I already own a pair of Capaciti E160 though I bought them recently and unsurprisingly found the membranes were in need of replacement (poor sensitivity and very uneven FR on one panel due to blown resistors). They were refurbished but not yet shipped back.
I now have the chance to buy a pair of ML Electromotion for less than what I paid for the Capacities + Refurb. They are still on their original foils which are 8 - 10 years old. I could drive there, listen and measure.
Supposing the panels are still good, for how long can I expect them to still live? Can I expect superior sound from the curved MLs with their 500 Hz XO to the woofer vs. the full range E160 (which will be joined by a sub below 70 Hz)?
Thanks
I now have the chance to buy a pair of ML Electromotion for less than what I paid for the Capacities + Refurb. They are still on their original foils which are 8 - 10 years old. I could drive there, listen and measure.
Supposing the panels are still good, for how long can I expect them to still live? Can I expect superior sound from the curved MLs with their 500 Hz XO to the woofer vs. the full range E160 (which will be joined by a sub below 70 Hz)?
Thanks
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It is a personal opinion, but those hybrid ML's are not my cup of tea. Mids and higs are what you can expect from a good ESL but just like most other hybrids the woofer section is of rather mediocre quality compared to the esl panel. In addition,a 500Hz crossover point is way too high for smooth integration. It results in lot's of coloration and "box sound" in the bass and low mids. The curved membrame improves dispersion in a certain way, but whether that is a good thing depends very much on your room and preferences. A segmented wire ESL offers much more flexibility in that aspect and is also a much easier load for the amplifier. I can't comment on longevity of ML panels.
The Capaciti's are very well designed, I would stick to them. If your sub is a closed or ported design, consider an OB woofer.
The Capaciti's are very well designed, I would stick to them. If your sub is a closed or ported design, consider an OB woofer.
Thank you! Would you happen to know how the dispersion of a Capaciti with its segmented wires and the ML with its curved panel differ?
I was already wondering about the integration and how low the ML panel would go if crossed actively and low.
About longevity, the 2nd gen ML foils seem to be metallized in vacuum, so one would hope, but I haven't really heard much.
I was already wondering about the integration and how low the ML panel would go if crossed actively and low.
About longevity, the 2nd gen ML foils seem to be metallized in vacuum, so one would hope, but I haven't really heard much.
No, I do not have measurements of their directivety. My point was more, with a wire stator design it is very easy to to tailor dispersion to your room and likings by changing the number of wires per segment and the resistor values.
Inherent problem with a curved panel is that the distance between membrane and both stators is never equal and also varies over the surface. That limits excursion quite a bit, so I doubt you can cross them over much lower without sacrificing too much output.
Inherent problem with a curved panel is that the distance between membrane and both stators is never equal and also varies over the surface. That limits excursion quite a bit, so I doubt you can cross them over much lower without sacrificing too much output.
The Capaciti modules will have cleaner sound. The logans suffer more from resonance. I dont think the hybrid nature is to blame. It has more to do with design and materials. Resistors in Capaciti are rather small. So when compensating for low output it is no surprise they burned out. Check the non burn resistors as well as they may be responsible for low output. Some models could have faulty HV connection, dont know about your model.