I bought these speakers back in 1994, owning them now for almost 20 years.
They were and are just wonderful with their musicality, clarity and three dimensional stage setting (when properly positioned). Yes, they need a good Amp (I am using them since 1996 with a Lindemann amp 2.0) and I am giving them just a little bit help below 40 Hz with a REL Q100 subwoover to increase the stage. For my kind of music (classic, opera, jazz, fusion, mainstream) they are just perfect. I heard new MLs with tube amps, with McIntosh etc., I heard other overwhelming high end combinations - - you know what - I always come back home put on my Logans and just enjoy this unique clarity and warmth of these wonderful speakers.
What a Return of Investment it was already...

Transparency, Non-fatiguing sound

Lack of bass extension, Narrow sweet spot

Having owned the Aerius speakers for over a decade now, I would guess that most of the low reviews (i.e., anything below a 4) given for these speakers are from people who just did not set them up properly, had a defective pair, or never actually owned a pair. The Aerius speakes are difficult to setup because of their dipole radiation pattern. Also, if not used with the right amplification, they will not sound right. However, with careful positioning and adequate amplification, the speakers offer a transparency that is not easily matched by other more conventional speakers. There is no way that these speakers when properly used would ever sound like a "tin can." There are some trade-offs. The speakers certainly do not offer much in terms of bass due to the small woofer/cabinet. So music with lots of low frequency will not be given justice. Also due to the directional radiation pattern of electrostatic panels, the optimum listening "sweet spot" is narrow compared to conventional speakers.

DETAIL CLEAN SOFT PERFECT SOUND with right set.

poor bass

I already used this speaker for long time without sub and I agree with all of you this speaker is poor with low bass but when i add a paradigm pw sub this speaker is great. My system are: ROTEL RCD971 CD PLAYER AUDIO ACHEMY DCA AUDIO RESEARCH LS7 PRE AMP MC CORMACK DNA 0.5 POWER AERIUS SPEAKER PARADIGM PW 2200 SUB AUDIOQUEST INTERCONNECT TARALAB CABLE SPEAKERS So my conclusion is, if you have aerius speaker buy a sub i guaranted yu''ll be surprise , dont even think to change your speaker it will not solve the problem I SAY AGAIN BUY A SUB !!!!!!!!!!

I purchased a pair of the Aerius i about six months ago and have been delighted with their performance. Midrange is right on and these speakers are fast! I am hearing cymbals and percussion "right" for the first time. I use a sub with them to get the deepest bass and to get some more dynamic slam on rock recordings.
Dynamics are limited and I notice a tendency for them to harden up at higher volumes, but that may be due to amplification (older Carver) rather than the speakers.

One note: I have found that these speakers need about thirty minutes to properly "warm-up". I find it amazing to listen to the change in sound during the first half hour. Once warmed up, the Aerius i are an outstanding performer, especially given thier reasonable price.

Transparency of sound and appearance (you can actually see through the panels), very good vocals, clear midrange and hi's. These speakers sound more coherent compared to other bigger Martin Logan speakers.

Relativly lacking in low end bass. Requires very meticulous placement and positioning. Very revealing of source components used in the audio chain. Also needs ample amount of power for them to sound their best.

These speakers are very room and placement dependent. I spent the first couple of months just positioning these babies to sound there best. It was frustrating at first but after a couple of changes in placement I finally got it right. These speakers are very revealing of the nuances in recordings. In the Magnolia soundtrack, Aimee Mann's voice seemed to just hover right in the middle of the speakers. My personal favorites are "One", "Wise up", and Supertramps "Logical Song". The instruments also were very precise in their positioning as well. Comparing these to other speakers used before upgrade the Aerius has more defined midrange than the Paradigms I was using before. The upgrade also improved the overall imaging of the instruments and the voices on tracks. One problem that I came up with while using these speakers was the lack of the dynamics that I was accustomed to in the past.

To augment the relative lack of low end oomph, I decided to research a couple of subwoofers. A couple of subs came to mind, The Sunfire True Sub Jr. and Mark II's. I auditioned them both and ended up with the Mark II. Listening to Steely Dan's new album Two Against Nature, the recordings really came alive particularly on tracks "What a shame about me" and "janie Runway". The rest of the album sounds remakably good as well.

In the Home theater department, The speakers also show thier goods in Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks as well. Several demos come to mind that truly shows the speakers strenghs, the opening scene from Negotiator, several scenes from Matrix etc. Compared to the speakers I was using before the upgrade, the Aerius sounded more ambient in soundeffects in movies. The sound was a little more detailed and transparent than what I was accustomed to.

These speakers are highly recommended for individuals who value hearing the nuances and details of recordings whether in two channel or home theater but may want to give in terms of low end bass. I also recommend pairing these babies up with a suitable sub to augment this problem.

Overall, I am really satisfied with my purchase of these babies and will hold on to them till I have the money to upgrade my fronts to the Martin logan SL3's. I tried the Request and there was too much bass going on for my smallish room.

