MartinLogan, Anthem, AudioQuest, Qobuz | Audio Advice LIVE 2022

MartinLogan In-Wall??

Of all the stuff we listened to at Audio Advice LIVE 2022, Jameson and I never could have predicted that a pair ($50K/pr USD) in-wall loudspeakers from MartinLogan, conducted by a DSP driven Anthem Integrated ($5K USD) would have us returning for a total of four visits. More than any other room at the show, barring those with friendlies.

Reporting by Eric Franklin Shook

As I’m writing this I just found out the price of these things, and it’s giving me feelings.

Okay, before I forget, there was also a Dynamo 1600X ($2K USD) subwoofer and Niagara 3000 power conditioner from AudioQuest ($3K-ish USD)

Anthem STR Integrated

Two features that jump out:

Amplifier uses 8 bipolar output devices per channel, a toroidal transformer power supply, and Advanced Load Monitoring for 200W at 8 ohms, 400W at 4 ohms, 550W at 2 ohms, all continuous
Anthem Room Correction (ARC®) optimizes in-room response for perfect sound

Power and A.I. controlled finesse. Because that’s exactly what it all sounded like.

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The Hell You Say

Five features that jump out:

15-inch inverted surround poly cone woofer
1,800 Watts (peak) amplifier
Sealed non-resonant cabinet
Anthem Room Correction (ARC®) via smartphone app or PC
Cheap! As in, this model is from their entry level series of subs

The Dynamo 1600X subwoofer using Anthem Room Correction was not playing around. It’s a general rule at audio shows to dial in a demo subwoofer about 10x too loud and out of balance, so that people down the hallway know it’s there.

Not so with the MartinLogan though. This thing was dialed in perfectly. The kind of perfect where you have to ask: “Is it ~~in yet~~ on?”

Tip of The Hat

I just want to acknowledge that the AudioQuest Niagara 3000 was in more rooms at Audio Advice LIVE 2022 than any other power conditioning device, and by a long shot. Not always on display, but when I got in closer to examine a system, I’d find one somewhere tethered in.

MartinLogan Statement 40XW

I would get into the custom install business just because of this loudspeaker

Forty drivers. Seven feet tall with a 52-inch stack of thin-film tweeters. It’s the flagship of the Masterpiece CI Series. The Statement 40XW is an enormous, self-contained in-wall loudspeaker system. It’s as visible as you want it to be, and takes up no floor space at all.

Unbelievable Sound

Installed at the show in a custom install surface mount (primed and paintable) cabinets, because we can’t trash the place. The Statement 40XW did everything they could to convince us that we were listening to a conventional freestanding two-channel system. Not only that, they tried to convince us that they were producing some of the best sound at the show. They were right. They did all of that.