Introduction The MartinLogan Odyssey is a moderately large hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker, joining the company’s lineup between the much-respected Ascent i and Prodigy speakers. The $6,495 Odyssey features MartinLogan’s latest generation stat panel and leverage's the proprietary ForceForward™ dual woofers that originated in the Prodigies. The Odyssey is a large speaker at 67 inches tall, 13 inches wide and 27 inches deep, weighing 105 pounds. The driver array consists of the same 48-inch electrostatic line source panel as in the Ascent “i”. The woofer section is vastly different from the Ascent and much closer to the Prodigy. The Odyssey utilizes one 10-inch and one eight-inch driver, configured in the ForceForward™ design. The Odyssey’s appearance follows the theme of other speakers in the MartinLogan line, with a wood-trimmed electrostatic panel above the black finished woofer cabinet. Like many of the speakers in the line, various wood finishes are available to fit your room decor. The one new visual ...

Introduction I can still remember my first experience with electrostatic speakers many years ago, along with the intrigue they created. Since that time, electrostatic speakers have evolved, solidifying their strengths and addressing their weaknesses. As a MartinLogan customer, I was specifically curious as to how the much smaller and lower-priced Aeons would compare to both my personal Prodigies and to other comparably-priced speakers in the same category. Since my first listening experience with these speakers more than 10 years ago, MartinLogan has risen to become the most popular electrostatic speaker manufacturer, having earned a reputation for building some of the best-sounding speakers in the world. The MartinLogan Aeons are floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers that can either be used as your main loudspeakers or as surround speakers in a complete MartinLogan theater setup. The Aeons have a reported frequency response of 43 Hz – 22,000 kHz, a sensitivity rating of 89 dB and a four-ohm impedance rating. The Aeons stand ...

Introduction The Definitive Technology BP3000TL loudspeaker is a floor-standing tower with an earth-shaking frequency response of 15 Hz to 30 kHz, thanks to support from a built-in powered subwoofer. The BP3000TL is the largest in Definitive Technology’s line, measuring 55 inches tall, nine inches wide, 19 inches deep and a stout 155 lbs. per speaker. They are available in either piano-gloss black or cherry finish, and sell for $4,500 and $4,700 per pair, respectively. The BP3000TL has a bipolar design with two front-firing six-and-a-half-inch cast-basket bass/midrange drivers, and a front-firing one-inch aluminum dome tweeter. The rear of the speaker features an array of drivers identical to the front, the essence of the bipolar design. The BP3000TL has an integrated 18-inch subwoofer powered with an internal 1000-watt MOSFET power amplifier. The cabinets are constructed and braced with MDF. This ultra-rigid high-density Medite material is used for the front baffle in an effort to minimize cabinet resonance that can ...

Introduction The Connoisseur C5 is the smallest floor-standing speaker in the seven-speaker lineup that makes up the new Energy Connoisseur line. The Connoisseur series utilizes much of the technology pioneered in Energy’s flagship Veritas speaker line. The Connoisseur C5 retails for $750, with the remainder of the line value priced as well. As a basis for comparison, the similarly configured and appointed B&W CM4, to which the C5 bears a striking resemblance, retails for twice the price. The five-speaker offerings in the Connoisseur line come in either Black Ash or Canadian Maple finishes over an MDF (medium density fiberboard) enclosure. I found the Canadian Maple finish of my review sample to be gorgeous and better-looking than darn near any other speaker in this price range. The C5 cabinet is 36 inches high, 7.75 inches wide and 15.5 inches deep. The front of the speaker bears a strong resemblance to the recently-reviewed B&W CM4 with its ...

Introduction In my early years of stereo, there were few brand speakers that were coveted as much as Klipsch. At that time in my life, I felt it was the best speaker on the planet for playing rock 'n' roll. Every time I heard them, I knew that I would have to figure out a way to own a pair. I managed to buy a new pair of the Heresys, which set me back a pretty penny, yet I was never disappointed with my purchase. When I found out that the new Klipsch RF-5’s were coming my way for review, I was excited to see how far Klipsch had come in the 20 years since I called them my reference speakers. The RF-5 ($1,500 a pair) is second from the top of Klipsch's new Reference Series, with the RF-7 ($2,200 a pair) at the top of the heap. The RF-5 sports some of Klipsh's ...