Quite simply the Best Martin Logans I’ve heard
Review samples kindly supplied by LookenListen, distributor for the Benelux
Retail price for a stereo pair in the Netherlands:
30.000 euro in Walnut (as reviewed) or Hi-Gloss Black
33.000 euro for Special colors
Regular readers will have noticed the absence of the Apogee Divas in my room, not too long after having reviewed the Martin Logan Impression ESL 11A‘s. This is no coincidence! In fact, I was very close to purchasing a pair of 11A’s. Circumstances led to a different decision but after having obtained such great results with the 11A’s, I couldn’t help but wonder how the biggest model of this series would perform. After all, the Renaissance ESL 15A, part of the Masterpiece series, is the company’s very best hybrid speaker, if you don’t count the extravagant, cost-no-object Neolith above it.
Technical properties
The Renaissance ESL 15A uses two 12″ (30cm) woofers per cabinet, driven by two independent 500 watts class-D amplifiers. The two bass drivers are smartly driven in a part bipolar, part dipolar configuration. In other words, the phase is selectively adjusted between the woofers. For a part of the range, the two drivers are used in a bipolar configuration meaning that they are both in phase, and they both extend outward. For another part of the range, they are in dipolar configuration and in reversed-phase, so they move as a dipole planar speaker would. With this technique, they effectively counteract rear wall reflections. These speakers produce extremely powerful and coherent bass, unheard of not only from a hybrid speaker but truly reference class in its own right. The low-pass filter for the woofers is controlled by 24-bit Vojtko DSP, with the option to further optimize the frequency curve of the woofers using Anthem Room Correction technology. The frequency range is quoted as a staggering 22–21,000 Hz ±3dB which is not just marketing speak. Judging from my listening sessions I am certain that they actually do indeed achieve this. The ESL 15A’s are wider and taller than the 11A’s, and a lot heavier. Rather than being tilted back like all smaller Logans, the ESL 15A’s stand straight up in a perfect 90-degree angle.
Running In
I was told that new Logans need hundreds of hours for running in and that they wouldn’t sound very good when new. Still, that did not stop me from starting the first listening session right after connecting them to the NuPrime ST-10 power amp. Cold from their boxes, set up in the same positions as the 11A’s, contrary to expectations, the speakers sounded utterly smooth, relaxed and full-bodied, with absolutely no sharpness. But they were quite dark and not very articulate. The bass was a little boomy and at this time did not seem to reach particularly low. The smaller 11A’s definitely sounded airier, richer and more voluptuous. At this stage, Dutch distributor Jan Legel informed me that the very 11’s that I had reviewed had also needed copious amounts of playing until they fully opened up. So, running in is a real factor to consider and that makes perfect sense. Each cabinet houses two enormous woofers with very stiff spiders and surrounds and the built-in amplifiers and analog filters are also brand-spanking-new. It’s no wonder that all these components would need some time to break in mechanically and electrically.
So, I ran them in using a variation of music for up to 10 hours per day, for almost two weeks. Now and then, I would sit down and assess the development of the sound. As it turns out, the process is quite linear, with the first improvements being audible around 2 days in, at the 15-hour mark. At this stage, treble had become a little more open and the music breathed more freely. The bass did not change until later. It was already powerful, and from the start exceedingly well-connected to the electrostatic panel, but lacking propulsion all the way down. At 55 hours, however, the bass started “ripening” in its upper range and seemingly filling out more all the way at the bottom. Meanwhile, the treble opened up further and the whole sound became lusher. At 66 hours the bass seemed to finally have settled in, with rich and full low notes and no more emphasis on the midbass. It’s at this point that the midbass switch could be changed from 0 to its +2 setting, just as it worked so well for the 11A’s. At 77 hours, finally, the speakers seemed to have settled entirely, with a very even spread of power and an overall relaxed, yet highly transparent and revealing presentation. The foil’s behavior (or the crossover driving it) had not altered perceptibly anymore over the last 20 or so hours and at this stage, it seemed to me that further running in would yield diminishing returns.
Bass matters – Full Range Dipoles and Wilsons
Before I dive further into describing the sound of the ESL 15A’s, let me explain a little bit more about my experience with the kind of speakers that I used for over a decade: Apogee and Magnepan magnetostatics. The thing with large dipoles such as these is that their bass is very pure and precise and can go very low indeed, but lacks attack and real impact, compared to many dynamic speakers. The Divas, in particular, go deeper even than some subwoofers, but never really lash out when they need to in the upper bass. This was the main reason for my wanting to part with these speakers and to start exploring other speaker options.
The Martin Logan ESL 15A’s go straight down to the lowest possible frequencies but rather than holding back in slam anywhere in the frequency range, they actually keep on pushing with equal pressure from the upper bass all the way down to 22hz. Their incredible reach into the frequency depths is clearly evident with electronic music such as dub-techno and modern R&B music that often contains very low bass-synthesizer lines. Once used to the ESL 15A’s, it is an absolute deception to listen to most other systems, as the bass will invariably not be as deep, as articulate, or as clean and powerful.
