Martin Logan rudderless, does it have a future

[ack]

Tim Valters http://www.linkedin.com/in/timvalters was repeatedly ridiculed on MartinLoganOwners for coming from a chimney-related business as being unfit to lead a high-end audio business. He was recently replaced in Dec 2013 by Rocco Melchione of Panasonic, only himself to be ousted a couple of weeks ago http://www.cepro.com/article/melchione_out_as_president_ceo_of_anthem_martinlogan_paradigm/

Anyone have confidence in ML anymore?

 

[microstrip]

Do you know who currently owns Martin Logan? We can only hope everything ends well, they manufacture some of the best sounding speakers in the high-end.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Tim Valters http://www.linkedin.com/in/timvalters was repeatedly ridiculed on MartinLoganOwners for coming from a chimney-related business as being unfit to lead a high-end audio business. He was recently replaced in Dec 2013 by Rocco Melchione of Panasonic, only himself to be ousted a couple of weeks ago http://www.cepro.com/article/melchione_out_as_president_ceo_of_anthem_martinlogan_paradigm/

Anyone have confidence in ML anymore?

I don't necessarily see how Rocco's firing directly relates to ML? Rocco was CEO of the whole speaker group. Last I talked to the folks at ML, they are still working on new estats though for the moment the direction seems to be more home theater and even conventional speakers using an electrostatic tweeter. I'd be more concerned if Joe was gone from ML. Question is what were the "philosophical differences." As we know, that's pretty much a catch all phrase.

 

[puroagave]

Do you know who currently owns Martin Logan? We can only hope everything ends well, they manufacture some of the best sounding speakers in the high-end.

ML is owned by an investment group that includes paradigm and anthem. whenever the founder leaves a cos. they lose the plot - in most cases. has krell been the same since Dan was ousted?

 

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.twice.com/articletype/news/paradigm-anthem-martinlogan-get-new-presidentceo/109402

 

[mep]

At least it didn't take them long to dump Rocco, but it still doesn't bode well for ML.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have enjoyed Martin-Logan speakers since 1989. I had Monolith Is, then Monolith IIIs, then Prodigys (which I still own and love). A long time Martin-Logan dealer told me today that he is dropping the manufacturer because he feels the quality of the products has gone down across the board, including with respect to the CLX. He showed me a pair of CLXs manufactured in 2014 which, he said, manifest shoddy workmanship. I rocked the speakers back and forth and they did seem a little chintzy.

I have assumed that whatever the new owner's business model with respect to inexpensive products sold in mass-market electronics stores, the company would nonetheless treat their high-end audio products produced in Canada (e.g., CLX Art) as a separate business with a traditional ML level of build quality, quality control and support. I would think it obvious that this has to be their thinking with regard to the Neolith.

Is my assumption incorrect?

 

[ack]

I don't know about your assumption, but with respect to the CLX, what has always kept me away is those "flexible" panels - I am sure a lot could be done to produce a speaker like that that's stiff and sturdy. Their service continues to be impeccable, though... So do they have a new CEO yet? I haven't follow them closely for a while, since I only care to get replacement panels for mine, when the day comes; and in that respect - the panels - they are flawless, at least the dozen I have seen and owned, and there are exceptionally few complaints about them on the martinloganowners.com site.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you for your reply.

When the Neolith tour swings remotely near me I will travel to hear them and I hope at that time to get some answers.

 

[ack]

Let us know... BTW, I was just thinking about ML quality and reliability, and interestingly enough, they are the ONLY speaker I have ever owned that have been 100% trouble-free - an important feat, considering they are active. I have had my own share of blown tweeters and ribbons, even leaky crossover capacitors... As I stand to think about this, even my VPI had trouble at one point with the bearing (though replaced with a truly exceptional-quality one, to be honest). And speaking of reliability, my Etude tuner (which remains always on) has had zero problems for ~20 years now, next to my Revox whose recent tune-up essentially involved replacing a mere 3 capacitors, cleaning the switches, and adjusting (I am actually about to replace the pinch roller at $100 for the part just for the heck of it; I was told the original one - 30 years old - would outlast me! and its rubber surely ain't dry yet).

 

[Ron Resnick]

I agree about historical ML reliability. I raised no question about that.

I am asking only about whether the build quality and quality control of recently manufactured speakers has declined.