Customer Reviews

MartinLogan DYNBLD Dynamo 10-Inch Subwoofer (Single, Black)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very well built subwoofer with many of the same parts and most of the technology taken from the upper line (Grotto, Depth, Descent) of ML subs. It has the same solid 10" aluminum driver found in all high-end subs. It was designed and engineered in the US by ML and built in China to keep costs down, however, I did not notice any build-quality issue. I compared the Dynamo head to head with the ML Grotto (twice the price) and found that they both sounded great. The Grotto adds a servo circuit, a tad better cabinet and a little more power (250 vs. 200) but in the long run, I could not justify the price difference.

The Dynamo has deep, tight bass with no boom. It blends seamlessly with all speakers that I have tried. If set up correctly and this is easy to do, you cannot tell where the sub is located in your room. I am using it for 2 channel audio but it can work well for home theater as well, just don't expect ground-shaking boom. Although I think you would be wasting its potential. It also has the option of front firing and down firing by just rotating it on its platform/stand, I set it up as front firing since I found it provide tighter bass/more musical/accurate then down-firing on my carpet. I also did not miss the servo circuit on the more expensive ML sub. The servo would have been more important if the Dynamo had a larger driver (12" plus) due to the inherent distortion issues with large drivers. An 8" - 10" driver does not have as many of these issues, hence the servo circuit not missed much.

You cannot go wrong with the Dynamo for some of the best quality bass at the best price available today.

Strengths:
Build quality. Deep, tight bass...no boom here. Blends seamlessly with every speaker I tried. Easy to set up. Great set up instructions furnished by ML. Price. And a product designed and supported by one of the best speaker builders in the world. Call ML anytime and they will answer any question and make suggestions on proper set up, etc.

Weaknesses:
I would have preferred that whether you choose front firing or down firing, the amp controls would be easily accessible. When in front firing position, the controls are on the bottom. However, once set up, this should not be a problem.

Impressions of the Martin Logan Dynamo.

I use this for both music and home theater and it is excellent for both. The bass is very tight and precise. It blends in perfectly with my klipsch speaker system. The sound quality is excellent and this subwoofer is an excellent anchor to a good sound system. I had a less expensive sub prior to this and there is simply no comparison. I agree with others that the bass is not boomy but that's not to say that it doesn't pack a punch. Hooked up to a quality receiver this sub will let you feel the music or movie soundtrack (it can shake the room easy enough). However the clarity is what makes this unit special. I have this set up in a open space room with a listening area of about 18 x 25 ft and am could not be more pleased with the performance of this unit. If you want a sub that puts out tight and precise bass this is a great choice.

Another thing of note is the overall quality of this subwoofer. All the controls and switches have that nice solid feel. Nothing cheap feeling or looking at all about the construction of this unit. It's also relatively small in size which is surprising given the quality of sound this puts out. The auto on/off is a nice feature but expected on anything in this price range.

Bottom line is I would buy this sub again in a second. I really can't think of any downside on this.

This sub is REFINED! there's no flabby, street pounding bass to be heard here. Martin Logan prides itself on making some of the more accurate speakers on the market (at least that WE can afford) when this sub hits, it lets you know. but the sound is silky smooth, and integrates sooo well with tower speakers it's almost illegal. at some point, forget you own it. it will dissapear in the mix, and work in unison with your towers like a dream. i use it for music (where it really shines) and for movies (it's impact is huge, it's decently accurate, but i'd still go with the depth for home theater..) i paid a lot less for it than 600 bucks, but still, if it broke, i'd have no issue with buying a new one at retail. it's just that smooth sounding.
one of the best features is the ETC spikes that come with it to de-couple it from the floor. these are adjustable, and are great for wood flooring, and the like. to correct the other review, it is indeed a 10'' cone, but performs like a good 12'' would, anyday.

the other guy's right. it isn't your normal subwoofer. you have to let it break in before you really start to appreciate what this little guy can do. on another note, it's foot print is TINY! so guys, your wives will LOVE it, as you can hide it behind her stupid plant thingies she loves to keep all over the place.

I currently have 3 subs (JL Audio Fathom F113, SVS SB12-Plus, and this MartinLogan Dynamo). While they all are great performers I have to give the performance per dollar to the MartinLogan. I originally heard this sub at a friend's house and couldn't believe how deep it played on Movie Soundtracks. In his setup I was more impressed by this sub than my JL Audio F113 in my main setup. Now in all honesty my room isn't as sub friendly as his and the processor the F113 is hooked up to is quite outdated but I was still a little peaved that my sub that cost 8-10x was essentially being bested by the little MartinLogan. I'm sure that once I upgrade my processor the Fathom will deliver as it should but the point I want to make is that the ML is a quality product. I recently added a surround system in the master bedroom and decided to go with the ML for the sub. I am very happy with the results. It sounds great on both music and movies. In addition to plugging the sub I also want to give praise to Audio Advisor. When I purchased the sub they were selling it for about 20% less than Amazon. I had never done business with them so I had lots of questions, etc. and one of their Advisors (Joe) answered all of my questions and gave me confidence that they were a reputable company. Even better, they seem to be an ethical (consumer friendly) company. A week after I ordered the sub from Audio Advisor it went on sale at Amazon for less than I paid. I sent Joe an email and he matched the price without question. Great buying experience and great sub = smile on my face!

