Extremely transparent and very musical. The only drawback is slightly soft bass. Careful equipment matching and placement required. Related equipment:
VAC PA80/80 tube amp
BAT vk3i pre
Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1
Silver Audio 4.0 and 6.0 IC
Silver Audio Symphony 48 speaker wires

A word of advice - DO NOT listen to them at the Stereo Exchange in NYC. No speaker will sound good in a 6x6 box that their obnoxious and uninformed salespeople call a listening room. And oh yes, there is NO B&W in the same price range that comes even close. Forget about Paradigm.

Very Funny. Ok just because some people make spelling mistakes in naming manufactures does not mean they are not audiophiles. I have listened and compared many speakers and Amps in all price range and I myself own some good equipment. The SL3 sounded like a box speaker with a thick towel over it in my opinion. It lacked the dynamics and airiness I heard on other speakers like the B&W and Paradigm. Like I said before I heard it on a cold Amp but I doubt there will be a major improvement. It just was not musical in my opinion. I will try them out again since I see there are some immature viewers who strongly disagree!

Aragon 8008BB
Acurus A250
Acurus A150
Sony TAE9000ES
Sony DVP7700
D.H Lab Cables
Sunfire Sub MKII
Paradigm Studio 80
Paradigm CC 450
Paradigm Studio 20

Some background: This review is made after listening to Legacy Focus and Whisper (Elite DVD and CD Player - forgot model #, with Legacy monoblocks), Martin-Logan Aerius and SL3 (Marantz Receiver and CD Player, forgot amp and DVD player), Hales Revelation 3 and Transcendence 3 (Rotel Amp and CD Player), NHT 2.5i (Rotel Amp and CD Player), 2.9, and 3.3 (Sony 355ES CD Player and Sony TA9000ES amplifier stereo mode), Definitive Technologies BP2000, and BP3000 (Sony 355ES CD Player and Sony TA9000ES amplifier stereo mode), PSB Stratus Silver-i (Rotel Receiver + Amp, Denon DVD Player, and another config which is Bryston amp + Rotel CD Player + forgot what preamp), DynAudio Audience 40 (Krell CD Player and Receiver), Snell (forgot what model, but it's $1400 a pair with McIntosh amp + Sony 5 CD changer player), McIntosh ML4C (Marantz DVD Player with all McIntosh amp/receivers). See my other reviews on these speakers for a perspective of what I want in sound.
All the speakers above I've heard in different places/room/situations/conditions and might affect the judgement of that particular speaker, so take this with a grain of salt, and more importantly, LISTEN to them if you are interested. This is just an OPINION of mine of those speakers I've heard. Full disclosure: I haven't bought any of these speakers, but right now I'm leaning toward the NHT 3.3, since I can buy them (1 year old) at around $2500. All the speakers I've heard will either get 3 to 5 stars, since I don't believe any speakers at this price range is capable of getting 1 star (If they do, how many star is my $10 computer speaker? If it's also 1, I'm sure the speaker reviewed will be a LOT better than my $10 computer speaker). A 5 can only be awarded to live performance, and so far I haven't heard anything that sounded like live performance (meaning you can't distinguish whether an instrument sound came out of a real instrument or a speaker).

Very similar sounding to the Aerius, but more filling in the soundstage department. That said, still very narrow soundstage, can't really move out from the sweet spot for music enjoyment. Mids and Highs are most detailed I've ever heard though, but base is VERY lacking. It is said that wealthy people will make 2 rooms for enjoyment, the Home theater room, and the audio room. Unfortunately, I would fall into the OTHER category of people, where I cannot have 2 rooms for my enjoyment. So, I'll have to pass this set out.

I have been hooked on 'stats ever since first hearing Acoustats in 1981 - I bought the Model 3 and we had 11 happy years together - sure, they were a little lacking in real low end, but the bass had great pitch definition and the mids were to die for - you were in the middle of the recording studio, the way I like it being a musician (drummer). Big mistake selling them; I was in speaker hell for a few years, and my wife thought I was losing my mind with the sucession of speakers coming and going; Dalquists, Apogees, Carver AL3, so many others I can't remember, but nothing had that "mid- magic" until I heard the M-L Quests, which I ended up buying used in '95 and kept for about a year - however the bass always bugged me - seemed a little thick, and lacking in pitch definition.
Which brings me to the SL3's..............

