Introduction I could bore you with a brief summery about the whos and whys surrounding the electrostatic loudspeaker manufacturer MartinLogan, but truthfully, if you consider yourself a fan of high-end audio, then the MartinLogan story is among the most well-known in the business. So instead I’ll lead with this: I have in my possession the coolest iPod speakers ever dreamed of. There has been a lot of to-do over the mighty MP3 player from Apple, as AV manufacturers clamor to jump aboard the train, manufacturing countless accessories and glorified clock radios in a relentless quest to cash in on the seemingly endless success of the iPod. After a recent visit to my local Apple Store, several high-end companies were displaying products that utilize or feature the iPod, hoping to squeeze an ounce of high fidelity out of the otherwise personal player. ...

Introduction Earlier this year Paradigm released an update, version five or v.5, of one of their most successful and longest-lasting speaker lines, the Monitor Series. Paradigm is famous for following the simple business proposition of building a good product for less than the other guy. What I’ve always appreciated about Paradigm is that they don’t skimp on the details, no matter how low the retail price. The sound quality is there, but so are the build quality, finish and nice little touches like their new magnetized grilles. Value here doesn’t mean you’re getting something cheap, it means you’re getting something truly valuable, for less than you might expect to pay. The subject of this review and my new object of affection, the Monitor 9 floor-standing speaker, retails for $949 per pair and is about all the speaker one could hope for, ...

Introduction In the sprit of doing everything better for less money, I introduce to you the Paradigm Signature S8 v.2 loudspeaker system. Competing with the likes of Wilson, MartinLogan, B&W and Revel at half (or less) the retail price, it will come as no surprise that Paradigm has set out to build and design a speaker system that attacks the industry high-end loudspeaker value proposition. Upon first glance, even the untrained eye can see the S8s are in every facet top-notch floor-standing loudspeakers. But it’s like drooling over a Ferrari in a parking lot – you have to test the S8s out to really see what they can do, so that is just what I did. It took a few months following the 2006 CEDIA tradeshow before my review pair of Signature S8 v.2s was ready. They were worth the wait. The Signature S8 v.2s arrived at my home right as I finished the ...

Introduction As much as I love high-end gear and the brands associated with it, I have a special place in my heart for the little guys. While you can hardly call a brand such as Aperion “little,” they don’t quite have the brand equity of, say, Paradigm, Definitive Technology or B&W. Still, Aperion has made a name for itself over the years by producing well-regarded and very good-sounding speakers at surprisingly affordable prices, which they sell direct to the consumer, with a 30-day money-back trial period, via their website. While Web-based consumer electronic sales are nothing new, Aperion’s website stands apart from some of the competition, in that it doesn’t appear to be homegrown. Aperion’s website, www.aperionaudio.com is nicely designed, extremely informative and has a stylistic flair to it equal to some of the biggest names in the business. But don’t think all this design flash is meant to distract you from a substandard product. ...

Introduction RBH Sound is a rapidly growing, ultra-high-performance speaker manufacturer, celebrating their 30-year anniversary with the release of their most ambitious speaker to date, the T-30LSE. The T-30LSE is a limited edition flagship model with only 100 pairs being made. At $15,000, the T-30LSEs are a serious investment, but upon closer scrutiny, they are quite reasonably priced when compared to the physically large flagship models of some other high-end loudspeaker brands. When I look at the T-30LSE, it brings to mind Revel’s new Salons, Wilson’s MAXX and B&W’s 802d loudspeakers, all of which come with a far larger price tag. I have long appreciated the innovation and craftsmanship I have seen in RBH Sound’s products. For more information on RBH’s history, I refer you to my article on RBH’s T-2P speaker system, which is at first glance similar to the T-30LSEs reviewed here. Both models are large, full-range speakers with similar driver arrangements. However, that is where ...