After selling the Divas, I purchased Wilson Watt/Puppy 8 primarily to address my craving for dynamics and bass punch, and these wishes they certainly granted. However, in my room, which was at this stage pretty difficult, some of the lowest notes were reproduced on the Wilsons with clearly less power than those one octave up, or simply vanish altogether, while some upper bass notes excited certain room modes that made for a boomy sound. Naturally, this was not the Wilsons’ fault: these were the result of room modes and nulling but even so, the Logans had to deal with the same circumstances. Even when placed not very accurately at all, the ESL15A’s reproduced all the bass notes with equal pressure, from the tricky lower midrange/upper bass all the way down to the lowest notes that can be reproduced by digital equipment. Naturally, the Logans are different in that they have closed cabinets rather than the Wilsons’ ported ones. But still, even taking the room-speaker peculiarities into consideration, there is no way around the obvious difference in bass linearity and overall quality between these speakers.
But it’s not just the bass where the ESL 15A’s are so great, they really are great all around! The Wilsons are bolder, spicier, and more dynamic but they can be a little rough and, in my room at least, don’t sound as linear as the Logans. As demo’s elsewhere confirmed, in a perfect room, the Wilsons’ bass can actually be fabulous. But still, the Wilsons that I heard in other circumstances, as well as pretty much all other dynamic speakers using a cabinet, especially ported ones, do have some peakiness/forwardness/boominess and/or colorations in certain places. Now, that can certainly lead to pleasing results but this kind of unevenness is simply not there with the Logans. These speakers’ entire frequency range just seems to be ruler-flat.
Big is Beautiful
Wilson WATT/Puppies are no small speakers, but compared to the ESL 15A’s big-booty bass cabinets the Wilsons almost look cute and petite! Because they’re so beautifully proportioned, however, the ESL 15A’s appear to be only slightly wider and slightly taller than the 11A’s. When looking at their well-shaped bums and the mighty 12 inch woofers that they contain, it is very obvious that these are very serious speakers. But their clever design prevents them from visually dominating the room.
More Listening
I had several amps at hand for comparison with the Logans. Since the NuPrime ST-10 was used for the running-in, and it seemed to drive the speakers very well, I also kicked off the serious listening sessions using this amp. I was already super impressed with the ESL 11A’s, but the ESL 15A’s manage to further improve on them, considerably, I might add!
Not only do the ESL15A’s reproduce world-class bass but the integration with the electrostatic panel is also exemplary. While Bass-Foil integration has been an often discussed trade-off of hybrid designs such as these for an otherwise spectacular sound, with the ESL 15A’s I really can’t imagine anyone being bothered with the transition anymore. Granted, you could still say that the bass has a different character than the midrange, the former more voluptuous and the latter more ethereal but the transition between the two is absolutely not audible. In fact, I’d say that these hybrid speakers are more coherent than many traditional multi-driver dynamic speakers.
Above: Renaissance ESL15A, Expression ESL13A, Impression ESL11A, and Classic ESL9
Although Martin Logans are typically more immediate and articulate than full-range magnetostatic dipoles such as Apogees and Magnepans, the Wilsons are more expressive still. For all their detail, immediacy, and transparency, the Logans are quite smooth and relaxed. This makes them perfect for partnering with enthusiastic sounding equipment and that does not necessarily mean ultra-expensive stuff. The NuPrime ST-10 is a perfect example and it is really incredible what this amp achieves for only 1600 euro. Being very lively and dynamic, with great timbre, it really brings the Logans to life.
As with many large dipole panel speakers, with careful setup, Martin Logans have excellent focus and separation of the elements within the soundstage and they are capable of filling even very large rooms with a fully enveloping aura. There is sharp imaging with individual layers clearly distinguished from each other. However, acoustical instruments and vocals possess less body and less of a sense of 3D as there can be with the best cabinet speaker designs. This is just a fact of planer speaker life and for me, this is far outweighed by the speakers’ countless fields in which they excel.
Wider is better?
It has often been said about Martin Logans that as far as electrostatic foils are concerned, wider is better. After all, the air is excited over a larger area and the foil has slightly more room for movement. And indeed this seems to be true. What the ESL 15A’s improve on over the 11A’s is not only in the bass itself: it’s also the transition between bass and mid/high frequencies and the sublime “one-ness” of sound that these two very different drivers achieve. The ESL11A’s had a slightly lean midrange that could be minimized with careful adjustments of its controls, but the ESL 15A’s just don’t have any inherent leanness. The ESL 15A’s also improved on the 11A’s in terms of overall richness and in midrange timbre. The ESL 15A’s bass drivers might also be partially responsible for this but it seems that another advantage of the larger foil is that acoustic instruments sound more realistic than they did on the 11A’s, or other, smaller Logans. And the ESL 15A’s simply never ever become aggressive, even when playing at hurricane levels. The treble is always clean and fluid and the midrange smooth and rich. No matter how softly or loudly they play, these speakers really are incredibly well-behaved. Finally, as a bonus, having such tall stators prevents treble fall-off and makes it possible to stand up and walk around the room with all the treble air and openness intact.
