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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.
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Showing 2 responses by bill_powel

bill_powel
2 posts
 
Well for one, a speaker that beats the MM3 is the Polymer Logic from Polymer Audio Research. Unlike MM3's ceramic midrange drivers, the Polymer uses a diamond midrange with a crossover that uses the world's best parts.

I am convinced that there is no better material to make a speaker cone than diamond. When talking about speakers under 100K, the Polymer Logic probably beats any speaker under $250K. I auditioned them at the Polymer listening room in miami and I am absolutely mesmerized by the sound. I heard the MM3s at a show and for sure the hype around them is true, they are unbelievable. But they still can't hold a candle to the Polymer Logic which just takes sound quality to another level.
bill_powel
2 posts
 
Tboooe,

I think that there is a very clear way to define which loudspeaker is superior and this is not subjective at all. The superior speaker is the one that sounds closer to live music. The closer you get to say capturing the sound of a real piano in your living room the better the speaker. Isn't this what our hobby is all about, capturing live music in the home?

Stereotaipei,

Obviously implementation has the greatest impact, but the Volent speaker uses relatively inexpensive cross-over components and a lower quality cabinet than the Magico which is also part of the reason for its inferior sound. The diamond midrange in the Polymer Logic is also the midrange used in a $250K speaker from Marten Design. THis is saying a lot. I think a lot of people do not take Polymer Logic seriously because of how inexpensive it is. Well, I promise you that all it takes is one listen to these speakers to realize just how they totally create a new standard. I am not talking about incremental improvements here,
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