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REL or Martin Logan?

Just wondering if anybody has compared two.I would throw Vandersteen 2Wq into mix but they are single price point unlike ML and REL.Have heard very nice bass from Velodyne,Revel etc and know if you want to spend $3K you can get great bass that intgergrates with many speakers but have heard that those with fast very pitch accurate speaker that are fast like Magnepan,Martin Logan,Quad ESL's etc do better with multiple drivers creating depth of bass and air pushed because they themselves are faster (at their price points they exceed large 15-18" units).

I have horn speakers now but no matter what I have I am more into music than HT so would sacrifice some depth or slam for finese and easy integration.Also am intrigue by single driver TBI's but haven't heard them while I have heard REL Strata.The one execption I have thought to this out because of sophisticated software is new velodyne DD series but still think ML,REL, or even Vandersteen (which would be shy of depth I want) would be better design wis so wondeing if anybody has gone head to head REL/ML
Thanks
Chazzbo
chazzbo
kinsekd
252 posts
 
I have listened to both the REL and Martin Logan. Both are very fine speakers. In the end, it came down to this. The REL integrates with my Maggies in a way that the ML does not. Don't know how it would work in your setup. Only one way to find out...
bulldogger
210 posts
 
Last year I narrowed my sub selection down to these two brands. I could not compare the two subs in the same room however. They were in separate systems in side by side rooms. Both subs did an extremely well job of blending with the systems in which they were paired. I could not reach a decision. I spoke with another dealer who also had both subs on demo. The advice I was given was that they were both great subs with the Martin Logan being a bit faster and the Rel being more powerful as he had tried both in the same system. I decided on the Martin Logans. I bought two Descents which give me a ton of "impact" and are at the same time very fast. The Velodyne models were not as good with music as the Rel or Martin Logan subs from what I could tell after hearing them in several different set-ups. If a dealer carried Martin Logan or Rel as well as Velodyne, that dealer would always recommend one of those two over the Velodyne for music. I would also say that the Martin Logan was so much more attractive than the Rel that it played a factor in my decision. I thought the Rel B1 was just a big plain rectangular box and the worst looking sub of any that I was considering. The performance of the Rel B1 though was great and I could have easily lived with it, hidden from view, lol.
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,490 posts
 
You have horns why not a bass horn? I can build one in your price range as a former dual ML decent owner I can tell you bass horns are much better than subwoofers which I also build.
nolitan
865 posts
 
definitely Rel.
the rel doesnt impose a sound of its own. it doesnt call attention. it integrates seamlessly with my main speakers.
i do agree the ML is more powerful but its presence makes it annoying at times because it simply wants to say "i'm here , I'm here."
bundy
125 posts
 
Have you read about the new JL Audio Fathom. It seems to be getting outstanding reviews.
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