These speakers are recommended for the individual who prefers listening to the detail and nuances of recordings and listens The associated equipment used in this review is as follows:

2 pairs of Martin Logan Aerius
Logos center channel
Sunfire True Sub Mark II
Sunfire Cinema Grand
Sunfire Vacuum Tube Preamp (two channel listening)
Chiro C800/C5.1 with DTS
Pioneer DVL 700 (awaiting arrival of Pioneer Elite DV9 from Canada)
Sony Videoscope 53" rear projection set
Sony SLV 780 VCR
Sony MDP 650 LD
Sony MD 302
Meridian 506.20
Panamax Max 1000 Line Conditioner

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Martin Logan Request

Crystal Clear MidRange

Soft on lower base

This speaker will not be for everyone. The sound will not attack you, but will unfold and envelope you. These are after all, a dipole design. If a musical presentation was recorded poorly it will sound terrible. Likewise the opposite will apply. When a well recorded piece is played through these speakers it will bring you up a notch. Source material is very important. They will favor piano and guitar and vocals. Imagine understanding what is being sung on some songs! Build quality is first rate. You will either love or dislike its looks. Getting use to them should not be a problem. The oak panel trim is quite nice. The bass is tight and their but don't expect floor shaking standing waves. It is not designed for that. It will go to 40 cycles and cross over at 450 hertz. This makes for a very smooth transition. The Maggie 1.6s are less costly but a harder speaker to place. I thought the fabric could be a problem in the future. I give the logans a solid 4. Feed them well and enjoy!!

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maggie 1.6

I am not very experienced with audio equipments, all I know is how accurate and balanced music sound. I am a classical musician not an audiophile so please excuse me if I can't properly describe my listening experience in audio terms. I just heard those speakers today. I was disappointed with the speakers when I played orchestral music.(R. strauss death and transfiguration)The definition just wasn't there and there was not much depth or energy. However, when I listened to piano music(I am a pianist)I was surprised at how good it sounded! It was not "directional" but rather the sound was just emitting from everywhere. The room felt bigger than it was. It was warm, transparent, natural, very clear but not harsh, almost felt as if my entire body, not just my ears, was listening to the music. My friends were there and they both felt the same way. It probably sounded better than the real thing! We were very impressed. So, I'd give it 5 stars for solo and chamber music and 3 for orchestral music.

The Aerius is an amazing accomplishment by Martin Logan. It is a sonic treasure at its price point. Although these hybrids aren't as difficult to set
up as most electrostatics they still pose a challange. Don't get me
wrong, they sound damn good just about anywhere you put them -
its getting them to sound perfect which is a task.
The problem with many speakers is a very narrow sweet spot.
The Aerius has a defined sweet spot also, but provides a realistic
soundstage even 30degrees of axis! The best experience is
achievddd at a fairly close distance (6 to 11ft). Bass diminishes
quickly at distances further than this. Add a quick sub and your set.

Do yourself a favor and pay the extra $$ and get the bi-wireable crossover
even if you don't think you need it.

Vocals, acoustic music, but pretty good even with rock and dance.

Complete lack of low bass unless partnered with a suitably musical sub-woofer. Very room and positioning sensitive - screwing the spikes up and down to change the angle of the front panel can make a big difference.

At first I was not really convinced by these speakers. Used alone the bass has a strange quality. I can understand the other reviewers comments about timing but I'm not sure that was it. As soon as I connected up a powered sub (REL Q50) and set up the crossover and volume the character of the sound changed. Without the sub the soundfield seemed, to an extent, to be trapped in the plane of the panels. Even on music with no apparent bass such as light classical or choral works the sub noticably enhanced the sense of acoustic. All I can think is that the resonances from the recording venue create a low bass signal that these speakers cannot effectively produce. But, use them with a reasonable sub and the world opens up before you - they can even rock at 90db+ on complex stuff like metallica and the San Francisco symphony orchestra S&M concert without sounding compressed or strained, each instrument and vocal still accurately placed in the soundstage. I have also been impressed by the accurate stereo positioning of low bass signals such as timpani - considering that the sub is doing half the work here I am assuming that this is mainly due to the fast nature of the bass that these speakers produce. The bass is also very even and integrates well with a sub.

These speakers excel with vocal and acoustic music but they should not be discounted for rock and even dance where their superb soundfield can work wonders with tracks produced with Q-sound or the Roland soundspace system. Something like Deep Forest's first album will have voices and instruments tracking around the listener while the main vocals never lose their solidity.

I currently use my Aerius with quad 33 and 606 pre and power amps and a kenwood dp7090 cd player, though the pre amp and cd player will eventually be upgraded. Cables are chord co and home made sharkwire with neutrik din-connectors, with chord co carnival bi wire speaker cable.

As a second hand buy I have been pretty impressed with these speakers although I must say that they are very sensitive to positioning, including the angle of the front panel. They do ruthlessly reveal bad recordings though, if your favourite discs don't sound good through them it may not be the fault of the speakers but they may not be for you.

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Compared with Impulse Lali

Amidst all the flare in the Aerius's discussion, here are my two cents.
Compared to the B&W 804s, the Aerius' get the KO. The Aerius' are very special speakers, one that you would either hate or love. If you are a classical buff, piano freak, strings lover, a sucker for flute , or an orchestral-phile (not drums intenseive stuff), the Aerius are definitely worth a serious audition. Some have given the Aerius very low marks, which I believe, is a result of the system setup or just your listening taste. If you love rock and r&b, for your own sake, get the B&Ws or any other cone speaker you can find on the market. The Aerius' are just not for you. For instance, whenever I play the AQUA or Madonna cds with the Aerius, the flavor is never there. The bass has absolutely disappeared. Please undersand that the Aerius are simply not the speakers for this kind of music. However, when I play Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Strauss's various pieces, the Aerius shine. The B&Ws just does not compare with the Aerius in the clarity and mid-high frequencies departments.

After saying all this, I must make a couple of conclusions. The Aerius are extremely good speakers for the dollar and I will highly recommend it to anyone unless you only listening to rock, r&b, and reggae. It's very hard to find speakers in the $2000 range that can outperform the Aerius in terms of clarity, and dare to say, overall sound except bass. If you can sacrifice clarity and mid-high frequencies for bass, by all means do so.