MartinLogan Odyssey Manual
Contents
1. Horizontal Passive Bi Amplification Horizontal bi amping allows you to use two different types models or brands of amplifiers i e tubes on top transistor on the bottom However we recommend that you use two identical amplifiers i e same brand and model If you must use two different amplifiers it is essential that they have the same gain or that one of the two have adjustable gain so that you can match their gain characteristics If the Single Wire Connection Passive Bi Amplification Figure 2 Single Wire Connection One Channel shown Amplifier Jumper clips in place full range speaker output ESL Woofer Bass Control 3dB flat Figure 3 Bi Wire Connection One Channel shown Amplifier speaker output Jumper clips removed ESL Woofer ODYSSEY TM Bass Control 3dB flat 6 Operations amplifiers of choice do not have the same gain charac teristics then a sonic imbalance will occur With horizontal bi amping one amplifier drives the high pass ESL section while the second amplifier drives the low pass WOOFER section To horizontally bi amp your Odysseys you must loosen the binding posts and remove the jumper clips Connect the low frequency amplifier to the lower set of binding posts of both speakers Connect the high frequency amplifier to the upper set of binding posts Next connect the left and right preamplifier outputs to the appropriate left and right inputs of both ampli2. ROOM ACOUSTICS Your Room on the floor or solid surface it can shake as it produces sound and consequently the sound can be compro mised If your speaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot gliders are used the bass can be ill defined and even boomy The use of spikes is recommended to insure secured footing for your speakers See Solid Footing for spike information and installation instructions Dipolar Speakers and Your Room MartinLogan electrostatic loudspeakers are known as dipolar radiators This means that they produce sound from both their fronts and their backs Consequently musical infor mation is reflected by the wall behind them and may arrive either in or out of step with the information produced by the front of the speaker In a typical speaker system the low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled by the position from the front wall Listening to the difference of the bass response as a result of the changes in distance from the front wall will allow you to get the best combination of depth of bass and tonal balance Now that you know about reflective surfaces and resonant objects you can see how the midrange and high frequencies can be affected The timing of the initial wave as it radiates to your ears and then the reflected information as it arrives at your ears later in time can result in confusion of the precious timing information that carries the clues to imaging Consequently the resul
3. Historically most attempts to achieve smooth dispersion from 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 execute solution By curving the radiating surface we create the effect of a horizontal arc This allows the engineers at MartinLogan to control the high frequency dispersion pattern of our transducers That is why you see the gentle curve on our products 12 Dispersion Interactions DISPERSION INTERACTIONS Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Three Major Types of Dispersion Figure 7 MartinLogan Odysseys deliver a 30 degree wave launch disper sion pattern distributed horizontally Figure 8 Your Odyssey speaker system is a 48 inch line source when viewed vertically Actual height above floor is from 16 inches to 64 inches Dispersion Interactions 13 Figure 9 10 As can be seen here point source concepts invite a great deal of room interaction While delivering good frequency response to a large listening audience imaging is consequently confused and blurred Figure 11 12 Even though they suffer from venetian blind effect angled multiple panel speakers can deliver good imaging but only to specific spots in the listening area Figure 13 14 A controlled 30 degree cylindrical wave front which is a MartinLogan exclusive offers optimal sound distribution with minimal room interac
4. and cannot collect dust You can get the same benefit by simply unplugging them whenever they are not in use An easy way to do that is with a power strip that has a switch Could my children pets or myself be shocked by the high voltage present in the electrostatic panel No High voltage with low current is not dangerous As a matter of fact the voltage in our speakers is 10 times less than the static electricity that builds up on the surface of your television screen How do MartinLogan speakers hold up over a long term in the humidity of tropical climates We should tell you that MartinLogan indeed has a very substantial number of customers in tropical regions of the world Our speakers have been serving them nicely for many years This concern may have come from our earlier design of speakers which were charged continuously Since 1993 all of our speakers have been designed so that they only charge the panel while music is being played This improvement has made a tremendous difference in the consistent performance of our product There may be a little more maintenance involved in humid regions when not in an air conditioned environment Simply enough the concern is to keep the electrostatic panels dust free Humidity will combine with any dust on the panel to make it slightly conductive This will result in a slight pathway for the charge to leave the membrane of the speaker The solution is simple They only require occasional va
5. but all cost of repairs parts labor transportation must be born by the owner of the MartinLogan product 3 If after owning your speakers for six months you relocate to a country other than the one in which you purchased your speakers your warranty may be transferable Contact MartinLogan for details General Information 23 GENERAL INFORMATION Warranty and Registration Specifications 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 measured from 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 level passive crossover and separate power amplifiers for the high and low frequency loudspeaker drivers Capacitance That property of a capacitor which determines how much charge can be stored in it for a given potential difference between its terminals measured in farads by the ratio of the charge stored to the potential difference Capacitor A device consisting of two or more conducting plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge Sometimes called a condenser Clipping Distortion of a signal by its being chopped off An overload problem caused by pushing an amplifier beyond it
6. the rear panel Be consistent when connecting speaker leads to the terminals on the back of the Odyssey take great care to assign the same color to the terminal on both the left and right channels If bass is nonexistent and you cannot discern a tight coherent image you may need to reverse the and leads on one side to bring the system into proper polarity For Bi wiring Passive Bi amping instructions turn to the Operations section Page 5 7 of this manual for proper setup of the Odyssey system Step 5 Listen and Enjoy Now you may turn on your system and enjoy The lightning bolt flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance INTRODUCTION AND ASSEMBLY Congratulations You have invested in one of the world s premier loudspeaker systems The MartinLogan Odyssey represents the culmination of an intensive dedicated group research program directed toward establishing a world class reference monitor utilizing leading edge technology without compromising durability reliability craftsmanship or aesthetic d
