Speaker Preferences?


Sorry to start yet another of these "Which speaker is best" threads but I'm curious how astute AudioGon members rate the following speakers. My room is mid-sized (14 x 20 x 9) and my system is all very high-quality stuff. I listen mostly to rock music at not-quite-obnoxious levels.

Here's what I'm looking at in the under $7000 range:

- Martin Logan Vantage
- Acoustic Zen Adagio
- Revel Salon Studio (used)
- Wilson Sophia (used)

Please comment only if you've actually spent serious listening time with at least two of these speakers.

Thanks!
meagan02
My pleasure,

Recently I have spent some 'quality' time with the Zingali's. What an amazing speaker. When comparing a Martin Logan to the Overture it is like night to day. The Zingali's are so much more vivid and inviting - you sit there 'feeding' on the lush & detailled sound produced form the Overtures. The ML's are good but they really sound "dull"...

DV
gentlemen:

i am amazed that the word "dull" would be used to describe the sound of martin logan speakers. i have never heard that term applied to a cls, which, has been charcterized as one of the most transparent speakers ever manufactured. what do you mean by dull ? can a speaker be bright and dull at the same time ?
Mrtennis,

I dont know what was wrong with that setup but the ML's sounded 'dull' compared to the Zingali's - and the Zingali's werent overbright. They sounded frightningly 'real'.

The ML system used Audio Research equipment with a Clearaudio Master Reference Table and some Clearaudio MC cartridge. Everybody who auditioned the system agreed that it sounded "dull" - but the speakers definitly dissapeared in the soundstage.

DV
logans are great, getting them in the right position isnt easy or fun, sometimes seams impossible. I moved from ascent to ascent i's, to legacy focus 20/20's and overall, I like the focus 20/20's the best. They sound better with all types of music(and bad recordings), and are still right there close with the logans on the best vocal/acoustic recordings(loose a little air,etc).With the logans a subwoofer was critical or it sounded lifeless. Maybe this is what the reviewer above meant by dull. It just didnt have the dynamic feel because there was absolutely no bottom end in my room(s). Had them in 3 different houses by the way,bass was always the same.
i beilieve that a new martin logan full range electrostatic speaker, the clx, is to be introduced at ces 2008.

hopefully, they will be better balanced than the cls 2z.

i would be surprised if the clx would be described as "dull"