MartinLogan’s newest loudspeakers have us questioning the old adage about getting what you pay for

The sad fact of the matter is that most readers of Home Entertainment will take one look at the prices of MartinLogan’s new Motion Series loudspeakers and never even consider auditioning them. That’s a curious thing to say, perhaps, in a publication that has reviewed and enthusiastically endorsed speaker systems with stickers comparable to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4, but without the installment plans or leasing options.

I see a lot of new speaker designs in the course of a month as I peruse through press releases looking for new products to feature in the front section of Home Entertainment.

But it's been a long time since a loudspeaker really caught my eye and demanded my attention the way Sounds by Design's Blackmore and Elise do.

Escape from reality with these truly transcendental Show-Offs discs
    
With the unbridled verisimilitude of 1080p and uncompressed multichannel surround sound, the home theater experience at times verges on being unflinchingly lifelike. Sure, there’s a lot of appeal in that, but sometimes you might just want to be transported to another reality altogether.

With that in mind I give you four favorite Show-Offs that don’t just peel back your eyelids or rattle your naughty bits, they take you to another place entirely.

Top Shelf Tunes

Looking for a really good iPhone dock, but just can’t seem to find the shelf space for it?

Have we got the perfect solution for you.

iRetro

Twenty-first century high-tech meets early twentieth century low-tech in the iVictrola, as stylish an iPhone accessory as you’ll ever see.

Two of a Perfect Pair

At first glance, it’s obvious that THE LARS is something special.

With its transparent exterior mantle—intended to both protect and show off the sextet of vacuum tubes within—as well as its beautiful base and trim inspired by classic Swedish radio and television furniture, this stunning amplifier is sure to be a conversation piece based on design alone.

Further proof that you should never judge a Show-Off by its cover

You know what they say about assumptions: Everybody makes them and yours stink—or something like that.

When it comes to selecting great demo material for your home theater, making hasty assumptions about the age-appropriateness of your movies and games can lead to uncomfortable results, or cause you to overlook otherwise wonderful little gems.

Russound’s Collage Powerline Media and Intercom System sets a new standard for retrofit multiroom audio systems.

If Twitter-synched pet collars and Wi-Fi at 30,000 feet aren’t enough to convince you that we’re living in the future, consider this: I just installed two zones of distributed audio at opposite ends of the house in one fairly laid back Saturday afternoon.