7. Operation MartinLogan Exclusives 17 Curvilinear Line Source Bass Control System Vapor Deposited Film Transducer Integrity Electrostatic Loudspeaker History 18 Frequently Asked Questions 20 Troubleshooting 22 General Information 23 Specifications Warranty and Registration Service Glossary of Audio Terms 24 Notes 26 Installation in Brief 3 INSTALLATION IN BRIEF We know you are eager to hear your new Odyssey loud speakers so this section is provided to allow fast and easy set up Once you have them operational please take the time to read in depth the rest of the information in this manual It will give you perspective on how to attain the greatest possible performance from this most exacting transducer If you should experience any difficulties in the setup or oper ation of your Odyssey speakers please refer to the Room Acoustics Placement or Operation sections of this manual Should you encounter a persistent problem that cannot be resolved please contact your authorized MartinLogan dealer They will provide you with the appropriate technical analysis to alleviate the situat
8. coated with a special polymer that is applied via a proprietary electrostatic deposition process This panel assembly houses a membrane just 0 0005 of an inch thick Ruggedly constructed and insulated as much as 250 watts of continuous power has driven the Odyssey s energized diaphragm into massive excursions with no deleterious effects The other sections of your User s Manual will explain in detail the operation of your Odyssey speakers and the philosophy applied to their design A clear understanding of your speakers will insure that you obtain maximum performance and pleasure from this most exacting transducer It has been designed and constructed to give you years of trouble free listening enjoyment Assembling the Odyssey The Odyssey comes with easy to install woofer grille covers To install the grilles just line them up with the Odyssey and carefully push the grilles into place see figure 1 Introduction Figure 1 Assembling the Odyssey 4 Introduction OPERATION Operation 5 Because your MartinLogan Odysseys use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells with high voltage DC they must be connected to an AC power source For this reason they are provided with the proper IEC standard power cords These cords should be firmly inserted into the AC power receptacles on the rear connection panel of the speakers then to any convenient AC wall outlet The Odysseys integrate a signal sensing power
9. experiment with their positioning until you find the optimal relationship between your room and speaker system that gives to you the best results Your efforts will be rewarded 10 Room Acoustics This is one of those areas that requires both a little back ground to understand and some time and experimentation to attain the best performance from your system Your room is actually a component and an important part of your system This component is a very large variable and can dramatically add to or subtract from a great musical experience All sound is composed of waves Each note has its own wave size with the lower bass notes literally encompassing from 10 feet to as much as 40 feet Your room participates in this wave experience like a three dimensional pool with waves reflecting and becoming enhanced depending on the size of the room and the types of surfaces in the room Remember your audio system can literally generate all of the information required to recreate a musical event in time 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 better speaker manufacturers have designed their systems to accommodate this phenomenon Let s talk about a few important terms before we begin Terminology Standing Waves The parallel walls in your room will reinforce certain notes to the point that they will sound loude
10. next few days as the speaker system itself will change subtly in its sound Over the first 40 hours of play the actual tonal quality will change slightly with deeper bass and more spacious highs resulting After a few days of listening you can begin to make refinements and hear the differences of those refinements The Wall Behind the Listener Near field reflections can also occur from your back wall the wall behind the listening position If your listening position is close to the back wall these reflections can cause problems and confuse the quality of imaging Actually it is better for the wall behind you to be soft than to be bright If you have a hard back wall and your listening position is close to it experiment with devices that will soften and absorb information i e wall hangings and possibly even sound absorbing panels The Wall Behind the Speakers The front surface the wall behind your speakers should not be extremely hard or soft For instance a pane of glass will cause reflections brightness and confused imaging Curtains drapery and objects such as bookshelves can be placed along the wall to soften a hard surface A standard sheet rock or textured wall is generally an adequate surface if the rest of the room is not too bright and hard Sometimes walls can be too soft If the entire front wall consists of only heavy drapery your system can sound too soft or dull You may hear dull muted music with little ambie
11. our own products by curving the diaphragm Power handling and sensitivity have also been increased These developments allow the consumer the opportunity to own the highest performance loudspeaker products ever built It s too bad Rice and Kellogg were never able to see just how far the technology would be taken These developments allow the consumer to own the highest performance loud speaker products ever built 20 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 dust from your speakers We recommend a specialty cloth available through the XStatic shop at www martinlogan com that cleans your speakers better than anything else we have ever tried Do not spray any kind of cleaning agent on or in close proximity to the electrostatic element What is the advantage of ESL Since the polyester film diaphragm is uniformly driven over its entire surface unlike a tweeter that is only driven at its edges it is the only technology that can be made large enough to play bass yet is still light enough for high frequencies This unique property allows for the elimination of high frequency crossover points and their associated distortions What size of an amplifier should I use We recommend an amplifier with 100 to 200 watts per channel for most applications Probably less would be adequate for our smaller hybrids or when used in home theater
12. second set of wires to the lower binding posts which connect to the woofer Next connect both sets of wires to the appropriate terminals on your amplifier Please take care to connect both wires to the ampli fier terminals and both wires to the amplifier terminals This is known as a parallel connection See Figure 3 For those that desire ultimate performance the Odyssey may be passively bi amplified using the existing internal pas sive crossover elements WARNING Only after the jumper clips are removed may you connect individual runs of speaker cable from your amplifiers to the high pass ESL and low pass WOOFER Signal Input binding posts Damage will occur to your ampli fiers if the jumper clips are not removed This method takes the bi wiring concept one step further Now you will have a dedicated channel of amplification directly connected to the high and low pass sections of the Odyssey crossover There are two different methods for bi amping with two stereo amplifiers The first and most common is referred to as Horizontal Bi amping The second method is referred to as Vertical Bi amping With either method you may use two stereo amplifiers or four mono amplifiers or two mono amplifiers and one stereo amplifier Get the idea With either form of passive bi amplification your preamplifier must have dual outputs If your pream plifier is not so equipped you must either purchase or construct a Y adapter
