Are Martin Logan’s what they used to be?

Have your cake and eat it too. Sanders Model 10. There is no modern ML speaker that can keep up with these. Sanders designed the ML curved panel before he left to start his own company. www.sanderssoundsystems.com  He is a fascinating guy. Very opinionated and usually right. The model 10 is the best hybrid electrostatic I have ever heard. The next step up would be a Soundlabs speaker. 

...The ESL panels on the old ones were held by a frame solid, not flapping around in the breeze (say goodby to solid imaging) useless to spike these new ones they still flap...

This is nonsense. The current Masterpiece line has a new panel frame which is ROCK SOLID. Even my older Summits had minimal "give" in their "air frames", vs. the (slightly) wobbly Aerius i’s, which were composite wood.

The new models also have superb integration of the woofers with panel, plus ARC (Anthem Room Correction) for optimizing overall bass response for the room.

For 17,000 dollars the Sanders should be all that

captbeaver,

Don't forget that the $17,000 USD price includes a Magtech amplifier, which costs $5,500 USD.

The friend I bought the 10t’s from wanted to almost give me a pair with amp... no one really wanted them so the price was ridiculous... after the ML disaster I wasn’t going down that road again.