The Official Martin Logan Subwoofer Owners Thread

[slickooz]

how the the martin logan compared to the a2-300? since it 100 cheaper

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by slickooz

how the the martin logan compared to the a2-300? since it 100 cheaper

The A2-300 is the best "bang for your buck" subwoofer out right now. In terms of performance from when watching a blu-ray, it owns all in that price range. As for the ML Dynamo, I remember Driver King saying that sub was more musical, as that's what it's made for, so it will sound better with music. But the A2-300 sounds great already, very musical imo (it's known to sound very good with music). And I listen to all kinds of music, but I listen to a lot of metal and the A2-300 is very fast and keeps up with the quick double bass drumming

So the Dynamo is a bit better with music, but you'll love the A2-300 during Transformers, The Dark Knight or U-571! Let us know what you decide

[killat0n]

Quoting myself from a different thread:

Originally Posted by killat0n

Well, coming from someone who owns a Dynamo or two(with 2 more on the way) I can say with complete confidence that it has amazing HT performance. If you want smooth tight quality bass that won't shake everything in your house and has a very small footprint, then the ML Dynamo definitely won't disappoint. I couldn't be happier with the way the Dynamo's perform in my HT.

To those of you that were lucky enough to pick one of these up, congrats. I must add that when you read through the manual you'll probably see that this sub needs a 50 hour break-in. They aren't kidding. After 50 hours it will sound like a completely different sub, so don't make any serious judgments until after that. I guarantee that you will be all smiles once you hear what this little bad boy is truly capable of.

[tracy]

I was lucky enough to snag one of these on Amazon the other day and it blows away my previous sub. I do have a set-up question though - I'm using a Y splitter in the R & L inputs on the sub. I ran Audyssy on my 705 (with the sub's low-pass all the way up to 80hz, the phase set to 0 and volume set at 1.5). After calibration I adjusted all the speakers from large to 80 with the mains at 70. Audyssy calibrated my sub at 80 - am I supposed to bump that up to 120? The trim levels are all around -3 including the sub. Any advice wuld be greatly appreciated.

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

The A2-300 is the best "bang for your buck" subwoofer out right now. In terms of performance from when watching a blu-ray, it owns all in that price range. As for the ML Dynamo, I remember Driver King saying that sub was more musical, as that's what it's made for, so it will sound better with music. But the A2-300 sounds great already, very musical imo (it's known to sound very good with music). And I listen to all kinds of music, but I listen to a lot of metal and the A2-300 is very fast and keeps up with the quick double bass drumming

So the Dynamo is a bit better with music, but you'll love the A2-300 during Transformers, The Dark Knight or U-571! Let us know what you decide

I agree. I can probably say with certainty the Dynamo would be better for music (not night and day or anything though. The A2-300 is a very musical subwoofer). The thing is the A2-300 may be slightly less musical than the Dynamo but for a more HT geared setup, the A2-300 would be my choice even again. The output and impact the A2-300 beats out just about every other subwoofer under $350 and remains musical as is. A Dynamo would not have the same impact or extension as the A2-300. That's not to say I wouldn't get a Dynamo if I wanted a smaller subwoofer or was looking to get a few for a two channel setup. Four Dynamo's would be better than a single A2-300 any day.

[killat0n]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

I agree. I can probably say with certainty the Dynamo would be better for music (not night and day or anything though. The A2-300 is a very musical subwoofer). The thing is the A2-300 may be slightly less musical than the Dynamo but for a more HT geared setup, the A2-300 would be my choice even again. The output and impact the A2-300 beats out just about every other subwoofer under $350 and remains musical as is. A Dynamo would not have the same impact or extension as the A2-300. That's not to say I wouldn't get a Dynamo if I wanted a smaller subwoofer or was looking to get a few for a two channel setup. Four Dynamo's would be better than a single A2-300 any day.

