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Martin Logan CLX ART

73.19.93.140
Posted on April 22, 2023 at 13:14:18
Mister Pig
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Joined: September 21, 1999
 So there may be an opportunity to change speakers. Won't know for sure till tomorrow.

One option might be a pair of CLX ART. From the reading I have done it shows a remarkably detailed and transparent speaker. What does not get discussed is its ability to present dynamic attach, and how it responds when aske to play dynamically challenging music like electric blues, big band, or plain old rock and roll. I do use a pair of Velodyne HGS 12 subwoofers and the pre amp has a DSP program to deal with room interactions and speaker integration.

Anyone have any observations or experiences?

 

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You might get more responses here., posted on April 23, 2023 at 10:16:29
jimbill
Audiophile

Posts: 3050
Location: Texas
Joined: May 31, 2004
 I've never heard the CLX, but from what I've read over the years, they are exceptional speakers. And with your subs, I think you'd have a great speaker system.

 

Well.., posted on April 23, 2023 at 19:50:58
Ozzie
Audiophile

Posts: 3817
Joined: August 1, 2002
 what did you think?

 

RE: Well.., posted on April 23, 2023 at 21:39:08
Mister Pig
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Joined: September 21, 1999
 You read the last sentence?

 

You might ping Michael Samra, posted on April 24, 2023 at 12:26:22
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 who posts most often in vintage as he has a pair. He's been ill in the past and not sure if he's still active. Click here for posts.

Never heard that model myself, but am not inclined towards a three-way stat. Did, however, enjoy the original CLS as that was a full range design. JWC had a pair in the 80s following his Dayton-Wrights.

 

RE: Martin Logan CLX ART, posted on April 24, 2023 at 22:35:28
Mister Pig
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Joined: September 21, 1999
 Shipping from Tennesse to Washington state is not as bad as I thought. That had the potential to be a deal breaker because I am at the top of my budget. I have agreed in principle to this purchase, now its just a matter of getting things paid for and the speakers boxed up over the weekend. Should ship at the beginning of next week.

Have a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks which should be up to the task of driving these. I use a Trinov Amethyst pre amp, and the room correction software should come in handy. I think I am going to engage the electronic crossover for 50 Hz, and use a pair of Velodyne HGS 12 subs with them.

 

Very jealous, posted on April 25, 2023 at 14:21:59
jimbill
Audiophile

Posts: 3050
Location: Texas
Joined: May 31, 2004
 I've heard many CLX owners say they don't need subs. I definitely don't with my ML 13a's.

Keep us posted.

 

RE: Martin Logan CLX ART, posted on April 26, 2023 at 20:53:32
triamp
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: USA
Joined: August 6, 2008
 They can play loud. They can play soft. That tells me they can create dynamics. They have really decent bass down to about 40 Hz, so your Velodynes can be adjusted to fill in the sub bass. They are wonderful speakers, as good as any TOTL speakers out there.
Science doesn't care what you believe.

 

You caught me browsing, posted on April 29, 2023 at 15:58:23
Ozzie
Audiophile

Posts: 3817
Joined: August 1, 2002
 A buddy had the CLSes. Squeaky clean. I presume that ML corrected the one weakness in them; a droop between 125 and 250 Hz. Running anything Velodyne with the CLXes probably won't work. A set of JLs or RELs may be in your future.

 

RE: Martin Logan CLX ART, posted on April 30, 2023 at 07:45:03
Mister Pig
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Joined: September 21, 1999
 Well as an update, I did purchase them. They got crated yesterday, and now its a matter of them being picked up. Not sure how long freight time is, but should be a couple of weeks and then I have them here. Although it sounds like it could happen faster than that. Currently listening to headphones or laptop speakers, so I will say it cannot happen soon enough. Also means the amps are turned off, and they take at least 72 hours to get to the point where they sound right, and a week to fully flesh out. Makes me almost want to find an interim pair of speakers I can use and then put away in the closet for the next audio emergency. Actually I broke down last night and sent a CL message for some Paradigm Studio Reference 20 V1 to see if I can get these to tide me over. Sigh. Well at least the waiting will be over in a bit.

 

RE: Martin Logan CLX ART, posted on May 14, 2023 at 08:14:18
Brad225
Audiophile

Posts: 158
Location: Tampa
Joined: December 25, 2006
 Mister P did you receive your CLXs yet?

 

RE: Martin Logan CLX ART, posted on January 1, 2024 at 09:16:49
Mister Pig
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Joined: September 21, 1999
 I never realized I had not updated this thread. Yes I did get them in and have been going through a learning curve of set up. Part of my difficulty was that I have a dining room off the living room, and therefore I have to leave a pathway from that room to the living room. It limits how far I can get the speaker off the front wall.

I use ATC diffuser panels, a DSP program in my Trinov preamp, and acoustic panels to treat a living room the best I can. My previous speakers were a pair of JBL 4365, and I found I could place them wide and add moderate toe in to get a huge soundstage. The CLX do not respond the same way.

I had to bring them in a few inches from that spot and take out most of the toe in. The soundstage is quite nice, perhaps not quite as expansive as the JBL, but the trade off is you get a far more natural and nuanced sound. Piano and acoustic guitar is amazing, vocals are natural and in the room to an even greater degree. Instruments have lovely texture and decay.

The downside is commercial rock and roll recordings, and even worse pop ones, are revealed as stitched together collages. Some of it is unlistenable. But I don't have room for a lesser speaker that can make that kind of music fun.

Oh one thing of note. I crossed them over at 80 Hz. You get a lot below that and I think you compromise the mids by trying to drive the panels too hard.

It has taken a long time to get to know the needs of these speakers, you don't plop them in place and twist a bit here and there. The sound is magical when you get them right. I have to admit there were times I was lost and thinking perhaps I should move on. But I stuck with it, and I am glad I did. This is a remarkable speaker.

 

RE: You might ping Michael Samra, posted on January 3, 2024 at 13:14:42
dumpingground
Audiophile

Posts: 256
Joined: February 23, 2011
 NT

 

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