old_s13

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 8.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Used

Summary:
I've always admired ML speakers since a kid, these speakers look as good as they perform. I tend to like brighter speakers, such as the older Infinity products that used Emit tweeters, but the ML's do a great job producing clean sound that is EXTREMELY gentle to the ear. The MLs are very neutral, so neutral that they have a cold and electronic sound to them. I wont say its a bad thing, its just a characteristic of the speaker. After playing around with them, I think the MLs have a very studio monitor-esque sound. I give these speakers 3 stars for value and 4 stars for performance. I think there are a lot of speakers that can meet and/or exceed the performance of these speakers, but nonetheless -- the ML's are top performers and overall, excellent speakers.

Strengths:
- Aesthetically pleasing - VERY pure sound - Extremely detailed - Wide soundstate, very room filling - Extremely gentle to the ears, very little ear fatigue.

Weaknesses:
- Very finicky about placement. Careful assessment of the room should be made before purchasing these speakers. Very rewarding when configured properly. - Bass is modest, not powerful. Subwoofer REQUIRED. - Not exactly efficient speakers, a strong amplifier is highly recommended. - Sweet spot is more limited. You sacrifice having a broad listening environment for precision. Its a toss-up.

Similar Products Used:
Older Infinity, Klipsch, Polk, Dahlquist products.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This is a review of the Aeons.Since these are the closes in size I will put it here.Well the aeons midrange is magical.The soundstage was vivid and I felt as thou I was on stage at the venue.The clinging of the glasses as the waiters served people in the audience was amazing!The amp used was a Adcom 5802 and a Sony cd player as the source ,can't remeber the model number.The bass was decent...If I had any complaints,this is where I wasn't satisfied.Some people say that sealed enclosures are better.Well not to my ears it seems to sound muffled and congested.Calling attention to itself everytime the music called for some bass.The integration of the driver and the panels were a little annoying,but maybe with some experimentation I could live with them.I will admit, they beat the pants off the Maggies that were setup in the same room!I have grown used to the box speakers better integration and bass performance.I guess there's no free lunch .No speaker is perfect and to get more of one thing you will have to give up another!All in all I loved the speaker for it's strengths.Now I need to find some Innersounds with TL designed enclosures .Which yields better integration but a much smaller sweet spot...Oh Well here we go again!

Strengths:
Midrange ,Midrange and more Midrange, Soundstage deep and open

Weaknesses:
Bass performance ;lacking in integration and openess in the lower freqs

Similar Products Used:
Soliloquy,Maggies,Paradigm,Sonus Faber,Deftecs,Meadowlarks,Vienna Acoustics,PSB,and a few others

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Cherry Creek Audio

Summary:
First let me say that these speakers are not for everyone due to the need to be placed at least three feet away from the back and side walls to sound their best and the need for good amplification/source components. They also have very limited low frequency response and should be augmented with a "good" subwoofer. With proper placement (lots of trial and error with toe in and distance from wall boundaries) I've got them to sound better than most any other speaker I have ever heard close to their price range(including some $5000+ speakers). They really exel at reproducing a holographic presentation in front of the listener. I've had fun having friends listen to my system for the first time and seeing their jaws drop, wondering how two speakers can just disappear, leaving the performers playing in the room with you. I now have a complete Martin Logan surround system and the sound is unbelievable. Even my wife comments on how "real" it sounds. I highly recommend these speakers and believe most listeners will like them if heard properly set-up with good amplification/source equipment. My system: Martin Logan Aerius Martin Logan Cinema center channel Martin Logan Script surrounds Audio Research LS3 preamplifier McCormack DNA .05 amplifier(modified RevB) CAL ICON II cd player(powerboss mod) Linn Axis turntable & Goldring cartridge Lehhman Black Cube phono preamp Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofer Denon 3200 receiver for processor and to drive center and rear channels(works suprisingly well)

Strengths:
Holographic Imaging, Lifelike sound

Weaknesses:
Weak bass, Limited placement options

Similar Products Used:
Spica,PSB,Dunlavy,Paradigm,B&W,Magnepan

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Hi-Fi Buys

Summary:
I'm very happy with the Arieus. I've had mine for several years now, and am still impressed with it's clarity and neutrality. Stringed instruments make this speaker sing! You haven't heard a piano reproduced right until you've heard it on an Arieus. Soundstaging and instrument placement are also spectacular.I still think this is the most accurate speaker on the market. The Arieus isn't cheap, but is worth every penny.

Strengths:
Uncolored reproduction of sound. As neutral a speaker as you can possibly get.Especially good for listening to Jazz or Classical. If you love strings, this is the speaker for you. Very sensitive speaker-doesn't require tons of watts to play well.

Weaknesses:
Not the best rock-and-roll speaker. Bass is okay, but metal-heads should stick with Cerwin-Vegas, or JBL.

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Magnolia HiFi

Summary:
Have had my ML Aerius i speakers 4 years. They are great on all types of music and HT, never fatiguing, great sound stage with proper placement, incredible detail. Depending on your preference, some will want more bass. Best value/performance combo in ML line. Am writing in response to previous review looking for relatively inexpensive rears. Might want to try Boston VR M50 in black oak. I bought a pair for the fronts in a second room system. One day decided to try with Aerius in rear "just for the heck of it". The best non-electrostatic I've tried to date. Blends well, probably due to the tweeter more than anything else. Good placement options (stands, wall, shelf). See reviews on this site under Boston Acoustics.

Strengths:
Sound stage & detail.

Weaknesses:
Size and price.

Similar Products Used:
No other electrostatics. Definitive Technology ProMonitor 200, Bose 501, Boston Acoustics VR M50, Celestion and others.