C L A R I T Y TM

u s e r ’ s m a n u a l

c l s e l e c t r o s t a t i c

MA R T I N L O G A N

2 Contents and Introduction

CONTENTS AND INTRODUCTION

Contents and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Low-Voltage (DC) Power ConnectionSignal ConnectionTurning the NAC On/Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Using Only One Power SupplyBreak-In

Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Listening PositionThe Wall Behind the Listener The Wall Behind the Speakers The Side Walls Experimentation Final Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7The Extra “Tweak” Enjoy Yourself

Room Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Your RoomTerminology Rules of Thumb Dipolar Speakers and Your Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Solid Footing

Dispersion Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Controlled Horizontal DispersionControlled Vertical DispersionNAC DispersionThree Major Types of Dispersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Home Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Electrostatic Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Full Range Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14MartinLogan Exclusives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Curvilinear Line SourceMicroPerf StatorPlasma Bonded Diaphragm Transducer IntegrityLow Voltage DCNAC

Electrostatic Loudspeaker History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

SpecificationsWarranty and RegistrationService Serial Numbers

Glossary of Audio Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Congratulations! You have invested in one of the world’spremier loudspeaker systems.

The MartinLogan Clarity represents the culmination of anintensive, dedicated group research program directedtoward establishing a world class reference monitorutilizing leading-edge technology, without compromisingdurability, reliability, craftsmanship or aesthetic design.

The result of cumulative technology gleaned from previousresearch and development projects, the Clarity representsthe latest developments in electrostatic and hybrid loud-speaker technology.

Combining our proprietary curvilinear electrostatic trans-ducer with a compact, powerful woofer, we have designeda product, in one package, that reproduces music withuncompromised electrostatic clarity and extended bass,yet takes up little more than one square foot of floor space.

Materials in your Clarity speakers are of the highest qualityand will provide years of enduring enjoyment and deep-ening respect. The cabinetry is constructed from the highestquality sonically welded substrate for acoustical integrity.

Through rigorous testing, the curvilinear electrostatic panelhas proven itself to be one of the most durable and reliabletransducers available today. Fabricated from a custom toolpunched high-grade steel, the patented panel is coated witha special polymer that is applied via a proprietary plasmabonding process. This panel assembly houses a diaphragmjust 0.0005 of an inch thick. Ruggedly constructed andinsulated, as much as 200 watts of continuous power hasdriven the Clarity’s energized diaphragm into massiveexcursions with no deleterious effects.

This user’s manual will explain in detail the operation ofyour Clarity speakers and the philosophy applied to theirdesign. A clear understanding of your speakers will insurethat you obtain maximum performance and pleasure fromthis most exacting transducer. It has been designed and con-structed to give you years of trouble-free listening enjoyment.

Contents Introduction

Installation in Brief 3

INSTALLATION IN BRIEF

We know you are eager to hear your new Clarity loud-speakers, so this section is provided to allow fast and easy setup. Once you have them operational, please take the timeto read, in depth, the rest of the information in this manual.It will give you perspective on how to attain the greatestpossible performance from this most exacting transducer.

If you should experience any difficulties in the setup or oper-ation of your Clarity speakers, please refer to the RoomAcoustics, Placement or Operation sections of this manual.

Should you encounter a persistent problem that cannot beresolved, please contact your local authorized MartinLogandealer. They will provide you with the appropriate techni-cal analysis to alleviate the situation.

WARNING!•Hazardous voltages exist inside—do not

remove cover•Refer servicing to a qualified technician•To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not

expose this module to moisture•Turn amplifier off and unplug speaker

should any abnormal conditions occur •Do not operate if there is any visual

damage to the electrostatic panel element•Do not drive speaker beyond its rated power

Step 1: UnpackingRemove your new Clarity speakers from their packing.

Step 2: PlacementPlace each Clarity at least two feet from any wall and anglethem slightly toward your listening area. This is a good placeto start. Please see the Placement section (pages 6–7) ofthis manual for more details.

Step 3: Power Connection (DC) (see warning)The Clarity requires DC power to energize its electrostaticpanel. Plug the provided DC power supply first into the ‘DCPower In’ power receptacle on the rear panel of the speaker,making sure that you have made a firm connection, andthen to a convenient wall outlet. Please see the Operationsection (pages 4–5) of this manual for more details.

Step 4: Signal ConnectionUse the best speaker cables you can. Higher quality cables,available from your specialty dealer, are recommendedand will give you superior performance. Spade connectorsare suggested for optimum contact.

Attach your speaker cables to the ‘Signal Input’ section onthe rear panel. Be consistent when connecting speakerleads to the terminals on the back of the Clarity. Take greatcare to assign the same color to the (+) terminal on boththe left and right channels. If bass is nonexistent and youcannot discern a tight, coherent image, you may need toreverse the (+) and (–) leads on one side to bring the sys-tem into proper polarity. Please see the Operation section(pages 4–5) of this manual for more details.

Step 5: Listen and EnjoyNow, you may turn on your system and enjoy!

The lightning bolt flash with arrowhead symbol, withinan equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user tothe presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” withinthe product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient mag-nitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle isintended to alert the user to the presence of importantoperating and maintenance (servicing) instructions inthe literature accompanying the appliance.

Installation in Brief

Your Clarity speakers use external low-voltage power sup-plies to energize their electrostatic panels. For this reason theproper low-voltage power supplies are provided. A powersupply should be firmly inserted into the ‘DC Power In’receptacle on the rear connection panel of each speaker,then to any convenient AC wall outlet. Your Clarity’s inte-grate a signal sensing circuit which will switch the Clarityoff after a few minutes of no music signal, and requires lessthan two seconds to recharge the panels when a musicsignal is present.

Your Clarity speakers are provided with a power supply forthe power service supplied in the country of original con-sumer sale. The AC power rating applicable to a particularunit is specified both on the packing carton and on theDC power supply.

If you remove your Clarity speakers from the country oforiginal sale, be certain that the AC power supplied in anysubsequent location is suitable before connecting the low-voltage power supply. Substantially impaired performanceor severe damage may occur to a Clarity speaker if opera-tion is attempted from an incorrect AC power source.

WARNING! The DC power supply should not beinstalled, removed, or left detached from the speak-er while connected to an AC power source.

Signal Connection

Use the best speaker cables you can. The length and typeof speaker cable used in your system will have an audibleeffect. Under no circumstance should a wire of gauge higher(thinner) than #16 be used. In general, the longer the lengthused, the greater the necessity of a lower gauge, and thelower the gauge, the better the sound, with diminishingreturns setting in around #8 to #12.

A variety of speaker cables are now available whose man-ufacturers claim better performance than standard heavygauge wire. We have verified this in many cases, and theimprovements available are often more noticeable than thedifferences between wires of different gauge. Effects of cablesmay be masked if equipment is not of the highest quality.

We also recommend, if possible, that short runs of speakercable connect the power amplifier(s) and speakers and that

high quality long interconnect cables be used to connect thepreamplifier and power amplifier. This results in the poweramplifiers being close to the speakers, which may be prac-tically or cosmetically difficult, but if the length of the speakercables can be reduced to a few meters, sonic advantagesmay be obtained.

