Monolith
By the time of the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), they had developed a full-range hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker they called the Monolith. A high-end audio company used a prototype pair in its room at the show to demonstrate its electronics. Dealers who heard them were impressed by the sound of the Monoliths and were eager to sell them. It was at this point that Sanders and Sutherland put their middle names to the venture and set about satisfying the demand they had created. MartinLogan was created.
Working with one full-time and one part-time employee, they built and shipped the first 10 pairs of Monoliths. Sales started to surge in 1985, and the company was finally on a firm footing. Sutherland departed to return to his first love, electronics. The next year, MartinLogan moved to its current location. At the same time, international distribution for the Monolith took off.
Steady growth followed. By 1988, sales had increased tenfold, and the plant had expanded to include a large production space. In 1989, and again in 1990, Inc. magazine recognized MartinLogan as one of the 500 fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States.
In the early 1990s, MartinLogan released the world's first electrostatic home cinema center-channel speaker and on-wall surround channel speakers, establishing the brand in the emerging home theater market. During this time, some of MartinLogan's most popular electrostatic speakers were introduced, including the Aerius, SL3, Quest, and Cinema.
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The Statement e2 generation
MartinLogan's next product began to take form in 1997 in the form of the 2000-pound Statement e2 loudspeaker. The design and engineering behind the Statement e2 fueled the next generation of MartinLogan electrostatic speakers (not to mention ML's first non-electrostatic product). Released in 1999, the Prodigy electrostatic loudspeaker incorporated much of the design and engineering knowledge gained during the Statement e2 project. Prodigy in turn inspired a new generation of electrostatic products including the Odyssey, Ascent, Aeon and Theater.
Subwoofers
The next product was MartinLogan's first non-electrostatic product. In 2001 the original Descent subwoofer (featuring servo-control and BalancedForce technologies) established MartinLogan as a major player in the growing subwoofer market. Other subwoofer models by MartinLogan include the Descent i, Depth i, Grotto, Abyss and Dynamo.
The Design Series
In 2003 the MartinLogan Design Series was launched aimed at producing a smaller, more affordable line of speakers. Speakers in the Design Series include the Clarity, Mosaic, Montage, Fresco, Vignette, as well as the Abyss and Dynamo subwoofers.
In-wall speakers
Now established as a loudspeaker 'technology' company (not just an 'electrostatic' company) MartinLogan designed a first for high-performance speakers — inside a wall - the Voyage and Passage in-wall loudspeakers (released 2004).
The ESL Series
In January 2005 MartinLogan released the Summit electrostat. A major departure from previous electrostatics, Summit combined dual independently powered woofers with MartinLogan's most advanced electrostatic transducer to date—the XStat. Later additions to the ESL Series include the Vista, Vantage, and Stage loudspeakers as well as the Descent i and Depth i subwoofers.
