Premium speaker designer MartinLogan has announced a new flagship in its Reserve ESL Series of full-range electrostatic line source loudspeakers.  Living up to its name, the CLX Art is an update of the older CLX linear frame model and is a dynamic visually as it should be powerful sonically.  It features new Art Frame styling (press release-ese for "an additional piece of hardwood framing"), stainless steel binding posts, and premium power cords.  However, if the new looks aren't for you, the CLX will remain available as special order.The CLX Art from MartinLogan uses dual electrostatic transducers (a XStat CSL high frequency, and a DualForce double diaphragm, triple stator dipole low) to vibrate air and reproduce faithful, perfect sound in unmatched detail.  I've personally heard the CLX Art's cheaper siblings and they sound rich and full, but I understand that electrostatic ...

While some may say that adding a subwoofer to an electrostatic full-range speaker system is blasphemy (or at least created smeared and disconnected midrange tones), but MartinLogan is here to prove you wrong with its flagship subwoofer, the Descent I, which features the company's proprietary TriLinear, Balanced Force driver configuration and advanced triple-servo monitoring and control system.Weighing a substantial 105 lbs, the Descent i Subwoofer from MartinLogan has three amplifiers which peak out a system total 2100W, though with the three amps at a much lower 250W each, the total harmonic distortion (THD) is already at 0.24%.  These three amps feed into three identical drivers -- high-performance 10" aluminum cones -- which are mounted precisely 120 degrees apart from each other.  The idea here is that their individual reaction force vectors will exactly cancel, all but eliminating cabinet resonance and ...

Nature vs. Nurture, and how does it affect and influence who we become? It's a question that will likely be argued for centuries to come, and may never be fully answered. I do believe that the environment we are raised in has the potential to empower the imagination and spur creativity, even if we are not inherently so inclined by nature. Thus, I'm fascinated by the audio designs that come from countries far from my native U.S. Over the past year I've had opportunity to audition all sorts of gear manufactured across Scandinavia and have come away impressed every time. Finland's most popular musical “export” will likely remain Jean Sibelius and the composer's work celebrating his homeland, but I like to think that the country's storied forests, lakes and rivers and bracing climate get in the collective blood of its ...

For those with smaller rooms, or who find the challenge of purchasing separate Blu-ray players, A/V Receivers, and speakers daunting, Sony has a system for you.  A feature-laden, WiFi enabled 3D Blu-ray disc player with a built-in amplifier with 5 satellite speakers and a passive subwoofer for 5.1 channels of discrete high definition surround sound.  Ladies and gentlemen, a home theatre in a box (HTIB).The BDV-E570 from Sony offers built-in WiFi capabilities for connection to a home network, which is becoming more and more common with just about every home electronics product.  Wireless is especially handy for those who have their router in another room.Once connected to the Internet, the BDV-E570 is among the Sony products with access to Bravia Internet Entertainment, a collection of entertainment and social networking widgets.  Check out the full list here, but they've got Hulu ...

Audience LLC was formed in 1997 and is located in San Marcos, CA. In their relatively short life span, they have become one of the elite designers and manufacturers of state of the art signal and power cables. They also produce highly regarded power conditioners, high resolution capacitors, and the Auric Illuminator, an optical disc enhancement kit.  My only experience with Audience products is the Auric Illuminator, which I found to work wonders on compact discs and DVD's to improve resolution and help with problematic discs.Audience has also recently entered the loudspeaker market. Far from being satisfied with a conventional product, they have decided to take a different path. This approach was formed over a long period of time, with much trial and error, proprietary technology, and determination. Add to that a unique vision. Audience has gotten a lot of ...