Connections are done at the signal input section on therear electronics panel of the Clarity. Use spade connectorsfor optimum contact and ease of installation. Make certainthat all of your connections are tight. Be consistent whenconnecting the speaker cables to the signal input terminals.Take care to assign the same color cable lead to the (+) ter-minal on both the left and right channel speakers. If bass isnonexistent and you cannot discern a tight, coherent image,you may need to reverse the (+) and (–) leads on one speak-er to bring the system into proper polarity (see figure 1).

WARNING! Turn your amplifier off before youmake or break any signal connections!

Low-Voltage (DC) Power Connection

Figure 1. Single-wire and power connection. One channel shown.

OPERATION

4 Operation

Operation 5

Your Clarity loudspeakers are equipped with a NAC (naturalambience compensation) driver located on top of Clarity’scabinet. To turn the NAC on or off gently insert a narrowobject such as a pen or pencil into the small hole locatedabove the NAC’s perforated screen (see figure 2). For moreinformation on the NAC see the ‘MartinLogan Exclusives’section (page 15) and the ‘Dispersion Interactions’ sectionof this manual (page 10).

Using Only One Power Supply

You may have noticed a connection on the back of yourClarity’s labeled ‘DC Power Out’. The use of this connec-tion will allow you to daisy-chain up to seven low-voltageMartinLogan products and eliminate the need for multiplelow-voltage power supplies.

To use this connection option choose a primary speaker(whichever speaker is most convenient) and connect it asinstructed in the ‘Low-Voltage (DC) Power Connection’section on the previous page. To attach additional speakers,run a low-voltage interconnect cable from the ‘DC PowerOut’ to the next speakers ‘DC Power In’ (see figure 3).

When you first begin to play your Clarity speakers, they willsound a bit bass shy. This is due to the high-quality, long-lifecomponents used in our woofer. Our custom made woofersrequires 30 hours of break-in at 90 dB (moderate listeninglevels) before any critical listening. The break-in require-ments of the crossover components (and, to a lesser degree,the stator) are equivalent.

Figure 3. Connecting power to multiple speakers using one power supply.

Break-In

Figure 2. Turning the NAC on/off.

Turning the NACTM On/Off

6 Placement

PLACEMENT

By now your speakers should be placed approximatelytwo to three feet from the front wall (the wall in front ofthe listening position), and at least one to two feet fromthe side walls. Your sitting distance should be farther thanthe distance between the speakers themselves. What youare trying to attain is the impression of good center imag-ing and stage width.

There is no exact distance between speakers and listener,but there is a relationship. In long rooms, naturally, thatrelationship changes. The distance between the speakerswill be far less than the distance from you to the speakersystem. However, in a wide room, you will still find that ifthe distance from the listener to the speakers becomessmaller than the distance between the speakers themselves,the image will no longer focus in the center.

Now that you have positioned your speaker system, spendsome time listening. Wait to make any major changes inyour initial setup for the next few days as the speakersystem itself will change subtly in its sound. Over the first40 hours of play the actual tonal quality will change slightlywith deeper bass and more spacious highs resulting.

After a few days of listening you can begin to make refine-ments and hear the differences of those refinements.

The Wall Behind the Listener

Near-field reflections can occur from your back wall, thewall behind the listening position. If your listening positionis close to the back wall, these reflections can cause problemsand confuse the quality of imaging. Actually it is better forthe wall behind you to be soft than to be bright. If youhave a hard back wall and your listening position is closeto it, experiment with devices that will soften and absorbinformation (i.e., wall hangings and possibly even soundabsorbing panels).

The Wall Behind the Speakers

The front surface, the wall behind your speakers, should notbe extremely hard or soft. For instance, a pane of glasswill cause reflections, brightness and confused imaging.Curtains, drapery and objects such as bookshelves canbe placed along the wall to soften a hard surface. A standard

sheet rock or textured wall is generally an adequatesurface if the rest of the room is not too bright and hard.Sometimes walls can be too soft. If the entire front wallconsists of only heavy drapery, your system can sound toosoft or dull. You may hear dull, muted music with little ambience. Harder room surfaces will actually help in this case.

The front surface should, optimally, be one long wallwithout any doors or openings. If you have openings, thereflection and bass characteristics from one channel to theother can be different.

The Side Walls

The same requirements exist for side walls. Additionally, agood rule of thumb is to have the side walls as far awayfrom the speaker sides as possible, minimizing near-fieldside wall reflections. Sometimes, if the system is bright orthe imaging is not to your liking, and the side walls arevery near, try putting curtains or softening material directlyto the edge of each speaker. An ideal side wall, however,is no side wall at all.

Experimentation

Toe-inNow you can begin to experiment. First begin by toeing yourspeakers in towards the listening area and then facing themstraight into the room. You will notice that the tonal balancechanges slightly. You will also notice the imaging changing.Generally it is found that the ideal listening position is withthe speakers slightly toed-in so that you are listening to theinner third of the curved transducer section.

Experimenting with the toe-in will help in terms of tonalbalance. You will notice that as the speakers are toed-out,the system becomes slightly brighter than when toed-in.This design gives you the flexibility to compensate for asoft or bright room.

Tilting the Speakers Backwards and ForwardsAs the diagrams show in the Dispersion Interactions sectionof this manual (pages 10–11), the vertical dispersion is direc-tional above and below the stator panel itself. In someinstances, if you are sitting close to the floor, slight forwardtilting of the speakers can enhance clarity and precision.

Listening Position

Placement 7

ImagingIn their final location, the Clarity’s should have a stage widthsomewhat wider than the speakers themselves. On well-recorded music, the instruments should extend beyondthe edges of each speaker to the left and to the right, yet avocalist should appear directly in the middle. The size ofthe instruments should be neither too large nor too small.Additionally, you should find good clues as to stage depth.Make sure the vertical alignment, distance from the frontwall, and toe-in, is exactly the same from one speaker to theother. This will greatly enhance the quality of your imaging.

Bass ResponseYour bass response should neither be one note nor tooheavy. It should extend to even the deepest organ pas-sages, yet it should be tight and well defined. Kick-drumsshould be tight and percussive—string bass notes shouldbe uniform and consistent throughout the entirety of therun without any booming or thudding.

Tonal BalanceVoices should be natural and full, cymbals should bedetailed and articulate yet not bright and piercing, pianosshould have a nice transient characteristic and deep tonalregisters as well. If you cannot attain these virtues, read thesection on Room Acoustics (pages 8–9). This will giveyou clues on how to get closer to those ideal virtues.

Final Placement

After obtaining good wall treatments and the proper angle,begin to experiment with the distance from the wall behindthe speakers. Move your speaker slightly forward into theroom. What happened to the bass response? What hap-pened to the imaging? If the imaging is more open andspacious and the bass response is tightened, that is a supe-rior position. Move the speakers back six inches from theinitial setup position and again listen to the imaging andbass response. There will be a position where you will havepinpoint imaging and good bass response. That position isthe point of the optimal placement from the front wall.

Now experiment with placing the speakers farther apart.As the speakers are positioned farther apart, listen again,not so much for bass response but for stage width andgood pinpoint focusing.

Your ideal listening position and speaker position willbe determined by:

•Tightness and extension of bass response•Width of the stage•Pinpoint focusing of imagingOnce you have determined the best of all three of theseconsiderations, you will have your best speaker location.