There is also a flipside to having wider foils because the focus with the ESL 15A’s is slightly less razor-sharp and the soundstage layering in the depth plane slightly less precise, than with the narrower 11A’s. But that’s it: other than this, the ESL 15A’s are uniformly and very convincingly outperforming the 11A’s. Don’t take only my word for it though: my listening buddies all agree: these are the very best Martin Logans that they have ever heard.
Anthem Room Correction
To run Anthem Room Correction (ARC) with the Logans, you need to purchase a PBK (MartinLogan Perfect Bass Kit) for 149 euros. The Martin Logan microphones are fully compatible with Anthem Room Correction for MartinLogan speakers and the ARC software can be freely downloaded from The Anthem website. Note that the software only works with PBK-compatible microphones. For example, I tried using a MiniDSP Umik-1 but it was not recognized.
The measurement process is simple and painless, and after the measurements, the optimized curves can either be adjusted using a range of settings or uploaded to the speakers as they are. After that, ARC can always be switched on and off using a button on the rear of the speakers. ARC is most beneficial when the speakers are set up in non-ideal positions but even when the setup is physically as perfect as possible, using ARC still results in an even more linear and cleaner bass. At the moment of this review, I could not really decide which I preferred, though. ARC indicated that there was a bump down below which can be flattened perfectly, but with that version of the software, I found the adjusted sound a little lean, even if it was more accurate. Re-adjusting the bass level on the rear of the speakers did not really make it better, either. For now, I chose to use the speakers with no correction because they sound mighty fine that way already.
Meanwhile (January 2020), Anthem released ARC Genesis which is much improved from the previous version. It looks much better, is easier to use, and offers many settings that can be used to further tweak the sound before or after the measurements. With this version of software, my room’s issues were clearly laid bare and after some experimentation, I finally got a handle on how to approach my unique situation appropriately. In this separate article I’ve explained the full process.
Source and Amp changes – do tubes apply?
All the music servers that I tried worked very well, but the Ayon CD-T II CD transport so far was definitely the best source, making for the most impressive and lively delivery. So far I used the Jeff Rowland Corus + PSU preamp and the Aqua Formula xHD DAC. Switching from the NuPrime amp to the PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium tube power amp with KT150 tubes marked the very first instance in which this amp did not quite partner so well. The PrimaLuna has a modest power output but so far it turned out to punch way above its weight, even driving the Apogee Duettas remarkably well. So why would it not work so well with the Logans, especially since they don’t require much power at all? The thing is: their impedance drops very low in the high frequencies. This is a conscious choice made by Martin Logan, to make the speakers perform well with the majority of transistor amplifiers out there. Transistor amps are not bothered by this at all since there is almost no power required to reproduce sounds in that range. Many Tube amps, however, have higher output impedances than typical transistor amps and so they behave differently, their output impedance effectively shaping the speaker’s impedance curve into a frequency curve. The audible effect with this particularly tube amp is a midrange that is impressively smooth and lush but lacks sparkle and energy and a treble much darker than it should be. It’s not an unpleasant sound at all and audio buddy JW was actually quite fond of this combination but I would not call it a linear, upbeat, or articulate sound. The PrimaLuna is a Push-Pull design so Single Ended Triode designs would also not apply. Indeed, I’ve tried three different SET tube amps with other Martin Logans in the past and this has led to similar results.
As this is a matter of output impedance, not a matter of power, this means that a tube power amp with more tubes does not necessarily work better unless it also has very low internal resistance. An audio buddy with Jadis JA-200’s, however, drives his Martin Logans with superb results. And my own experiments using two PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium HP power amps in bridged mode also yielded fantastic results with a friend’s Martin Logan Spires. So, tubes can definitely apply, but the match needs to be made carefully.
Above: Meneer Buis (Jan Cramer) and herr Tube Doktor (JW) discussing who knows what. What’s for certain, though, is that it must have related to tubes…
Returning to the NuPrime amp and connecting the Ayon Stealth DAC/preamp instead of the Corus, however, lead to very interesting results. Although the Stealth cannot match the Corus’ insanely refined and transparent sound, it does sound very powerful and richly colorful, and this also worked very synergetically with the Logans.
Stepping up the Amplification
At this stage in the review, I also had access to a set of very fine Swiss electronics, consisting of a CH Precision C1 DAC/Controller and two CH Precision A1 amps. These components have mindboggling pricetags, but boy, do they justify their cost! I mentioned before that these Logans do not require ultra high-end equipment to sing beautifully. They tend to sound sweet and smooth irrespective of the rest of the setup, but their inherent high resolution means that they do definitely let you know in no uncertain terms when the electronics have stepped up a notch, or six!