So I finally got a chance to hear an A2-300 in person in a dedicated HT setup since a friend of mine picked one up a few weeks ago. He was telling me how loud it was but he said that's about all it's got, so I went for a listen myself. The A2-300 really surprised the hell out of me by it's size. It's so big I can't see it leaving much room to get the perfect placement. You basically put it wherever it can fit. It was definitely really loud and has a lot of output but we both came to the agreement that it really has that one note bass sound. The A2-300 is surely loud, and has crazy output, but to us it really sounded sloppy and boomy compared to the Dynamo's.

He was actually just over here today to demo my new setup and the addition of 2 more Dynamo's. Before I got the new subs hooked up, just running 2 Dynamo's absolutely destroy the output of his single A2-300 with everything we threw at them. He couldn't believe how potent they are considering their size. Once I put the other 2 in the mix, well, I officially can't have any door in the house closed anymore because they all rattle like crazy. Even on the other end of the house.

So after comparing the A2-300 to a pair of Dynamo's I can say with 100% complete confidence that a single A2-300 can't hold a candle to TWO Dynamo's in terms of overall sound quality, tightness, size and output. Bottom line: GET TWO atleast! But the A2-300 is without a doubt a great single sub solution at a great price!

[killat0n]

Thought I'd throw in some pics for the Dynamo lovers....

[Beta Man]

Very nice........ Well played sir!!!!

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by killat0n

So I finally got a chance to hear an A2-300 in person in a dedicated HT setup since a friend of mine picked one up a few weeks ago. He was telling me how loud it was but he said that's about all it's got, so I went for a listen myself. The A2-300 really surprised the hell out of me by it's size. It's so big I can't see it leaving much room to get the perfect placement. You basically put it wherever it can fit. It was definitely really loud and has a lot of output but we both came to the agreement that it really has that one note bass sound. The A2-300 is surely loud, and has crazy output, but to us it really sounded sloppy and boomy compared to the Dynamo's.

He was actually just over here today to demo my new setup and the addition of 2 more Dynamo's. Before I got the new subs hooked up, just running 2 Dynamo's absolutely destroy the output of his single A2-300 with everything we threw at them. He couldn't believe how potent they are considering their size. Once I put the other 2 in the mix, well, I officially can't have any door in the house closed anymore because they all rattle like crazy. Even on the other end of the house.

So after comparing the A2-300 to a pair of Dynamo's I can say with 100% complete confidence that a single A2-300 can't hold a candle to TWO Dynamo's in terms of overall sound quality, tightness, size and output. Bottom line: GET TWO atleast! But the A2-300 is without a doubt a great single sub solution at a great price!

The thing about the A2-300 is that it can use a lot of tweaking and really needs it. A ported subwoofer is not as forgiving as a sealed subwoofer. If it had one note bass, then there were many things wrong. If it was boomy and sloppy, at all, then something was wrong. If two Dynamo's beat out one A2-300 properly configured output wise, then something was wrong. Two Dynamo's would beat out a single A2-300 size, appeal, and bass evenness throughout the room. But then again, two A2-300's would certainly beat out dual Dynamo's. I wish I could have given you a demonstration of my A2-300 before I sold it. I guarantee you would have noticed a very different sound than what you heard at your buddies house.

Don't get me wrong though. I joked about having four Dynamo's hanging from my ceiling in all four corners plus an A7-900. As of now, that joke is partially coming true. I think the Dynamo's are definitely worth it at their last sale price of $241.

By the way, has anybody tried their Dynamo on a DIY riser yet? I think JJ put his on a Gramma but I'm wondering about an actual riser. killat0n, there's your next assignment.

[Big Daddy]

I love Martin Logan speakers and own their center channel Logos speaker. I paid $1,800 for that center speaker. Dynamo is a small and good subwoofer particularly for music, but at the normal price of $600, it is definitwly overpriced. It cannot go down that deep for movie applications and can easily be beaten by less expensive subwoofes. I have no doubt that comparably priced Hsu subwoofers outperform the Dynamo for both music and movies.