The Extra “Tweak”

A major cable company developed the following procedurefor speaker placement. As a final test of exact placement,use these measurements for your speakers placement, andsee what can happen to the ultimate enhancement ofyour system’s performance. These two basic formulas willdetermine optimum placement of your speakers to minimizestanding waves.

1 Distance from the front wall (the wall in front of the listeningposition) to the center of the curvilinear transducer. Todetermine distance from the front wall, measure the heightof your ceiling (inches) and multiply the figure by 0.618(i.e., ceiling height in inches x 0.618 = the distance fromthe front wall to the center of the curvilinear transducer).

2 Distance from the side-walls to the center of the curvilineartransducer. To determine distance from the side walls,measure the width of your room (inches) and divide by18. Next, multiply the quotient by 5 (i.e., room width ininches/18 x 5 = the distance from the side-walls to thecenter of the curvilinear transducer).

Enjoy Yourself

The Clarity is a very refined speaker and benefits from carein setup. With these tips in mind you will find, over yourmonths of listening, that small changes can result inmeasurable differences. As you live with your speakers, donot be afraid to experiment with their positioning untilyou find the optimal relationship between your room andspeaker system that gives to you the best results. Your effortswill be rewarded.

You are now armed with the fundamental knowledge ofroom acoustics and the specific fundamentals of the Clarityloudspeaker. Happy listening!

8 Room Acoustics

This is one of those areas that requires both a little back-ground to understand and some time and experimentationto obtain the best performance from your system.

Your room is actually a component and an important partof your system. This component is a very large variableand can dramatically add to, or subtract from, a greatmusical experience.

All sound is composed of waves. Each note has its ownwave size, with the lower bass notes literally encompassingfrom 10 feet to as much as 40 feet. Your room participatesin this wave experience like a three-dimensional pool withwaves reflecting and becoming enhanced depending onthe size of the room and the types of surfaces in the room.

Remember, your audio system can literally generate all ofthe information required to recreate a musical event intime, space and tonal balance. The purpose of your room,ideally, is to not contribute to that information. However,every room does contribute to the sound, and the betterspeaker manufacturers have designed their systems toaccommodate this phenomenon.

Let’s talk about a few important terms before we begin.

Terminology

Standing WavesThe parallel walls in your room will reinforce certain notesto the point that they will sound louder than the rest of theaudio spectrum and cause “one-note bass”, “boomy bass”or “tubby bass”. For instance, 100Hz represents a 10 footwavelength. Your room will reinforce that specific fre-quency if one of the dominant dimensions is 10 feet. Largeobjects in the room such as cabinetry or furniture can help tominimize this potential problem. Some serious “audiophiles”will literally build a special room with no parallel walls justto help eliminate this phenomenon.

Reflective Surfaces (near-field reflections)The hard surfaces of your room, particularly if close to yourspeaker system, will reflect some waves back into the roomover and over again, confusing the clarity and imaging ofyour system. The smaller sound waves are mostly affectedhere, and occur in the mid and high frequencies. This iswhere voice and frequencies as high as the cymbals occur.

Resonant Surfaces and ObjectsAll of the surfaces and objects in your room are subject tothe frequencies generated by your system. Much like aninstrument, they will vibrate and “carry on” in syncopationwith the music, and contribute in a negative way to themusic. Ringing, boominess, and even brightness can occursimply because they are “singing along” with your music.

Resonant CavitiesSmall alcoves or closet type areas in your room can bechambers that create their own “standing waves” and candrum their own “one-note” sounds.

Clap your hands. Can you hear an instant echo respondback? You have near-field reflections. Stomp your foot onthe floor. Can you hear a “boom”? You have standingwaves or large panel resonances such as a poorly support-ed wall. Put your head in a small cavity area and talkloudly. Can you hear a booming? You’ve just experienceda cavity resonance.

Rules of Thumb

Hard vs. Soft SurfacesIf the front or back wall of your listening room is soft, itmight benefit you to have a hard or reflective wall inopposition. The ceiling and floor should follow the samebasic guideline as well. However, the side walls should beroughly the same in order to deliver a focused image.

This rule suggests that a little reflection is good. As a matterof fact, some rooms can be so “over damped” with carpeting,drapes and sound absorbers that the music system cansound dull and lifeless. On the other hand, rooms can beso hard that the system can sound like a gymnasium withtoo much reflection and brightness. The point is that balanceis the optimum environment.

Breakup ObjectsObjects with complex shapes, such as bookshelves, cabi-netry and multiple-shaped walls can help break up thosesonic gremlins and diffuse any dominant frequencies.

Solid CouplingYour loudspeaker system generates frequency vibrations orwaves into the room. This is how it creates sound. Thesevibrations vary from 20 per second to 20,000 per second.

ROOM ACOUSTICS

Your Room

If your speaker system is not securely planted on the flooror solid surface, it can shake as it produces sound and,consequently, the sound can be compromised. If yourspeaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot gliders areused, the bass can be ill defined and even boomy. The useof spikes is recommended to insure secured footing foryour speakers. (See Solid Footing, this page, for spike infor-mation and installation instructions).

Dipolar Speakers and Your Room

MartinLogan electrostatic loudspeakers are dipolar radia-tors. This means that they produce sound from both theirfronts and their backs. Consequently, musical informationis reflected by the wall behind them and may arrive eitherin or out of step with the information produced by thefront of the speaker.

The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled bythe position from the front wall. Your Clarity’s have beendesigned to be placed two to three feet from the front wall(the wall in front of the listening position) to obtain thebest results; however, your room may see things differently.So listening to the difference of the bass response as aresult of the changes in distance from the front wall canallow you to get the best combination of depth of bass andtonal balance.

Now that you know about reflective surfaces and resonantobjects, you can see how the midrange and high frequenciescan be affected. The timing of the initial wave as it radiatesto your ears, and then the reflected information as it arrivesat your ears later in time, can result in confusion of the pre-cious timing information that carries the clues to imaging.Consequently the result is blurred imaging and excessivebrightness. Soft walls, curtains, wall hangings, or sounddampeners can be effective if these negative conditionsoccur (your dealer can give you good information here).

After living and experimenting with your Clarity’s, you maywant to use Clarity ETC (energy transfer coupler) Spikes (seefigure 4), which are available from your local MartinLogandealer or from the Xtatic shop at www.martinlogan.com.With the use of these spikes, the Clarity will become morefirmly planted on the floor and, consequently, bass will tight-en and imaging will become more coherent and detailed.It is best not to implement the spikes, however, until youare secure in the positioning, as the spikes can damage thefloor if the speaker is moved. MartinLogan Clarity ETCspikes will fit any common 1/4” x 20 thread insert that maybe found on your other audio equipment (racks, etc.)

Spike Installation Instructions:1 Carefully lay your speaker on its side to gain access to

the bottom.

2 Remove existing feet or spikes. Thread new spikes intoholes and screw them in all of the way. If the speakerdoes not sit level loosen one spike until level is achieved.

3 Tighten the jam nut snugly by hand. Do not over tightenthe nut.

4 Right the speaker.Caution: Make sure your hands and any cabling are clearof the spikes. Do not slide speaker as spikes are sharp andcan damage your floor or carpet.

5 Adjust to level by rotating spikes. Tighten the jam nutsecurely when satisfied that speaker is level.Caution: Walking the speaker may result in a broken spike.