The CH components really play to the Logans’ strengths, with incredible resolution and evenness and utter transparency. In addition, they do not sound clinical in the least, they actually have a super-natural timbre, and even more, make a showcase for the ESL 15A’s incredible bass performance. As good as it was with the NuPrime, the sound was now entirely of one piece, utterly coherent, so precise and perfectly neutral, yet incredibly believable and realistic. These CH Precision components have the uncanny ability to sound impressive by not trying to sound impressive at all. in a way, they sound so “normal” that it is easy to dismiss their quality until you revert to the old situation! This was the antithesis of an electronic sound and it takes no time at all to conclude that this performance is simply fully in balance. There are no more ifs and buts, and all that remains is to enjoy the music! Garmt van Zel of AudioIngang, who installed the CH components for review, was just as much in awe as I was and together we listened to all sorts of music for hours on end.
By the way, should you decide to try this particular combination: the CH Precision A1 amplifiers allow adjustment of the balance between local and global feedback, and the ESL 15A’s worked excellently with any setting but I did have my preferences. While the bass was most articulate with a setting of 40%, I tended to prefer 20% as the best overall balance between lushness and articulation.
Update 31-08-2019
The Wilson Watt/Puppy 8 are fabulous speakers but they require not just a large space but also a very even-handed room. The thing is, even with lots of acoustic treatments, my room is far from perfect. I still have a couple of resonance modes that seem impossible to get rid of entirely unless I sit extremely close to the speakers but, alas, that introduces other issues. After the Wilsons, I got the Kroma Audio Carmens and besides these sounding more coherent, richer, and more emotionally engaging than the Wilsons, their bass behavior is also much better in my resonance-ridden room. But still, the Martin Logan purity and even-handedness kept haunting me. And also, I fondly remembered how awesome the Logans’ bass was even with the speakers positioned at the most difficult end of my room. And so, when a great opportunity arose, I decided to forego sanity and add a pair of ESL 15A’s to my system. Now, I can use either the Logans or the Kromas, precisely as my mood dictates or the application requires.
Oh, since I did not get around to doing this when I first reviewed them: adding the spikes does make for a large improvement and is well worth doing. Even if the speakers are already hugely impressive right out of the box and using their plastic feet, the spikes make the speakers produce even tighter and more articulate bass with a more clearly textured midrange and overall further increased definition.
One last addition: the absolute best power cables that I found for using with the Logans are simple leads that I made myself from 3 lengths of standard 2,5 mm solid core installation wire, called “VD draad” in the Netherlands. While Belden 19364 sounds great, the installation wire further solidifies the bass and adds a welcome sense of body to the midrange and it makes for an even more solid and dynamic presentation. In the USA, litze or a bundle of thinner solid core wires is often used but I imagine that, here too, the best results may be obtained by basically extending the inner wall cabling all the way to the speakers.
Conclusion
The Renaissance ESL 15A’s are the absolute best Martin Logans that I have heard. They have seismic yet superbly articulate and very even-handed bass, coherence to rival the best multi-driver dynamic speakers, and, of course, ultimate freedom of cabinet-induced colorations. In addition, they are incredibly transparent and super-refined, yet with a smooth and gloriously rich midrange and with precise, fluid, and airy treble. These speakers combine so many audiophile tricks and weave them together so very well that it becomes a hardship to return to regular cabinet speakers.
External Links
Manufacturer: www.martinlogan.com
Distributor for the Benelux: Lookenlisten.nl
Read Also
Martin Logan ESL 11A
Anthem Room Correction with Martin Logan ESL15A
Did you purchase them?
I was actually very close to buying them indeed but ultimately decided to stick with the Wilson WP8.
I’d like to compliment you on the quality of your reviews, from the depth of your detail to the structure, including plenty of relevant product comparison. We’ll done sir.
As most of your readers are, I’m a long term audiophile, getting subscriptions to every industry magazine available for decades. I’ve been scouring the web for a review on McIntosh’s new MC462. Even reading dozens of articles that included the older 452 in hope that I could gleen some info that would help me understand what the new model offered. I’ve been to my dealers that have the 462 and even visited the Mac townhouse in NY. Of course none of that has helped me pick it yet for my new Martin Logan’s.
Went from the SL3s to the 15a. I’m currently using them with a bob carver edition sunfire cinema grand which I liked for my sl3s, but guess is lacking for the new set. Any chance you might get you hands on the 462 in the “near” future??
Thanks again for your great work!
Thanks Marc! Ah, yes, the blue eyes, who doesn’t love them:-) I’ve only owned the MA6900 and while it went great with the SL3’s, I found the Jeff Rowland Coherence II + Model 6 mono’s to sound a lot more refined and airy and also more clearly layered in the depth plane. The Mac, however, had fuller bass and was more colorful overall. The current distributor in the NL is not very cooperative so chances are slim that I will review a recent McIntosh any time soon. That said, I really would recommend trying one of the Bryston Cubed series amps, such as the 4B SST3. They really surprised me. Do a search on this site for Bryston and you will find the articles. Also: bass is lacking with the 15A’s? Are you sure that they are fully run in? My review samples also took ages to develop down there.
