MartinLogan's Encore TF speaker -- below $500, face punch not included

Whether you're a "wall person" who can't spoil your HT room's feng shui with a equipment rack or not, MartinLogan's Encore TF speaker can fit into your HT speaker setup at a price point we didn't expect the company to hit. Put it on a wall or use the included table stand, hang it horizontally or vertically -- for $499 you get a Advanced Thin Film (ATF) mid/tweet backed by a pair of 4-inch woofers. Purists will cry that the ATF mid/tweet is a departure from MartinLogan's electrostatic calling card, but MartinLogan promises that the transducer is a good match for its panels -- it's still a push-pull design that moves the entire driver surface evenly -- and we figure consumers will appreciate the lower prices and smaller cabinets afforded by the design. Press release and more pics after the break.
Lawrence, Kansas, June 3, 2009-MartinLogan is proud to announce the new Encore TF center channel speaker for use either on- or off-wall.

Designed to serve as a high performance center channel for home theaters, the compact Encore TF delivers exceptional detail. An ATF™ (Advanced Thin Film) driver, long-excursion low-mass woofers, and sophisticated crossover engineering produce sound with lifelike clarity and openness. Encore TF delivers compelling center channel reproduction whether discretely mounted beneath a high definition flat screen or used with the included table top stand. Additionally, the Encore TF is highly adaptable, working equally well mounted horizontally or vertically in front-channel and surround applications.

"MartinLogan's always strives to provide our customers with a realistic, authentic listening experience. The Encore TF definitely delivers-whether used a center channel in conjunction with our floor standing speakers or for all 5-channels in a dedicated home theater," said Devin Zell, MartinLogan Marketing Manager.

Carefully hand-built using only the finest air core coils and polyester and low dissipation electrolytic capacitors, Encore TF's crossover employ's MartinLogan's proprietary Vojtko topology for vanishingly low distortion and seamless driver integration. This precision-tuned network preserves even the most subtle sonic nuances while handling the full dynamics of any source.

MartinLogan Encore TF speaker

[Meekermoloko Posted Jun 4th 2009 3:03PM]

Yes, it's sounds good, but can it give me updated internet weather?
I don't think so.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 6:13PM]

Holy cow! This is pretty much the EXACT speaker design for which I have been looking! I am a huge fan of the electrostatic/magneplanar sound (it's just so much closer to realism), but I have limited space in my theatre room and traditional electrostats or magneplanars are just too large and require too much space behind them. I had resigned myself to traditional on-wall speaker designs, but this totally changes the game! I MUST audition these. And being able to actually afford them (if they sound great)? Sublime!

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 9:23PM]

I actually think it's a good idea. I've always wanted electrostatics for music. But you would want something a bit more durable for explosions and gunfire. By doing this ML still stays a little unique from the norm, and also dips into a much higher volume price point that will probably be very successful.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 1:33AM]

The ATF drivers are designed and built by BGcorp (Bohlender Graebner). These planar drivers are superior to electrostatic panels in every way. Electrostatics have extremely narrow dispersion and suffer from intermodulation distortion due to all of the segments in the panel. Ever since their Mosiac/ Fresco/ Montage speakers, ML realized they can make a cheaper, lower distortion product that works in more rooms. More power to ML for making a change for the better. Purist be damned.