Yes.. the Vista's been there in 2007, 2009, 2010 (according to Martin Logan's site) and now 2011. What happened in 2008?
Frown what I recall, it's been the same summary.. not too sure about 'Tonal balance is on the lean side, which suggests placement near room corners.'. Near room corners?? Thats a no no for Logan's.
My thoughts exactly. As I said in another thread - "reviews" are most often just nice sounding words put together. They read well, but when you analyse them with some sort of intelligence they don't make any sense at all!
Case in point, the Vistas. As a Vista owner, lean is not what I would call them. Certainly not at their price point. The bass
quality leaves something to be desired (in ultimate terms) - for sure - but a lean tonal balance - not at all! And placement near walls is about the most stupid thing you can do with them - whatever it does for the bass will be negated 10x by what it takes from the panel!
So to word it properly. The Vista is definitely a speaker that would be on the list. Of course I think so - that's why I bought a pair with my hard-earned cash! But what I'd say is that it is a quirky and eminently room dependent speaker, one for someone who is prepared to invest time and effort into the ownership experience (right amplifier, right placement, the right room, continual maintenance, etc). But it rewards that investment with about the best speed, clarity, neutrality, realism, downright palpability and 400+ Hz sound quality you will find at any price point. The downside is the <200Hz band, which is certainly fast and tonally comparable to the panel, but can sound a tad coloured and bloated to what you may have come to expect from the rest of the spectrum. And indeed what you may have come to expect from similar older 'Logans. Careful placement, careful choice of partnering electronics, the right room, (and perhaps a good, well matched and calibrated subwoofer) is essential to complete what may well be the best sound you'll hear this side of 5x its price.
What I'd also say is that if you don't have the right room, and are not prepared to invest the necessary time in finding the right electronics and placement - then don't be afraid to admit that certain more conventional speakers may serve you better, if ultimately inferior in certain key aspects of performance.
So there is my totally unbiased and totally un-advertising, un-vested interest supported opinion from someone who has been "reviewing" a pair [in his house] for 4++ years.