Still not completely happy, I wandered into my favorite store called Soundex near Phila, PA one day (great store). I had read about the update to the Sequel II (which I came close to buying, but it too was weird in the bass). When I finally heard these SL3's the clarity and resolution just blew me away - my jaw dropped. I had finally found what I wanted to hear - the magical mids, good dynamics, resolution, and yes, very nice, correct bass. I promptly sold the Quests . Those of you sceptics who think these speakers are lacking in any area might consider the following:

*Room placement is very critical with any good speaker, but much more so with these - a difference of an inch or two can make a tremendous improvement. Too much toe-in can make them sound dull; many hi-fi shops often have their demos set up wrong. You can actually vary the highs by experimenting with the toe-in - I find a difference of 1-3/4" works best for me, using female vocals as my guide. With the rear of the bass cabinets about 3' from the back wall, and each over 5' from the side walls they are about 9' apart, and I sit about 12' back. But you must play around with all this specifically for your room.

*They require a decent amp with some current - I was using an Acurus A250, but I wanted to simplify my setup. I recently bought a Krell KAV300I which works even better with them. Very nice combo. Yeah, Krell is expensive.

*These are NOT speakers for the Cerwin-Vega crowd - look elsewhere. Maybe you'll appreciate speakers of this caliber when you're older like me -if you still have your hearing. Besides, panel speakers just don't sound like little tweeters. And your ears and brain have to adjust to the clarity - as electrostatic speakers have 1/10th the distortion of all-cone systems.

*The mids and highs are all reproduced with one element -from 250hz up to over 20khz - no crossovers to screw things up!

*They will sound best after break-in; about 100 hours. Don't base your evaluation on a pair right out of the cartons.

That said, this is truly one of the finest music systems around at anywhere near the price - I recently heard the new B&W Nautilus 801's ($11,000/pr) and 802's ($8,000/pr)with a friend in LA. They sound nice, but he agreed with me that my SL3's sound very close - and I couldn't afford those anyway. I bought the M-L's new in early '96. No problems since - flawless. I can listen for hours and hours without fatigue, and hear subtle details in the music that are hidden on other speakers. These things are for music lovers, not equipment lovers. After a while you forget you are listening to speakers - you can close your eyes and you are there! I have friends who are constantly amazed by their wonderful reproduction of music, whether it be Zeppelin, Enya, Mary Black, Aimee Mann, Radiohead, Orgy, the London Philharmonic, Pat Metheny or Miles. They just do justice to the music. And if the recording stinks, you will hear it. Don't blame the SL3's.

The only other consideration is that they you need a good size room - about 15' x 20' minimum based on my experience. While they will sound ok in a smaller room, say 13' x 17' they really work their magic best in a big space - my music room in our new home under construction is 17' x 23'; my previous room in NJ was 17' x 24' and they imaged like the Grand Canyon in there.

Yikes, maybe this was TOO much information. Just buy 'em - you'll be glad. I am.

Any questions feel free to e-mail me. Thanks, Martin-Logan.

I've done the proverbial speaker hunt for half a lifetime and most recently came down to two choices on a price/performance basis: the Maggie 1.6QRs and the Martin Logan SL3s. I heard both pairs at once in a well-tweaked room in a hi-fi shop that's been around for a quarter century owned by guys that know what they're doing. I wanted to hear the 1.6's after reading the raves and after having owned a pair of Maggies in the 80's (I was roundly disappointed, sold them and went back to my 20 year old KEFs.) The 1.6's sound nice--mellow, large and non-fatiguing. But I still heard that classic Maggie "wap" in the lower registers, as if the diaphram was slapping against something. I confirmed this by playing the opening of track 8 of Jennifer Warnes' "The Hunter". The 1.6's were not happy campers. They sounded like they had been plugged into and ac mains. Plus, they sounded "wooly", just as my prior pair sounded. After that fiasco, the salesman rolled out the SL3's. Magic!! Clarity, detail, no fatigue, tuneful bass and a big smile on my face. They took a bit to set up but the effort paid off. I bought them, brought them home and put them to the real test: my wife and two daughters who know nothing of audio except the way the stuff sounds. I got accolades and kisses all around. That reaction is contrasted with many prior reactions to newly acquired speakers when --- literally-- the folks would whip out airline barf bags and feign spasmodic discomfort after a first audition. They're not shy! They loved the SL3s. I'm in audio heaven, where I thought I would never arrive. I now listen to music and actually enjoy the experience, as opposed to analyzing the equipment. These are not for headbangers but they rock with the best of them. Get a pair right away if you want to experience audio heaven. Six stars, if it were possible to throw in an extra one.

