Overall, I really like the Vision, but there are a few changes that would make me love it. The bass controls are definitely lacking. Sure, you can adjust the bass up or down by 10dB, but I would like a few more dB of control. I would also like the Vision to engage a higher HPF when a subwoofer is connected, or have the option to manually engage one. By decreasing the amount of bass the Vision has to produce, you keep the internal components cooler, have less distortion, a larger power reserve for dynamic swings, and in general simply have better performance. I understand that engineering a bass bump can sell a lot more units, and that most consumers will appreciate the added bass, but as someone who likes to tweak and refine their system, I would have liked to see more bass control.

An external AC/DC power adapter would also make on-wall installation much easier, as well as free up space in the enclosure for other purposes. Finally, the connectivity options are a little lacking. Many of the competitors have HDMI, Bluetooth, USB, and/or Airplay. It’s true that all of these features, with the exception of HDMI, can be added though an external device, but it’s nice to have the options built in. On one hand, it’s nice to see MartinLogan focus on sound quality over features. On the other hand, I really like having streaming options built in. For most people, adding an AppleTV, Sonos Connect, or the like, isn’t a big deal.

MartinLogan Vision Front Panel Close-up; Bottom Profile Shot

Conclusion

In my opinion, the Vision is a superb soundbar that gets many things right. It can go loud, sounds great, looks modern, and has a surprising amount of bass. It really shines when listening to music, but is no slacker when watching movies either. Still, I kept coming back to its musicality, which was far beyond any other soundbar I have heard. Some other soundbars can produce better surround effects (by "some", I actually just mean Yamaha), but the Vision can surprise you with convincing surround effects from time to time. If you are looking for a soundbar that can turn your non-believer friends into cult-like fanatics about soundbars, the Vision might be your answer. You no longer have to choose between great sound with a dedicated 2.1 system or great looks with a soundbar, the MartinLogan Motion Vision gives you the best of both worlds.