Figure 4. The ETC Spike.

Solid Footing

Room Acoustics 9

Your Clarity launches a 30 degree dispersion pattern whenviewed from above. This horizontal dispersion field gives achoice of good seats for the performance while minimizinginteractions with side walls (see figure 5). Make sure bothspeakers stand exactly at the same vertical angle, otherwisethe image can be skewed or poorly defined. The wavelaunch of both speakers is extremely accurate in both thetime and spectral domain. Consequently, small refinedadjustments can result in noticeable sonic improvements.

Controlled Vertical Dispersion

As you can see from the illustrations, your Clarity speakersproject a controlled dispersion pattern. Each Clarity is a26” inch line source beginning 25" inches above the base.

This vertical dispersion profile minimizes interactions withthe floor and the ceiling (see figure 6).

NACTM Dispersion

Due to dispersion limitations of small electrostatic panels,your Clarity loudspeakers are equipped with NAC (naturalambience compensation) drivers to fill in off-axis high-fre-quencies. When the NAC is active, listeners sitting on-axis inthe listening window will find the effects of the NAC virtuallyunnoticeable. Listeners sitting off-axis outside of the listeningwindow will find that high frequencies are accurately ren-dered and comparable to those provided on-axis by theClarity’s ultra-precise electrostatic driver (see figures 7 & 8).

10 Dispersion Interactions

DISPERSION INTERACTIONS

Controlled Horizontal Dispersion

Figure5. MartinLogan Clarity’s deliver a 30 degree wave launch dispersionpattern distributed horizontally.

Figure 6. Your Clarity speaker system is a 26” inch line source when viewedvertically. Actual height above the base is from 25” inches to 51” inches.

Figure 7. Horizontal dispersion effects of the NAC driver. Figure 8. Vertical dispersion effects of the NAC driver.

In the field of loudspeaker design, it is a known fact that asthe sound wave becomes progressively smaller than thetransducer producing it, the dispersion of that wavebecomes more and more narrow, or directional. This factoccurs as long as the transducer is a flat surface. Large flat-panel speakers exhibit venetian blind effects due to thisphenomenon. This is why most manufacturers opt for smalldrivers (i.e., tweeters and midrange) to approximate whatis known as a point source wave launch.

Historically, most attempts to achieve smooth dispersionfrom large flat-panel transducers resulted in trade-offs.After exhaustive testing of these different solution attempts,we found an elegantly simple, yet very difficult to executesolution. By curving the radiating surface, we create theeffect of a horizontal arc. This allows the engineers atMartinLogan to control the high frequency dispersionpattern of our transducers. That is why you see the gentlecurve on our products.

Dispersion Interactions 11

Figure 9–10. As can be seen here, point sourceconcepts invite a great deal of room interaction.While delivering good frequency response to alarge listening audience, imaging is consequentlyconfused and blurred.

Figure 11–12. Even though they suffer from“venetian blind” effect, angled multiple panelspeakers can deliver good imaging, but onlyto specific spots in the listening area.

Figure 13–14. A controlled 30-degree cylindricalwave-front, which is a MartinLogan exclusive,offers optimal sound distribution with minimalroom interaction. The result is solid imaging witha wide listening area.

Three Major Types of Dispersion

It had long been the practice of stereo buffs to connect theirtelevision to the stereo system. The advantage was the useof the larger speakers and more powerful amplifier of thestereo system. Even though the sound was greatly improved, itwas still mono and limited by the broadcast signal.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s two new home movieformats became widely available to the public: VCR andlaser disc.

By 1985, both formats had developed into very high qualityaudio/video sources. In fact, the sonic performance of somevideo formats exceeded audio-only formats. Now, withtheater-quality sound available at home, the only elementmissing was the "surround sound" presentation found inmovie houses.

Fortunately, Dolby and DTS-encoded movies (which includealmost all movies) have the same surround sound informa-tion encoded on home releases as the theater films. All thatis required to retrieve this information is a decoder andadditional speakers and amps to reproduce it.

Home theater is a complex purchase and we recommendthat you consult your local MartinLogan dealer, as they arewell versed in this subject.

Each piece of a surround system can be purchased sepa-rately. Take your time and buy quality. No one has evercomplained that the movie was too real. The following listand descriptions will give you only a brief outline of theresponsibilities and demands placed on each speaker.

Front Left and Front RightIf these speakers will be the same two used for your stereoplayback, they should be of very high quality and able toplay loudly (over 102 dB) and reproduce bass below 80 Hz.

Center ChannelThis is the most important speaker in a video system, asalmost all of the dialogue and a large portion of the frontspeaker information is reproduced by the center channel.It is important that the center speaker be designed bythe same manufacturer as the front speakers, and that it isrecommended for use as a center speaker. This is not theplace to cut corners.

Surround SpeakersWe recommend that the surround speakers play downto 80 Hz or below. The surround speakers contain theinformation that makes it appear that planes are flying overyour head. Some may suggest that this is the place to savemoney and purchase a small, inexpensive speaker. If youchoose to do so, be prepared to upgrade in the future asdiscrete six-channel digital encoding becomes availableand the demands on the surround speakers increase.

SubwooferWith any good surround system you will need a high-qualitysubwoofer (the .1, in a 5.1 channel surround system). Mostmovie soundtracks contain large amounts of bass informa-tion as part of the special effects. Good subwoofers willprovide a foundation for the rest of the system.

12 Home Theater

HOME THEATER

Figure 15. Clarity speakers as front channels, the Cinema i as the centerchannel, Clarity speakers as side surround (effects) channels and Depthsubwoofers as the .1 (LFE) channel.

Home Theater

How can sound be reproduced by something that you areable to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this possible.

The world of traditional loudspeaker technology deals withcones, domes, diaphragms and ribbons that are moved withmagnetism. The world of electrostatic loudspeakers deals withcharged electrons attracting and repelling each other.

To fully understand the electrostatic concept, some back-ground information will be helpful. Remember when youlearned in a science or physics class that like charges repeleach other and opposite charges attract each other? Well,this principle is the foundation of the electrostatic concept.

An electrostatic transducer consists of three pieces: thestators, the diaphragm and the spacers (see figure 16). Thediaphragm is what actually moves to excite the air andcreate music. The stator’s job is to remain stationary, hencethe word stator, and to provide a reference point for themoving diaphragm. The spacers provide the diaphragmwith a fixed distance in which to move between the stators.

As your amplifier sends music signals to an electrostaticspeaker, these signals are changed into two high-voltagesignals that are equal in strength but opposite in polarity.These high voltage signals are then applied to the stators.The resulting electrostatic field, created by the opposinghigh voltage on the stators, works simultaneously withand against the diaphragm, consequently moving it backand forth, producing music. This technique is known aspush-pull operation and is a major contributor to the sonic

purity of the electrostatic concept due to its exceptionallinearity and low distortion.

Since the diaphragm of an electrostatic speaker is uniformlydriven over its entire area, it can be extremely light andflexible. This allows it to be very responsive to transients,thus perfectly tracing the music signal. As a result, greatdelicacy, nuance and clarity are possible. When you lookat the problems of traditional electromagnetic drivers, youcan easily see why this is so beneficial. The cones anddomes which are used in traditional electromagneticdrivers cannot be driven uniformly because of their design.Cones are driven only at the apex. Domes are driven attheir perimeter. As a result, the rest of the cone or domeis just “along for the ride”. The very concept of thesedrivers requires that the cone or dome be perfectly rigid,damped and massless. Unfortunately, these conditions arenot available in our world today.

