About the MartinLogan Crescendo
A new class of wireless speaker
A new class of wireless speaker
The Crescendo's high-end looks and performance complement each other.
When MartinLogan set out to create their first-ever wireless speaker system, the Crescendo, they aimed to please audiophiles and the style-conscious crowd alike. This luxury tabletop speaker system blends tasteful good looks, high-end sound, and state-of-the-art wireless conveniences, including Bluetooth and AirPlay streaming.
Its unique curved cabinet rests on a sturdy aluminum stand, for a design that looks at home in both classic and modern décors. Even the included remote, built from black anodized aluminum, exudes quality. This single speaker will fill your room with the full, rich sound you'd expect from MartinLogan.
Convenient connections
How do you like to listen to your music? Do you surf Internet radio stations on your tablet? Create playlists of songs you've downloaded in iTunes®? MartinLogan designed the Crescendo to cater to today's music sources. With virtually any device, you have options:
- Pair it with your Bluetooth-compatible smartphone or tablet. The Crescendo is equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, including support for aptX® audio coding, which delivers higher-fidelity sound with compatible devices. Wirelessly stream music services or your personal stored music collection.
- Use its built-in Apple AirPlay technology to wirelessly play music from computers and handheld devices running iTunes®.
- Plug in your iOS® device via the USB jack for music playback and automatic battery charging.
- Connect just about anything that has a headphone jack to the 3.5mm aux input.
- Connect your TV with the supplied optical digital cable and mini-Toslink adapter, which plugs into the 3.5mm aux input.
- Hook it up via its Ethernet connection to play music directly off of your network.
Praise for the MartinLogan Crescendo wireless music system from Sound & Vision
"The elegant Crescendo tabletop music system will bring any room to life with crisp, clear, full-bodied sound. If you're looking for a flexible solution for high-quality casual listening and aren't worried about an expansive soundstage, the Crescendo delivers the goods. It doesn't come cheap, but you have to remember you're also getting a work of art that you'll be proud to display. "
— From Bob Ankosko's review in Sound & Vision, July 9, 2014
Read the full review
Room-filling sound and expandability
At the heart of the Crescendo sits a front-firing 5" x 7" polypropylene cone woofer housed in its own ported chamber, which gives the driver room to move and breathe. You'll enjoy deep bass and accurate midrange. The woofer and the two adjacent Folded Motion™ tweeters each have their own dedicated Class D amplifier for 100 watts of total power. The drivers are housed in a sturdy MDF enclosure that resists sound-muddying vibrations, finished in your choice of piano black or real wood veneer. While the Crescendo provides substantial bass for what we traditionally expect from a one-piece system, MartinLogan knows there are situations that call for more. A subwoofer output lets you connect a separate powered sub (not included), for those times when you really need more boom.
MartinLogan's innovative Folded Motion tweeters result in quicker response and lower distortion.
Detail and precision from the Folded Motion tweeters
MartinLogan's innovative Folded Motion tweeters are found on either side of the woofer. Each tweeter uses a pleated diaphragm that works like an accordion by "squeezing" air to create sound. It requires about 90% less excursion than a typical dome tweeter, resulting in quicker response time and much lower distortion. You'll experience crystal-clear high frequencies with lifelike dynamics. The tweeters are angled outward to provide a wider soundstage. Proper stereo separation like this is simply not typical in one-piece systems. Music sounds intricately detailed, but smooth and effortless, without a trace of harshness.
Product highlights:
- high-performance powered speaker with a stylish, unique design
- Bluetooth 4.0 for Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, tablets, and computers,
- Apple AirPlay® with built-in Wi-Fi® for Apple portable devices and computers
- two Folded Motion tweeters for high output levels and low distortion, angled outward to create stereo sound separation
- custom-designed 5" x 7" polypropylene woofer
- ported cabinet for enhanced bass
- 24-bit/48kHz digital signal processor/preamplifier
- amplifier power: 100 watts class D (1 x 50 watts woofer, 2 x 25 watts tweeters)
- frequency response:50-23,000 Hz (±3dB)
- digital/analog 3.5mm aux input
- digital optical cable and mini-Toslink optical adapter included
- USB Type-A input iOS® devices allows music playback and automatic battery charging
- Ethernet jack for connection to a wired home network
- mono RCA subwoofer output
- black anodized aluminum wireless remote
- 25-11/16"W x 8-1/16"H x 7-3/4"D
- weight: 23 lbs.