Very musical,utter transparency, imaging, looks

Can sound lean in mid and lower mid-range as well as low end especially if not positioned carefully. Require a lot of time trying to find the right position for these speakers in most rooms. Takes a powerful amp that drives into a 2 ohm load, careful matching of associate equipment is a must. Dynamics limited on some materials especially high impact movies.

Let first start by saying that these speakers are not for everyone, which is one of the resons they are so special. The only speakers that I know of that offer the same degree of transparency, ease, and musicality are Magnepan's. These speakers sound better the longer you listen to them.

When I auditioned them, they were being used in a home-theater set up and the dealer was using the Golden Eye DVD as a demo for myself and another interested gettleman. They played the train wreck scene with the SL3's in the front with a Martin Logan Cinema center channel and M.L. Scripts as rear channels. All were backed up by a Sunfire True Subwoofer. Let me tell you, I have never experienced more realistics and "touchable" sound from a home theater. There was so much detail and depth to be heard it was almost information overload for my ears. Absolutely amazing!!

While I was impressed with the home theater set up, I was more interested on how they sounded for music. They are very revealing, therefor, poor recording generally sound uninspiring. It can take weeks or even months to get these babies set up where they don't sound too lean in the mid to lower mid range and the bass region. These are definitely speakers that mere inches can mean great leaps and bounds in better sound quality. Also, don't skimp on amplifiers and cables. They are capable of revealing the best (and also the worst) that cables and amps have to offer. Anything less than a high quality amp with 100 wpc into 8 ohms just won't make these speakers sing to their best ability. Better yet, I recommend at least 200 wpc of clean power.

Not every room will support these speakers. Fortunately, if the dealer is selling these speakers, they WILL know their characteristics and be able to council you on this. Do not buy these from a dealer that will not give you at least a 30 day return policy as you may find they simply will not work for you (both musically and positioning/set-up). This word of caution is primarily aimed at those who buy thier audio gear from discount internet sites. If you buy from a reputable, authorized local dealer this shouldn't be a concern. They need a lot of break in time- at least 100 hours of use, so the longer the trial the better.

Once set up properly in a supportive room, these speakers are nothing short of magical. Image depth and transparency are to die for. All frequncies blend smoothly and the bass is more than sufficient for most small to medium sized rooms for music listening- down to an honest 40 hz or so. If movies are your thing, however, you'll probably want a subwoofer. Be careful in matching a sub with these...most subs can not keep up with the speed and resolution of these speakers and can sound bloated and unnatural if not matched properly. As I noted before...the Sunfire line of subwoofers seem to interact well with them.

Highly recommended if your room can support them. They will spoil you and you'll likely never go back to a "box" speaker again.

Stunning clarity, speed, detail and smoothness. Imaging is outstanding.

none

Simply the best for the price. I'll never use a box speaker again. Makes the MAgneplanars (I compared the SL3 with the 3.6) sound BROKEN.