To make these cones and domes move, all electromagneticdrivers must use voice coils wound on formers, spiderassemblies and surrounds to keep the cone or dome inposition (see figure 17). These pieces, when combinedwith the high mass of the cone or dome materials used,make it an extremely complex unit with many weaknessesand potential for failure. These faults contribute to thehigh distortion products found in these drivers and is atremendous disadvantage when you are trying to changemotion as quickly and as accurately as a loudspeakermust (40,000 times per second!).

ELECTROSTATIC ADVANTAGES

Electrostatic Advantages 13

Figure 16. Cut away view of an electrostatic transducer. Notice the sim-plicity due to minimal parts usage.

Figure 17. Cut away view of a typical moving coil driver. Notice the com-plexity due to the high number of parts.

Electrostatic Advantages

ESLPanel

Critical Zone: 500Hz–20kHz

The most significant advantage of MartinLogan’s exclusivetransducer technology reveals itself when you look at exam-ples of other loudspeaker products on the market today.

The Clarity uses no crossover networks above 450 Hzbecause they are not needed. The Clarity consists of a single,seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all frequenciesabove 450 Hz simultaneously. How is this possible?

First we must understand that music is not composed ofseparate high, mid and low frequency pieces. In fact,music is comprised of a single complex waveform with allfrequencies interacting simultaneously.

The electrostatic transducer of the Clarity essentially acts asan exact opposite of the microphones used to record theoriginal event. A microphone, which is a single workingelement, transforms acoustic energy into an electrical signalthat can be amplified or preserved by some type of storagemedia. The Clarity’s electrostatic transducer transformselectrical energy from your amplifier into acoustical energy.

Due to the limitations of electromagnetic drivers, nosingle unit can reproduce the full range of frequencies.Instead, these drivers must be designed to operate within

a narrow, fixed bandwidth of the frequency range, and thencombined electrically so that the sum of the parts equalsthe total signal. While nice in theory, we must deal withreal-world conditions.

In order to use multiple drivers, a crossover network isenlisted to attempt a division of the complex musical signalinto the separate pieces (usually highs, mids, and lows) thateach specific driver was designed to handle. Unfortunately,due to the phase relationships that occur within all crossovernetworks and during the acoustical recombination process,nonlinearities and severe degradation of the music signaltake place in the ear’s most critical zone (see figure 18).

The Clarity’s electrostatic transducer can single-handedlyreproduce all frequencies above 450 Hz simultaneously.You have in one transducer the ability to handle in elegantsimplicity the critical frequencies above 450 Hz.

The crossover phase aberrations that are associated withtraditional tweeter, midrange, and woofer systems areeliminated. The result is a dramatic improvement in imagingand staging performance due to the minutely accurate phaserelationship of the full-range panel wave launch.

Tweeter

Midrange

Woofer

Conventional Loudspeaker MartinLogan Clarity

Figure 18. This diagram illustrates how a conventionalspeaker system must use multiple crossover networksthat have negative effects on the musical performance.

Full Range Operation

crossover point (2–5kHz)

crossover point (450Hz)crossover point (100–500Hz)

14 Electrostatic Advantages

Woofer

Since the beginning of audio, achieving smooth dispersionhas been a problem for all loudspeaker designers. Largepanel transducers present even more of a challenge becausethe larger the panel, the more directional the dispersionpattern becomes.

Full range electrostats have long been one of the most prob-lematic transducers because they attain their full rangecapabilities via a large surface area. It looked as if they werein direct conflict to smooth dispersion and almost everyattempt to correct this resulted in either poor dispersion ora serious compromise in sound quality.

After extensive research, MartinLogan engineers discoveredan elegantly simple solution to achieve a smooth patternof dispersion without degrading sound quality. By curvingthe horizontal plane of the electrostatic transducer, acontrolled horizontal dispersion pattern could be achieved,yet the purity of the almost massless electrostatic diaphragmremained uncompromised. After creating this technology,MartinLogan developed the production capability to bring itout of the laboratory and into the market place.

You will find this proprietary MartinLogan technology usedin all of our products. It is one of the many reasons behindour reputation for high quality sound with practical usability.This is also why you see the unique “see through” cylindricalshape of all MartinLogan products.

MicroPerfTM Stator

The MicroPerf stator design reduces the size of individualholes in a stator, allowing more openings per square inchthan a standard MartinLogan stator. This maximizes efficien-cy and dispersion of small stat panels and also increasesoptical clarity. In addition, the tighter grid of holes permitsthe MicroPerf stator to drive the diaphragm very uniformly.

The diaphragm in the Clarity employs an extremely sophis-ticated conductive coating that has been applied to thepolymer surface at an atomic level using a plasma bondingprocess involving an oxygen free argon chamber. This processallows extremely uniform surface resistivity characteristics,an optically transparent surface and adds no mass to thediaphragm. This uniform surface resistivity controls theelectrostatic charge on the diaphragm surface and regulatesits migration. As a result, no discharging or “arcing” occurs.

Transducer Integrity

All MartinLogan transducers begin with two pieces of high-grade, cold rolled steel. These steel pieces are then customperforated and insulated with a unique composite coating.This proprietary coating insulates the stator to three timesits actual needed working voltage and gives the Clarity awide margin of safe operation. In addition to the electricalinsulation properties, this coating also provides the Claritywith a durable, attractive finish that dampens the steel toprevent ringing. These pieces then sandwich a proprietarydiaphragm and spacers into a curved geometry, and bondtogether with aerospace adhesives whose strength exceedsthat of welding.The result of these advanced technologiesis a transducer that is attractive, durable, highly rigid, welldampened, and neutral.

Low Voltage DC

To eliminate the need for a traditional IEC power cord andbroaden ease of installation, especially for custom installers,the Clarity features a low-voltage DC power supply.

NACTM

NAC (natural ambience compensation) reveals larger-than-life sound by eliminating dispersion problems inherent tosmall electrostatic transducers. By expanding off-axis high-frequency dispersion, Clarity assures listeners of a perfectperformance no matter where they’re seated or standing.A true audiophile solution, the NAC is parallel to the signal pathand features an on/off switch to adjust for listener preference.

Curvilinear Line Source (CLSTM) Plasma Bonded Diaphragm

MartinLogan Exclusives 15

MARTINLOGAN EXCLUSIVES

16 Electrostatic Loudspeaker History

In the late 1800s, any loudspeaker was considered exotic.Today, most of us take the wonders of sound reproductionfor granted.

It was 1880 before Thomas Edison had invented the firstphonograph. This was a horn-loaded diaphragm that wasexcited by a playback stylus. In 1898, Sir Oliver Lodgeinvented a cone loudspeaker, which he referred to as a “bellowing telephone”, that was very similar to theconventional cone loudspeaker drivers that we knowtoday. However, Lodge had no intention for his device toreproduce music because in 1898 there was no way toamplify an electrical signal! As a result, his speaker hadnothing to offer over the acoustical gramophones of theperiod. It was not until 1906 that Dr. Lee DeForrest invent-ed the triode vacuum tube. Before this, an electrical signalcould not be amplified. The loudspeaker, as we know ittoday, should have ensued then, but it did not. Amazingly,it was almost twenty years before this would occur.

