MOVIE PERFORMANCE
The startling clarity of the Stradas also worked wonders with movies. Playing one of my all-time-favorite demos, the Blu-ray of Peter Jackson's King Kong, I noticed especially clear and pronounced surround effects. At the beginning of the Brontosaurus Stampede chapter, I got a greater sense of dinosaurs sneaking around behind me than I'd heard before. Snippets of dialogue that were previously obscured by the intense rumble of the galloping dinos suddenly became clear. Surprisingly, the little TR-3 subwoofer actually reproduced the deep, deep foot- falls of the galloping brontos.

The vocal brightness I noticed with music was apparent with movies, too. As in King Kong, it often had the positive ef- fect of clarifying dialogue. Still, for home theater applications I prefer the neutrality of a good conventional speaker, such as the Mordaunt-Short Aviano 6 (read the full review here).

BOTTOM LINE
From what I've witnessed at hi-fi shows, anyone who hears the Strada will confirm that it offers an extraordinary listening experience. Although it has its idiosyncrasies, the sound it delivers is so dazzling and distinctive that I consider it a must-hear for audiophiles - especially those who want to revitalize their listening with something outside the ordinary.