I have briefly tried Rega SC42 cables with the Marten Duke 2 and although it sounded good, there is a slight loss of clarity with slight smearing. I didn’t try the NACA5 with the Martens although I still have the cable with me as it’s too stiff (and in previous comparisons the NACA5 always went back to the box in the store room as the Chord sounded better to my ears all the time, other than the undesired stiffness of the NACA5 which is extremely difficult to work with).
I have a couple of different speaker brands I use with my Duke 2s. I alternate between a set of Tellurium Q Ultra Black II cables (2.5m) and Audiomica Dolomite Reference (6m) depending on my listening preferences and mood .
I bought the Audiomica Dolomites as I wanted longer cable lengths. They’re very reasonably priced compared to other brands, and work well with the Duke 2s and my Sugden amp, as well as my old 300DR. The TQ Ultra Black IIs are very smooth and more refined than the Audiomica. However, they’re not as neutral and sound more ‘hifi’ if that make sense. Of the two, I’d recommend the Audiomicas with the Dukes rather than TQ cables.
Enjoy and yes, keep us posted
I’m using Witch Hat Phantom with my Dukes and Norma amplifier. I don’t have anything to compare with and bought them when I had a Nova using the return policy as insurance. Was very happy with the Nova pairing and they work very well with the Norma/Dukes as well. With @ryder using the Chord Signature XL, I might put them on my wish list.
I’d be interested to know if any Marten owners have heard/owned Jorma Design speakers cables. Jorma is used for the internal wiring of Marten speakers so they should be a good match.
The Jorma Design speaker cable range is pricey though, starting with the Trinity cables at £1,450 for 1m pair (£400 per additional metre), the Duality at £2,250 for 1m pair (£800 per additional metre), all the way to the Statement at an eye-watering £13,500 for 1m pair! (£5,500 per additional metre).
I have investigated Jorma after reading about the great synergy between Marten and these cables. However, the price is just too high hence I don’t think I’ll make the swap. The Jorma Origo is recommended on another forum and I think it’s the one to consider other than the higher-level Prime. Nevertheless, after looking at the prices, all enthusiasm fizzled out.
Flachead, the Witch Hat Phantom should be a good one. Perhaps good to stick with it. Cables are a tricky thing and the value is often questioned as prices get exorbitantly high. Although the Chord Signature XL is sounding great in my system, I think I overspent on it (£2,400 for a 4m pair). I traded the Chord Epic and another exotic cable in before I could get the Signature XL into my system.
Jorma No.2 is what runs the internal of my Bird2, so I would automatically assume the same for the rest of the Heritage line?. Jorma Duality is the current replacement for No.2
Hi guys,i read this thread with interest,since i pulled the trigger on a second hand pair of duke 2.
After selling my last speakers( wich suppose to be my last speakers) i tried listening to many speakers.
In my dealer i listened to harbeth c7 and klipsh forte3.
Thru you tube( i know it s not that accurate but my dealer is limited on bookshelves), heard rogers ls3/5,all harbeth,proac tablette 10,few others and the dukes2.
Since i heard the duke 2 ON YOU TUBE,i couldnt forget their sound,and tonality…
Specially with piano,it is mesmerizing…
Long story short,they are on their way to me now…
I need your opinion on few inquiries please…
My new dedicated listening room is 100 sq feet only.
They will be driven by mbl c51 integrated.
I have under my hand a budget speaker stand and i m contemplating the custom design fs104 stand,is it a good idea or should i grab their dedicated stands?
Is there a big benefit going with their dedicated stands?
Thks
Interesting you bought the Duke 2s based on the sound quality you get on Youtube videos. Fortunately, I can tell you that the Duke 2 is extremely good with piano. I listen to piano 90% of the time and the speakers surely deliver. Very real and lifelike as if it’s being played in the room.
A caveat is I have gone through great lengths to optimise the system by replacing almost everything to bring out the best in the Marten. They will reveal every single change you make to the system no matter how small it is since it’s so revealing. If you find the treble a bit hot, showring glare, hardness or brightness, rest assured it’s not the speakers but something else in the chain.
Thks ryder.
I m quite happy i pulled the trigger on them.
I hope it s a good match with the mbl c51,laidback,smooth,warm like tube yet powerfull.
Will update here when received.
Thks
I’m sure you won’t be disappointed but echo @ryder comments, they will reveal everything! I’ve had my Dukes for c18 months and only in the last couple has it finally all come together (last purchase was AQ Niagara) and I’m thrilled with the way it all sounds. When I first had the Dukes I used a Nova and yes, it was a mismatch, but having them allowed me to truly assess the impact of every single change I’ve made to get to what I use today. I’m not going to say ‘end game’ though, those Parker Duo’s look very interesting and I love the look of the new Marten stands.
I’ve had the Tannoy Prestige Stirling GR for a year and also heard Canterbury GR, low mids and mid-bass resolution is no where close to these Accutons, and we’ve not gone into imaging territory yet. One thing that the Tannoys do extremely well is vocals especially females. I also prefer the looks of Tannoys, but sonically, they’re quite far behind with reproducing tonality of instruments.
I just got to know that Vitus recently launched the RI-101 Mk2. The RI-101 is said to be an improvement over RI-100 while the 101mk2 is said to bring the performance closer to SIA-025 and 30. Interesting. Priced at £13,600 it’s twice the price of my Luxman L-590AXII.
Yes, lots of unhappy RI-101 mk1 owners as they launched the mk2 just over 1.5 years after the mk1, many dealers are getting complaints about it. It’s a good time to grab the mk1. To be honest, not much sonic differences between the 3 models, I would not pass a blind test, so the RI-100 is the best value.