At a low price below $300, the Dynamo is an outstanding deal.

The idea of comparing two subwoofers with one does not make any sense. Two subwoofers will always perform better than one subwoofer. Many people erroneously believe that the main advantage is because of increased subwoofer output, but that is not the main reason. Two subwoofers will give you more flexibility in placement and yield a much smoother and more even bass across the room for all listening positions.


http://whathifi.com/Review/Martin-Logan-Dynamo/

For
Compact and well-built; speedy, tuneful delivery; goes deep considering size

Against
Doesn’t have enough grip or volume on movie soundtracks; audible rattle when troubled
Those familiar with the name Martin Logan probably know it for high-end electrostatic speaker design. So it’s quite a surprise to see this compact, affordable subwoofer bearing the logo.

The Dynamo is a handsome, cuboidal little fellow that can be used in a forward or downward-firing configuration by attaching the stand to either the control side or driver side respectively. Bear in mind, if you go with the forward-firing configuration, the control knobs and sockets are on the under-side and rather hard to get to.

Deep bass for shallow boxes
The sub’s compact dimensions help it achieve a tuneful performance. It’s fast, agile and reveals plenty of detail. For its size it also manages to get fairly low, though other tub-thumpers at the same price can go a fair amount deeper. Still, with music the Martin Logan does well.

Where it loses more ground to its rivals is with movie soundtracks. Here it’s all about volume and authority, and the Dynamo just isn’t tight or punchy enough to trouble the best. Disappointingly, there’s also an annoying vibration rattle evident within the casing when the unit is really pushed towards its limits.

Overall, this is a rather likeable subwoofer, especially with music, but it’s just not enough of an all-rounder to truly satisfy.

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by killat0n

Thought I'd throw in some pics for the Dynamo lovers....

Sweet!

[tbizzle]

Those are awesome pics Killaton! As for your buddy, tell him to try building a riser and I'm sure he will see a nice overall improvement in sound. If you take a look at the riser thread, everyone who's made one has reported back with great results, generally being that the bass is even less boomy and a lot more tight. I've been putting off building a riser for mine for a while now, I need to get on that

[DerrellB]

I have a martin logan dynamo. I absolutely love it for music. It is fast, accurate, very tight bass. No boominess. But for movies, it really gets taxed on soundtracks with deep bass notes. It is a great sub and I will probably move it to my 2 channel system when it is finished. For home theater it just doesnt cut it. It does well but if you have ever heard an svs or any other comparable sub, the dyanamo cant hold a candle to them in HT. I am looking at SVS, Epik, and AV123 for a new sub right now and will pull the trigger soon. For the shear size of the dynamo, the output is amazing. I have had friends come over and couldnt believe the sound coming from such a small box. But if you know subs, there a very few subs if any that can dig deep with such a small box.

[killat0n]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

By the way, has anybody tried their Dynamo on a DIY riser yet? I think JJ put his on a Gramma but I'm wondering about an actual riser. killat0n, there's your next assignment.

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Those are awesome pics Killaton! As for your buddy, tell him to try building a riser and I'm sure he will see a nice overall improvement in sound. If you take a look at the riser thread, everyone who's made one has reported back with great results, generally being that the bass is even less boomy and a lot more tight. I've been putting off building a riser for mine for a while now, I need to get on that

He's not running a riser and IMO that probably is a huge factor as to why I wasn't impressed, since I run all my subs on risers. His placement could probably be better too and he doesn't have any kind of wall/corner treatment like I do, so it probably wasn't the best comparison. The risers have by far the biggest impact to cost ratio of anything in a HT. I actually made my first riser back in late January and from that point on I wouldn't have it any other way. I didn't even unbox my 2 new subs until I had the risers for them finished. This time I finally took some pics. - Riser Build Pics - I'll have to post this in the riser build thread too.

