Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Martin-Logan Aerius i Speakers by Jerry O

I've been dreaming about owning a Martin Logan ever since I first heard the Quest at the '91 CES. I thought a jazz trio was actually hidden somewhere in the room...wow! Finally, in early '97 I sold my Infinity Kappa 9's and started my speaker search...keeping an open mind. I auditioned a number of very fine dynamic and planar speakers up to about $2.5K. Well, this baby ML brought back my fond CES memories of the Quest in spades. And, my search was over.

The Aerius i, given its relatively compact size for a planar, had great detail, transparency; an open, airy, 3 dimensional magic. While listening, these speakers would seem to disappear and be replaced with the illusion of real musical instruments. And, the bass output and integration is not too bad for a little 8" cone woofer.

The speakers are relatively easy to drive, and they turn into natural wonders when driven by tube electronics. Placement is a bit less critical then their bigger brothers, but they do have a definite sweet spot.

Although these speakers play relatively well on all types of music, they shine on acoustic jazz and classical. Given their size, I think they'll fit best in a small to medium sized room. In a larger room and at high listening levels the dynamics can sound a little strained.

REVIEW: Martin-Logan Aerius i Speakers Review by Jerry O at Audio Asylum