13. the stators works simultaneously with and against the diaphragm consequently moving it back and forth producing music This technique is known as push pull operation and is a major contributor to the sonic purity of the electrostatic concept due to its exceptional linearity and low distortion Since the diaphragm of an electrostatic speaker is uniformly driven over its entire area it can be extremely light and flexible This allows it to be very responsive to transients thus perfectly tracing the music signal As a result great delicacy nuance and clarity is possible When you look at the problems of traditional electromagnetic drivers you can easily see why this is so beneficial The cones and domes which are used in traditional electromagnetic drivers cannot be driven uniformly because of their design Cones are driven only at the apex Domes are driven at their perimeter As a result the rest of the cone or dome is just along for the ride The very concept of these drivers requires that the cone or dome be perfectly rigid damped and massless Unfortunately these conditions are not available in our world today To make these cones and domes move all electromagnetic drivers must use voice coils wound on formers spider assemblies and surrounds to keep the cone or dome in position See Figure 16 These pieces when combined with the high mass of the cone or dome materials used make it an extremely complex unit with many we
14. where a subwoofer is employed Our hybrid designs will perform well with either a tube or transistorized amplifier and will reveal the sonic character of either type However it is important that the amplifier be stable operating into varying impedance loads a stable amplifier will be able to deliver twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohms and should again double into 2 Ohms Could you suggest a list of suitable electronics and cables that would be ideal for MartinLogan speakers The area of electronics and cable choice is probably the most common type of question that we receive It is also the most subjective We have repeatedly found that brands that work well in one setup will drive someone else nuts in another We use many brands with great success Again we have no favorites we use electronics and cables quite interchangeably We would suggest listening to a number of brands and above all else trust your ears Dealers are always the best source for information when purchasing additional audio equipment Is there likely to be any interaction between my speakers and the television in my Audio Video system Actually there is less interaction between a television and an electrostatic speaker than between a television and a conventional system However we do recommend that you keep your speakers at least one foot away from the television because of the dynamic woofer they employ In the case of our center channel speakers however they
15. O D Y S S E 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 M A R T I N L O G A N 2 Contents CONTENTS Contents 2 Installation in Brief 3 Introduction 4 Assembly 4 Operation 5 AC Power Connection Signal Connection Break In Jumper Clips Single Wire Connection Bi Wire Connection Passive Bi Amplification Bass Control Switch Placement 8 Listening Position The Wall Behind the Listener The Wall Behind the Speakers The Side Walls Experimentation Final Placement The Extra Tweak Enjoy Yourself Room Acoustics 10 Your Room Terminology Rules of Thumb Dipolar Speakers and Your Room Solid Footing Dispersion Interactions 12 Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Controlled Vertical Dispersion Three Major Types of Dispersion Home Theater 14 Electrostatic Advantages 15 Full Range
16. aknesses and potential for failure These faults contribute to the high distortion products found in these drivers and is a tremendous disadvantage when you are trying to change motion as quickly and as accurately as a loudspeaker must 40 000 times per second ELECTROSTATIC ADVANTAGES Electrostatic Advantages 15 Figure 15 Cut away view of an electrostatic transducer Notice the simplicity due to minimal parts usage Figure 16 Cut away view of a typical moving coil driver Notice the complexity due to the high number of parts ESL Panel Critical Zone 250Hz 20kHz The most significant advantage of MartinLogan s exclusive transducer technology reveals itself when you look at examples of other loudspeaker products on the market today The Odyssey uses no crossover networks above 250 Hz because they are not needed The Odyssey consists of a single seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing fre quencies above 250Hz simultaneously How s this possible First we must understand that music is not composed of separate high mid and low frequency pieces In fact music is comprised of a single complex waveform with all frequencies interacting simultaneously The electrostatic transducer of the Odyssey essentially acts as an exact opposite of the microphones used to record the original event A microphone which is a single working element transforms acoustic energy into an electrical signal that can be amplified or preserved b
17. alance for your specific taste room and equipment Figure 4 Horizontal passive bi amplification One Channel shown High Amplifier speaker output Low Amplifier speaker output ESL Woofer Jumper clips removed ODYSSEY TM Bass Control 3dB flat Figure 5 Vertical passive bi amplification One Channel shown Left Channel Amplifier speaker output ESL Woofer Jumper clips removed ODYSSEY TM Bass Control 3dB flat Operation 7 8 Placement PLACEMENT By now your speakers should be placed approximately two to three feet from the front wall the wall in front of the listening position and at least one to two feet from the side walls Your sitting distance should be further than the distance between the speakers themselves What you are trying to attain is the impression of good center imaging and stage width There is no exact distance between speakers and listener but there is a relationship In long rooms naturally that relationship changes The distance between the speakers will be far less than the distance from you to the speaker system However in a wide room you will still find that if the distance from the listener to the speakers becomes smaller than the distance between the speakers themselves the image will no longer focus in the center Now that you have positioned your speaker system spend some time listening Wait to make any major changes in your initial setup for the
18. are fully shielded and can go anywhere Will my electric bill go sky high by leaving my speak ers plugged in all the time No A pair of MartinLogans will draw about 5 watts maximum There is some circuitry to turn off the static charge when not in use however the actual consumption will remain close to the same The primary purpose of the sensing circuitry is to prevent dust collection on the electrostatic element If the diaphragm is punctured with a pencil stick or similar item how extensive would the damage to the speaker be Our research department has literally punctured hundreds of holes in a diaphragm neither affecting the quality of the sound nor causing the diaphragm to rip However you will be able to see the actual puncture and it can be a physical nuisance If this is the case replacing the electrostatic transducer will be the only solution Will exposure to sunlight affect the life or performance of my speakers We recommend that you not place any loudspeaker in direct sunlight as the ultraviolet UV rays from the sun can cause deterioration of grill cloth speaker cones etc Small exposures to UV will not cause a problem In general the filtering of UV rays through glass will greatly reduce the negative effects on the electrostatic membrane itself Frequently Asked Questions 21 Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems with my electrostatic speakers Exposure to excessive contaminants such as smok