In 1921, the electrically cut phonograph record became areality. This method of recording was far superior to themechanically cut record and possessed almost 30 dB ofdynamic range. The acoustical gramo-phone couldn’t begin to reproduce allof the information on this new disc. Asa result, further developments in loud-speakers were needed to cope withthis amazing new recording medium.

By 1923, Bell Telephone Laboratories made the decision todevelop a complete musical playback system consisting of anelectronic phonograph and a loudspeaker to take advantageof the new recording medium. Bell Labs assigned the pro-ject to two young engineers, C.W. Rice and E.W. Kellogg.

Rice and Kellogg had a well equipped laboratory at theirdisposal. This lab possessed a vacuum tube amplifier withan unheard of 200 watts, a large selection of the newelectrically cut phonograph records and a variety ofloudspeaker prototypes that Bell Labs had been collectingover the past decade. Among these were Lodge’s cone, aspeaker that used compressed air, a corona discharge(plasma) speaker, and an electrostatic speaker.

After a short time, Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the fieldof “contestants” down to the cone and the electrostat. Theoutcome would dictate the way that future generations

would refer to loudspeakers as being either “conventional”or “exotic”.

Bell Laboratory’s electrostat was something to behold.This enormous bipolar speaker was as big as a door. Thediaphragm, which was beginning to rot, was made of apig intestine that was covered with fine gold leaf to con-duct the audio signal.

When Rice and Kellogg began playing the new electricallycut records through the electrostat, they were shockedand impressed. The electrostat performed splendidly.They had never heard instrumental timbres reproducedwith such realism. This system sounded like real musicrather than the honking, squawking rendition of theacoustic gramophone. Immediately, they knew they wereon to something big. The acoustic gramophone was des-tined to become obsolete.

Due to Rice and Kellogg’s enthusiasm, they devoted aconsiderable amount of time researching the electrostaticdesign. However, they soon encountered the same diffi-culties that even present designers face; planar speakers

require a very large surface area toreproduce the lower frequencies ofthe audio spectrum. Because themanagement at Bell Labs consideredlarge speakers unacceptable, Riceand Kellogg’s work on electrostaticswould never be put to use for a com-

mercial product. Reluctantly, they advised the Bellmanagement to go with the cone. For the next 30 years,the electrostatic design lay dormant.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, consumer audioalmost died. The new electrically amplified loudspeakernever gained acceptance, as most people continued to usetheir old Victrola-style acoustic gramophones. Prior to theend of World War II, consumer audio saw little, if any,progress. However, during the late 1940s, audio experi-enced a great rebirth. Suddenly there was tremendousinterest in audio products, and with that, a great demandfor improved audio components. No sooner had the conebecome established than it was challenged by productsdeveloped during this new rebirth.

In 1947, Arthur Janszen, a young Naval engineer, took part ina research project for the Navy. The Navy was interested in

ELECTROSTATIC LOUDSPEAKER HISTORY

Rice and Kellogg hadnarrowed the field of

“contestants” down to thecone and the electrostat.

ESL History

Electrostatic Loudspeaker History 17

developing a better instrument for testing microphonearrays. The test instrument needed an extremely accuratespeaker, but Janszen found that the cone speakers of theperiod were too nonlinear in phase and amplitude responseto meet his criteria. Janszen believed that electrostats wereinherently more linear than cones, so he built a model usinga thin plastic diaphragm treated with a conductive coating.This model confirmed Janszen’s beliefs, for it exhibitedremarkable phase and amplitude linearity.

Janszen was so excited with the resultsthat he continued research on the elec-trostatic speaker on his own time. Hesoon thought of insulating the stators toprevent the destructive effects of arcing.By 1952, he had an electrostatic tweeterelement ready for commercial produc-tion. This new tweeter soon created a sensation amongAmerican audio hobbyists. Since Janszen’s tweeter elementwas limited to high frequency reproduction, it often founditself used in conjunction with woofers—most notably,those from Acoustic Research. These systems were highlyregarded by all audio enthusiasts.

As good as these systems were, they would soon be sur-passed by another electrostatic speaker.

In 1955, Peter Walker published three articles on electrosta-tic loudspeaker design in Wireless World, a British electronicsmagazine. In these articles, Walker demonstrated the benefitsof the electrostatic loudspeaker. He explained that electro-statics permit the use of diaphragms that are low in mass,large in area and uniformly driven over their surfaces byelectrostatic forces. Due to these characteristics, electrostatshave the inherent ability to produce a wide bandwidth,flat frequency response with distortion products being nogreater than the electronics driving them.

By 1956, Walker backed up his articles by introducing aconsumer product, the now famous Quad ESL. Thisspeaker immediately set a standard of performance for theaudio industry due to its incredible accuracy. However, inactual use, the Quad had a few problems. It could not beplayed very loud, it had poor bass performance, it pre-sented a difficult load that some amplifiers did not like, itsdispersion was very directional and its power handlingwas limited to around 70 watts. As a result, many peoplecontinued to use box speakers with cones.

In the early 1960s Arthur Janszen joined forces with theKLH loudspeaker company, and together they introducedthe KLH 9. Due to the large size of the KLH 9, it did nothave as many limitations as the Quad. The KLH 9 couldplay markedly louder and lower in frequency than theQuad ESL. Thus a rivalry was born.

Janszen continued to develop electrostatic designs. Hewas instrumental in the design of the Koss Model One, the

Acoustech and the Dennesen speak-ers. Roger West, the chief designerof the JansZen Corporation, becamethe president of Sound Lab. WhenJansZen Corporation was sold, theRTR loudspeaker company boughthalf of the production tooling. Thistooling was used to make the elec-

trostatic panels for the Servostatic, a hybrid electrostaticsystem that was Infinity’s first speaker product. Othercompanies soon followed; each with their own uniqueapplications of the technology. These include Acoustat,Audiostatic, Beverage, Dayton Wright, Sound Lab and Stax,to name a few.

Electrostatic speakers have progressed and prosperedbecause they actually do what Peter Walker claimed theywould. The limitations and problems experienced in thepast were not inherent to the electrostatic concept. Theywere related to the applications of these concepts.

Today, these limitations have been addressed. Advancementsin materials due to the U.S. space program give designersthe ability to harness the superiority of the electrostaticprinciple. Today’s electrostats use advanced insulationtechniques or provide protection circuitry. The poor disper-sion properties of early models have been addressed byusing delay lines, acoustical lenses, multiple panel arraysor, as in our own products, by curving the diaphragm.Power handling and sensitivity have also been increased.

These developments allow the consumer the opportunityto own the highest performance loudspeaker products everbuilt. It’s too bad Rice and Kellogg were never able to seejust how far the technology would be taken.

These developments allowthe consumer to own the

highest performance loud-speaker products ever built.

18 Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I clean my speakers?Just use a dust free cloth or a soft brush to remove the dustfrom your speakers. We recommend a specialty cloth(available at the XStatic shop at www.martinlogan.com)that cleans your speakers better than anything else wehave tried. Do not spray any kind of cleaning agenton or in close proximity to the electrostatic element.

