MartinLogan's current, top of the line subwoofer is the Descent i, which replaces the Descent. The new model retails at $2,995, $200 more than its predecessor. The Descent i, is similar to its predecessor in overall design but features significant improvements in performance, design and features. Looking at the subwoofer, it is triangular in design with rounded off corners. The triangular design is telling as the Descent i, features three, 10 inch aluminum cone, servo controlled drivers firing horizontally and spaced at 120 degrees apart in a sealed, asymmetrical enclosure. This utilizes MartinLogan's "Balanced Force" design in which the drivers cancel out the forces of the opposing drivers to reduce distortion. Each driver has its own 250 watt RMS (2700 watt peak power) amplifier. Frequency response is stated at 18 - 120 Hz, +/- 3dB.

Additional Resources
• Read a review of the MartinLogan CLX speakers by Andrew Robinson of HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Read about other high end, audiophile grade subwoofers from Wilson Audio, JL Audio, Sunfire, REL, Paradigm, Def Tech, Bowers & Wilkins and many others.
• Read a review of the MartinLogan Depth-i subwoofer.

The Descent i, weighs in at a hefty 105 pounds, is 21 inches high, 20inches wide and 20 inches deep. Each driver is protected by its own perforated metal grill separated by a black side panel, the top panel is available in six standard finishes, with other optional finishes available through MartinLogan's custom shop. Overall, the aesthetics of the Descent i, are in the spirit of the original Descent but are fresher and generally appear more refined and upscale. The controls are conveniently hidden under a pop up brushed aluminum panel on the top of the unit which is inset within the wooden top panel. Controls include equalization at 25 and 50Hz, phase, high and low pass crossover settings and lighting. The back panel connections are improved over its predecessor and include speaker and line level stereo inputs, single ended and balanced LFE channel inputs. Also provided are single ended sub out and stereo outputs. The connections allowed me to easily integrate the Descent i, into both my two channel (with phase inverting preamplifier) and multi-channel systems simultaneously. The Descent i easily allows for multiple subwoofers to be integrated into onto the stereo or LFE channels or even both.

In using the Descent i in a combination stereo / multi-channel system I was able to hook up the subwoofer to the LFE output of my processor at the same time as my two channel amplifier. Each input can be calibrated separately to get optimum performance in both applications. I was able to get the Descent i to easily blend with several pairs of stereo speakers including Martin Logan Summits and Paradigm Studio 100 v.5's.

Playing a variety of music from several versions of Carmina Burana to modern hip hop, the Descent i extended the low end adding impact without calling attention to itself. In my 12 by 17 foot listening room the single Descent i was able to easily pressurize the space at reasonable levels even with the lowest octave notes. What the Descent i couldn't do was completely pressurize the room at higher listening levels, however when I connected a second unit the problem was solved. In addition to stereo music I also listed to multi-channel recordings and watched many movies.

Read about the high points and the low points of the Descent i on Page 2.