Off topic but I’ve been trying some budget gears lately such as Wharfedale Linton and Triangle BR-03, The BR-03 is one amazing little unit, 70-80% of the Marten at 15th of a cost.
Hi
Parker duo on my radar, have you actually heard them?
Would they be your choice?
Pete
Hi, sorry I haven’t listened to the Parker Duo. Nice speakers though. I was actually hoping that someone has compared all Parker Duo, Duke 2 and Oscar Duo and let us know how different all these speakers sound. I am sure all are excellent speakers. I am enjoying the Duke 2 a lot.
Good to know there’s not much difference between the Vitus RI-101 in their mk1 and mk2 guises. The latest model costs so much more.
The Triangle BR-03 is interesting as it only costs £399. Anyway my search for speakers is over. I currently have 3 pairs of speakers and the Duke 2s get played 95% of the time. Another pair is rarely played while another one is in cold storage, while I still hope to try the Proac Tablette 10 Signature sometime in the future. Can’t listen or own them all.
Just a little update. The Marten Duke 2s are magnificent speakers. I have been enjoying the Dukes a lot after optimising the system to a very high level (mains and cabling were upgraded). Although I wanted to hear how the Harbeth SHL5+ would sound in this optimised setup, I was very reluctant to swap the speakers for the past few months as I was truly enjoying the music with the Marten. Nevertheless, I found time to try the Harbeth as I was eager to know if they will sound better with all the upgraded stuff. All same gear - Luxman L-590AXII and Chord QBD76 DAC.
Although the Harbeth SHL5+ didn’t sound terribly out of place, the difference in sound quality is quite obvious. The holographic 3-d ambiance is lost. The treble of the Harbeth still has the energy, sounding sufficiently lit and lively but the illuminating tube-like tone which gives the notes the 3-d effect and ambiance is missing. This sophistication, refinement or magic whatever you call it is gone. The Harbeth still sounds decent but switching from the Marten it now sounds ordinary. After experiencing the sound of the Marten I now realise how special or unique it is.
Another observation is with some tracks, the background sound or instruments sound louder and more forward with the Harbeth. With the Marten the sound is more subdued or softer, sounding several rows back. A matter of preference and I can live with either presentation.
The Marten is surely a smoother sounding speaker than the Harbeth. Although it sounds smoother, the energy and macrodynamics are slightly better than the Harbeth. Lastly, the Harbeth puts out a bit more bass than the Marten but the Marten appears to go slightly lower. On paper the Harbeth goes down to 40Hz while the Marten goes lower to 38Hz.
Perhaps the Harbeth SHL5+ requires the Naim 282/HCDR/250DR to shine but I can’t switch the amps at moment as the rack was configured to support the huge Luxman.
To wrap up, I’ll be switching to the Marten Duke 2 tomorrow. Although the Harbeth sounds better with the Luxman this time(upgraded mains and cabling) it still cannot match the dexterity and finesse of the Marten. The Harbeth doesn’t sound as dull or shut-in when matched with the Luxman this time. As a matter of fact it sounds rather good. However, when compared to the Marten the involvement or magic is gone.
I think I may have described on the differences earlier. The Marten has a more delicate touch in the way the notes are struck especially piano. The intensity or force when the keys are struck is more delicate with the Marten whereas the notes sound louder with the Harbeth, giving the impression of a cruder presentation. Apart from this delicate touch of the Marten, there’s a nice illuminating tube-like glow which accompanies the initial strike of the notes. A nice decay or glowing sound which adds to the 3-d feel or illusion which is not experienced with the Harbeth. There are other differences but these are the most apparent ones.
I am convinced the Harbeth will sound better with the Naim but will have to leave it for another time. I miss the Marten’s charm and refinement.
An interesting read and a detailed comparison of the differences between the Martens and Harbeths. They are obviously very different speakers and each have their strengths.
I had the SHL5+ on home demo over a year ago but in a different room and system to what I have now. I liked them but I’m not surprised you’re sticking with the Martens longer term.
I’m delighted with my Marten Dukes and it’s unlikely I’ll be moving on from them. They are just superb.
Likely the final update on this thread. I realised there is no more hope with the Harbeth so I made the switch yesterday. It just didn’t sound good. Upon switching to the Marten, I was slightly worried as the sound quality seemed a little pale and flat. Although the placement of speakers was exactly the same as the previous setup, I was thinking if the less-than-spectacular result was caused by a minor deviation with placement and toe-in, perhaps in the region of 5mm. Fortunately, the spectacular form came back this morning. It’s sounding splendid now as the enveloping and illuminating sound is back. I’m not sure if it’s the speakers or cables which may need some run-in before the system starts to show its full potential.
Apart from the different sets of strength between the 2 speakers, what astonishes me is the smaller Marten produced a deeper and more pronounced bass than the larger Harbeth. Perhaps the Harbeth really needs the Naim but the conclusion I can make at this point is the Marten is really pulling ahead of the Harbeth in most areas particularly with its refined and sophisticated delivery.
I apologise for being long-winded as my enthusiasm truly shows. Similarly it is very unlikely I will move on from the Marten. I have lived with the Harbeth for more than 10 years, upgraded the SHL5 to SHL5+ midway through and thought they will last till the end. It appears that they have been dethroned by a superior sounding speaker in my system, to my ears. I can’t believe I am saying this as the Harbeth is well known to be smooth sounding but in comparison to the optimised Marten the Harbeth actually sounds a little rough and unrefined.
ps. PatM, I was being kind to the Harbeth as I am aware there are few owners who use the Harbeth with top-notch Naim (52/135 and 552/300)