19. at is attractive durable highly rigid well dampened and neutral Curvilinear Line Source CLSTM MartinLogan Exclusives 17 MARTINLOGAN EXCLUSIVES 18 Electrostatic Loudspeaker History In the late 1800s any loudspeaker was considered exotic Today most of us take the wonders of sound reproduction for granted It was 1880 before Thomas Edison had invented the first phonograph This was a horn loaded diaphragm that was excited by a playback stylus In 1898 Sir Oliver Lodge invented a cone loudspeaker which he referred to as a bellowing telephone that was very similar to the conventional cone loudspeaker drivers that we know today However Lodge had no intention for his device to reproduce music because in 1898 there was no way to amplify an electrical signal As a result his speaker had nothing to offer over the acoustical gramophones of the period It was not until 1906 that Dr Lee DeForrest invented the triode vacuum tube Before this an electrical signal could not be amplified The loudspeaker as we know it today 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 a reality This method of recording was far superior to the mechanically cut record and possessed almost 30 dB of dynamic range The acoustical gramo phone couldn t begin to reproduce all of the information on this new disc As a result furthe
20. ay markedly louder and lower in frequency than the Quad ESL Thus a rivalry was born Janszen continued to develop electro static designs He was instrumental in the design of the Koss Model One the Acoustech and the Dennesen speakers Roger West the chief designer of the JansZen Corporation became the president of Sound Lab When JansZen Corporation was sold the RTR loudspeaker company bought half of the production tooling This tooling was used to make the electrostatic panels for the Servostatic a hybrid electrostatic system that was Infinity s first speaker product Other companies soon followed each with their own unique applications of the technology These include Acoustat Audiostatic Beverage Dayton Wright Sound Lab and Stax to name a few Electrostatic speakers have progressed and prospered because they actually do what Peter Walker claimed they would The limitations and problems experienced in the past were not inherent to the electrostatic concept They were related to the applications of these concepts Today these limitations have been addressed Advancements in materials due to the U S space program give designers the ability to harness the superiority of the electrostatic principle Today s electrostats use advanced insulation techniques or provide protection circuitry The poor dispersion properties of early models have been addressed by using delay lines acoustical lenses multiple panel arrays or as in
21. cuuming with a strong vacuum hose You will have best results when the speakers have been unplugged for six hours or overnight We are confident that they will serve you very well Should I unplug my speakers during a thunderstorm Yes or before It s a good idea to disconnect all of your audio video components during stormy weather 22 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 Loss of Highs Check the power cord Is it properly connected to the speaker Exaggerated Highs Brightness Check the toe in of the speakers Read Placement pages 10 11 for more information Muddy Bass Check placement Try moving the speakers closer to the front and side walls Check the type of feet that are being used Try attaching the coupling spikes Lack of Bass or Too Much Bass Check your speaker wires Is the polarity correct Are both woofers playing Check the bass control switch is it set to flat 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 and side walls Check the polarity of the speaker wires Are they connected properly Popping and Ticking Sounds Funny Noises These occasional noises are harmless and will not hurt your audio sy
22. ds placed on each speaker Front Left and Front Right If these speakers will also be the same two used for your stereo playback then they should be of very high quality and able to play loud over 102 dB and reproduce bass below 80 Hz Center Channel This is the most important speaker in a video system as almost all of the dialogue and a large portion of the front speaker information is reproduced by the center channel It is important that the center speaker be designed by the same manufacturer as the front speakers and that it is recommended for use as a center speaker This is not the place to cut corners Surround Speakers We recommend that the surround speakers play down to 80 Hz or below The surround speakers contain the information that makes it appear that planes are flying over your head Some may suggest that this is the place to save money and purchase a small inexpensive speaker If you choose to do so be prepared to upgrade in the future as discrete six channel digital encoding becomes available and the demands on the surround speakers increase Subwoofer With any good surround system you will need a high quality subwoofer the 1 in a 5 1 channel surround system Most movie soundtracks contain large amounts of bass information as part of the special effects Good subwoofers will provide a foundation for the rest of the system 14 Home Theater Figure 14 Odyssey speakers as front channels MartinLogan Theater a
23. e or dust may potentially affect the performance of the electrostatic membrane and may cause discoloration of the diaphragm membrane When not in use for extended periods you should unplug the speakers and cover them with the plastic bags in which the speakers were originally packed It is a good idea to vacuum the electrostatic portion of each speaker once or twice a year This will be most effective if the speaker has been unplugged for six hours or overnight You need not worry about the vacuum pressure damaging the delicate membrane It is extraordinarily durable A problem has recently developed with my MartinLogan speakers The right speaker seems to be hissing even when the amplifier and such are not connected I was wondering if this sounds like any problem you have encountered previously and have a simple solution for or might it be something which will need to be looked into more carefully Your speakers are dusty The electrostatic charge on the element has attracted some airborne dust or pollen First unplug the speakers for six hours or overnight This will allow the charge to dissipate Now vacuum the front of the panel with a very strong vacuum Don t worry about damaging the membrane You won t This should take care of your problem By the way since 1993 all of our speakers have been built with a charging circuit board that only charges the electrostatic element when music plays At other times they are not charged
