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expired Posted by MichaelM4072 • Dec 3, 2023
expired Posted by MichaelM4072 • Dec 3, 2023

Martin Logan Forte Wireless Amplifier $150, Unison Wireless Pre-Amplifier

& More + Free Shipping

$100

124 Comments 53,558 Views
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Martin Logan has Select Audio Equipment on sale below for prices starting from $100. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member MichaelM4072 for finding this deal.

Available:

Editor's Notes

Written by megakimcheelove | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Warranty information here
    • Return policy information here
  • See the forum thread for additional discussion of this deal.

Original Post

Written by MichaelM4072
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Martin Logan has Select Audio Equipment on sale below for prices starting from $100. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member MichaelM4072 for finding this deal.

Available:

Editor's Notes

Written by megakimcheelove | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Warranty information here
    • Return policy information here
  • See the forum thread for additional discussion of this deal.

Original Post

Written by MichaelM4072

Community Voting

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Top Comments

The amp is/was also sold as a Paradigm PW (same company). According to this detailed and negative review and bench test report, Paradigm was selling them on Ebay for about the same $150 price as early as 2019. (Looks like they came out 2015.)

https://www.audiosciencereview.co...-amp.7728/

This SD thread for the Martin Logan branded one is from 2021 when it was on "sale" for $249 and the posts there say it had been that price for over a year. It has a lot of useful info:

https://slickdeals.net/f/15089470-martin-logan-play-fi-wireless-audio-streamers-forte-amp-250-unison-pre-amp-200-bravado-speaker-300-cresendo-x-speaker-500-www-martinlogan-com

There is similar info to be found on the preamp if you do a bit of searching.

It would seem that you need to take these "regular prices' with a huge grain of salt as Paradygm / Martin Logan have been trying to offload them for years for prices much closer to the present prices.

I currently use Klipsch branded DTS (Play-Fi) devices in my home that were on closeout a few years back. They too use 1st generation DTS,I believe. I find connectivity to be so-so in my particular home. Anytime the connection drops for a second or two I lose audio and/or remote control of my music. As I understand it this is because of limitations of the DTS technology, not the hardware. Based on Martin Logan's stellar reputation of yore, and the "original" prices, I was going to buy these anyway (even just to use as a small amp and possibly preamp even if not with DTS), until I read the negative review, and learned that the actual market prices have been not far from these prices for years. If you are looking for cheap entry into DTS / Play-Fi, I'm sure these are far superior to any off-brand options at around the price. But after researching them I'm going to pass.
Living under a rock?
This is a solid deal on the Forte. It's a little old (2017) - but has great reviews.

Also for those wondering which to get:
If you have dedicated amps and want to add things like Roon, Alexa, streaming services etc - then go with the Unison pre amp.

If you have unpowered speakers , go with the forte amp to power them + get all the above.

If you don't have speakers and or/ don't want to hassle with separate components and don't care about upgrade ability - then the bravado speakers are a solid entry of a stereo pair of speakers.

124 Comments

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Dec 4, 2023
524 Posts
Joined Dec 2005
Dec 4, 2023
mithun2005
Dec 4, 2023
524 Posts
Seems like a great deal. Now have to look at the reviews
2
Dec 4, 2023
989 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
Dec 4, 2023
sully78
Dec 4, 2023
989 Posts
The Forte amp is a pretty decent deal, I may pick one up to power my deck speakers.
2
Dec 4, 2023
7,134 Posts
Joined Aug 2010
Dec 4, 2023
rootbear
Dec 4, 2023
7,134 Posts
Incredible deal!! Thanks OP!
6
Dec 4, 2023
209 Posts
Joined Mar 2008
Dec 4, 2023
landogriffin
Dec 4, 2023
209 Posts
I'm a little slow...how does a wireless amp actually power wireless speakers...and why would you need a preamp too...

Seems like you'd only need the pre-amp for wireless, but are people stacking these?
Dec 4, 2023
3,435 Posts
Joined Dec 2014

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Dec 4, 2023
726 Posts
Joined Mar 2014
Dec 4, 2023
michaelm6730
Dec 4, 2023
726 Posts
Quote from landogriffin :
I'm a little slow...how does a wireless amp actually power wireless speakers...and why would you need a preamp too...

Seems like you'd only need the pre-amp for wireless, but are people stacking these?
Wireless speakers have an amp so you just need a router
4
Dec 4, 2023
30 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
Dec 4, 2023
BearIslandNative
Dec 4, 2023
30 Posts
Quote from landogriffin :
I'm a little slow...how does a wireless amp actually power wireless speakers...and why would you need a preamp too...

