TheMaxx111

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
have had a chance to live with my new used Martin Logan Odyssey’s for a month now. Here is my review. I have always wanted electro stats so I decided to jump on them and I am so glad I did. These are without a doubt the best speakers I have ever heard.

Reading reviews I was hesitating to get them because of some things I kept reading. First, I like lots of music and I really like hard rock and heavy metal. Every review I ever read made it sound like rock music would sound bad on these speakers, well let me tell you that is just not true. Metal music sounds great on these! Second, I thought I would have to only listen to direct to disk HiFi recordings, again not true, these speakers make 128K bps MP3s sound good even acoustically recorded phonograph music, but will really shine on high quality recordings and LPs. These really make drums sound realistic.
I kept reading that you needed your own nuclear reactor to run these; although I have them hooked up to an ADCOM GTA 7400 amp now, they run fine hooked up to my Dynaco 70 35 watt X 2 amp (just not loud). I would highly recommend matching these with a good sub though.

Finally, the small sweet spot. Although they sound even better in the sweet spot, the off axis response is still great.

If you are thinking of getting Martin Logans and were worried about the same things I was, no need to fear, buy a pair!

I really want to joun the ML Owners club but cannot get it to join.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Aside from the Prodigy, the Martin Logan Odysseys are the most transparent and detailed speakers I have ever heard. I use them for both home theater and music and they do incredible justice to both. Tonal balance is very accurate, bass is tight, and very well defined. They do an excellent job of reaching even the lowest organ and kick drum passages (although not quite as well as Martin Logan's Prodigys). In my sytem they seemed to take longer to reach their full potential. Even though they are on all day everyday at normal listening levels it took about 6 months for full break in, at which point the bass really blossomed, becoming very deep and impactfull. Imaging is incredible and very well focused. As many before me have mentioned they will do sound best with high quality electronicsand cables, and they do require patient and carefull set up. They do very well in medium to large rooms, and five feet into the room and three feet from any side walls seems to be the best way to start with set up, (they seem to require very little toe in). Biwiring is the best way to connect them to your amp, but they will perform at their best when bi-amped. The Odysseys are hard to beat for the money, if you want better you'll have to step up to the Prodigys. (Which I fully intend to do)! My system: THETA CASABLANCA II (w/extreme dacs) THETA DREADNAUGHT II (5 channel) will add Citidel Monoblocks. MARK LEVINSON 31.5 CD transport MARANTZ DVD PLAYER (will upgrade to THETA DAVID II) MARTIN LOGAN ODYSSEYS (fronts)will move to rear after upgrade to prodigys. MARTIN LOGAN THEATER i (center) MARTIN LOGAN AEON i (rears) will be side surrounds. MARTIN LOGAN DECENT (subwoofer) will add a second and third ML sub.

Strengths:
Amazing clarity, no box sound, great tonal balance, sounds good with any type of music. Wide open sound stage, focus imaging. The speakers seem to disappear. I rate these speaker of a very high value because there are speakers out there costing three time as much that don't deliver anywhere close to the same performance.

Weaknesses:
Will reveal the flaws in poor recordings but still sounds ok. Takes a little extra time and patience to set up.

Similar Products Used:
MARTIN LOGAN: Ascents, Aeons, and Theater.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
The Odysseys perform better than any other speaker I have owned to date overall (Thiel, older ML's, NHT, etc.). I had the opportunity to compare them against ML Sequel IIs I owned at the time the Odysseys arrived. The Odysseys proved to be more transparent in the midrange and treble (if you can believe that), with better bass control/stat panel integration. It also had better micro and marco dynamics than the Sequel II. In short, when it comes to the aggregate sound of the Odysseys, I can't find a problem with them. My only complaints are minor and relate to cosmetics, not performance: * I wish the stat panels were a few inches taller so they would sound the same if I listen to them standing up or sitting down. * The front woofer grill could benefit from some styling improvements

Strengths:
* Flawless sound from 30hz (in my room) to 20khz * The speaker wire binding posts on the Odyssey should be standard on all speakers.

Weaknesses:
* Should be 4-5 inches taller * Not flat to 20hz (this is not a flaw, just a limit of the design based on price * Expensive

Similar Products Used:
ML Sequel II, ML CLS-IIZ, Thiel CS2.2, NHT 1.5/Sub Two I combination

Price Paid:  $4800.00 from Sound Advice

Summary:
After almost a 2 month break-in period, I continue to be amazed at this speakers broad and accurate soundstage, resolution of detail, dynamics, and presentation of the musical performance at realistic sound levels. I highly recommend horizontal biamping, this made a tremendous difference, as well as spending the time to "dial in" the speakers in your room(get out the measuring tape!)

Strengths:
You really need to audition these before purchasing new speakers. Resolution and dynamics galore!

Weaknesses:
Size, requires careful placement,really should be bi-amped, and very revealing of flaws in the sound of your source components.

Similar Products Used:
Quad USA 63 monitors(they are now my bedroom speakers!,Accoustat,Magnapan, Quad ESL

Price Paid:  $4000.00

Summary:
The reviewer before me hit it right on the head. These are truely remarkable sounding speakers if you match them up with high end eqipment. The ML's clarity and distinct sound separates them IMHO from other manufacturers. They are very hard to drive, for those who have a 100watt receiver you may want to look for another speaker in the ML family (Ascent).

Strengths:
Clarity and presentation in both audio and Home Theater.

Weaknesses:
The only weakness I could think of is the price. But when you analyze the performance/price ratio compared to speakers that cost double. You then realize that they are worth every penny.

Similar Products Used:
Snell XA 90, Revel F series, Vienna Acoustics Beethovan