Martin Logan Aeons and Depth

Realize that you're going to spend a couple of weeks fiddling around with locations once you get them. MLs are obnoxiously sensitive to placement, in my opinion. Don't forget that at least the mains really, really, really prefer to be quite a ways from the rear wall - mine are 52", and that's about all I can manage in my small room. And don't skimp on power amp current - ML's aren't inefficient, but they do prefer a lot of juice to really shine. Don't get me wrong - I really enjoy mine, and I have no plans to replace them - but MLs do have some fairly significant characteristics that you should be aware of.

I have found very small differences in speaker cabling, and I'd especially advise being careful not to overspend on the surrounds and center cabling - I just can't tell the difference.

Any particular reason you're going with Scenarios for surrounds instead of Scripts? I have them too, but mostly because I got a terrific (!) deal on barely-used Scenarios.

I compliment you on taking the time to post your question here instead of rushing off to impulsively buy - which is usually my modus operandi. Blw is on target with his remarks. I don't have ML but I do own electrostatic speakers - which I love. But, they are very demanding speakers to own. They can sound quite stunning when set up correctly. They do require a dedicated distance from the wall as well as much electronic support. They also have a narrow sweet spot - which isn't so great for HT. But,they can definitely interfere with any interior design plans by a wife. If yours enjoys high end audio as much as you, then go for it. Otherwise, give this a little more thought.

I did an in-home audition of the ML Aeons (they were having a great close out sale), and found that they were not rich sounding enough for music, but iincredibly crystal clear. But if theater is your main foucus and you have the SWEET ML sub and Sunfire amp to match the Aeons you should be very happy! Hopfully you saw the review of the Aeons and the Depth sub in Perfect Vision Mag. I ended up with a Thiel system that took care of both music and theater, I could not be happier.

Good luck

I guess I thought Scenarios because I also considered 4 Aeons for a matched room full of sound. Maybe I should look into the Scripts?? A pair of Scenarios (demo from dealer) will cost me $1,279 plus tax. Aeons are $1,900. Not sure about the Scripts, although I've seen them available at auctions for less than $1k/pair. What is the opinion of new v. used? Warranty not transferrable? Potential for panel replacement at some point?

Paul

I don't want to throw a monkey wrench into your plans, but as a former Martin Logan owner, I want to make sure you take some things into consideration.

1. The sweet spot of ML is extremely small and if you stand up even in the "sweet spot" things quickly go awry. If you normally have more than one person watching/listening to your HT, then make sure you audition it outside the sweetspot and find it acceptable or the tradeoff versus cones worthwhile.

2. The models of ML you choose really should be dependent on the size of the listening room. They all basically use the same parts, but are designed to fill different size rooms. Your dealer should recommend the appropriate models for your room. Don't try to guess and make sure you have liberal placement options once in your room since they are a little finicky with setup.

3. If you like the cool look of the Logans and the wall of sound they present, I would also recommend looking at the Magnepan HT setup and pairing it with the Vandersteen sub. Using the 1.6 as fronts and wall mounted surrounds, you will likely save money even versus the discounted ML prices you received. Arguably, I think you would be doing slightly better soundwise, especially for two channel.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to totally turn you off of Martin Logans. You can definitely get a very pleasing HT experience with a ML setup. However, I just found the risk profile for a ML setup to be a little higher and should be thoroughly considered to ensure maximum results.