What is the advantage of ESL? Since the diaphragm is uniformly driven over its entiresurface—unlike a tweeter that is only driven at its edges—it is the only technology that can be made large enough toplay bass, yet is still light enough for high frequencies. Thisunique property allows for the elimination of high fre-quency crossover points and their associated distortions.

What size amplifier should I use? We recommend an amplifier with 100 to 200 watts perchannel for most applications. Probably less would beadequate for our smaller hybrids or when used in hometheater where a subwoofer is employed. Our hybriddesigns will perform well with either a tube or transistorizedamplifier, and will reveal the sonic character of eithertype. However, it is important that the amplifier be stableoperating into varying impedance loads: a stable amplifierwill be able to deliver twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohmsand should again double into 2 Ohms.

Could you suggest a list of suitable electronics andcables that would be ideal for MartinLogan speakers?

The area of electronics and cable choice is probablythe most common type of question that we receive. It isalso the most subjective. We have repeatedly foundthat brands that work well in one setup will drive someoneelse nuts in another. We use many brands with greatsuccess. Again, we have no favorites; we use electronicsand cables quite interchangeably. We would suggestlistening to a number of brands—and above all else—trust your ears. Dealers are always the best source forinformation when purchasing additional audio equipment.

Is there likely to be any interaction between my speakersand the television in my Audio/Video system?

Actually, there is less interaction between a televisionand an electrostatic speaker than between a televisionand a conventional system. However, we do recommendthat you keep your speakers at least one foot away fromthe television because of the dynamic woofer they employ.In the case of our center channel speakers, however, theyare fully shielded and can go anywhere.

Will my electric bill go ‘sky high’ by leaving my speakersplugged in all the time?

No. A pair of MartinLogans will draw about 5 watts max-imum. There is circuitry to turn off the static charge whennot in use; however, actual consumption will remain closeto the same. The primary purpose of the sensing circuitryis to prevent dust collection on the electrostatic element.

If the diaphragm is punctured with a pencil or similaritem, how extensive would the damage to the speaker be?

Our research department has literally punctured hundredsof holes in a diaphragm, neither affecting the quality ofthe sound nor causing the diaphragm to rip. However,you will be able to see the actual puncture and it canbe a physical nuisance. If this is the case, replacing theelectrostatic transducer will be the only solution.

Will exposure to sunlight affect the life or performanceof my speakers?

We recommend that you not place any loudspeaker indirect sunlight. The ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun cancause deterioration of grill cloth, speaker cones, etc. Smallexposures to UV will not cause a problem. In general,the filtering of UV rays through glass will greatly reducethe negative effects on the electrostatic membrane itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions 19

Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems withmy electrostatic speakers?

Exposure to excessive contaminants such as smokeor dust may potentially affect the performance of theelectrostatic membrane, and may cause discolorationof the diaphragm membrane. When not in use forextended periods, you should unplug the speakers andcover them with the plastic bags in which the speakerswere originally packed. It is a good idea to vacuum theelectrostatic portion of each speaker once or twice ayear. See the vacuuming FAQ.

A problem has recently developed with my MartinLoganspeakers. The right speaker seems to be hissing evenwhen the amplifier and such are not connected. I waswondering if this sounds like any problem you haveencountered previously and have a simple solution foror might it be something which will need to be lookedinto more carefully.

Your speakers are dusty. See the vacuuming FAQ. Theelectrostatic charge on the element has attracted airbornedust or pollen. Since 1993, all of our speakers have beenbuilt with a charging circuit board that only charges theelectrostatic element when music plays. At other timesthey are not charged and cannot collect dust. You can getthe same benefit by simply unplugging them wheneverthey are not in use. A power strip is an easy way to do that.

Could my children, pets, or myself be shocked by thehigh-voltage present in the electrostatic panel?

No. High voltage with low current is not dangerous. As amatter of fact, the voltage in our speakers is 10 timesless than the static electricity that builds up on the surfaceof your television screen.

How do MartinLogan speakers hold up over a long termin the humidity of tropical climates?

We should tell you that MartinLogan indeed has a verysubstantial number of customers in tropical regions ofthe world. Our speakers have been serving them nicely formany years. This concern may have come from our earlierdesign of speakers, which were charged continuously.Since 1993, all of our speakers have been designed so thatthey only charge the panel while music is being played.This improvement has made a tremendous differencein the consistent performance of our product. There maybe a little more maintenance involved in humid regionswhen not in an air conditioned environment. Simplyenough, the concern is to keep the electrostatic panelsdust free. Humidity will combine with any dust on thepanel to make it slightly conductive. This will result in aslight pathway for the charge to leave the membrane ofthe speaker. The solution is simple. They only requireoccasional vacuuming with a strong vacuum hose.

How do I vacuum my MartinLogan speakers?Vacuuming will be most effective if the speakers havebeen unplugged for six hours or overnight. You neednot worry about the vacuum pressure damaging the"delicate" membrane. It is extraordinarily durableDirt and dust may be vacuumed off with a brush attach-ment connected to your vacuum cleaner, or you mayblow them off with compressed air. .

Should I unplug my speakers during a thunderstorm? Yes, or before. It’s a good idea to disconnect all of youraudio/video components during stormy weather.

20 Troubleshooting

TROUBLESHOOTING

No Output• Check that all your system components are turned on.• Check your speaker wires and connections.• Check all interconnecting cables.

Weak Output from Electrostatic Panel, Loss of Highs• Check the power cord. Is it properly connected to the

speaker and to the wall?• Is the power cord connected to a switched outlet?• Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off. Please see

the FAQ regarding vacuuming.

Popping and Ticking Sounds, Funny Noises• These occasional noises are harmless and will not hurt

your audio system or your speakers. All electrostaticspeakers are guilty of making odd noises at one time oranother. It is the result of airborne contaminates (mostnotably dust). Vacuuming is recommended.

• These noises may be caused by dirt and dust particlescollecting on the speaker, by high humidity.

• Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off. Please seethe FAQ regarding vacuuming.

Exaggerated Highs, Brightness• Check the toe-in of the speakers. Read the Placement

section of this manual for more information.

Muddy Bass• Check placement. Try moving the speakers closer to

the front and sidewalls.• Check the type of feet that are being used. Try attaching

the coupling spikes.• Possibly means low electrostatic panel output. See 'Weak

Output from Electrostatic Panel, Loss of Highs’.

Lack of Bass, No Bass• Check your speaker wires. Is the polarity correct?• Check your speaker wires. Are both woofers working?• Check your speaker wires if bi-wiring.

Poor Imaging• Check placement. Are both speakers the same distance

from the walls? Do they have the same amount of toe-in? Try moving the speakers away from the back andsidewalls.

• Check the polarity of the speaker wires. Are they con-nected properly?

Troubleshooting

The Clarity hybrid speaker system consists of a broad-rangesingle element electrostatic transducer integrated with a quick-response woofer. This approach takes advantage of thebenefits that both technologies have to offer. Dispersion is acontrolled 30 degrees. This was achieved by curving the elec-trostatic transducer element itself, an elegantly simple solution.