Similar Products Used:

Magneplanars, Thiels, Wilsons

After reading reviews from Audiophiles and Hi-Fi magazines I am asking to disregard my review of the SL-3. I must admit that StereoExchange is the worst audio store in NY when it comes to service and good sales people. I hate going to that place and I regret ever giving it business with my friends and myself. The people there are rude and not helpful at all. The room where I heard the SL-3 was average size (17 by 12) and it was full of all the Logan speakers. The SL-3 was hooked-up to a cold tube amp, which probably provided no more than 75-100 watts. I believe the SL-3 needs to be hooked to a more powerful amp like my Aragon in order to enjoy its capabilities. I hope to find a different store in NY with a pair of SL-3 hooked to a 200-watt amp. In the meantime I believe I need to hear the speaker again in order to give it a fair review. I seem to be the only one who dislikes the SL-3 and I probably did not hear the speakers properly.

Sadly, the SL3's have effectively ruined me; I am no longer able to happily listen to "Box and Cone" speakers. Several of my friends have also been converted. It took almost a full 60 seconds, and it was over.
Once you're hooked on that Electrostatic sound, no other box speaker (not even the $11,000 Wilson Watt/Puppy or the $10,000 Dynaudio Confidence 5) can do. Not that box speakers are bad, just that they lack the clarity and snap of the ESL and they can't hope to ever get it using magnets. The SL3 is a tremendous value for the money, as they easily outclass any conventional speaker by a wide margin.

The integration between woofer and panel is very good, and happens at such a low frequency that it is practically inaudiable. A wonderful compromise to get that perfect electrostatic midrange with some usable bass. I found the bass on the smaller Aerius i to be inadequate to keep up with the ESL panel and therefore not as seamless a mesh, but the SL3 has it right.

Don't let them scare you, these speakers are not too hard to drive. They go down to less than 2 Ohms but only at 20KHz+, which you will probably not do with them very often. They are fairly efficient, and my 105W/Ch B&K runs them wonderfully well. The low slew rate of the B&K helps to take the top edge off, I think, so they don't sound overly bright. They also mate well with Krell and Classe' and tube gear, so that's probably my next upgrade.

Highly recommended; these play wonderful orchestral and acoustic music, but aren't afraid to rock the house at all. They are excellent for HT performances - but be warned, no one I know has ever gotten them to mate well with a non-electrostatic center channel, so be prepared to get the Cinema (works very well) or the huge and fabulous Logos (amazing, but too big heavy and expensive).

By all means, get a pair however you can, and be prepared to be amazed!!

ive had a number of b&w speakers including their entry level dm series up to their matrix 803's and was always pleased with their performance, that is until i auditioned a pair of SL3's. rather than wax on philosophically about their qualities in a snobby, snooty and esoteric "audio reviewer" type of way saying things like:"they had a delicate yet precocious tone, never approaching haughty..." let me just say this: if youre in the market for a pair of speakers in the 3-5000$ range, check these out last. rather than pointing out what they do well and what they lack id rather describe them this way: every speaker design is a tradeoff and is compromised. there is no such thing as a perfect speaker. according to peoples varying tastes, different people will prefer different things to be compromised. the trick is to find a speaker that isnt lacking in the areas you enjoy the most. this speaker to my tastes has the best balance of good and bad characteristics making the listening expeience ascend to a higher level. the good aspects are wonderfully good and the "bad" traits arent that bad. dont be afraid that they lack bass, they dont, they lack bass distortion which some people interpret as powerful bass. i listen to an ecclectic body of recordings and believe it or not classic rock like pink floyd, the beatles, stones, the who..... sound fantastic and well recorded jazz sounds even better. it goes without saying that the midrange is phenominal and the new generation of sl3's has a much better, nearly seamless integration between the 10" woofer and the panel. not that it matters but these speakers are so amazing in appearance and design that youre friends will stare at them wondering how these see-through speakers could make any sound let alone the best sound they are likely to have ever heard. you must have a good amp, capable of driving low impedence loads or you wont be able to take full advantage of these speakers incredible resolution amd detail. a decent cd player, preamp and cables are also important. these speakers are very revealing and will, to your dismay, reveal problems or faults in your associated equipment. well thats my review, hope it helps you on your way to audio-heaven. this long review proves one thing: i have too much time on my hands!
associated equipment:

Aragon 4004 Mk2
Aragon 18K MK2 preamp
California audio labs DX1 cd
ML SL3's
MIT 330+ interconnects
MIT terminator 2 bi-wire