- warranty: 2 years with product registration
- MFR # 810123020218
What's in the box:
MartinLogan Crescendo owner's manual
- Active wireless speaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 69" AC power cord
- Remote
- 2 "AAA" batteries
- 6' Optical digital cable
- Mini-toslink adapter
- User's Manual
- Quick Setup Guide
- Product Registration Card
Customer reviews for MartinLogan Crescendo
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More details on the MartinLogan Crescendo
Features & specs
Connections | ||
---|---|---|
Ethernet Port | No | |
USB-A Port | No | |
USB-B Port | No | |
USB-C Port | No | |
3.5mm Input | 1 | |
RCA Input | No | |
XLR Input | No | |
Phono Input | No | |
Digital Input | 3.5mm | |
HDMI Input | No | |
Headphone Jack | No | |
Subwoofer Output | No | |
Wireless Features | ||
Bluetooth | Built-in | |
Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g | |
Wi-Fi Bands | 2.4GHz | |
Stereo Speaker Pairing | --- | |
Driver Details | ||
Tweeter Size (Inches) | 1" | |
Tweeter Type | Folded Motion | |
Tweeter Material | Not given | |
Midrange Size (Inches) | --- | |
Midrange Type | --- | |
Woofer Size (Inches) | 5"x7" | |
Woofer Type | Polypropylene | |
Audio Specs | ||
Watts RMS (Continuous) | 100 | |
Watts Maximum (Peak) | 140 | |
Frequency Response | 50-23k | |
Max. Digital Audio Bit Depth | 24-bit | |
Max. Digital Audio Sample Rate | 48 kHz | |
High-res Audio Playback | ||
From Network | No | |
From USB Thumb Drive (USB-A) | No | |
From Computer (USB-B) | No | |
Streaming Compatibility | ||
Apple AirPlay | Yes | |
Apple AirPlay 2 | No | |
DTS Play-Fi | No | |
Chromecast built-in | No | |
Roon | No | |
Sonos | No | |
HEOS | No | |
MusicCast | No | |
SoundTouch | No | |
Bose Home Speaker | No | |
WiSA | No | |
BluOS | No | |
Klipsch Stream | No | |
KEF Stream | No | |
Music Services | ||
Amazon Music | No | |
Apple Music | No | |
iHeart Radio | No | |
Pandora | No | |
Qobuz | No | |
SiriusXM | No | |
Spotify | No | |
Tidal | No | |
TuneIn | No | |
YouTube Music | No | |
Control | ||
Handheld Remote | Yes | |
Control by app | Apple iOS | |
Amazon Alexa | No | |
Google Assistant | No | |
Other Specs | ||
Width (Inches) | 25.75 | |
Height (Inches) | 8.0625 | |
Depth (Inches) | 7.75 | |
Parts Warranty | 2 Years | |
Labor Warranty | 2 Years |
Product Research
Features
Built-in Class-D Amp w/ Advanced DSP: At the core of the MartinLogan Crescendo is an advanced 24-bit/48kHz DSP (digital signal processing) based preamplifier in conjunction with a powerful class-D closed-loop 100-watt (140-watt peak) amplifier. Crescendo's digital amplifier produces sound with accuracy, resolution, and, detail. 50 watts x 1 channel is delivered to the 5"x7" cone woofer and 25 watts x 2 channel is delivered to the dual 1" Folded Motion tweeters.
Two-Way Driver Design: The MartinLogan Crescendo premium wireless speaker system create creates a powerfully detailed sound from its two 1" Folded Motion tweeters and one 5"x7" polypropylene woofer for a room-filling experience. Low and High frequencies are seamlessly blended together between the drivers for a natural sound.
- Two 1" Folded Motion Tweeters: The signature Folded Motion tweeters utilize extremely low mass diaphragms that "squeeze" air, and require significantly less excursion than the typical 1" dome tweeter, which drastically minimizes distortion while providing a lightning fast response time. The increased surface area also provides a wide, yet controlled sound dispersion to create a realistic and carefully etched sound stage.
- 5"x7" Polypropylene Woofer: The custom designed front-firing 5x7-inch matte black polypropylene cone woofer features an extended throw drive assembly in a non-resonant asymmetrical chamber format for deep, accurate bass.
Solid MDF Enclosure: The MartinLogan Crescendo is crafted with a solid MDF enclosure that strengthens and intensifies low-frequency bass performance while minimizing vibrations. The dense cabinet enclosure, wrapped in either high-gloss piano black paint or real-wood walnut veneer, floats atop a sturdy aluminum stand and looks comfortably at home in any décor where aesthetics are as important as sound quality. Designed to fit a modern décor, MartinLogan utilizes high-quality materials and finishes to give Crescendo a furniture and artwork like appearance.
Network Connection (Wired or Wireless): The Crescendo is equipped with dual network connection methods. There's an RJ-45 LAN (Ethernet) port for direct wired connection to your home network, and there's also the built-in WiFi feature that includes WiFi Protected Setup for safe and secure connection to your wireless home network. The unit's network connection lets you listen to music from your Apple device (via AirPlay), Android smartphone (via DLNA), Windows PC (via DLNA).