Thanks for the response, bummer about not getting macs over there.
I only have about 20-30hrs on my 15a’s. I certainly read your write up with great interest regarding the long break in time needed. I don’t feel that the bass is lacking per se. Tough for me to compare, as they have a lot more than my SL3s did of course.
My conclusion really came from how you described your 15a’s sounding when connected to the higher end CH amp. They sound like how you described the position you were in with the NuPrime amp.
Macs have always been highly recommended with Martins, and the 462 sounds like it has the most impact yet of any Mac amp….
I see. Ok, well give it time. They will definitely fill out. But the 15A’s are also quite neutral and linear, perhaps more so than the smaller 11A’s. So I understand your desire for matching with a big Mac.
Update to my earlier comments-
In my quest to find a review of the new McIntosh MC452, (relates to this review because I’d like to possibly pair it with my ML 15a’s), I came across the first “review” of the 452. I quote review because it might be the worst quality review I’ve ever read. Not sure if something is lost in translation to English, but the reviewer simply takes two of Mac’s marketing points: Dynamics and power and adds a few words around the marketing hype to fill about 4 paragraphs. Really disappointing. I mention it only because it highlights just how great a reviewer Hifi-advices’ reviews are, and it makes me long for Mac to send Christian a unit.
https://www.lydogbilde.no/test/hi-fi/mcintosh-mc462
Thanks for the link Marc, that review is a bit limited indeed but it does mention than the amp is not only warm and powerful but also refined. The latter aspect is interesting because I found the MA6900 to be lacking in that area. Then again, audio lingo is a highly relative matter and not all reviewers use the same words for the same aspects of sound. Also, I wonder if one really needs 450 watts. The 15A’s absolutely went more than loud enough with the CH Precision A1’s that are “only” 100 watts. Their meters did go up to 130 watts or so on occasion if really pushed but that was when already playing at volume levels where I am sure all the neighbors could also enjoy my music. Something else that I’d like to stress is that dynamics are not about playing loudly. It’s actually about being able to play effortlessly from soft to loud. But more importantly, the perception of a dynamic sound is not always the same as an actual dynamic sound. Very fast transients, for example, can make something sound very dynamic when in fact the dynamic range might be quite limited. An amp that is specified to have a very wide dynamic range may not really sound like that at all, for example due to hysteresis (transformer-induced slowness) or rounding off of transients due to other reasons. Even amps that have insanely high slew rates need not actually sound very fast or very dynamic. The reality is that published measurements don’t really tell the whole story. Anyway, enough lecturing. Even though I have some fear that the MC452 might not be as refined as I would like it too (based on its very high power rating and my earlier Mac experience), you just never know. So when I can get one in for review, I will certainly do so. But it might not be soon enough for you to base your decision on.
Christiaan,
I made up my mind, I’m going with the Bryston’s, mainly because of your recommendation though also after exhaustive further research. They really seem like the kind of amp that can drive the MLs to fully produce the subtle details and great soundstage they are known for. Now should I go with the equivalent priced 14b3 (equivalent to the MC462 I was thinking of getting), or save a bunch and go with the 4b3??? Price doesn’t matter on that one. I’ll be running the Bryston through my Cambridge 851N in preamp mode for a while till I understand the improvement the amp is bringing. Then starts the hunt for a preamp!
Ha, now there’s a surprise! Good for you. I would go with the stereo 4B. I think you’ll find that it has plenty of power but if in doubt, I would opt for the mono 7B’s, rather than the 14B. I’ve not heard the current Cubed versions but have used the older 7B ST’s and I have a feeling that the current 7’s may be smoother sounding than the more articulate 14B and I think you don’t need that with the big Logans. The Cambridge 851N will do fine but can certainly be improved on. It’s wise of you to do this in steps so that you can first see how the combo works and base the decision for a preamp on that.
Thanks Christiaan! And thank you so much for all your help. Regarding your previous post concerning the Lyd & Bilde MC462 review, yes, I did pick up on a few of their adjectives, “detailed, open sound”, though without them providing any context there just is no way of knowing what that means. My Sunfire Cinema Grand 5×200, (which I still have) I felt was very detailed and “open” with my Martin Logan SL3’s, in fact, much more so when I bi-wired it out of the amp’s current and voltage outputs. (If you don’t know: There are two sets of output terminals on the back of the Sunfire for the front speakers. One is a voltage source output, with a very low impedance (about 0.01 Ohm). The other is a current source output with a higher impedance (1 Ohm) current source output characteristic.) When I used the current source on the ML’s ESL connection, I felt the result was incredibly detailed! So I guess Mac’s 462 just caught up to my 20 year old Sunfire?!?! Actually, this gives me an idea, I think I might pull my old SL3s out (I know their sound like the back of my hand), and A/B the Bryston 7b3’s vs my bi-wired Sunfire. Which one do you think will win? : )
Ha, that should be an interesting comparison! Handy that the Sunfire has both current and voltage outputs, which can really help make a more ideal speaker matching. So far, I have not seen that with any other amps. You seem to focus on detail now but I think you also want solid and sonorous bass, natural timbre and sweet treble and that’s what the Brystons do much better than people usually expect. I’ve never heard the Sunfire amp but overall, I have a feeling that the Brystons will sound richer and more refined and likely just as detailed. Logans need stable amps but they don’t necessarily need much current. Still, they can of course sound better with more current-healthy amps. Ultimately, it depends on what you want to achieve, and or course beauty is in the eye of the beholder:-)
Ha back…. you really are a pro. Yes, I’m a detail nut, I admit, I like sound too accurate,. To me hearing the pianists finger hit the key, is just as great as hearing the key’s sound..lol. Then soundstage (love hearing where in the room an instrument is coming from. Now you know why I like electrostats. I’ll write back with my findings from the A/B.
