Information about Martin Logan Sequel II


Just purchased a pair of these for $250 but have option to return within 10 days if I choose. A couple of questions - when hooked up at store, high frequency driver did not work on one speaker - is this likely a driver out (and expensive to fix) or a problem in the built in amp that may be more economical to fix? Also, assuming they can be made whole for hundred and a half or so, are they worth repairing or are they prone to certain issues that I should be aware of? I am narrowing my choice of speakers down to: these when repaired, Paradigm studio 80s, Snell EIIIs, and a pair of Alon Model IVs (that I recently upgraded and restored) I have not compared these yet as the Alons require a great deal of power to properly evaluate (so I have been told) I have acquired an Adcom 5800 but have not rigged it for bi-wiring yet. Anyway, any opinions on this would help me decide about investing a little more on the Martin Logans or cut my losses and take them back. Thanks, Jon.
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I have Sequel IIs when working properly they are fantastic speakers truly a bargain if you can find a good used pair. You should call Jim power at Martin Logan customer service he'll tell what you what you may need to get them running correctly their customer service is as good as it gets.
There is one amp out there that will make the Alon's sing the Odyssey Stratos. The Kathargo by Odyssey Audio is basically the same amp as the Stratos an should sound the same amp with less power. It would be a much better choice over the Adcom or a B&K for sure. I have owned them all. I prefer tubes naturally over SS. But all the speakers you have the Odyssey should put a smile on your face.
You have a great line of speakers and the Martin Logans are no exception. The Adcom will have a very solid state sound vs the Tubelike sound of the Odyssey amps. That's just my experience when I had my Alon I MkII's which I wish I had never sold. I have always wanted a pair of Sequel II's but none ever come up on this side of the Mississippi. I'm in Georgia. I once saw a guy drive the Sequel II's with a 14 watt Eico monoblock amps. It didn't play loud but it didn't go up in smoke either. It was very interesting. Contact ML and they will give you the low down. I think for the price you are paying and if the condition is very good it is a very good investment if the repair price is good for your pocket. They will have a seamless quality and tranparency that is very different than the other speakers. Good luck and enjoy.
What do you mean when you write ".... or a problem in the built in amp ....."?

There is no built-in amp on the Sequel II speakers, (i.e. these are not active speakers). Do you mean the crossover?
(The fact that you plug in the speakers does not mean there is an amp, but that is merely the way electrostatic speakers work, as they need a bit of power to energize the electrostatic cells.)

And your problem is very likely a blown panel, which means at least a few hundred dollars for a replacement panel, (assuming you can install it yourself), or several hundred dollars if you want M-L to fix it. If you like the sound of the speakers, and if you're okay with listening at loud, but not very loud sound levels (see below), then perhaps you might be able to only fix the one broken panel. (Although, if one panel is new, and the other is old, there may be a difference in the sonic presentation between the two speakers.) If it were me, I'd either be prepared to replace both panels, or walk away from the deal. $250 is really cheap for these speakers, and my guess is that is the reason that they went so cheap, becasue the seller knows they are damaged, and they don't want to bother fixing them.

As far as what YOU should do, that is pretty much up to you. The Sequel IIs are decent speakers, with a nice treble and mid-range, and with good imaging and soundstaging, (albeit the sweet spot is pretty small, due to the panel design). The bass is slightly weak, but not bad considering the cost of the speaker overall.

(However, if you intend on using these for very loud music, such as rock or complex symphonic music, be aware that the sound can be somewhat brittle when played at realistic sound levels. i.e. the music starts sounding like it is breaking up a bit when played really loud.)

My two cents worth.

(FYI, I lived with a pair of these for over a decade.)