24. each 48 kg Size 67 inches W 13 inches D 27 inches H 170 2 cm W 33 cm D 68 6 cm H Your Odyssey speakers are provided with an automatic Limited 90 Day Warranty coverage You have the option at no additional charge to receive a Limited 5 Year Warranty coverage To obtain the Limited 5 Year Warranty coverage you need to complete and return the Certificate of Registration included with your speakers and provide a copy of your dealer receipt to MartinLogan within 30 days of purchase MartinLogan may not honor warranty service claims unless we have a completed Warranty Registration card on file If you did not receive a Certificate of Registration with your new Odyssey speakers you cannot be assured of having received new units If this is the case please contact your authorized MartinLogan dealer Service Should you be using your MartinLogan product in a country other than the one in which it was originally purchased we ask that you note the following 1 The appointed MartinLogan distributor for any given country is responsible for warranty servicing only on units distributed by or through it in that country in accordance with its applicable warranty 2 Should a MartinLogan product require servicing in a country other than the one in which it was originally purchased the end user may seek to have repairs performed by the nearest MartinLogan distributor subject to that distributor s local servicing policies
25. en from the diagrams in the Room Acoustics section of this manual the vertical dispersion is directional above and below the stator panel itself In some instances if you are sitting close to the floor slight forward tilting of the speakers can enhance clarity and precision Listening Position Placement 9 Imaging In their final location your Odysseys should have a stage width somewhat wider than the speakers themselves On well recorded music the instruments should extend beyond the edges of each speaker to the left and to the right yet a vocalist should appear directly in the middle The size of the instruments should be neither too large nor too small Additionally you should find good clues as to stage depth Make sure that the vertical alignment distance from the front wall and toe in is exactly the same from one speaker to the other This greatly enhances the quality of your imaging Bass Response Your bass response should neither be one note nor should it be too heavy It should extend to even the deepest organ passages yet it should be tight and well defined Kick drums should be tight and percussive string bass notes should be uniform and consistent throughout the entirety of the run without any booming or thudding In order to reduce these effects and allow for more flexibility in positioning the Odyssey implements a bass control system derived from the revolutionary Prodigy ForceForward TM control system This i
26. erial Hybrid A product created by the marriage of two different technologies Meant here as the combination of a dynamic woofer with an electrostatic transducer Hz Hertz Unit of frequency equivalent to the number of cycles per second Imaging To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event Impedance The total opposition offered by an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency It is a combination of resistance and reactance and is measured in ohms Remember that a speaker s impedance changes with frequency it is not a constant value 24 Glossary of Audio Terms GLOSSARY OF AUDIO TERMS Inductance The property of an electrical circuit by which a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field that introduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby circuit It is measured in henrys Inductor A device designed primarily to introduce inductance into an electrical circuit Sometimes called a choke or coil Linearity The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion Midrange The middle frequencies where the ear is the most sensitive 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 the passive variety Passive crossovers consist of capacitors inductors and resistors Phase The amount b
27. esign The new Odyssey incorporates many of the technological advances developed by MartinLogan design and research for the revolutionary Statement evolution2 and Prodigy systems The result is the highest resolution system in its class available in an exquisite cabinet that is surprisingly compact and an outstanding performer with any music source The Odyssey includes advances such as a new generation proprietary CLS curvilinear line source electrostatic drive transducer and a bass control system that reduces bass room interaction and resonances A distinct benefit of these advances is reference level performance in a broader range of listening room arrangements The unique compact cabinet combines a see through look with elegant form texture and craftsmanship which will complement any d cor The materials in your new Odyssey speakers are of the high est quality and will provide years of enduring enjoyment and deepening respect All trim pieces are constructed from selected hardwoods They are then grain and color matched and finally hand finished The cabinetry is con structed from the highest quality composite material for acoustical integrity and is finished with our attractive cus tom matte finish Through rigorous testing the patented curvilinear electrostatic panel has proven itself to be one of the most durable and reliable transducers available today Fabricated from a custom tool punched high grade steel the panel is then
28. fiers See Figure 4 Vertical Passive Bi Amplification The very nature of vertical bi amping dictates that both amplifiers be identical With vertical bi amping each of the stereo amplifiers is dedicated to one speaker For instance the left channel of each amplifier drives the low pass WOOFER section while the right channel drives the high pass ESL section To vertically bi amp your Odysseys you must loosen the binding posts and remove the jumper clips from both speakers Starting with one speaker con nect the right channel to the lower binding posts and the left channel to the upper binding posts Repeat the same procedure for the other speaker Connect the left pream plifier outputs to both inputs of the left channel amplifier and the right preamplifier outputs to both inputs of the right channel speaker See Figure 5 Bass Control Switch On the rear panel of the Odyssey electronics module beside the Signal Input binding posts is a two position Bass Control switch that allows you to select the type of low fre quency response you desire The flat position is considered the normal setting for most rooms However if you feel that the bass in your system is too strong relative to the mid and high frequencies simply select the 3 dB position This switch position will decrease the output of the woofer by 3 dB centered around 150Hz Some experimentation with these two switch settings will allow you to find the optimal tonal b
29. ghout the listening room Vapor Deposited Film The diaphragm material used in all MartinLogan speakers employs an extremely sophisticated conductive surface that has been vapor deposited on the polymer surface at an atomic level A proprietary compound is vaporized then electrostatically driven into the surface of the polymer film in a vacuum chamber This process allows an optically transparent surface adding no mass to the diaphragm that is extremely uniform in its surface resistivity characteristics This uniform surface resistivity controls the electrostatic charge on the diaphragm surface and regulates its migration As a result no discharging or arcing can occur Transducer Integrity All MartinLogan transducers begin with two pieces of high grade cold rolled steel These steel pieces are then custom perforated and insulated with a unique composite coating This proprietary coating insulates the stator to three times its actual needed working voltage and gives the Odyssey a wide margin of safe operation In addition to the electrical insulation properties this coating also provides the Odyssey with a durable attractive finish that dampens the steel to prevent ringing These pieces are then sandwiched with our exclusive vapor deposited diaphragm and spacers into a curved geometry and bonded together with aerospace adhesives whose strength exceeds that of welding The result of these advanced technologies is a transducer th
