Martin Logan Purity

zingo

I'm enjoying my new Martin Logan Purity with B&O ICEpower, powered speakers. They are still being tweaked with placement, bass adjustments, and I'll be spiking them today as part of the process. Because they are internally powered with a 200wpc amp, they have RCA line-level inputs, but also binding posts to accept a signal. Since I brought them home, I've been driving them with either a Luminous Audio Axion II passive preamp, or my custom Balanced Zen Line Stage preamp, and both with good results. However, the inputs of the speakers are odd, and has me considering alternatives to sending them the signal from my Squeezebox.

The speakers via the binding posts have an impedance of 2,000 ohms, and a line level impedance of 14,000 ohms at the RCA jacks. Obviously a tube preamp would be an interesting combo with these speakers, and is on my list to try. However, what if I tried a headphone amp to drive the speakers? Maybe something like an OTL tube headphone amp designed to drive high impedance headphones? My assumption is the the binding post are designed only to feed the internal amplifier a signal, so I really should be able to use any voltage source component to power these; I have an email out to ML to confirm this.

An interesting line of options I never expected when I picked up these speakers...

zingo

The short answer is the binding posts just deliver a signal to the internal amps. There is no way to bypass the internal amplifier ( we get asked this question all of the time) and no real benefit to using an external amp, unless it adds some “color” that you find pleasing.

timalan

How are you liking the ML Purity speakers? I've been curious if the integrated ICE Amp setup makes them worth considering sometime down the road... I've never had a pair of electrostatic speakers, largely scared off by the power needs; this looks like a potentially elegant solution.

zingo

They are a great solution to that concern as 200wpc RMS seems to be good power for them, and the B&O ICEpower modules seem to have enough resolution and clarity to complement the ESL panels. I really like the they use two 6.5" woofers per cabinet instead of a single larger driver as the speed seems to blend with the panel better than other models.

My only complaint is that the Puritys have a smaller ESL panel than larger models, but that's an okay compromise for me given all the benefits over the passive versions.

polkfarmboy

The purity's have really great bass and are a real bargain. I was going to buy a pair but at the time the price was out of my range. I heard the Feature center channel with the Purity along with two Features doing surround duty all running from the preouts of a denon receiver and it was very cool.

When dealing with a speaker like the purity the smaller panel is no big deal for a smaller room. The only thing the bigger panel on my Vista gives me compared to my Source is better bass integration and a couple of little extra sprinkles of sweetness on the top end but nothing that would reflect the huge price diff. There is Roykssop CD that has classical elements and the sound stage that the 28 inch panel can project is just freaking HUGE!! it sounds like the track is being much larger speakers and it very dimensional

Speakers like the Purity, Source and Electromotion are great speakers that sounds way better than the price tag commands. I just love hearing vocal tracks on electrostats and nothing else gets me this close to perfection for the price tag.

Remember to tilt them speakers forward and try have no av rack between them and you will get the most out of em

zingo

I do have half height rack between them, but they are slightly in front of it, so sound it good. They are great sounding speakers, but I have to run the bass at -3db or else it's too much. The Gen II panels do sound great, and I'm excited to hear them with the NP preamp as I've been working on it since I got the speakers; been running them with a passive pre.

zingo

Update: The speakers started to sound weak in the right channel, so I contacted ML customer service as the speakers still have a few more years on the warranty. The nicest customer service rep I've ever talked to helped me swap the panels from left to right to see if the issues was the stat panel or the power supply. The low output followed the panel, so he sent me out a new one. I just got it installed tonight with excellent writen and illustrated instructions, and the speakers are back in business! They sound great already, even though the new panel will need to break-in a little to match the sound of the older panel. This new generation of ML speakers uses Molex connectors for everything, and with their customer service help, repairing your speakers couldn't be easier!

leroyjr1

Got any pics?

Thanks

zingo

The set-up is still very preliminary as my spikes should be here this week, and I'll be doing plenty of placement tweaking along with their install. I also am currently using cheap IC cables as they were the only ones I had that were long enough to reach. Also expected this week is a length of bulk DH Labs White Lightening which I'll used to make a longer pair of ICs for improved sound quality, and more flexible speaker placement.

zingo

The trim around the base of the wall is about 10" deep and sits below the level of the stat panel. I find this allows me to bring the speakers 10" closer to the base board than would be advised which is nice for placement.

zingo

zingo

I think I need to dust...

