Home > Consumer Reviews > MartinLogan DYNBLD Dynamo 10-Inch Subwoofer (Single, Black)

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!

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.