adjustable. My MM3s are set, essentially, flat and I've felt no need to fiddle with the adjustments.

This leads me back to the opening comment about the MM3s and their ability to let you just enjoy the music. No other speaker in my experience has allowed me to just listen and enjoy- without feeling the need to tweak this or change out that. This is a true revelation for me. I'd like to know if others have discovered other speakers capable of this feat.
fbhifi
mtkhl567
157 posts
 
Fbhifi, I am the first owner of Evolution Acoustics MM3's in Europe. I must say that as anyone who purchased these speakers (including Frank who just sold his to my lucky audiophile friend Tom) I was bowled over by their appearance, sound...or lack thereoff, and room adjustability and last but not least their price. I sold my SF Strads that had the same retail $40.000 then (now $45.000) and got the MM3 being handsdown better in all areas we audiophiles listen for. It easily competes with speakers costing 2-3X. And when mated with Dartzeel in a good room probably beats most too. Don't expect that price to stay that low much longer...its insane in todays economic reality.

The best MM3 sonic quality I find is that music is just floating in the room, does not seem to come from the speakers. You close your eyes and imagine you're right there, at the sound levels that you please and befit the recording.

I'm going to audition the Kharma Exquisite Grand ($220k) soon at their HQ in Breda NL, and I'll let you know how many times X it sounds better vs the MM3. Didn't Charles van Oostrum choke at the price when he heard the MM3's intro at RMAF 06? LOL
elberoth2's avatar
elberoth2
1,223 posts
 
Viper z- The gentleman who sold his MM3s, whose room you posted, sold his entire system and replaced each component with a significantly less expensive make and model.

I do not belive that his components (MM3s aside) are that much cheaper.

BAT VK-52 is $18k compared to $22k for the Dart pre
BAT 600SE is $14k compared to $18k for the Dart amp

This is hardly a big difference in the realm of hi-end.
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Elberoth2- The prices you quoted on both the BAT and the Dartzeel equipment is incorrect.The correct pricing is as follows:

BAT VK-52SE- $10,500 (recently increased from $10,000)
BAT VK-600SE- $12,000

The OLD retail price for the Dartzeel equipment is:

NHB-18NS Preamp- $23,250
NHB-108 Amplifier- $18,181

The current price of the Dart units went up considerably from the above prices in October, 2007. It is my understanding that the BAT units Frank S. has were purchased used at a 50% or greater discount from retail, which is not uncommon. Purchasing used Dartzeel equipment at that kind of discount IS uncommon, if you can even find it used.

So, based on correct retail pricing the difference in price between the BAT preamp and amp and the Dartzeel preamp and amp is $18,931. The typical used street price difference is $1000-$3000 less.

Whether comparing the price differencial new or used- This IS a big difference, even in the realm of hi-end.
viper_z
95 posts
 
I don't want to be seen as thrashing the MM3.

All I can say is, once you got into the $10k range, price is not an indicator of performance. There are people who think that the $40k MM3 is a steal, better than Kharma, Marten, etc, but there are people who don't care for the sound, and won't put them in their room even they're for free.
aponter4
30 posts
 
Viper z

Those are very strong words you are using. Remember that it is also possible that those that you quote as not wanting the MM3 for free may very well have equipment that those that like the MM3 may also not want for free. The perception of the quality in the playback of recorded music is no different than our perception of the quality of fine wine and art... completely subjective! Anybody that claims that any one piece of gear is the absolute best or has no equal or better match is been naive and ignorant of this.

However, i can tell you about my own personal experience and perception. I currently have the MM2 speakers and they have ~400-450 hrs on them. Prior to these i had the Kharma Midi Grand Ceramique and i have played both with the exact same equipment and in the same room and music. The MM2 are for me no doubt superior to the Kharmas. Mind you that the Kharma Midi Grands that i had retailed for $32-33 G's at the time when i purchased them. They now retail for ~$38 G's. The MM2 retails for $28 G's now.

I have not heard either the SP Tech nor the Polymer Logic speakers so that i can't make any statements about these. But again, even for those that have had the oportunity to listen to all these, it is crucial to understand that unless you have kept everything else constant,any comparisons are flawed and partial. This is not to say that one that has heard all albeit with different set-ups can't make comments about different qualities in a comparative way but no absolute total comparisons can fairly be made. And any assessments again are always partial to one's perceptions and prejudices.
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