# Maybe it's me, but these things are terrific!



## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

Are you kidding me? These things sound great! 

After reading and re-reading the $1,000 speaker evaluation several months ago I decided to sell my Ascend Sierras and try the Martin Logan Motion 12s and evaluate them against the Arx A5s. My problem was, the Motion 12s were discontinued and the Arx A5s are being revised and will be released in "late spring." Since my Sierras were gone, and I'm left with sitting here in the media room with nothing but my old AR93s (speakers I lived with and enjoyed for several years.) I need to DO SOMETHING! :hissyfit:

Then, I don't know why, I went to Craig's List, a website I've deliberately avoided for years and there, way over in Huntsville, Alabama, I found a "New" pair of Logan Martins, stiil sealed in their original cartons, for only $400 the pair!!!! Well, Fortunately, I emailed the guy who confirmed the price and that they were new.

I turned to my wife and said, "By golly, we deserve a couple days vacation (understand, we're retired) and she quickly replied, "You bet! I'd love to get away for a couple days!"

I then added, "Great! We'll drive six hours (each way) to Huntsville, Alabama, and buy some speakers!"

Since my media room is MINE, and her playroom is HERS, she immediately said, "Buy speakers? ARE YOU CRAZY? You've got speakers!" :rant:

Being a crafty sort, I knew I was going to have a hard sell here, so I quickly added, "Then we can go down to Atlanta to visit some friends." And she bit!!!

And so we drove to Huntsville, bought the ML Motion 12s from a terrific, upright guy, loaded them in the back of the Tucson, and headed down to Atlanta for a couple great days mooching off some terrific and understanding friends.

Four days later I'm back home in Arkansas, spending an entire day listening to and carefully moving these ML Motion 12s around my media room. 

Now, here I am, listening and loving these Motion 12s, which are far out into the room, their baffles a full 50" from the from wall, and they sound fantastic! Like I said a long time ago, I've read and re-read the $1,000 speaker evaluation and didn't really believe their best and final position. I'm a believer now, and I'll happily live with these bad boys sitting far out into the room. The soundstage and imaging improved with each move. Of course, my wife thinks I've gone mad, what with two floorstanders sitting in the middle of the room. My response is, "Tough! If you're ready to let me re-arranging your play room we can move the speakers back against the wall."

The bottom-line is, I don't think I'll pickup a pair of Arx A5s when they are in stock (???????). I'm sitting here now, typing this nonsense, and the Motion 12s are SINGING! " Like I heard on a TV commercial a while ago, "It don't get no better than this!" :unbelievable::unbelievable:

Thanks to Sonnie and the other evaluators. I wouldn't be enjoying these terrific speakers had I not discovered HTS! 

So, when is the new Arx A5 gonna hit the market????? I can't wait! 

old arkiedan


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

$400 for the pair? thats a great deal!

Sounds like that was a great trip for you and the wife


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

If you want a center channel there is one on eBay right now... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Martin-Loga...41?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item4ad368a039


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

Thanks Ron,

I'm currently hiding in the bushes on the bay right now, watching a ML Motion 8. Can't use a 12 for center. 

Thanks, old arkiedan


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

tonyvdb said:


> $400 for the pair? thats a great deal!
> 
> Sounds like that was a great trip for you and the wife


Yeah, she was happy about the trip for.....what......a couple hours. Now she's saying, "Those speakers look STUPID out in the room. And, by the way, when are we going on a real vacation???" 

Wives????? Go figure.

old arkiedan


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Why do you want the Arx now that you have these. I own and love the Arx 5 but the MLs were so close I could easily be happy with them. I wish I had a room to get them placed properly in. You are lucky if you have one where you can.


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

lcaillo said:


> Why do you want the Arx now that you have these. I own and love the Arx 5 but the MLs were so close I could easily be happy with them. I wish I had a room to get them placed properly in. You are lucky if you have one where you can.


Hmmmm...................To tell the truth I'm not sure I want the Arx A5s. Yeah, I am happy with MLs, in fact I'm going to pickup an ML Motion 8 from eBay. 

Still..............................maybe those A5s could add just a little???????????????????????/

Naaaahhhhh...................... I'm betting I'll stay with these. 



old arkiedan


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## Greenster (Mar 2, 2013)

Sounds like you got a killer deal on the motion 12's. I think that if you love the sound of them and already have them. Why would you switch? Now it's time to sit back and enjoy.


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

You're *all* right. I'm sitting here listening to string quartet and THEY'RE RIGHT HERE IN THE ROOM! I don't mean the ML 12s are here....I mean* the players *are here!

The chase is over, even before it started. I'm poised to grab an ML 8 center on eBay, certainly and sadly not the deal I got on the 12s but a good deal in any case. A big thanks to you guys for grabbiong my shoulders and shaking me back to reality.

By the way, funny how these 12s are exposing so many lousy recordings. This rarely occurs in classical music but way too many old rock recordings are terrible! There's Clapton LOCKED to the center, Jack Bruce's bass frozen to the right speaker and (I really love this guy) Ginger Baker's drums stuck over there on the left. Those producers and engineers really think the can do it better. ??????? Are you kidding me?

Enough of this! Here's to good sound!

lddude: old arkiedan lddude:


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Nice to hear your lovin the 12's! Now you know what we were hearing. Fabulous speakers that are worth every penny. 

