I have owned these speakers for over two years now and have been very satisfied with their quality. As the great shamanjr (funny e-mail address) mentioned that their price is absolutely amazing compared with making music sound very clear and live. The bass maybe a little lack but anyway it's quite good and I think that the integral is the most important thing when you are looking for a good speaker. And these speaker truly are massive great if you look at the price. Say one other label where you get for the same price speaker like these great ones. These speakers make music sound music. But you may meet some surprises if you have bad records because these speakers are so transparency that they make bad record sound really bad. So find only good records so you get the best result of these speakers. Also they need high-powered amplifier because the low impedance (4 nominal, 1,5 the lowest). So they are not the easiest load for the amplifier. The placement has to do very carefully because it's very important for to get the best possible integral. But you find it if you have good nerves. No, just kidding. But anyway make it very carefully so you get life with these speakers. An huge price and a huge transparency. Can't wait to get reQuests.Martin Logan really has made something that makes our life much easier.

For those of you that believe that Adcom and ML's don't mix well, I have something to say. When I heard these speakers at the dealer I was so impressed I bypassed other amazing sounding speakers for the ML's (Sequel II). The dealer were using Brystons I also was using Brystons for power, I have to admit I was not impressed with the match, so I purchased Proceed amps. Still not happy! Then I had an opportunity to audition Krell and still was not happy. I found Adcom 5500, then there was a big difference, yet I still had a problem. (By the way I did manage to break in the ML's at about 100 hours.) So I figured maybe it was the ML's. I contacted the main tech at MartinLogan. He suggested that I send him the Sequels power supplies. He sent me upgraded ones (free of charge). After installing them back on to the ML's... heaven, absolute heaven! I was lead to trying every amp that I had purchased with the ML's just to hear the difference. Every single one sounded great, but, the Adcom was wonderful. Since then the ML's and the Adcom are married. I have since then purchased the Adcom 5503 to drive Phase Technology PC-3's for rears and MartinLogan Cinema for center.
I certainly believe that the ML's are a far superior speaker than the conventional or other Electrostatics for that matter. Personal taste also helps. Although I did not purchase a higher priced amp (Brystons ARE expensive by the way) I am happy with the Adcom's.

My main system:
B&K ref20 AC-3/DTS preamp
Panasonic A310 AC-3/DTS DVD
Sony DSS
ADCOM 5500 - front
ADCOM 5503 - center and rear
Panamax 1500 line conditioner
MartinLogan Sequel II - front bi-wired
MartinLogan Cinema - center
Phase Technology PC-3 - rears
Velodyne FSR15 sub
Hatachi Ultra 50"
Monster cable for both, speakers and interconnects
Carda coaxial digital (dvd to ref20)
XLO s-video
XLO toslink digital (DSS to ref20)

Before listening to these speakers, I was a bit skeptical about electrostatic designs. I'm a very conventional sort of person, and electrostats seemed like the sort of exotica likely to appeal to owners of tube amps and molybdenum cables. I was fully expecting to hear a sound that was unusual -- a characteristic "electrostat sound," if you will.
I didn't hear any such thing. What I heard instead was a pair of speakers with a very transparent sound, a great soundstage, and a wonderful midrange. The bass is somewhat lacking compared to other floorstanders in this price range, but it's by no means anemic.

Alas, the SL3 is somewhat out of my price range, but if I were looking in the $3000-plus range, this would definitely be on my short list.

I recently auditioned a pair of SL3's at Audio Video Creations in Manhasset, Long Island, and came away very impressed. I have been looking to upgrade my speakers for some time, and found that I've been leaning to the open, airy sound that the Logan's present. However, I have been unable to find a retailer who carries Martin Logan and Acarian. You see, I am also impressed with the Alon II's, another speaker which presents a wide soundstage. I was wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to review these speakers side by side, or at least to extensive listening to both. I would love to hear your opinion.
Based on the short time I spent listening to the SL3's, I came away knowing that I have to go back for a more extensive listening session to see if they are worht the extra money over the Alon II's. But based on early impressions, I would have to give them a four star rating.

The SL 3 is a wonderful speaker. I have had DQ 10s, Apogee Stages , Theils,and CLS11Z. I believe these combine the best qualities of all my previous speakers. They are extremely revealing and have very strong dymamics. I use VTL 225 tubes with a CJ Premier 10 preamp and EAD transport with a pair of Vanderstein subs with great results. They also are a tremendous home theater speaker. I have to give them 5 stars...They also look great!