30. han it was challenged by products developed during this new rebirth ELECTROSTATIC LOUDSPEAKER HISTORY Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field of contestants down to the cone and the electrostat Electrostatic Loudspeaker History 19 In 1947 Arthur Janszen a young Naval engineer took part in a research project for the Navy The Navy was interested in developing a better instrument for testing microphone arrays The test instrument needed an extremely accurate speaker but Janszen found that the cone speakers of the period were too nonlinear in phase and amplitude response to meet his criteria Janszen believed that electrostats were inherently more linear than cones so he built a model using a thin plastic diaphragm treated with a conductive coating This model confirmed Janszen s beliefs for it exhibited remarkable phase and amplitude linearity Janszen was so excited with the results that he continued research on the electrostatic speaker on his own time He soon thought of insulating the stators to prevent the destructive effects of arcing By 1952 he had an electrostatic tweeter element ready for commercial production This new tweeter soon created a sensation among American audio hobbyists Since Janszen s tweeter element was limited to high frequency reproduction it often found itself used in conjunction with woofers most notably woofers from Acoustic Research These systems were highly regarded by all audio ent
31. he full range panel wave launch Tweeter Midrange Woofer Conventional Loudspeaker MartinLogan Odyssey Figure 17 This diagram illustrates how a conventional speaker system must use multiple crossover networks that have negative effects on the musical performance Full Range Operation crossover point 2 5kHz crossover point 250Hz crossover point 100 400Hz 16 Electrostatic Advantages Woofer Since the beginning of audio achieving smooth dispersion has been a problem for all loudspeaker designers Large panel transducers present even more of a challenge because the larger the panel the more directional the dispersion pattern becomes Full range electrostats have long been one of the most problematic transducers because they attain their full range capabilities via a large surface area It looked as if they were in direct conflict to smooth dispersion and almost every attempt to correct this resulted in either poor dispersion or a serious compromise in sound quality After extensive research MartinLogan engineers discovered an elegantly simple solution to achieve a smooth pattern of dispersion without degrading sound quality By curving the horizontal plane of the electrostatic transducer a controlled horizontal dispersion pattern could be achieved yet the purity of the almost massless electrostatic diaphragm remained uncompromised After creating this technology MartinLogan developed the production capab
32. husiasts As good as these systems were they would soon be surpassed by another electrostatic speaker In 1955 Peter Walker published three articles on electrostatic loudspeaker design in Wireless World a British electronics magazine In these articles Walker demonstrated the benefits of the electrostatic loudspeaker He explained that electrostatics permit the use of diaphragms that are low in mass large in area and uniformly driven over their surfaces by electrostatic forces Due to these characteristics electrostats have the inherent ability to produce a wide bandwidth flat frequency response with distortion products being no greater than the electronics driving them By 1956 Walker backed up his articles by introducing a consumer product the now famous Quad ESL This speaker immediately set a standard of performance for the audio industry due to its incredible accuracy However in actual use the Quad had a few problems It could not be played very loud it had poor bass performance it presented a difficult load that some amplifiers did not like its dispersion was very directional and its power handling was limited to around 70 watts As a result many people continued to use box speakers with cones In the early 1960s Arthur Janszen joined forces with the KLH loudspeaker company and together they introduced the KLH 9 Due to the large size of the KLH 9 it did not have as many limitations as the Quad The KLH 9 could pl
33. ightness and extension of bass response Width of the stage Pinpoint focusing of imaging Once you have determined the best of all three of these considerations you will have your best speaker location The Extra Tweak As a final test of exact placement use these measurements for your speakers placement and see what can happen to the ultimate enhancement of your system s performance These two basic formulas will determine optimum placement of your speakers to minimize standing waves 1 Distance from the front wall the wall in front of the listening position to the center of the curvilinear transducer To determine distance from the front wall measure the height of your ceiling inches and multiply the figure by 0 618 i e ceiling height in inches x 0 618 the distance from the front wall to the center of the curvilinear transducer 2 Distance from the side walls to the center of the curvilinear transducer To determine distance from the side walls measure the width of your room in inches and divide by 18 Next multiply the quotient by 5 i e room width in inches 18 x 5 the distance from the side walls to the center of the curvilinear transducer Enjoy Yourself The Odyssey is a very refined speaker and benefits from care in setup With these tips in mind you will find over your months of listening that small changes can result in measurable differences As you live with your speakers do not be afraid to
34. ility to bring it out of the laboratory and into the market place You will find this proprietary MartinLogan technology used in all of our products It is one of the many reasons behind our reputation for high quality sound with practical usability This is also why you see the unique see through cylindrical shape of all MartinLogan products Bass Control System One of the principal challenges faced by loudspeaker designers are the room interactions produced by bass fre quencies These colorations which often distort the musical character are a natural occurrence of sound wave reflec tion and motion through any listening room Bass frequencies radiate in all directions including behind the speaker The low frequencies reflected from the front wall and back to the listening position subtract from the original audio material Typically this produces a dimin ished signal called a notch at about 50Hz This is one reason why the same recording produces a distinctly dif ferent character when played in different listening rooms and what makes some notes sound unnaturally boomy while others seem thin The Odyssey solves this problem using its unique bass control system that consists of two opposing bass drivers supported by reference electronics An 8 inch front firing driver provides essential bass detail while the rear firing 10 inch driver conditions bass response at 50 Hz The result is uniform powerful bass response throu
