While more and more of us are amassing digital libraries of music, whether they be on our computers or separate hard drives, many manufacturers are coming to market with networked devices to allow us to exploit those collections from virtually anywhere in our homes.

Enter Martin Logan with a rather handsomely designed, premium wireless speaker called the Crescendo X. The Crescendo X sports a minimalist modern look that could find itself at home in many diverse décor environments.

Martin Logan Crescendo X Top View

The Martin Logan’s feature set however is anything but minimal. Featuring a 100 watt Class D amplifier powering a 5” x 7” mid/woofer and two “Folded Motion” tweeters, the Crescendo X can access your digital music in a variety of ways. Wirelessly, the speaker can communicate with any AirPlay capable iOS device. The Crescendo X is also DTS Play-Fi certified so it can access a networked media server and internet streaming services via the DTS Play-Fi app installed on a phone or tablet. There is also Bluetooth (v 4.0) compatibility, supporting SBC, MP3, AAC and apt-X formats.

Martin Logan Crescendo X Rear View

Martin Logan Crescendo X Remote Control

In terms of wired connections, there is Ethernet, USB (supports device charging), a 3.5mm analog input and an optical digital connector for direct connection of components. There is even a dedicated subwoofer output available if you feel so inclined. A nice quality metal remote control is also included.

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Once I got the Crescendo X situated in our home’s kitchen and got it powered on, it quickly became visible to my iPhone which assisted in getting the speaker hooked into our wireless network. After that, Bluetooth pairing was a breeze and the Play-Fi app on my phone found both the Crescendo X and our music server and got them both communicating with each other.

Martin Logan Crescendo X Driver View

Initial impressions are that the Crescendo X sounds full bodied with good solid bass response. The midrange seems pretty clean and clear at the outset with highs that sound smooth and very enjoyable. Our wireless router is in the basement while the speaker is on the main floor and the network connection has remained strong and stable with no unexpected dropouts so far.

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MSRP for the Crescendo X $900.00 and expect a complete review on our website in the near future.