- AirPlay (for Apple iOS): AirPlay lets you stream music directly from your iPod touch/iPhone/iPad or from your iTunes library on your PC or Mac computer to the MartinLogan Crescendo, over your home network connection. By downloading Apple free Remote App onto your iPod touch/iPhone/iPad you don't even need to be in the same room as the Crescendo or your computer to play, pause, skip, and stop the songs in your iTunes music library. To use the AirPlay feature you need a Mac or Windows-based PC running iTunes (10.1 or later) connected to your wireless home network. Your iPod touch/iPhone/iPad must have iOS 4.3 or later installed and connected to the same wireless home network.
- DLNA (for Windows & Android): The Crescendo is DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) 1.5 and Windows 7/8 compliant for audio streaming. This means it's easier for you to access and enjoy digital music stored on your Windows PC, select Android smartphone/tablets, and other DLNA-compliant music servers. The Crescendo supports playback of a various music files and offers basic playback functions (Play/Pause & Previous/Next Track) from the included remote control. However, advance music navigation will still be done from your Windows PC, Android device, or DLNA music server.
Built-In Bluetooth: The MartinLogan Crescendo features built-in Bluetooth (V4.0) with support A2DP wireless audio streaming and apt-X lossless audio codec. You'll be able to wireless connect to your Bluetooth-enabled Apple device, Android smartphone/tablet, portable audio player, laptop, or computer.
- Audio Streaming: You will be able to wirelessly stream stored music and music apps from your Bluetooth-enabled device to the Crescendo wireless speaker system. Playback functions, music navigation, and song/artist information will still need to be handled from your Bluetooth-enable device.
- apt-X Code: The MartinLogan Crescendo employs apt-X audio coding technology for lossless, CD-quality streaming with apt-X compatible smartphones (like some Androids).
Note: Due to the differences in Bluetooth technology, some Bluetooth enabled devices may be incompatible, function improperly, or may not support all features when used with the wireless speaker system.
USB Port (iPod/iPhone Certified): You can connect your Lightning or 30-pin connector Apple device directly to the Crescendo using its rear-panel USB (type-A) port and the Lightning- or Dock-cable that came with your iPod/iPhone/iPad. You'll be able to listen to stored music and music apps from your compatible Apple device and control basic playback functions (such as Play/Pause and Previous/Next Track). Advanced navigation and song/artist information will still be done through your Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad. The speaker's USB port also charges (max: 2.4A) your Apple device while connected.
Aux Input (Digital or Analog): The unit's Aux Input can be used as either a digital optical (Toslink) or analog input. This input will accept either a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone style or mini-Toslink plug. A special mini-Toslink to Toslink cable or mini-Toslink adaptor is required for digital optical connection.
Subwoofer Output: The Crescendo features an optional subwoofer output via an analog RCA connection. This option, not typical of tabletop speaker systems, customizes the crossover between the Crescendo and your powered sub (sold separately) to give you the ability to supplement the low-frequency performance of the system.
Simple Controls: For across the room control, the Crescendo includes an IR remote control built from black anodized extruded aluminum. The Crescendo's remote control quickly adjusts volume, selects inputs, and controls your media content (basic playback functions include Play/Pause & Previous/Next Track). The remote also allows you to easily switch between two discrete acoustic modes: "Bass +" mode (for those moments requiring a little extra thunder) and a "Normal" mode that restores normal levels. In addition, front-mounted control panel allows quick access to power, input and volume controls.
Apple Device Compatibility Chart: The MartinLogan Crescendo is "Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad" compatible & supports the following iPod, iPhone, and iPad model features (as of 4/4/2014):
Apple Device | Generation | Tested Version | Connection Type | Media Type | Control Type | Display Type | Charge | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USB | AirPlay | Bluetooth | Audio | Video | Remote | iPod/iPhone | Song/Artist Text | Track Info | ||||
iPad | 1 | 5.1.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
2 | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
3 | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
4 | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
air | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
mini | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
iPhone | 2G | 3.1.3 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
3G | 4.2.1 | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
3GS | 5.1.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
4 | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
4S | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
5 | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
5C | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
5S | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
touch | 1st | 2.2.1 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
2nd | 4.2.1 | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
3rd | 5.1.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
4th | 6.1.3 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
5th | 7.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
nano | ||||||||||||
2nd | 1.1.3 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
3rd | 1.1.3 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
4th | 1.0.4 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
5th | 1.0.2 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
6th | 1.2 PC | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
7th | 1.02 PC | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
classic | 80GB | 1.1.2 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
120GB | 2.0.1 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | |
160GB | 2.0.4 | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y |
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