Preface

Love my Martin Logans have had my Preface for awhile now. These speakers are a work of art visually and sweet sound and the earthy bass. I love this brand.

Satisfied Customer
Several Years back I walked into a Best Buy Magnolia Store to look at new speakers for my home system. I had been to other stores and had listened to many speakers. I had researched online and was honestly growing weary of whether or not I would find a speaker that I liked. I am a bit of an audiophile and I know what I like. I was shown many speakers, but was not inpressed with them. I asked about The Martin Logan Preface speaker as I was first attracted by the looks. I liked the sound and asked the salesman to put the speakers through their paces. Different movie scenes, different music. I was very satisfied with the speakers and I purchased a pair. After two weeks of use at home I was back at the store and I purchased a second pair and I added the Martin Logan Encore Center Channel Speaker. I being an avid Blu-Ray fan need incredible sound to go with the incredible picture and with the Martin Logan Preface Speakers I have it. Thank you very much for making such a fine quality product.

OUTSTANDING SOUND
8 months ago, I wanted to revamp my audio/home theater room with all new equipment ie... 7.1 amp and speakers tv the works. I did not have the luxury of listening to any speakers or amps due to my line of work and would only have 30 days to enjoy the setup during the holidays... but i did have the internet and was very happy to run across the martin Logan product line..in which i have only seen a martin Logan speaker one time in my life. so i was basically going by reviews on the internet and man did i make a great choice for music and HT. I found a set of prefaces for my fronts and 5 encores for the rest to finish my 7.1 set up with a emotiva amp. as some may say a sub is not necessary but it is the icing on the cake. I feel good to have a very solid system that does not have to be listened to at a high level to hear the quality of martin logan sound reproduction. that sound was bought at a very reduced price for every speaker. i feel i came out far ahead on this deal even at regular past prices. Since my purchase of Martin Logan i don't have conversations about lesser quality speakers and equipment,you know the ones. i have no reason to. BW

OUTSTANDING SOUND
8 months ago, I wanted to revamp my audio/home theater room with all new equipment ie... 7.1 amp and speakers tv the works. I did not have the luxury of listening to any speakers or amps due to my line of work and would only have 30 days to enjoy the setup during the holidays... but i did have the internet and was very happy to run across the martin Logan product line..in which i have only seen a martin Logan speaker one time in my life. so i was basically going by reviews on the internet and man did i make a great choice for music and HT. I found a set of prefaces for my fronts and 5 encores for the rest to finish my 7.1 set up with a emotiva amp. as some may say a sub is not necessary but it is the icing on the cake. I feel good to have a very solid system that does not have to be listened to at a high level to hear the quality of martin logan sound reproduction. that sound was bought at a very reduced price for every speaker. i feel i came out far ahead on this deal even at regular past prices. Since my purchase of Martin Logan i don't have conversations about lesser quality speakers and equipment,you know the ones. i have no reason to. BW

OUTSTANDING SOUND
8 months ago, I wanted to revamp my audio/home theater room with all new equipment ie... 7.1 amp and speakers tv the works. I did not have the luxury of listening to any speakers or amps due to my line of work and would only have 30 days to enjoy the setup during the holidays... but i did have the internet and was very happy to run across the martin Logan product line..in which i have only seen a martin Logan speaker one time in my life. so i was basically going by reviews on the internet and man did i make a great choice for music and HT. I found a set of prefaces for my fronts and 5 encores for the rest to finish my 7.1 set up with a emotiva amp. as some may say a sub is not necessary but it is the icing on the cake. I feel good to have a very solid system that does not have to be listened to at a high level to hear the quality of martin logan sound reproduction. that sound was bought at a very reduced price for every speaker. i feel i came out far ahead on this deal even at regular past prices. Since my purchase of Martin Logan i don't have conversations about lesser quality speakers and equipment,you know the ones. i have no reason to. BW

Preface Speakers
I\'ll make this short and sweet. Once these speakers break in, they are hard to beat. Even with them hooked up to a Onkyo receiver they still shine. I can\'t imagine what they would sound like hooked up to a dedicated audio setup. I find myself listening to music in my home theater rather than my dedicated audio room. I truly have come to love these speakers. They were a bit harsh at first, but now they have opened up to their full potential. Definitely high quality speakers, with matching high quality sound. No regrets or complaints.

WOW!!!
Have had these speakers for a few months now. They are now running just on a Pioneer receiver and all I can so is DAG GONE!!! When it comes to the sounds of Joshua Redman, Norah Jones, HC Jr, and Wynton Marsalis they excel. They are awesome on vocals and at the big band genre they don't skip a beat. It seems every frequency is there, from the high hat to the upright bass. I have a seperate amp on the way and can't wait. I almost burned out my pioneer one night listening to The Polar Express. Thats when I remembered they are 4 ohm speakers. You will not be disappointed. Guranteed!!!