I'm adding this review to provide a data point about longevity. I have had this subwoofer for approx 5 years, listening to music (and movies) on a daily basis. I use it in a relatively small room, and it does a great job filling the room with believable bass. No problems at all during this time.

This little rumble maker is a winner. I just got it from Amazon for half the retail price (U$325). It seems it is because the dyanamo 500 is on the market now. I got it cause I wanted a real sub for my bose acoustimass 10 system + 161 bose for rears and I run it on a Yammy RXV-663 and it is a blast. Since I got it yerterday and had only a few minutes to play with it, I'm still fine tuning, but this little box rocks. It is smaller than the logitech z5500' sub, and it is not at all boomy its all punch and depth. It sounds just soooo real, and it is a perfect bass for the bose since the bose system is simply lacking the deep lower range. Don't get me wrong, I like my Bose system very much (space is an issue for me) yet a Bose rep told me the acoustimass module could only hit the 80Hz (and it defenitely shows, that's why I decided I needed a real sub), so there's still a long way to go from there and now with this incredible low hitter sub it has become alive. Great for music, very precise, no boom. Still working on it for movies, but it really rocks.

I'll expand on this once I've fined tuned it and played around with it. I was just so excited with the purchase getting home, I couldn't hold my self from telling everyone what a great component this is in a home theatre setup, specially for the price.

Go for it if you can. I compared it to Polk, Klipsch, Definitive, and none of them would get close to this little action packed box. Although it will not shake your house, its got punch, crisp, deep, fast, acurate bass response. It will completely make a difference.


Nov12 2009 - An Update.
Every day it keeps getting better. Down firing position rocked my house (with the coupling spikes) I had to set it up as front firing. Once you get the perfect blend (just a little play with the crossover) it is absolutely amazing and sound explodes incredibly musical (in music listening), and deep in movies, would defenitely buy this one again and again for my next setups. I'm getting an apartment and I will setup 3 listening ambiances, so I will as well get at least two more of these. Truly amazing product.

This is an amazing little sub. I have it matched with a set of Def Tech ProMonitors and they work great together. I started with a ProSub 800, and that was just muddy and boomy. The Dynamo is very musical and has plenty of punch, but without annoying my wife or neighbors. You can really hear the different bass notes, it is just amazing. Sounds much more expensive than it is.

One thing to note, this is not a room shaking, feel the bass in your chest sub. If you want that look for HSU or SVS subs. They shake your whole house. This is refined and controlled, great for TV and music, which is mostly what we watch.

I was looking for a sub that didn't rattle the china closet,but yet moved the air like a thunder clap,when needed. I finally found her. Wow ! What a find for the price. I'm glad I took my time and searched with care. It paid off.....BIG TIME! I really am satisfied with my purchase and so will you.

Normally I would never even consider paying a high price for a 10" subwoofer, but the reviews were very convincing and it was on sale for 1/2 price ($325). You'd think that size would be the main factor making a sub good or bad, but it isn't. I have some serious listening to do as I haven't had it too long. But it is much nicer than the Velodyne Subwoofer (VRP1000) it replaced (which is now selling for an incredible price of $100, as of 7/28/09). The Velodyne was nicer than the 12" Polk Audio it replaced.

Sound is tight and clear. Somehow it gives you all the bass feeling without rattling the walls.

I think I'm going to like this purchase. I'll update my review after more use.

Ok, first things first, there is a mistake in the tech details on amazons listing of this item, its states Low-Distortion 12" Aluminum-Cone Driver well ok it is a 10. Which is also about the score from 1-10 if you consider the price tag. I own 3 dynamos, two of which are hooked into inwall systems.. with Martin Logan Tickets speakers.. Even non audiofile, friends have walked into a room with this set up and been amazed. The sub is un beatable at this price. I own 3 Martin Logan Depths that blow this sub away.. but they are 2 grand each. worth every penny as is the Dynamo. How cool is it to tell your friend that you have a Martin Logan subwoofer, and in you head laughing because you only paid 599. The salesman informed me that this sub is made in "Asia" i read that as China, but really folks dont let that stop you from taking advantage of this audiofile bargain. buy it yesterday... and if you can afford it buy an extra one, you will find a use for it...

oh one last thing break in will take a few weeks, so dont do any critical listening till it gets some miles on it.