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I love Martin Logan speakers and own their center channel Logos speaker. I paid $1,800 for that center speaker. Dynamo is a small and good subwoofer particularly for music, but at the normal price of $600, it is definitwly overpriced. It cannot go down that deep for movie applications and can easily be beaten by less expensive subwoofes. I have no doubt that comparably priced Hsu subwoofers outperform the Dynamo for both music and movies.

At a low price below $300, the Dynamo is an outstanding deal.

The idea of comparing two subwoofers with one does not make any sense. Two subwoofers will always perform better than one subwoofer. Many people erroneously believe that the main advantage is because of increased subwoofer output, but that is not the main reason. Two subwoofers will give you more flexibility in placement and yield a much smoother and more even bass across the room for all listening positions.
http://whathifi.com/Review/Martin-Logan-Dynamo/

I completely agree with that review. A single Dynamo in a HT setup is quite underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I agree that the Dynamo is very overpriced even at $400 and there are so many other subs out there that destroy it in every category at a lower cost. But I managed to pick up my 2nd one when it was 50% off and I was really surprised at how well the 2 of them perform. I know I've read a post or two from you and Driver King stating that 4 identical subs is ideal. So with this latest deal Amazon had($242 each), I was so happy with the way 2 of them sounded I thought 2 more would be the way to go to really balance out the room. I didn't get 4 with the intention of more output at all, I got 4 because I hated the fact that one end of the seating was louder than the other. Now with 4 subs, every seat is the best seat in the theater, plus the added bonus of more output. Also I do realize I'm a bit bias because in my current living situation I'm a little restricted in terms of the amount of low frequencies I can move. I live in a townhouse and feel damn lucky that the neighbor has not complained yet. So for my situation the Dynamo's are the best compromise. Obviously when the wife and me get our own home I'm going to be selling 2 of the Dynamo's and go with a pair of much more beefier 12" subs.

Side note: Last night I played a 20hz test tone through the 4 of them and the wife said the windows were chattering upstairs in our bedroom, which is about 40 feet away. Obviously this has more to do with the fact that there are 4 of them, but it surprised me nonetheless. I bet I haven't even heard what an actual strong 20hz(and lower) sounds or feels like, but I'm still happy either way.

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Very nice........ Well played sir!!!!

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

Sweet!

Thanks everyone, glad you like it.

[BluLobsta]

Oh man, quad Dynamos Love this ML sub...never had a sub before (old-school to the core) and to actually feel the bass is something else, adds a whole new dimension. I'm TRUE 5.1 now

[bluRazor]

hmmm... some of these posts are making me think i made a parallel move upgrading to 2 dynamos when i had an a2-300. i use my sub primarily for movies, but music is important. oh well. if i sell the ed my gf will be happy.

[bluRazor]

alright, im going thru the break in period with the dynamos. after the recommended 50 hrs i might start a a2-300 vs. dual dynamo thread. loser gets sold. & yes i know 2 subs is always better than 1 but hopefully if i make my judgements solely from my sitting position the odds will even a little.

[Driver_King]

To make that fair, you should have another A2-300 to compare. Two is just about always better than one. That or just leave off a single Dynamo...

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

To make that fair, you should have another A2-300 to compare. Two is just about always better than one. That or just leave off a single Dynamo...

Why would he do that when he wants to decide which to keep? You don't want it "fair", you want both combos (the two ML's or the one eD A2-300) to put their best foot forward.

Personally, if I already had all 3, it'd be a no brainer- I'd keep the two ML's- better soundfield coverage, smaller footprint and a sharp looking little sub too.

For the interests of the thread comparison, yeah I guess it wouldn't hurt to compare one against the other one on one. Should be obvious what the outcome would be there.

[Driver_King]

Why not keep all three and get the best of all worlds? Ported/sealed, small, big, ect. I would probably be surprised if the dual Dynamo's didn't beat the A2-300...