A just outstanding speaker...
Bought a new high end AVR and wanted to test the speaker waters. Had been about 3 years since I last bought internet only speakers which have been really nice, but still they lacked something and I couldn't put my finger on what. Then I was recommended the Preface and being just under my budgeted amout, I checked them out. Love at first sight! These speakers so retain ML's bread and butter, the electrostat hybrids! My wife and I just fell in love with the styling. We became concerned when we discovered these had been discontinued after such a brief run. But our fears were unfounded when we realized the replacement speaker, the Motion 12, was a lesser (in our opinion) speaker all around in comparison with the Preface. So they were delivered and after allowing time to reach room temperature (bought in January) they were connected and the improvement was instantaneous. Crystal clear highs and details, not to mention the imaging, even at high volumes, and not fatiging to the ear in the slightest. We really could\'nt be more impressed. Sorry to see them closed out and from what I can tell, sold out as well. At the final selling price it is the best deal of the new decade to date and will be hard to beat. I am set on speakers for quite a few years now and I have a smile from ear to ear, all thanks to MartinLogan. I am truly blessed to own such high end quality for my family to enjoy!

sound great
I read all 15 review about preface, I decided to buy it. When I hear the music, preface gave me a lot of base and strong sound. It's good sound for 1000sqft room with surround sound with my rear focal speaker bookself and harmon kardon receiver. I need to upgrade my receiver to get better sound. I guest.

Initial Review of Preface
This is the second set of Martin Logan speakers I have purchased. The others are Vistas and previously reviewed. I bought the Prefaces as I needed a set of speakers that were somewhat portable to demonstrate some audio products I design and the Vistas are not suitable for that use. My initial listening to the Prefaces is that they have a very solid bottom end and nice mid and top end. Nice spacial separation and soundstage. No need for a sub with these unless you really need the very most bottom end sounds. You do need to allow for a break in period as the initial response is a bit of what I would call edgy. (there is a message in the literature that comes with the speakers about this) A great buy right now as they are discontinued. These speakers are great on AV systems and modest stereo systems. They have an interesting shape, but it goes over well with other family members. I highly recommend them. Bruce Heran Oddwatt Audio

Strong The Force Is With The Padawan
I have listened to Martin Logans for many years but never purchased them for one reason or another. The last time I purchased speakers I ended up with PSB Stratus and Paradigm Reference. It has been about 13 years since I purchased any audio equipment so it was overdue. The Preface is a dramatic change from the typical ML ESL design. The speakers were introduced in 2008 and they are already being put in the graveyard. Either ML has decided to go back to their roots or the speakers just never sold well. Either way they are worth a listen to see if your ear enjoys them as much as mine. I recently compared them to a set of ML motion speakers. I brought the Motions home and listened to them for a few weeks. I found the tweeters to be very tinny sounding compared to the Preface so I returned the Motions. Everyone has a different ear for what they like and don't like. My ear enjoys tight bass rather than boomy bass, a non distorted midrange and a clean tweeter, not tinny sounding. To tell you how realistic the Preface speakers sound to me other members of the family had interesting reactions to them. My dogs have jumped several times while watching movies over the last few days. My 10 year old French mastiff jumped up during a movie thinking there was someone coming in the front door. I have the same audio system, the only thing changed was the Preface speakers. The lifelike reproduction and the small sounds that were hidden in the other speakers have come to life with the Preface's. So if you are looking for a speaker that recreates sound to be lifelike, look very good, and can be purchased at a substantial discount, you should give them an audition.

il mio impianto
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Absolutely Sensational!
The tonal quality of this speaker is absolutely sensational. I literally feel like I am there when listening to my smooth jazz and contemporary christian artists. I am very particular about sound and the Preface is by far the best bang for the buck. I really don't like to shop for speakers based on price, but after kids one has to take a new approach to things. My experience was fantastic. I went down to the Riverside Best Buy and gleaned from the coolest guys, Denver, Mina, and Mike. They spent precious time with me going over details and comparing the setup to the new Motion 10 & 12 and also the Purity's. I am not fond of the Motions compared to the Preface. Don't get me wrong, the sound is not bad it is just not sensational. The Preface have enough depth to them and evenly produce a sweet sweet tone. the very accurately replicate one of my favorites and best test song, Eric Clapton's "Heaven". This was breathtaking. Now I must say I am at an advantage because I know how to mix great audio components together. EQUIPMENT Preface speakers (Dark Cherry & Black) Encore TF Center channel (Black) Adcom 555II (350 watts@4ohms) Left&Right Channel Adcom 2535 (100 watts@4ohms) Center Channel Adcom GTP 600 PreAmp Tuner Adcom 515 Line Enhancer MOST IMPORTANT TaraLabs RSC Speaker Cable (3/4" thick) TaraLabs Prisim Interconnects 55 & 33 This setup has allowed me to experience a little bit of heaven. After the speakers have broken in over the next 72 hours I will be visiting heaven every single day!

