Hi Fidelity, Martin Logan and Musical Fidelity
August 19th, 2009 by Rob NThe goal of Hi Fidelity is to recreate the visceral experience of a live performance. This is not easy. A good recording will capture the nuances of a Stradivarius Violin or a Vintage Martin D-18, the melodic structure in the feedback of Sonic Youth, the harmonic complexity of a Bach fugue. It is up to the source, amplifier and speakers to turn the recording into electronic impulses and translate the electronic impulses into sound. It has never ceased to amaze me that this is even possible. I have had the opportunity to listen to some great systems, but it is only recently that I have been able to hear something that approached the Holy Grail of a live performance.
The occasion was a training and demonstration by Martin Logan, the speaker company. We had a training once before with Martin Logan, but there were no speakers available for the demonstration due to a late delivery. We knew the history of the company and the technical advantages of the electro-static design, but for those of us who work in the call center the proof is in the pudding. It is very difficult to communicate real knowledge and enthusiasm for a product based on theory and specifications. For this training Martin Logan wanted us to know what their speakers are capable of. The trainer hooked up a pair of Vantage speakers to the Musical Fidelity A5.5 Integrated Amplifier. The source was an Adcom CD player. To use a widely used quote that has multiple attributions, “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture. It’s stupid.” Writing about how music sounds through a system may be just as futile, but I will try.
We chose the Musical Fidelity A5.5 Integrated amplifier over the numerous home theater receivers on display at our retail store because it would provide the best power source. Form follows function. The integrated amplifier is designed for two channel stereo. The Martin Logan Vantage speakers like power. The sound was outstanding. The bass was handled by eight inch woofers that have their own 200 watt power supply. Otherwise, there is no voice coil or enclosure or crossover filters to influence the sound. There was a sonic transparency I have never heard before from a speaker. The highs soared and the midrange was precise and detailed. We turned the volume up to levels you would never use if you have neighbors. There was no distortion. No doubt the windows of the retail store were vibrating far more than the rigid panels of the Vantage speakers. Though the replication of a live performance is still the Holy Grail of high fidelity, this demonstration was the closest I have ever been to that goal.