The A-5's? I think that 5 stands for a nickel though!!! :T


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## wpbpete (Nov 8, 2012)

arkiedan said:


> You're *all* right. I'm sitting here listening to string quartet and THEY'RE RIGHT HERE IN THE ROOM! I don't mean the ML 12s are here....I mean* the players *are here!
> 
> The chase is over, even before it started. I'm poised to grab an ML 8 center on eBay, certainly and sadly not the deal I got on the 12s but a good deal in any case. A big thanks to you guys for grabbiong my shoulders and shaking me back to reality.
> 
> ...


It's always nice to hear when someone finds audio nirvana :T enjoy...Btw, if you can wait a little, the Motion 8 sometimes sells for $199 refurb http://www.audioadvisor.com/products.asp?dept=124


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## padgman1 (Feb 13, 2013)

Sounds to me like you have the speakers you desire for YOU at this point..........don't get "the grass is greener" syndrome just yet.

Keep in mind, the new Arx A5c-rx's will be somewhat more than the $799/ pr listed for the A5's .......so they will be over double the price you paid for the ML's......will the Arx be twice as good? I don't think so ( disclaimer: I own the Arx A5's). And I think the reviewers for the $1000 speaker evaluation would agree ( Leonard already said so in so many words)......


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Absolutely. I could easily be happy with either. In fact, for several months I tossed around the idea in my head of picking up those Motion 12s from Sonnie. And he will tell you the same. Both are the kind of speakers that will be remembered years from now as real standouts even when considering products twice their price.


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## Blacklightning (Nov 22, 2011)

Once my room is setup I'm going to compare my current towers with a pair of Motion 40's that I will return. I'm hoping the Motion 40's will be close to the new ArxA5 or A7. I love the sound of my current speakers but I can't help but love the reviews of the Arx and older Motions.

Being in Canada finding a pair of Motion 12's might be difficult.


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

Well, I've lived with the 12s long enough to know I'm going to stay with them. No need to hunt for "a little more". I did pick up a new Motion 8 on eBay for 3/4 of the price of the 12s. :yikes:

Of course I find I'm listening to very little surround sound and more and more music. Even dusted off the turntable and mixed a new batch of disk cleaning fluid.

Of course, my wife comes into the room and asks, "Are we ever going to watch TV again?" My answer, ":rolleyesno:"

lddude: old arkiedan lddude:


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

arkiedan said:


> By the way, funny how these 12s are exposing so many lousy recordings. This rarely occurs in classical music but way too many old rock recordings are terrible! .....
> 
> Enough of this! Here's to good sound!


Hey, old arkiedan: You chose.........

_Wisely._

No surprise at all that you are tickled with the Motion 12's. When we had the Motion 12's and the A5's set up side by side, we had a hard time telling them apart. The differences were very subtle, and under slightly different conditions the nod very well might have gone toward the Motion 12's. Getting them for $400 - wow, I am a little jealous.

While I am a die-hard A5 fan, in your case it would probably be a waste of effort to look for a significant upgrade in the A5's over your Motion 12's. And if you are the kind of guy who loves a deal..... and it sounds like you are..... quit while you are ahead! Save that energy for when the WAF tide turns against the current speaker position.

Enjoy your Motion 12's!


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Yeah... that is a crazy good deal on those speakers. They could easily compete with speakers costing 4 times what you paid. I don't understand MartinLogan's discontinuance of them.


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## |Tch0rT| (May 2, 2013)

I think it was the aesthetics that did in the Motion 10's and 12's. That and maybe some snobbery involved with being able to buy the ML Motion lines at Best Buy. The Motion 20's and 40's look much nicer over all. I kinda wish I had picked up some Motion 10's at those discounted prices cuz I could use them now for rear surrounds.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I am not a fan of the piano black finish, but I know a lot of people like it. I actually like it for the bookshelf speakers in our great room, but for anything in the music/home theater room... no shiny stuff. However, I do agree the design of the 40/20 does look better.


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## arkiedan (Oct 20, 2013)

A lot of comments about the 12s being ugly. Me? I like the look. They exude a certain "dignity," sitting there, dominating the room. And, no glossy finish here. A nice, muted dark grey satin finish. I do keep the lower grille on because those lower bass speakers are too exposed to clumsy feet.

The Motion 8 center, however, is HIGH-GLOSS! fortunately, at my PLP I can only see the grille. If I could see it I'd hate it.

For me the dipole mid-range is the secret to the 12s great soundstage. Mercy, do these things project a huge soundstage, side to side_ and _front to back. Just enormous! 

Why did MartLogan discontinue them? I'd venture a guess that the "true" ML owners were furious at an entry-level system. The fact that their replacements are considerably higher is a clue. No problem, the boys down in marketing wanted a change.

lddude: old arkiedan lddude:


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## |Tch0rT| (May 2, 2013)

Ah I never considered the piano black being distracting for theater usage before... makes sense. 

I don't necessarily think the Motion 10's and 12's were ugly, they just didn't fit the rest of of ML's aesthetics IMO. Another thing is ML is known for ESL's so the traditional cone speakers they make seem to be somewhat ignored from what I've found when people discuss ML.


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