Clarity and Detail
I am not an audiophile but I am a fairly musical person(i play guitar since childhood). I had audio equipment before but this is the first high end audio I've ever purchased. After comparing, polk, JBL L880, ML, Klipsch RF 52, 3 way, 2 way floorstanding speakers. ML Preface is probably the best that fits my budget out of the brands I mentioned. ML Preface stands out on detail and clarity. I felt Klipsch is louder/powerful and can fill up the room with ease, the JBL I tried was 3 way but I felt a 3 way loses some clarity (probably due to more complicated blending from 3 different drivers). I am more into HT anyway so a 2 way is OK with me. Polk, the least. Of course, all of these is based on my hearing ! For the price and value, I give it 5 stars !!!

Could not be happier with my new Martin Logan's
These Preface speakers are great. I first heard them in Best Buy and was sold that day. I waited for them to go on sale and when the motion series came out these speakers went down in price. The value of these speakers are amazing. I can't believe the depth and clarity that these two speakers provide. The first movie I watched was Sherlock Homes and all I have are the two speakers. The room filled with base as the horse carriage rumbled through the streets. Than there is a point were a gunshot is fired and you experience your ears ringing the sharpness of the highs was unbelievable. Martin Logan truly did a great job on these speakers. I can't wait to finish out my surround sound with the motion series and truly experience the movies at home. Not to mention playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on the PS3.

Biggest bang for bucks
I was hunting for my new home entertainment system and with options aplenty was looking and researching on my budgets. Sony was what I was about to go with but it sounded so flat compared to Polk. Then I heard the Magnolia section belting out a concert recording. I shuffled myself and knew that I was sold on these. Nothing comes close to Preface for the depth and natural reproduction of all tones! I don't need a sub in my apartment for this (but will add later). For now, it does the best job..making my music and movies sound awesome! I have it paired with a Marantz NR1501. Look no further..Martin Logans are the stuff to have! These two powerhorses can you get started immediately and can build your 7.1 experience later on.

Great Bang for the Buck
I bought these to begin replacing the speakers in my home theater setup. I was previously running a Klipsch Synergy setup with a Denon 2909. The main L/R is where I wanted to start so I began to look around. The price for these speakers had been reduced so I was immediately attracted to them due to the name I knew for quality and my preferences. I do not have a large area or dedicated space so I did not want to get to extreme of a speaker but I was not happy with the thin sound I was getting from bookcase speakers as my mains. Once I connected these, I was immediately blown away (mind you with no modification to my amp setup or equalization). These speakers have a great, tight low end response and at the same time provide great clarity for voice tones that can get lost and they are incredibly musical without coloring the signal too much. I dont listen to these speakers and think anything like those sound very harsh, dull, bright, metallic, thin, saturated, etc. like you do with entry level speakers. They have such a natural warmth and tonal balance that I feel like I am getting accurate sound replication as it was intended. I run my amp in pure direct mode for the cleanest signal and the speakers beg for more. They are very efficient and equally impressive at low volumes. I was sold for good in 2 minutes. Very impressive packaging and support. Read my Vignette review for the center channel upgrade that came immediately after because of how impressive these were. You get the benefits of a non-directional speaker but still have great focus and clarity, whatever the source. Only thing you can do wrong is under power these or put a bad amp in front of them. I will never buy another speaker brand, I'm sold for life.

amazing sound !!!!!!!!!
For a long time I've been listening to MartinLogan speakers at high-end audio stores. I always love the sound, but they were out of my price range. After I auditioned the "preface " model, I immediately fell in love with the clear and clean sound. They have the same ML signature sound at an affordable price. I ordered a pair and I've been hooked on them ever since. Beside the other high-end ML electrostatic speakers, these speakers produce one of the cleanest and most detailed sounds I've ever heard. They also have a tight powerful bass sound that your whole body feels. These speakers CLEARLY bring out EVERY sound and instruments just as it was recorded. Great job ML !!!!!!

Incredible Speakers
When I heard these speakers, I was amazed by the clarity and the definition. The imaging of the sound from the speakers is as if the artist is in the room with you. The sound and separation is that good. I will being adding to my audio system from the other products that you have available.

Oh Boy!
These speakers are out of this world. Smooth even for right now running thru a Denon mini hi-fi while my Onkyo gets repaired I cannot wait. These are my 1st entry level high end speakers. Replaced my Klipsch which I were using for front. Well worth the money.

Love at first listen
These speakers sold themselves the first time I heard them. I haven't been happier since purchasing them...they have a room in my house dedicated to them.