Dawgfish

That's a great looking setup you have there. I came really close to pulling the trigger on a set of these last summer when Audio Advisor was closing them out. The reason I didn't was at the time I had my main system set-up in a climate controlled office in a barn. I had a set of ML Sequel IIs at the time and I justed couldn't keep them clean and dust free in that environment. It wasn't a good environment at all for electrostatics. The Sequel IIs also didn't do a good job of integrating the single 10" woofers with the electrostatic panels. It had a disjointed sound between the bass and the mids and highs if that makes any sense. The two 6.5" woofers on these inrigues me. I would love to hear them, especially in the better listening room I have now.

zingo

Thanks for the nice words, and music and movies both sound great. I don't even feel I need a subwoofer as the speakers reach down to 40Hz, and I'm not a bass head. The pair of 6.5" woofers per speaker do blend very well with the stat panels, and provide fast and punch bass with good output. I usually keep the bass contour switch at -3db as the bass can get boomy if the speakers are placed too close to the walls, and heavily driven with pop or bass heavy music.

zingo

One thing I'm really enjoying is that the speakers have an auto-on feature, which makes them really wife friendly. Right now I'm running a passive preamp, so there is nothing to turn on, just an input to select; neato!

polkfarmboy

You must get some tubes hooked up to try out, it will change the sound dramatically

zingo

I've heard that tubes and ML are a great combo; thanks and I'll see what I can do.

polkfarmboy

It is a very good combo but I always think you loose a little up on the top but its worth it on some types of music and not on others

SCompRacer

I like your stats! Nice to see more panels here.

zingo

Not being a stat owner for too long now, I'm still amazed how natural and large the panels sound! Now having magnetic planars at work and electrostatics at home, I'm totally sold on large surface area planar speakers as they disappear into the room better than most designs and simply provide music on a large scale; as long as your sitting in the sweet spot anyway... :P

polkfarmboy

When I play my stats I dont think I am listening that loud but then my phone will ring and I can hear it and it just gives you a reality check and then I think "**** I'm probably pissing off my neighbors big time" :biggrin:

zingo

It's odd because I historically have not liked full ribbon speakers, but the stats and maggies sound so different to my ear. I thought the ribbons sounded good, but shaped the sound stage in an unnatural way that didn't make me want to listen to more.

SCompRacer

When Doug (dkg999) first came over, he remarked how they were like maggies....like well integrated sub maggies.

My panels are flat so I have a one person sweet spot. But oh what a place it is. I love bass too. A long excursion SEAS woofer in a folded eight foot long TL (transmission line) bass module with a 600WPC amp makes for some amazing deep articulate bass you can feel. When I was younger the ESL's wouldn't be good for me cause I couldn't sit in one place for long. Now, if SOMA were an Olympic sport, NO ONE could beat me.:cheesygrin: (Sitting On My Arse).

polkfarmboy

Dont maggies and other designs that are flat arc the sound

SCompRacer

I don't understand 'arc the sound?'

zingo

Martin Logan curves their panels to help solve the issue of limited dispersion typical with a flat radiator, if that's what you were asking?

zingo

SCompRacer wrote: »

When Doug (dkg999) first came over, he remarked how they were like maggies....like well integrated sub maggies.

My panels are flat so I have a one person sweet spot. But oh what a place it is. I love bass too. A long excursion SEAS woofer in a folded eight foot long TL (transmission line) bass module with a 600WPC amp makes for some amazing deep articulate bass you can feel. When I was younger the ESL's wouldn't be good for me cause I couldn't sit in one place for long. Now, if SOMA were an Olympic sport, NO ONE could beat me.:cheesygrin: (Sitting On My Arse).

How is the ModWright preamp with the ESL panels? It was one of their first tube/stat combos I thought of when I got these speakers.

SCompRacer

zingo wrote: »

Martin Logan curves their panels to help solve the issue of limited dispersion typical with a flat radiator, if that's what you were asking?

That I knew, I just don?t get what pfb is asking, "Dont maggies and other designs that are flat arc the sound"? Flat panels are more beaming which results in better focus in the sweet spot at the cost of narrowing it. I also have the dipole effect that I can use, partially or totally cancel with treatments behind them.

SCompRacer

zingo wrote: »

How is the ModWright preamp with the ESL panels? It was one of their first tube/stat combos I thought of when I got these speakers.

The ModWright SWLP 9.0SE was a great fit. I had it in there for six years. I also went with his power supply upgrade. High current, extremely low distortion 5687 tube circuit design. Close to SS but not quite. Fast, punchy and dynamic. Great built in phono stage (the 'P' after SWL); not as good as the stand alone SWP 9.0 phono but very close. With pricey 6900 tubes, extremely detailed. Only reason it is going is I built a DAC with discrete balanced output; I'd lose the discrete out with single ended conversion so I needed a balanced pre. I hate going backwards or losing any SQ.

I've had other tube gear inclucing amps that had second order distortion, but bass and highs were lacking so I went with SS amps and the ModWright pre. With the tube amps I used a Marchand active crossover. The SS amps I use now are the InnerSound MK II active crossover bass amp with a now Sanders ESL amp. It is stable to the capacitive and low Ohms the panel can throw at it and will play loud and clean at crazy high SPL's.

zingo

So you're selling the ModWright preamp?

SCompRacer

Yes, I will be selling the pre. Ed had dibbed the 9100ES when he was out here last year.