Had the SL3,s for nearly four years now and nothing Ive heard in the meantime has come close. The naturalness never ceases to amaze and they look fantastic.I,m not even realising their full potential with my system at the moment(marantz CD 72, audiolab 8000p and audio synthesis passive pre) but they still sound great. Ive heard what they can do with better front ends and therefore know what I have to look forward to. They certainly aren't a dead end purchase. Looking forward to putting a Krell fpb 200 with them as well as a top end cd but I can hardly complain in the meantime.

I have owned SL3's for about three months now. I've been afraid that the feeling of wonder that I first exeperienced on hearing them would gradually diminish. It
hasn't and I don't expect that it will. ML's are just better and than anything else at any price. "The only thing better than a Martin Logan is a Bigger Martin Logan". I get a real kick out of playing them for unsuspecting visitors. They never fail to be stunned by hearing music that sounds so real its spooky at first. Heh heh . . . I love it. Buy em. Play em. Keep em for a long long time. That's my plan. (P.S. Don't tell ML but they could be charging 5-10 times as much for these and people would definitely still buy them.)

Simply put,if you can place them properly,and don't need the last few thousand hertz of bass,these are the best speakers I have ever heard for the price.Needs at least a mid powered high quality amp to make it sing,tube or ss.Not the best for high volume hard rock,but they still boogie quite well.Clear,transparent mids,awesome strings and cymbals,and the woofer/panel integration issue is overblown by most over picky reviewers.Buyem, you'll likem.

Wow. It's amazing what sort of people will call themselves audiophiles on this website...perhaps we're missing something, but I had no idea that BMW was in the speaker manufacturing business (are they gas powered maybe?) And please explain to me a 'smooth bright sound'. If ever I've heard a contradiction, this is one ("Oh, my ears are bleeding, yet I feel nothing!")
All jokes aside, we are two people writing this review, both owning a pair of ML SL3's. We absolutely love them. Five stars. But let's also address a couple of issues that seem to plague this poor manufacturer.

Bass. There is lots of bass. People seem to not realise, or forget, that bass is room-dependant. Of course, if you have a 3" driver in a 4x4x4 enclosure, there is not going to be much bass. But Martin Logans aren't built that way. Honestly, with my speaker positioning, I am on the verge of too much bass (mind you, just on the verge). Placement, placement, placement. If then it is not enough, get yourself a sub.

Power. Yeah, they like power. Won't lie to you there.

Highs. No, they don't sound like they are playing through a pillow. Sorry. This is one of the most transparent speakers you will hear (aside from spending countless more on something like Wilson Audios). And it is such an easy speaker to listen to.

All in all, this is definitely one of my favorite speakers in this price category. They sound great, and make so much MUSIC. After all, this is what we're all looking for,isn't it?

Hi guys! Pardon me if I offend you. Have any of you so called audiophiles heard of midbass? A kick drum to be more specific. The SL3s have a hint of midbass while listing to Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue CD on tracts 5,9 and 11. But listen to a pair of $3500 dynamic loudspeakers and then decide if the SL3s are truly a 5 star speaker. I agree they are transparent, image superbly and belive it or not, don't require much wattage. Once I got over the novelty of the electrostatic panel and experiened more dynamic jazz music through high-end dynamic speakers namely the Italian Aliante Linea for the same price I was stunned by what I had been missing with the SL3s. Again the midbass was very subdued to say the least. If you don't believe my rather critical review I would ask you to compare the SL3s with a dynamic loudspeaker half the SL3s size and come to your own conclusion. I think the SL3s are too laid back and lack emotion and isn't that what music is all about.
Equipment:
Amps - CJ MF-2500, Sonograph SA-400, Roksan Caspian
Pre-amps - CJ PFR, Sonograph SC-26, Roksan Integrated
CD Players - DF-2, NAD S-500, Audio Analogue Maestro, Roksan Caspian
Power Conditioners - MIT Z-Center, Essence Power Distributor
Interconnects - MIT 330-Shotgun, Monster 1000i, DH Labs Silver Sonic
Speaker Cables - MIT 750-Shotgun, Monster Z3, DH Lab Silver Sonic