Seems like you'd only need the pre-amp for wireless, but are people stacking these?
I think it's a wireless preamp in that it can take wifi input and other wireless play, not that the speakers themselves are wireless

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Dec 4, 2023
1,040 Posts
Joined Jan 2011
Dec 4, 2023
phantasyx
Dec 4, 2023
1,040 Posts
Look at that usb-B Stick Out Tongue
4
4
Dec 4, 2023
22 Posts
Joined Dec 2015
Dec 4, 2023
originalsofaking
Dec 4, 2023
22 Posts
No tax and free ship to SC.
1
Dec 4, 2023
7,134 Posts
Joined Aug 2010
Dec 4, 2023
rootbear
Dec 4, 2023
7,134 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank rootbear

Quote from louweed :
Never heard of this brand
Living under a rock?
1
6
9
Dec 4, 2023
23 Posts
Joined Apr 2010
Dec 4, 2023
matt98svt
Dec 4, 2023
23 Posts
Can I use the amp/streamer with traditional speakers? I would still need a regular preamp though vs this one right?
1
Dec 4, 2023
14 Posts
Joined Jun 2016
Dec 4, 2023
egran001
Dec 4, 2023
14 Posts
This is a solid deal on the Forte. It's a little old (2017) - but has great reviews.

Also for those wondering which to get:
If you have dedicated amps and want to add things like Roon, Alexa, streaming services etc - then go with the Unison pre amp.

If you have unpowered speakers , go with the forte amp to power them + get all the above.

If you don't have speakers and or/ don't want to hassle with separate components and don't care about upgrade ability - then the bravado speakers are a solid entry of a stereo pair of speakers.
1
Dec 4, 2023
767 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Dec 4, 2023
gizmo17
Dec 4, 2023
767 Posts
Quote from egran001 :
This is a solid deal on the Forte. It's a little old (2017) - but has great reviews.

Also for those wondering which to get:
If you have dedicated amps and want to add things like Roon, Alexa, streaming services etc - then go with the Unison pre amp.

If you have unpowered speakers , go with the forte amp to power them + get all the above.

If you don't have speakers and or/ don't want to hassle with separate components and don't care about upgrade ability - then the bravado speakers are a solid entry of a stereo pair of speakers.
So if I have a (dated) Russound home audio system, I can add a Unison pre amp as a source and stream/Airplay to the Unison and it should play through my ceiling speakers right?
Dec 4, 2023
1,934 Posts
Joined Dec 2006
Dec 4, 2023
bob151
Dec 4, 2023
1,934 Posts
I was just looking up Sonos amp alternatives last night and the forte came up. However, I could barely find info about it on other websites. Honestly, I've never heard of the brand and I figured I stumbled onto some basic alibaba flipper.

I just want to airplay from my selected source to some speakers. I don't need/want the complication of a receiver, training family, dedicating space for something I'm not going to change the input on.

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Dec 4, 2023
188 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
Dec 4, 2023
bdepot
Dec 4, 2023
188 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank bdepot

The amp is/was also sold as a Paradigm PW (same company). According to this detailed and negative review and bench test report, Paradigm was selling them on Ebay for about the same $150 price as early as 2019. (Looks like they came out 2015.)

https://www.audiosciencereview.co...-amp.7728/

This SD thread for the Martin Logan branded one is from 2021 when it was on "sale" for $249 and the posts there say it had been that price for over a year. It has a lot of useful info:

https://slickdeals.net/f/15089470-martin-logan-play-fi-wireless-audio-streamers-forte-amp-250-unison-pre-amp-200-bravado-speaker-300-cresendo-x-speaker-500-www-martinlogan-com

There is similar info to be found on the preamp if you do a bit of searching.

It would seem that you need to take these "regular prices' with a huge grain of salt as Paradygm / Martin Logan have been trying to offload them for years for prices much closer to the present prices.

I currently use Klipsch branded DTS (Play-Fi) devices in my home that were on closeout a few years back. They too use 1st generation DTS,I believe. I find connectivity to be so-so in my particular home. Anytime the connection drops for a second or two I lose audio and/or remote control of my music. As I understand it this is because of limitations of the DTS technology, not the hardware. Based on Martin Logan's stellar reputation of yore, and the "original" prices, I was going to buy these anyway (even just to use as a small amp and possibly preamp even if not with DTS), until I read the negative review, and learned that the actual market prices have been not far from these prices for years. If you are looking for cheap entry into DTS / Play-Fi, I'm sure these are far superior to any off-brand options at around the price. But after researching them I'm going to pass.
Last edited by bdepot December 4, 2023 at 07:03 AM.
1

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