Can you advise what brand of audio racks was pictured
Good that you ask, I seem not to have mentioned the brand for once:-) The 3 racks are Artesania Exoteryc. The lower stand is an Artesania Digital Server Platform.
Bonjour,
interested by the ML renaissance 15 a, I wonder if you already match these speakers with Zanden 8120? Are they suitable for you?
I have the opportunity to match them also with a pair of Mola Mola amps , did you try this combo?
Many thanks for answer, I don’t want to make a mistake in the choice of the amp.
Best Regards,
JLouis.
Hi JL, The ESL15A’s were only on visit for the review and they were gone by the time that I had the MolaMolas and the Zanden. As such, I cannot comment on their working together based on actual results. However, I know from experience that Class D amps work very well with Logans and the MolaMola’s are some of the best I’ve heard. Some people find the combination to sound too clean/analytical but I don’t personally feel that way. Moreover, the MolaMola’s sound clean and very refined and absolutely not harsh. For a darker, more grounded sound, NuPrime could be an option to look into. But that amp does not have the resolution of the MolaMola’s. The Zanden, while powerful for a tube amp, may not be ideal with the Logans. I haven’t tried this amp with these speakers but any other tube amp + Logan pairing resulted in a dark and overly mellow so and that I felt lacked the speed and bite that transistor designs do achieve with Logans very easily. The Logans do not require a lot of power at all but since their impedance dips very low in the upper treble, tube designs usually have trouble sounding linear when driving these speakers. What I think will match very well, but this is only speculation, is a nice class A Accuphase amp. An E600/650 integrated or the A47 with your choice of preamp might provide the best overall balance between tube harmonics and class D transparency with Martin Logans. That is what I would opt for if I had another listening room to set up the Logans in.
Merci pour les conseils avisés.
Cordialement,
JL.
You are very welcome. PS: the sound of the MolaMola Kalugas is somewhat comparable to the CH Precision A1’s overall presentation in terms of transparency, (bass-) articulation and tightness. Otherwise, I find the CH to sound better (especially timbre/tonality and overall refinement) but then it also costs a lot more. See the A1 review for the specifics.
Bonsoir Christiaan,
Do you think that the Analog Domain M75 D could be a good match with ML 15 a too?
Best,
JL.
Yes, I think that will work very well too. The AD M75D has a cooler sound than the Accuphase E600 and certainly the A47 and is less refined than CH or MolaMola but is very lively and engaging and highly communicative. Timbre is very good as well. More modern Accuphases get ever tighter and cleaner, though, further away from their “golden” smoothness of old. The more recent E650 may by now have a more similar character as the AD M75D (I’ve not compared them side by side). In other words, on balance, AD is not cool per se just as CH is not analytical per se. These are all very nice amps and the choice will come down to personal taste.
Merci Christiaan, I have the opportunity to try AD, Mola Mola, and the next integrated Brinkmann Voltaire, but also two ncore Ultimate mono amps from Hattor. I’ll see……..
Best,
JLouis.
Nice. Let me know how you get on.
Hi,
I am about the receive a pair of the ESL15a MartinLogans. I have the same Primaluna HP Power Amps. Will these work as well with the 15a as they did with the Spires?
Many Thanks
Alex P
Not having tried this myself I have to go by specs and gut feeling. The ESL15 has 1 dB more sensitivity at 92dB vs 91dB for the Spire which is a good thing in general but not really needed with the PL HP’s. However, the ESL15 also dips to 0.5 at 20kHz versus 0.8 at 20kHz for the Spire. I would say that the pair of PL HPs would have no issues driving the ESL15A’s but in the worst-case scenario, the frequency spectrum might tilt slightly more resulting in a less articulate bass and more toned down treble but still a very pleasant sound. To be fair, what I described happened with all the tube amps that I tried with Logans and it is possible that I am overstating this effect due to my personal preference of having a nice and airy treble on the one hand and being used to listening to Logans with transistor amps on the other.
Bonjour Christiaan,
Waiting for my ML 15 a, I had the opportunity to try an AD M75 D with a pair of loaned Verity Audio Otello, Wow!! This is great!!
