How naive was that. Twelve times around the block later here I am. The Dartzeels are the absolute finest electronics I have ever experienced. Period. The Coltranes are a full range speaker with the ability to deliver all of the beautiful transparency and detail that the Darts put out. The sources have not changed-
with the exception of the EMM Labs upgraded to SE's.
Any recommendation on a cd player, I plan on upgrading my marantz Sa8260 To either Esoteric SA60, PLinius cd 101, Cary 303/300 or maybe even the Wadia player, not New of course, I been trying to built my system over time, by upgrading pieces after pieces, Im looking to sound, details, mid, bass, you know the WOW thing, so suggestions are welcome Regards Jean
Thanks for chiming in. Prior to posting a question here, I have searched the archives and found that you are the only one who have bought the Duke's and used them for your rears. Since you already have the formidable MM3's as the mains I doubt you would listen to the Duke's in 2-channel so I thought of trying my luck here instead.
So the Duke's are impressive in 2-channel. It's good to hear that from someone who owns a state-of-the art system with extensive knowledge and experience in audio. The use of Accuton ceramic drivers in these speakers spells something and the build quality especially on the high-gloss units has piqued my interest. I may consider the Duke's sometime next year(if nothing goes wrong) and those Ellington sub-bass units will have to wait cos both of them together will entirely blow my budget. Another serious contender to the Marten Duke's are the Dynaudio C1's but I am intrigued by this small little quality Swedish speakers and was curious to know how a ceramic tweeter that extends up to 40kHz would sound like. It would be great if they can further improve on my already excellent PMC speakers.
Ryder, not to butt-in on your question to Czapp.....but i just purchased Marten Duke's a couple of months ago for rear channels (i'm adding multi-channel) in my 2 channel room to go with my MM3 front speakers. i choose the Duke because;
1. the Marten uses the Accuton ceramic mid-range that the Kharma's use. my MM3's use a pair of a similar Accuton ceramic drivers.
2. i've always loved the Marten 'sound' and think it is very similar to the Kharma and therefore similar to the MM3.
3. the Duke's are small yet very detailed, dynamic and 'alive' sounding......but still not edgy or non-musical.
the Duke's hold their own in the multi-channel setup.....and have enough bass to not sound anemic even with the MM3's and 2 JL Audio f113 Fathom subs in the room. i have listened to the Duke's in 2-channel and i do think they are killer for the size and price. there are cheaper small monitor speakers but not with the refinement and build quality of the Duke's.
i use the inexpensive ($1800 the pair) Murano 1000 watt ICE-based monoblocks for the Duke's (they fit on my 6 and 1/2 inch wide built in CD shelves) and i'm very happy with the combo.
i have not tried the 'Ellington' subs.....but expect that they would work well.
Was just wondering if you had listened to the Marten Duke. I have plans for the Dukes and although the Duke/Ellington combination may be the more complete package, budget only allows the former for the time being.
I know this is probably an unfair comparison, but do you think the Duke/Ellington will sound close to the Coltranes? The Coltranes are well-known for their unmatched slam, speed and dynamics and that are the traits I'm looking for.
Hi Streetdaddy The sidewalls have two 2x6 foot panels. I tried to follow the pattern from the back wall, but my first reflection points fell on a closet door on the left side. BTW - nice system. I used to have P-10's. Great speakers, and probably a perfect match for the Rowland.
Carl, How many panels did you use on the sidewalls? Did you put the small one on top/ big one underneath theme on the sidewalls as well? I like that look, btw.
The sidewall treatments are all absorption. Originally he specified some diffusion as well, but after the room was completed, the measurements indicated it was too much. The ceiling and rear wall are RPG diffusion panels that offer some degree of absorption as well. Regards Carl
Hi Joey Sorry for taking so long to respond. I need to check this thread more often. The Coltranes are similar to the Kharma's in that they both use the Accuton ceramic drivers, and the Accuton diamond tweeter. The Coltranes though, use the ceramic drivers for the woofers as well. This makes them very fast and tight. and with 2 9" woofers, they really go quite deep. If you are interested in the Kharma's, I would look into Marten's as well. Regards Carl
Czapp, Amazing gear and amazing experience you must be having with them! At first look of your MD Coltranes, I thought of Kharma.... are they at all similar? I have never heard of Marten Design (or seen) in person here in Chicago...
Thanks Ozzy and Skand Paul- The ceiling diffusors are RPG 4" BAD Panels, and the rear wall uses BAD Arcs. Rives designed this system, and I think he reached a great balance between diffusion and absorption. For bass absorption I highly recommend Real Traps. They were the first bass traps I tried that actually worked. The record rack is from a place called Topdeq.com. They seem to be a higher end Ikea for office furnishings. Hope this helps. Carl
Beautiful system and room. I am wondering if you could post some details about the room treatment?
I see you have some RPG diffusors on the ceiling, which model are those? And what is it you have on the back wall? Are those also diffusors? I'm guessing yes, based on the curved profile. I'm asking cause I have too much absorbtion in my room now, (to get enough bass trapping), and I am trying to find how to get some more diffusion and less absorbtion in the mid & high bands.
I also really like the look of your record rack, can you mention your source?
One area where I thought the Coltranes had a nice advantage over my 5As was in the the highs. That diamond tweeter was amazing. Unlimited extension and detail, yet totally smooth and listenable. Too bad I still didn't have my EMM Labs- it's on the radar again though. We're both getting close to unchartered waters ;-]
Hey Carl! Carl's system sounds absolutely first rate and is amongst the best systems I have had the pleasure of hearing. When Carl spins some vinyl it is a memorable experience.......
I've since moved on to the Dartzeel, but when I bought the 1.2's I was looking for a replacement for a troublesome CAT JL2. I listened to both the 1.2's, and the ML2's, and opted for the seemingly more reliable 1.2's. I found them to be very close - much closer than you would think, and felt the 1.2's had tighter bass.
Colin
I didn't build my room from scratch, so I had to work with what I had. If I was about to begin a project like yours, I would definately consult with Rives. There are so many choices and variables, getting a pro involved is the best investment you can make. Best of luck.
Fsarc - MDAT must be a new thing. Jtinn never mentioned that in his EMM SE thread, and I have no doubts he would, If only it has been available at the time. So who knows - maybe EMM come to senses and eventually decided to add some new features to CDSD SE ?