35. ion 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 over drive speaker beyond its rated power Step 1 Unpacking and Assembly Remove your new Odyssey speakers from their packing and assemble them page 4 Step 2 Placement Place each Odyssey at least two feet from any wall and angle them slightly toward your listening area This is a good place to start Please see the Placement section pages 8 9 of this manual for more details Step 3 Power Connection AC see warning MartinLogan speakers require AC power to energize their electrostatic cells Using the AC power cords provided plug them in first to the AC power receptacle on the rear panel of the speaker making sure that you have made a firm connection and then to the wall outlet Please see the Operations section pages 5 7 of this manual for more details Step 4 Signal Connection Use the best speaker cables you can Higher quality cables available from your specialty dealer are recommended and will give you superior performance Spade connectors are suggested for optimum contact and ease of installation Attach your speaker cables to the Signal Input section on
36. nce Harder room surfaces will actually help in this case The front surface should optimally be one long wall without any doors or openings If you have openings the reflection and bass characteristics from one channel to the other can be different The Side Walls The same requirements exist for side walls Additionally a good rule of thumb is to have the side walls as far away from the speaker sides as possible minimizing near field side wall reflections Sometimes if the system is bright or the imaging is not to your liking and the side walls are very near try putting curtains or softening material directly to the edge of each speaker An ideal side wall however is no side wall at all Experimentation Toe in Now you can begin to experiment First begin by toeing your speakers in towards the listening area and then facing them straight into the room You will notice that the tonal balance changes slightly You will also notice the imaging changing Generally it is found that the ideal listening position is with the speakers slightly toed in so that you are listening to the inner third of the curved transducer section Experimenting with the toe in will help in terms of tonal balance 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 a soft or bright room Tilting the Speakers Backwards and Forwards As can be se
37. nergy in form Loudspeaker transducers convert electrical energy into mechanical motion Transient Applies to that which lasts or stays but a short time A change from one steady state condition to another Tweeter A small drive unit designed to produce only high frequencies Wavelength The distance measured in the direction of progression of a wave from any given point characterized by the same phase White noise A random noise used in measurements as it has 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 but are more accurately described as being mid bass drivers Glossary of Audio Terms 25 26 Notes NOTES Notes 27 2101 Delaware Street Lawrence Kansas 66046 USA tel 785 749 0133 fax 785 749 5320 www martinlogan com c l s e l e c t r o s t a t i c M A R T I N L O G A N 2001 MartinLogan All rights reserved Rev 012802
38. nnovative technology controls the first reflective bass energy from the front wall minimizing the typical 50Hz suck out for smooth powerful bass at the listening position Tonal Balance Voices should be natural and full cymbals should be detailed and articulate yet not bright and piercing pianos should have a nice transient characteristic and deep tonal registers as well If you cannot attain these virtues read the section on Room Acoustics pages 12 13 This will give you clues on how to get closer to those ideal virtues Final Placement After obtaining good wall treatments and attaining proper angle begin to experiment with the distance from the wall behind the speakers Move your speaker slightly forward into the room What happened to the bass response What happened to the imaging If the imaging is more open and spacious and the bass response is tightened that is a superior position Move the speakers back six inches from the initial setup position and again listen to the imaging and bass response There will be a position where you will have pinpoint imaging and good bass response That position is the 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 and good pinpoint focusing Your ideal listening position and speaker position will be determined by T
39. ofer Our custom made butyl surround woofer requires 30 hours of break in at 90 dB moderate listening levels before any critical listening The break in requirements of the crossover com ponents and to a lesser degree the stator are equivalent Jumper Clips In some countries federal law prohibits MartinLogan from supplying jumper clips If none are found installed under your speakers binding posts please refer to Bi Wire Connection for connection instructions If jumper clips are installed please refer to Single Wire Connection for connection instructions AC Power Connection ODYSSEY TM Please take note of the jumper clips installed under the binding posts These clips attach the high and low frequency sections of the crossover together Leaving these in place connect the wire from your amplifier to either red bind ing post and the wire from your amplifier to either black binding post See Figure 2 Bi Wire Connection This method of connection replaces the jumper clips installed under the binding posts with individual runs of speaker wire from your amplifier This doubles the signal carrying conductors from the amplifier to the speaker thus direct coupling each portion of the crossover to the amplifier To bi wire you must first loosen the binding posts and remove the jumper clips Connect one set of wires to the upper set of binding posts which connect to the panel of the Odyssey Then connect a
40. ou hear an instant echo respond back You have near field reflections Stomp your foot on the floor Can you hear a boom You have standing waves or large panel resonances such as a poorly supported wall Put your head in a small cavity area and talk loudly Can you hear a booming You ve just experienced a cavity resonance Rules of Thumb Hard vs Soft Surfaces If the front or back wall of your listening room is soft it might benefit you to have a hard or reflective wall in opposition The ceiling and floor should follow the same basic guideline as well However the side walls should be roughly the same in order to deliver a focused image This rule suggests that a little reflection is good As a matter of fact some rooms can be so over damped with carpeting drapes and sound absorbers that the music system can sound dull and lifeless On the other hand rooms can be so hard that the system can sound like a gymnasium with too much reflection and brightness The point is that balance is the optimum environment Breakup Objects Objects with complex shapes such as bookshelves cabinetry and multiple shaped walls can help break up those sonic gremlins and diffuse any dominant frequencies Solid Coupling Your loudspeaker system generates frequency vibrations or waves into the room This is how it creates sound Those vibrations will vary from 20 per second to 20 000 per second If your speaker system is not securely planted