Do you think that an M75P is necessary with the 15 a?
I also thought about Gamut D 200i, have you tried this amp with electrostatic speakers?
Best,
JLouis.
Hi JL, The extra power that the M75P brings is not required for the ESL15A’s. That said, other parameters than only power also improved with the duo setup which made me definitely prefer the combo even if there is no need for the extra power. So… I would advise to only listen to the combo if you are willing to succumb… 🙂
Hello Christiaan, Good to see you can not let go Martin Logan. Just reading some recent posts I would like to let you know I still use the Martin Logan Summit X in combination with an Accuphase E600. My powercable of choice for the ML is Sunyata Delta EF. The current loudspeaker cable is Yter. Your talent is pin pointing the sound in a few words where most others need endless proza that is only confusing. Thanks for all your efforst.
Hello Christiaan,
Good to see you can not let go Martin Logan. Just reading some recent posts I would like to let you know I still use the Martin Logan Summit X in combination with an Accuphase E600. To me a very good and balanced match. My powercable of choice for the ML is Shunyata Delta EF. The current loudspeaker cable is Yter. Your talent is pin pointing the sound in a few words where most others need endless proza that is in the end only confusing. Thanks for all your efforts.
Thanks for the compliment, Bert:-) I already had a feeling that an E600 would work very well with Logans and so it’s good to read your reply confirming this.
Bonjour Christiaan,
I received my 15a, 15 days ago and tried them with Analog Domain, the combo is a little dark for me. I wait the integrated Trilogy 925, and the Mola Mola.
But a question: do you know and have you tried the amp Sanders Magtech, special made for electrostatic speakers?
Friendly,
JLouis.
Hi JL, ah, you picked up on that too! Coming from Jeff Rowland model sixes or 625S2, I also found the AD a tiny bit dark. CH Precision does not and neither does Mola Mola. Trilogy and Sanders I have yet to hear.
Hi again Christiaan,
What are your decoupling bases under your ML 15 a, have you tried different solutions?
Best’
JLouis.
Hi JL, Those are Artesania floor bases (they refer to them as dampers or footers) which belong with the Prestige racks, the ones under the Exoteryc line. Indeed I have tried many such accessories but I keep coming back to these. They come with 3 types of intermediate coupling materials (wood, Neoprene, Nylon) but with speakers I prefer to use them straight on the floor. Since the Wilsons I stopped checking for the best solution and just always use these. See this review and this review for more info.
PS you can also use the Logans with only their nylon feet for a friendlier sound but the best speed and transient snap is obtained by using the spikes with a hard footer. For me, the Artesania ones proved to provide a more pronounced delivery while avoiding hardness in the treble.
Bonjour Christiaan,
I wait for an other test with Helixir electronics at the begining of next mounth……..
I spoke with Pierre Costers in Bruxelles about a good association with ML 15a, he thought about Electrocompaniet amps, i know that it was a well known match with old series of Martin Logan….What do you think about that?
Have a good day.
JLouis.
Hi JL, So far, alas, I’ve not yet heard Electrocompaniet but I may review some components of this brand at some point.
Bonjour Christiaan,
many people use with Martin Logan Townshend bars or new podium…Have you tried this brand?
Bon week-end.
JLouis
Hi JL, I’ve heard of the brand but have not reviewed any of their products yet. On another note, I currently have both the AW180 mono’s and the NEMO mono’s pending for review. I am interested to find out especially how they will perform with the Logans.
Bonjour Christiaan,
I look forward your feedback, I don’t buy any amps before, I suspect a very good compromise with the AW 180……
Bonne journée ,
JLouis.
Hello,
Have you tried the Isoacoustics Gaia footers on ESL 15A? I’ve only read good things about them.
Secondly, which Artesania base do you use now on ML? The 60 mm one? I also think an adaptor is needed, the speakers have 3/8-16 thread. 🙂
Cristian
Those are 60mm Artesania floor bases (they refer to them as dampers or footers) which belong with the Prestige racks, the ones under the Exoteryc line. I use these under all speakers that I use or review. These come with 3 types of intermediate coupling materials (wood, Neoprene, Nylon) but with speakers I prefer to use them straight on the floor. They always work perfectly and since the Wilsons I stopped checking for the best solution and just always use these. See this review and this review for more info.
I’ve not heard of Isoacoustics Gaia footers just yet but might give them a try.
Bonjour Christiaan,
I tried the Spec RSA M99 with very good results,
I wait for triying Hegel H30 with my tubes preamp and after that I buy.
I tried the Pass Labs 350.8 with XP 20 preamp, to dark for me and slow…..
Best,
Jean-Louis.
Thanks for the info, JL. I can imagine you finding the Pass combo too dark. I felt the same with Logans. I’d wager that the H30 should work very well.
