TAF 2025: Audio by Mark Jones–Marten, Linn, Luxman, AudioQuest
Marten’s $115K Mingus Quintet 2 speakers, driven by a Linn Klimax Bedrok analog front-end and Luxman electronics, delivered detailed, layered sound with striking clarity, image separation, and musicality.
TAF 2025: Audio by Mark Jones–Marten, Linn, Luxman, AudioQuest
Marten’s $115K Mingus Quintet 2 speakers, driven by a Linn Klimax Bedrok analog front-end and Luxman electronics, delivered detailed, layered sound with striking clarity, image separation, and musicality.
I don’t often come across Marten speakers, so I was pleased to see a pair here—the 3-way Mingus Quintet 2 ($114,720/pair). The speakers were driven by a Linn Klimax Bedrok turntable / Ekos SE tonearm / Ekstatik cartridge, with a built-in Ureka II phono stage ($73,285 for the bundle), a Luxman C10X preamp ($25,995), and a pair of Luxman M10X monoblocks ($25,995 each), with cabling and power conditioning by AudioQuest.
What I heard was luxurious sound marked by prodigious detail, clear and effortless highs, a layered soundstage, well-defined image separation, and a beguiling musicality that made me want to listen longer than I could.
Robert Schryer believes that all you need is love… along with music and good gear. Such is his belief in the power of music and audio to bring harmony to the world that he has chosen to dedicate his life to advancing their collective cause.
As you might know, PMA is an independent consumer audio and music magazine that prides itself on doing things differently. For the past three years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to bringing you an authentic reading experience. We steer clear of commercial influences, ensuring that what you hear from us is genuine, unfiltered, and true to our values.
However, independence comes with its challenges. To continue our journey of honest journalism and to maintain the quality of content you love, we find ourselves turning to you, our community, for support. Your contributions, no matter how small, will help us sustain our operations and continue to deliver the content you trust and enjoy. It’s your support that empowers us to remain independent and keep our ears to the ground, listening and sharing stories that matter, without any external pressures or biases.
Thank you so much for being a part of our journey.
Leave a Reply