Time For A Change Me Thinks

Hi guys ,,well i have had my ATC active 20's now for nearly a year and think i'm coming down with that hi-fi bug again....upradeitus.
Not too sure where to go though .I realy would like to go back to a valve power amp not sure which and some floor standing speakers again not shure which. The ATC's do have alot going for them i've never heared a more punchy dynamic speaker but would like to flesh the sound out more like only valves can.ie more three dimensional but not too slow,would be too much of a shock after the ATC's .Any ideas ,i thought about the Martin Logan clarity or ascent i.....thanx

 

I hope I'll enjoy this thread.

 

What about keeping your speakers and using a valve pre-amp?

Preferably a class A valve pre-amp.

 

I'm an ML user so I'm biassed.....but you can't beat electrostatics for a natural sound plus huge sound stage. Valves seem a good move too!

 

Why is it that hardly anybody seems to be capable of writing in English?

Martin-Logan manufacture some of the worst speakers which it has been my displeasure to hear, along with the Scottish ART brand. But if you like them, give them a go.

 

I've got to say that I agree with this. Electrostatics can be very good, but M-Ls miss the mark (and the point).

 

Getting back to NewGuys post, I'd recommend something like a pair of Duevel Bella Lunas:

They've got a useful 91dB sensitivity, so will work very well with something like this:

With a whole 20w channel they'll make the Duevels rock (though more Chicago than Motorhead ), but you won't get much better in terms of 3D soundstage and mid-band clarity...
At least not for less than the £6k-ish these would cost from www.walrus.co.uk.
Edited to add: Walrus have ex-dems of both of these at £2.5k and £1495 respectively - the EAR integrated has the Border Patrol power supply mod..

 

Quads are far better. The M-L's which I've heard sounded horribly bright.

 

I'm also not a fan of ML.. They do have a tendency to tear your ears off..
If you want big panels, you won't go far wrong with Magneplanars..

 

Guys, I've done some pruning of this thread, now let's please stay on topic.

 

the Bella Lunas would certainly be a more interesting conversation piece for the living room that the rather functional looking ATC 20s. Do you think that the active ATCs were a phase you were going through? I was very impressed with the pairing of Dunkyboy's with the Dax Decade. What do you have at the front end of the system?

 

Bub,

please document your experience of Martin Logans.

 

I shared a flat in London years back with a friend who had a pair of SL3s and later swapped them for the slightly smaller Aerius i. They were not bright to my ears, in fact I really liked the top and mid, but the bass was truly awful. They really behaved like two totally unconnected speakers, the change over from panel to moving coil bass unit was glaringly obvious and they seemed utterly incapable of playing in time or in tune as a result. I hated them, but I would like to hear the full range ML stat, the CL2Z or something as taken in isolation from the flubby bass driver the panels of both speakers were IMHO something special.

Tony.

 

The pictured speaker above looks truly horrid.

 

I'd second trying a valve pre-amp. Maybe a valve front end as well. Try adding a subwoofer to fill out the sound a bit more.

 

yes, the choices are hardly "ATV vs Martin Logan"

I'd reccomend trying to get the most out of your atc's by borrowing different supporting products like trying different pre-amps for example.

you could then try a few different speakers at home to see if you still like the atc's as much as when you bought them.

the difficulty for anyone else is that they dont know whether your ATCs are what you like and you arent getting the most out of them somehow, or whether they just arent right for you.

martin logans are just one choice out of hundreds.. I think you need to spend a few weekends spending time trying components at home following dealer demos.

 

Thanks everyone.
Well i have thought of a valve pre amp,my aim as i said is more warmth better soundstage,its there with the ATC's but the images tend to be like cardboard cutout's of the instruments if you like . My old world audio valve amp sounded more fleshed out better at depth too.I mainly listen to vinyl via a girodeck through a two box valve phono stage so im sure my front ends ok. I thought Martin Logan because they image well ,now not sure. How much would a valve pre be better than my musical fidelity( can i say that name on here) A308 ?? Any sugestons on a warmish spacious valve pre with remote please ...thanks again for all your help...James

 

James, that neatly sums up my experience with ATC - wonderful detail but not the n'th degree in ultimate resolution.

Panels would certainly be very different, and will give you far more convincing instrument timbre IME. I have owned ML Ascents and they have some genuine strengths. It needs to be understood that some of the more extreme reactions to your suggestions come from people who might have heard a pair of an old deign once in the dim and distant past, and certainly one of them has a penchant for loud rock music at realistic levels. Logans do not excell here!

Other alternatives, if you are looking to flesh out the mids whilst retaining the imaging and low level resolution of the panels would be a combination of tubes with the likes of Tannoy monitors, Quad ESL and the wonderful Merlin standmounts as used by Robbo here. The latter two share many similarities with Logans, and neither are really rock speakers, but it seems that you are looking for something a little more sophisticated anyway.

 

these i want to here

Thanx Stereo Mic ,yes your right. Those Duevel Bella Luna loudspeakers look realy interesting from what ive just read they seem to offer what im looking for has anybody on here listened to a pair.....

 

Hi Merlin

An evening-long demo in a hi-fi shop. I could feel my ears "unclenching" between tracks. Better off than on.