Introduction Marantz has long been a revered manufacturer of quality high-fidelity audio (and now video) equipment. Saul Marantz founded the company in 1953 and was responsible for the production of the Model 18 receiver. The Model 18 was the world’s first example of a receiver that combined a preamplifier, power amplifier and tuner all in one chassis. Marantz was owned by Philips (one of the pioneers of the compact disc) for some time and made the world's first CD player in 1982. Recently, Marantz merged with Denon and established a joint holding company, D & M Holdings, Inc. Needless to say, Marantz is a familiar name in the home theater industry and has a solid track record for its CD players, receivers, projectors, plasmas and more. The latest DVD player from Marantz, the DV8400, is no disappointment to their legacy of making quality CD players. The $1,699 DV8400 is a THX Select certified “universal” ...

Introduction Marantz has long been a revered manufacturer of quality high-fidelity audio (and now video) equipment. Saul Marantz founded the company in 1953 and was responsible for the production of the Model 18 receiver. The Model 18 was the world’s first example of a receiver that combined a preamplifier, power amplifier and tuner all in one chassis. Marantz was owned by Philips (one of the pioneers of the compact disc) for some time and made the world's first CD player in 1982. Recently, Marantz merged with Denon and established a joint holding company, D & M Holdings, Inc. Needless to say, Marantz is a familiar name in the home theater industry and has a solid track record for its CD players, receivers, projectors, plasmas and more. The latest DVD player from Marantz, the DV8400, is no disappointment to their legacy of making quality CD players. The $1,699 DV8400 is a THX Select certified “universal” ...

Introduction Founded in Israel during the mid-1970s, Morel is very well known for manufacturing ultra-high quality drivers for other loudspeaker manufacturers. Their physical transducers are found in loudspeakers manufactured all over the world, including many award-winning models. While some audio enthusiasts have never heard of Morel as a driver manufacturer, they undoubtedly have heard Morel speakers as part of another speaker system. Now aggressively marketing specialty home and car speakers in the U.S. and around the world, Morel produces more than just raw drivers; they manufacture top-notch loudspeakers that range from truly affordable systems that compete with the likes of Bose, Energy Definitive Technology and Paradigm, as well as higher-end systems that run with a more snooty, high-priced crowd like Revel, B&W and Wilson. Morel’s Octwin 5.2M loudspeakers are in a class of products that Morel calls Music Deco, which targets listening connoisseurs who also seek edgy, modern aesthetics. The Octwin 5.2M loudspeaker system consists of two Octave ...

Introduction A lot of promises are made by high end audio-video companies. The highest performance, the best value, the latest features and best of all products that are “future-proof.” I hate to break it to the industry, but there is no such concept as a future-proof AV component in any category – preamps, speakers, sources, etc. The closest I have found to something future-proof so far is Meridian’s flagship AV preamp, the 861. Now in its fourth version, Meridian’s 861 boasts even more features in its single chassis, including automated room correction and a direct, proprietary digital connection between their DVD-Audio/Video players and the preamp. The Meridian 861 is a vastly powerful AV preamp that can be configured any number of ways. It has balanced outputs, unbalanced inputs, component video cards, digital input cards and a powerfull new DSP card that facilitates Meridian Room Correction in conjunction with the new version 4 Meridian software. The pricing ...

Introduction MartinLogan is a company known for making high-end electrostatic speakers, a field which they have dominated for many years. Audio Revolution has reviewed many of their products over the years due to their value and competitive entry price into the true high end of music and theater reproduction. Up until recently, owners of MartinLogan speakers have been forced to find a subwoofer to complement their speakers from the other manufacturers. This all changed with MartinLogan’s much-anticipated release of the Descent subwoofer, which retails for $2,795. MartinLogan spent approximately eight years in development of this offering. I recall seeing a prototype at least three years ago and was quite excited when I learned a copy of the finished product would be heading my way. The release of a subwoofer by MartinLogan is a significant step into new territory, as the electrostatic speakers the company is known for are notoriously difficult to blend with a subwoofer. This is ...