Hello Christiaan,
What a coïncident that you have the Electrocompaniet AW180’s for review for the Logans. Besides the Accuphase E600, I also use the Electrocompaniet AW180 mono’s with my Summit X’es now and then. A favourite combination of Dick Olsher. The Electrocompaniets sound very natural however I feel the Accuphase is a bit more refined and a little more responsive at lower volume levels. Olsher praised the very high damping factor of the AW180’s, indeed they always sound very much in control. However I feel one needs a stable amp for low impedanced but not a real powerhouse. I am looking forward to your experience.
Bonsoir Christiaan,
Have you received the AW180 and the Nemos for rewiew?
Have a nice week end.
JLouis
Hi Jean Louis, as a matter of fact, both amps have come and gone and I am working on the review as we speak. Anytime now:-)
Bonjour Christiaan,
after reading the Electrocompaniet tests, I wonder if you could give your feeling between the Electrocompaniet amps and AVM amps used with the 15a?
Best,
JLouis
Hi JL, Well, as I mentioned in the EC review, I think this brand can work well with Logans if one wants to diminish the brightness or one uses smaller or passive Martin Logans. With my ESL15A’s, I noted a pleasant, if dark, tonality and natural timbre but I did not find the match to be ideal. The Logans are capable of more resolution and refinement than the EC’s can provide but if that matters less and a full, no-nonsense musical and “non-technical” sound is paramount, then they may be worth checking out. Much better for my taste was the CH A1.5 but also I found the AVM 6.3 to work very well, very neutral, open, and communicatie, although that amp also did not have all of the CH’s resolution and refinement. Other amps that might be a great match: Accuphase (tonally rich yet neutral and quite refined), Goldmund (very neutral, highly refined and transparent, even more direct than CH), Anthem (very powerful and propulsive and super-engaging but not very hi-res).
If it’s only between AVM or EC I would choose the former.
Merci Christiaan, I wish you a merry Christmas and an excellent start to the new year !!
JLouis.
Thanks JLouis, same to you!
Hi
I have a pair of 11A’s and I am interested in choosing the best power cables. Right now I am using Lapp 191 7G1,5 with LeGo gold in both ends.
In the 15A review you wrote “One last addition: the absolute best power cables that I found for using with the Logans are simple leads that I made myself from 3 lengths of standard 2,5 mm solid core installation wire, called “VD draad” in the Netherlands.”
Which connectors do you use? How do you think the solid core cables will differ from my present power cables?
Best regards
Johan Gramtorp
For these, I used Bals schukos and fake Oyaide IECs from China. The latter have a lively and energetic sound and can be a little edgy with hifi components but in the case of the Logans this further helps the bass (amplifiers) to sound as solid and articulate as they can. Lapp 191CY is a smooth, relaxed and warm sounding cable. Solid core Installation wire is on the opposite end: fast, solid and neutral. Belden is somewhere in between. Your IeGos are fine connectors that sound upbeadt and lively and (in case of the gold-plated versions) just a little bit on the warm side.
Bonsoir Christiaan,
Could you precise your interconnect cables and speakers cables used with your ML 15a?
About speakers, have you tried the 3 Jorma Unity, Duality and Trinity?
If yes, what are your feelings about these 3 cables used with Ml15a?
Many thanks for answers,
Sincerely yours,
JLouis.
Hi JL, I reviewed Duality and Trinity and no.3 and Origo as part of Mingus Quintet speaker review. For me, Trinity works best with the Logans and the CH A1.5.
Dear Christiaan,
thanks for this excellent report on the Martin Logan ESL 15a.
At the moment I’m running a Summit X and I’m looking for a used ESL 15a.
I run the Summit X with an Accustic Arts Tube Preamp II Mk2 and the Moscode 402AU Hybrid power amplifier. Plus the Accustic Arts Tube DAC II MK 2 and the Accoustics Arts Player II.
Sorry, but now to my question:
I would like to swap the Moscode with the NuPrime ST-10M. Would that be a good combination for the Summit X and for the ML 15A in future?
Thanks for your answer!
Best regards
Martin
At its price, I know of no better amp than the ST-10, if you like its bold and energetic presentation. An alternative would be the NuPrime AMG-STA that is almost as refined as the CH Precision amp but a little less ballsy. For Logans, I’d say that the newer STA amp is a better choice unless you want maximum slam.
Bonjour Christian,
I actually test the Hegel H30, it is the best amp I tried for the moment, but I want next try the CAT Jl5…. we ll see…
Best ,
JLouis.
The CAT may be one of the few tube amps to work well with Logans.
Dear Christian,
Thank you for your great tests and review. Regarding Esl11a and Esl15a, did you try them also with the Classé Delta Stereo ? Did you have the chance to try the Esl13a ? And if yes, how would you rate the global differences between all 3 speakers in the range ?
Best Regards
Fabrice
Hi Fabrice, I’m not sure if I used the Delta with the 15A’s. But I imagine that it could be a good match if you are looking to make them sound most robust and obtain some extra low-end grunt from them. Additionally, if you feel that Logans can sound lean in the midrange or perhaps to clean overall, then too, the Delta may be a good fit. Alas, I have not heard the 13.