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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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In Reply to: GE Aon or ML 35xt posted by Lynxo on July 11, 2015 at 13:13:22:
I listened to the Martin-Logan Motion 15 and GoldenEar Aon 2 speakers during my recent search for new bookshelf/monitor speakers. And, it sounds like my musical tastes are similar to yours, though I also occasionally listen to rock. If you don't mind reading a bit, I'll share my experience.
Some background: I was looking for a new pair of bookshelf speakers to replace a pair of Polk RT55s from my college days. My biggest goals were to purchase speakers that were higher fidelity and smaller than the RT55s. Although I knew I would be losing a good deal of low-end impact when I replaced the RT55s, I still wanted my new speakers to have some low-end weight -- or at least to give me the impression the low-end exist. I did not see a sub-woofer being a possibility -- at least in the immediate future. Lastly, my cost was limited to the neighborhood of $800.
After considering and auditioning to several other bookshelf speakers within my price range (Bowers & Wilkins, Monitor Audio, Paradigm), I gave the ML Motion 15s a listen. I really enjoyed their Heil Air Motion Transformer-type tweeter: it was sweet, fast, clear, made vocals and music come alive, etc. Unlike you, I did not find the Motion 15s bright or harsh. Vocals sounded rich for me, not thin. I thought I was sold on the ML Motion 15s, but I wanted to give the GoldenEar Aon 2s a listen, as I had also read they were pretty strong performers, built on a similar tweeter.
Several weeks later -- when I finally had most of a day free -- I listened to the GE Aon 2s, then trekked across town to listen to the ML Motion 15s. The Aon 2s were on stands in a spacious, open listening room. They upper end sounded sweet, like the Motion 15s. The lower end also had a considerable amount of substance. They sounded pretty strong as I walked around the largish listening room. (The Aon 2s were being driven by a Creek Evolution 50 integrated, with the volume well below the max.) I left that dealer knowing that the Aon 2s were going to be tough to beat. The Motion 15s were initially on bookshelves in a smaller listen room. When I listened to the Motion 15s the second time, while the upper end still excited me, the low end sounded like the speaker was trapped in a box. The sales associate moved the Motion 15s off the bookshelves and out into the listening room. However, they lost all substance in the lower octaves -- the low end sounded thin. The Motion 15s really needed to be integrated with a sub-woofer, but that was not a possibility for me. I asked the sales associate about the Motion 35XTs, but he had neither heard them nor sold any to his customers. (I found this a bit odd since he was big ML enthusiasts, having owned dozens of ML speakers over the years.) He said, for the price of the 35XTs, he would recommend his customers move up to a set of floor-standing speakers or integrate a sub-woofer into their systems. (Again, neither of these were possibilities for me.)
I pondered the impressions the two speakers made on me. The mid- and upper-range of the two speakers seemed about equal -- clear, sweet, exciting, etc. Maybe if I had more time with the speakers or could A-B them in the same room, I could make a better distinction between the two. The Aon 2s went deeper -- had substance -- in the lower frequencies, while the Motion 15s were lacking and felt thin. I really liked the way the Motion 15s looked compared to the Aon 2s -- the magnetic grills, the piano black finish, the viewable Folded Motion Tweeter, etc. The Aon 2s looked interesting, but plain. But, that wasn't a good reason to convince me the Motion 15s were the way to go. Furthermore, while I wanted to consider the Motion 35XTs, I couldn't justify purchasing a speaker I had not auditioned and that cost nearly 50% more than my original budget. I purchased the GE Aon 2s.
The Aon 2s have lived with me for a little over five months. I still enjoy them, though life has been busier lately and I have not had as much time to listen to them as I would like. I still think they perform wonderfully. Even with my placement restrictions (the Aon 2s are only about 5 feet apart), I think they can still give a nice soundstage, though I have to adjust my seating position a bit -- more nearfield. My Aon 2s perform double duty, as I also use them for TV and movies (which sounds much fuller through the Aon 2s than the rear-firing TV speakers). When watching movies/TV and sitting off-axis, the vocals do drop off more than I would like. Maybe I just need to get myself a decent, wide-dispersion center channel...
In the end, in terms of sound, the GE Aon 2s and ML Motion 15s are both very nice speakers. The clarity, richness, and excitement of the mid- and upper-range is tough to beat. If you need some hint of bass, the Motion 15s will probably require a sub-woofer. The Aon 2s go deeper and I don't think a sub-woofer is a requirement for most music (though I'm sure one wouldn't hurt). I'm not sure how this translates to the Motion 35XT, but it could still require a sub to support the low end, as the reviews and tests I have read show it goes only a bit deeper than the Motion 15. I encourage you to search for a GoldenEar dealer near you and try to audition the Aon 2s or 3s. If you want to give the Motion 35XTs an in-home audition, order them from for an on-line dealer like Crutchfield.com that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
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Follow Ups
- RE: GE Aon or ML 35xt - Thorongil 06:07:24 07/22/15 (1)
- RE: GE Aon or ML 35xt - Lynxo 12:18:02 07/22/15 (0)
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