In 1999 the Rockport Technologies Antares loudspeaker was introduced as a larger, full-range follow up to the smaller Merak loudspeaker, this time utilizing separate custom Audio Technology midrange and bass drivers and the Dynaudio Esotar tweeter in a 3-way configuration. At 400 pounds per speaker Antares was certainly a bigger brother to the 90 pound Merak and produced a comparably larger and weightier sound. It also produced previously unobtainable levels of dynamics in large part due to the low noise levels maintained by the massive glass fiber/epoxy sandwich composite cabinet which Stereophile Editor, John Atkinson, dubbed “heroic construction.” The Antares was awarded Stereophile Loudspeaker of the Year in 2002.