System Frequency Response46–22,000 Hz ± 3 dB

DispersionHorizontal: 30 Degrees Vertical: 26” (66cm) line sourceNAC™ enhanced sound field

Sensitivity89 dB/2.83 volts/meter

ImpedanceNominal: 6 ohms,Minimum: 1.1 ohms @ 20 kHz

Crossover Frequency450 Hz

ComponentsCustom-wound audio transformer, air core coils

NAC Driver1” (2.5cm) soft dome

Woofer Type8” (20.3cm) aluminum high excursion aluminum conewith extended throw driver assembly, non-resonanceasymmetrical chamber format; bass reflex

Power Handling200 watts per channel

Recommended Amplifier Power 80–200 watts per channel

Weight31 lbs. each (14.1 kg)

Size10.2” W x 12.25” D x 53” H(25.9 cm W × 31.1 cm D × 134.6 cm H)

Your Clarity speakers are provided with an automatic Limited90 Day Warranty coverage. You have the option, at no addi-tional charge, to receive a Limited 5 Year Warranty coverage.To obtain the Limited 5 Year Warranty coverage you needto complete and return the Certificate of Registration,included with your speakers, and provide a copy of yourdealer receipt, to MartinLogan within 30 days of purchase.

MartinLogan may not honor warranty service claims unlesswe have a completed Warranty Registration card on file!

For your convenience MartinLogan also offers online warrantyregistration at www.martinlogan.com. If you did not receivea Certificate of Registration with your new Clarity speakersyou cannot be assured of having received new units. If this isthe case, please contact your authorized MartinLogan dealer.

Service

Should you be using your MartinLogan product in a countryother than the one in which it was originally purchased,we ask that you note the following:

1 The appointed MartinLogan distributor for any givencountry is responsible for warranty servicing only onunits distributed by or through it in that country inaccordance with its applicable warranty.

2 Should a MartinLogan product require servicing in acountry other than the one in which it was originallypurchased, the end user may seek to have repairs performedby the nearest MartinLogan distributor, subject to thatdistributor’s local servicing policies, but all cost ofrepairs (parts, labor, transportation) must be born by theowner of the MartinLogan product.

3 If, after owning your speakers for six months, yourelocate to a country other than the one in whichyou purchased your speakers, your warranty may betransferable. Contact MartinLogan for details.

Serial Numbers

The serial number for each of your Clarity loudspeakers islocated behind the grille cloth and above the woofer. Eachindividual speaker has a unique serial number.

General Information 21

GENERAL INFORMATION

Warranty and RegistrationSpecifications

AC. Abbreviation for alternating current.

Active crossover. Uses active devices (transistors, ICs, tubes)and some form of power supply to operate.

Amplitude. The extreme range of a signal. Usually measuredfrom the average to the extreme.

Arc. The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge.

Bass. The lowest frequencies of sound.

Bi-Amplification. Uses an electronic crossover, or line-levelpassive crossover, and separate power amplifiers for thehigh and low frequency loudspeaker drivers.

Capacitance. That property of a capacitor which determineshow much charge can be stored in it for a given potentialdifference between its terminals, measured in farads, bythe ratio of the charge stored to the potential difference.

Capacitor. A device consisting of two or more conductingplates separated from one another by an insulating materialand used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes calleda condenser.

Clipping. Distortion of a signal by its being chopped off. Anoverload problem caused by pushing an amplifier beyond itscapabilities. The flat-topped signal has high levels of harmon-ic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is themajor cause of loudspeaker component failure.

CLS. The abbreviation for curvilinear linesource.

Crossover. An electrical circuit that divides a full bandwidthsignal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeakercomponents.

dB (decibel). A numerical expression of the relative loud-ness of a sound. The difference in decibels between twosounds is ten times the Base 10 logarithm of the ratio oftheir power levels.

DC. Abbreviation for direct current.

Diffraction. The breaking up of a sound wave caused bysome type of mechanical interference such as a cabinetedge, grill frame or other similar object.

Diaphragm. A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibratesin response to electrical signals to produce sound waves.

Distortion. Usually referred to in terms of total harmonicdistortion (THD) which is the percentage of unwantedharmonics of the drive signal present with the wanted signal.Generally used to mean any unwanted change introducedby the device under question.

Driver. See transducer.

Dynamic Range. The range between the quietest and theloudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB).

Efficiency. The acoustic power delivered for a given electricalinput. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m).

ESL. The abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker.

Headroom. The difference, in decibels, between the peakand RMS levels in program material.

Hybrid. A product created by the marriage of two differenttechnologies. Meant here as the combination of a dynamicwoofer with an electrostatic transducer.

Hz (Hertz). Unit of frequency equivalent to the number ofcycles per second.

Imaging. To make a representation or imitation of the originalsonic event.

Impedance. The total opposition offered by an electric circuitto the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency. Itis a combination of resistance and reactance and is measuredin ohms. Remember that a speaker’s impedance changeswith frequency, it is not a constant value.

22 Glossary of Audio Terms

GLOSSARY OF AUDIO TERMS

Glossary of Audio Terms

Inductance. The property of an electrical circuit by which avarying current in it produces a varying magnetic field thatintroduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby circuit.It is measured in henrys.

Inductor. A device designed primarily to introduce inductanceinto an electrical circuit. Sometimes called a choke or coil.

Linearity. The extent to which any signal handling processis accomplished without amplitude distortion.

Midrange. The middle frequencies where the ear is themost sensitive.

NAC. The abbreviation for natural ambience compensation.

Passive crossover. Uses no active components (transistors,ICs, tubes) and needs no power supply (AC, DC, battery)to operate. The crossover in a typical loudspeaker is of thepassive variety. Passive crossovers consist of capacitors,inductors and resistors.

Phase. The amount by which one sine wave leads or lags asecond wave of the same frequency. The difference isdescribed by the term phase angle. Sine waves in phasereinforce each other; those out of phase cancel.

Pink noise. A random noise used in measurements, as ithas the same amount of energy in each octave.

Polarity. The condition of being positive or negative withrespect to some reference point or object.

RMS. Abbreviation for root mean square. The effective valueof a given waveform is its RMS value. Acoustic power isproportional to the square of the RMS sound pressure.

Resistance. That property of a conductor by which it opposesthe flow of electric current, resulting in the generation ofheat in the conducting material, usually expressed in ohms.

Resistor. A device used in a circuit to provide resistance.

Resonance. The effect produced when the natural vibra-tion frequency of a body is greatly amplified by reinforcingvibrations at the same or nearly the same frequency fromanother body.

Sensitivity. The volume of sound delivered for a given elec-trical input.

Stator. The fixed part forming the reference for the movingdiaphragm in a planar speaker.

THD. The abbreviation for total harmonic distortion. (SeeDistortion)

TIM. The abbreviation for transient intermodulation distortion.

Transducer. Any of various devices that transmit energy fromone system to another, sometimes one that converts theenergy in form. Loudspeaker transducers convert electricalenergy into mechanical motion.

Transient. Applies to that which lasts or stays but a shorttime. A change from one steady-state condition to another.

Tweeter. A small drive unit designed to reproduce onlyhigh frequencies.

Wavelength. The distance measured in the direction ofprogression of a wave, from any given point characterizedby the same phase.

White noise. A random noise used in measurements, as ithas the same amount of energy at each frequency.

Woofer. A drive unit operating in the bass frequencies only.Drive units in two-way systems are not true woofers butare more accurately described as being mid/bass drivers.

Glossary of Audio Terms 23

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