Well, MartinLogan is at it again with their newest lineup of speakers, the Vantage (reviewed here), Vista and Purity. The Vantage has MartinLogan’s XStat panel, which up until the CLX’s arrival was the latest and greatest transducer in MartinLogan’s arsenal. The Vantage features a 200-watt eight-inch powered aluminum bass driver, which is ported in the rear, giving the Vantage an overall frequency response of 32-23,000Hz. The Vantage is efficient, with a reported sensitivity of 92dB into a four-ohm load. Since the Vantage is compact, one has to suppose that MartinLogan is going after consumers with more traditional or moderately-sized listening/viewing rooms. Coupled with the Vantage’s relatively good efficiency, this means a powerful receiver or budget separates system should power them nicely.

The Vantage is bi-wireable via MartinLogan’s proprietary binding posts that can be found on almost all of their product line, including their statement CLX loudspeakers. The Vantage comes in two base finishes, dark cherry and black ash. Light cherry and maple are optional extras and bring with them an added cost.  The Vantage can also be fully customized, courtesy of MartinLogan’s own custom shop.

With a retail price of around $5,000, depending on the finish, the Vantage hybrid electrostatic from MartinLogan is a relatively affordable solution for consumers craving that classic MartinLogan sound. It sits in the MartinLogan product line much the same as the old Ascent did. The Vantage is far more versatile and lifestyle-friendly, due largely to its compact size and elegant appearance. However, MartinLogan has new ESL panels that are derived from their statement CLX, making the Vantage a bit dated in comparison. Still, this is a phenomenal speaker and a solid buy for consumers with medium-sized rooms and mid-fi systems.