martin logan vs magnepan sound

i have owned magnepans. i currently have 1.6s. i have heard martin logans extensively. my friend has a pair of requests. while the speakers sound different, there are differences between current martin logans and older martin logans. there is a difference between hybrid elctrostatic and full range electrostatic.

personally, i prefer the treble of the martin logans--a bit purer with less timbral errors. i don't like the bass of the hybrids, nor do i like the integration of panels with bass. i am waiting for the new clx, a full range electrostatic

as a quad 63 owner and magnepan 1.6 owner, i find the magnepans somewhat peaky in the upper mids/lower treble. while they are highly resolving, they are more inaccurate than the martin logans in the same frequency region. the quad esl is closer to timbral correctness than the newer quads. there has been a degredation in sound in the quads, starting with the 63s, 988/989 and 2805/2905, in comparison to the original quad.

the older martin logans--the cls 2 z, the sequel, the sequel 2, the quest and request, are less flawed in the middle of the midrange on up than the quads and magnepans. the problem with the hybrids is integration.

the apogee duetta signatures should also be considered in this discussion even though not technically a subject of this thread. it is possible that the hew clx will be superior to the quads and magnepans.

hi nealhood:

which martin logans are you referring to ?

the current production hybrids do a terrible job of blending cone with panel, especially since the woofer is crossed over above 200 hz in some models.

the clx is the new full range speaker. hopefully, it will be out soon.

beware of hybrid speakers. i have heard bg speakers. they sound like two different speakers. there is a loss of continuity because of the difference between cone and panel.

i have observed this phenomenon with martin logans, vmps, innersound, soundlab and other hybrid speakers.

there is no free lunch. if you have dissimilar drivers, they sound like dissimilar drivers.

i forget to mention the smaller stand mounted speakers which have ribbon tweeters.

perhaps the best integration i have experienced is one of the floor standing piega speakers. i don't recall the model number.

i advise anyone considering a hybrid to listen carefully.
do not buy such a speaker without auditioning a pair prior to purchase. make sure your listening room has a level floor.