Martin Logan vs. Thiel


I have a pair of Martin Logan Ascents and I'm in the mood for something different. I'm missing that tweeter sparkle you hear on cymbols etc and was thinking of making the move to a Thiel 2.3. I've heard that they image and offer as much detail as the Martin Logans. Do you guys agree? I know people say they may sound bright in some systems but I'm running Goldmund and Classe so I don't think that will be a problem, but will the Thiels image and soundstage like the Logans?
totalmlb
In my room I am fortunate to not need to get "acoustic treatment" for example I have heavy curtains at my sidewall reflection spot, the problem in my room with a lot of speakers is that it resonates around 55-75hz muddling up the midrange, the logans don't do that.
Hey Kurt, Have you audition the Revel Salons? I used to owned ML Odysseys, they had great clarity and speed but that's about it. I was happy with them for a couple of months, then wanted to go back to cones. After auditioning a wide range of speakers.. B&W Nautilus 800, 802, Wilson Audio System 6, Avalon Eidolon, Thiel, JmLab Utopia, and others that has escape me. Then I audition the Revel Studios at AVI in NJ, and was blown away, it had the clarity and speed of the Martin Logans, with a soundstage so wide and deep that it seems to pull you in, not to mention the dynamic, transcient, attack and decay of each note. I thought they were the greatest speakers I have heard, until I audition the Revel Salons with a full bloom levinson setup, which was out of this world.

No I don't have any Revels for sale.
Wish I could afford the Salons tho.
I haven't heard MLs and Thiels side by side in a long while. Though I have heard them often this way. I remember the MLs being brighter, glassier and harder than the Thiels. What bothered me more than that, was the transition from ESL to dynamic driver, it was just too disjointed for me. Mind you I still liked the MLs, and this isn't meant to be a put down. The old CL models were my favorite MLs. I bought Thiels.
I just made the change from SL-3's to the CS 2.4's. Mostly based on listening room size change. No longer had the rear space for the ML's. I demoed the 2.3's side by side w/my SL-3's in my home. They both image really well but i preferred the bass on the 2.3. The integration of bass always bothered me on the ML but i still love the sound. The 2.4's are still breaking in but are truly great, imo. good luck.
This may sound like beating a dead horse but I would blame the Audioquest cables for the "lack of shimmer" in your system. The Martin Logans are incredibly transparent and I never realized how much so until I replaced some very pricey Audioquest Cobalt wires with Nordost Blue Heavens. I would even go as far as to say that there is some sort of bad interaction between AQ cables and ML speakers. No need to go overboard on cables, just get something a little more neutral.