41. r developments in loud speakers were needed to cope with this amazing new recording medium By 1923 Bell Telephone Laboratories made the decision to develop a complete musical playback system consisting of an electronic phonograph and a loudspeaker to take advantage of the new recording medium Bell Labs assigned the project to two young engineers C W Rice and E W Kellogg Rice and Kellogg had a well equipped laboratory at their disposal This lab possessed a vacuum tube amplifier with an unheard of 200 watts a large selection of the new electrically cut phonograph records and a variety of loudspeaker prototypes that Bell Labs had been collecting over the past decade Among these were Lodge s cone a speaker that used compressed air a corona discharge plasma speaker and an electrostatic speaker After a short time Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field of contestants down to the cone and the electrostat The outcome 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 The diaphragm which was beginning to rot was made of a pig intestine that was covered with fine gold leaf to conduct the audio signal When Rice and Kellogg began playing the new electrically cut records through the electrostat they were shocked and impressed The elec
42. r than the rest of the audio spectrum and cause one note bass boomy bass or tubby bass For instance 100Hz represents a 10 feet wavelength Your room will reinforce that specific frequency if one of the dominant dimensions is 10 feet Large objects in the room such as cabinetry or furniture can help to minimize this potential problem Some serious audiophiles will literally build a special room with no parallel walls just to help eliminate this phenomenon Reflective Surfaces near field reflections The hard surfaces of your room particularly if close to your speaker system will reflect some waves back into the room over and over again confusing the clarity and imaging of your system The smaller sound waves are mostly affected here and occur in the mid and high frequencies This is where voice and frequencies as high as the cymbals occur Resonant Surfaces and Objects All of the surfaces and objects in your room are subject to the frequencies generated by your system Much like an instrument they will vibrate and carry on in syncopation with the music and contribute in a negative way to the music Ringing boominess and even brightness can occur simply because they are singing along with your music Resonant Cavities Small alcoves or closet type areas in your room can be chambers that create their own standing waves and can drum their own one note sounds Clap your hands Can y
43. s and the improvements available are often more noticeable than the differences between wires of different gauge The effects of cables may be masked if the equipment is not of the highest quality We also recommend if possible that short runs of speaker cable connect the power amplifier s and speakers and that high quality long interconnect cables be used to connect the preamplifier and power amplifier This results in the power amplifiers being close to the speakers which may be practically or cosmetically difficult but if the length of the speaker cables can be reduced to a few meters sonic advantages may be obtained Connections are done at the Signal Input section on the rear electronics panel of the Odyssey Use spade connectors for optimum contact and ease of installation Make certain that all of your connections are tight Be consistent when connecting the speaker cables to the Signal Input terminals Take care to assign the same color cable lead to the terminal on both the left and right channel speakers If bass is nonexistent and you cannot discern a tight coherent image you may need to reverse the and leads on one speaker to bring the system into proper polarity WARNING Turn your amplifier off before making or breaking any signal connections Break In When you first begin to play your Odyssey speakers they may sound a bit bass shy This is due to the high quality long life components used in our wo
44. s capabilities The flat topped signal has high levels of harmonic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure Crossover An electrical circuit that divides a full bandwidth signal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeaker components dB decibel A numerical expression of the relative loudness of a sound The difference in decibels between two sounds is ten times the Base 10 logarithm of the ratio of their power levels DC Abbreviation for direct current Diffraction The breaking up of a sound wave caused by some type of mechanical interference such as a cabinet edge grill frame or other similar object Diaphragm A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves Distortion Usually referred to in terms of total harmonic distortion THD which is the percentage of unwanted harmonics of the drive signal present with the wanted signal Generally used to mean any unwanted change introduced by the device under question Driver See transducer Dynamic Range The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle often quoted in dB Efficiency The acoustic power delivered for a given electrical input Often expressed as decibels watt meter dB w m ESL Abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker Headroom The difference in decibels between the peak and RMS levels in program mat
45. s the center channel MartinLogan Scripts as side surround effects channels HOME THEATER How can sound be reproduced by something that you are able to see through Electrostatic energy makes this possible Where the world of traditional loudspeaker technology deals with cones domes diaphragms and ribbons that are moved with magnetism the world of electrostatic loudspeakers deals with charged electrons attracting and repelling each other To fully understand the electrostatic concept some back ground information will be helpful Remember when you learned in a science or physics class that like charges repel each other and opposite charges attract each other Well this principle is the foundation of the electrostatic concept An electrostatic transducer consists of three pieces the sta tors the diaphragm and the spacers See Figure 15 The diaphragm is what actually moves to excite the air and create music The stator s job is to remain stationary hence the word stator and to provide a reference point for the moving diaphragm The spacers provide the diaphragm with a fixed distance in which to move between the stators As your amplifier sends music signals to an electrostatic speaker these signals are changed into two high voltage signals 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 opposing high voltage on
46. stem or your speakers All electrostatic speakers are guilty of making odd noises at one time or another These noises may be caused by dirt and dust particles collecting on the speaker by high humidity or by AC line fluctuations that may occur in your area Dirt and dust may be vacuumed off with a brush attachment connected to your vacuum cleaner or you may blow them off with compressed air The Odyssey hybrid speaker system consists of a broad range single element electrostatic transducer integrated with a quick response woofer This approach takes advan tage of the benefits that both technologies have to offer Dispersion is a controlled 30 degrees This was achieved by curving the electrostatic transducer element itself an elegantly simple solution System Frequency Response 35 22 000 Hz 3dB Dispersion Horizontal 30 Degrees Vertical 4 122cm Line Source Sensitivity 90 dB 2 83 volts meter Impedance Nominal 4 ohms Minimum 1 0 ohms at 20kHz Crossover Frequency 250 Hz Components Custom wound audio transformer air core coils polypropylene capacitors Woofer Type 1 8 20 3cm cone and 1 10 25 4cm high rigidity fiber cone driver per channel cast basket high excursion with extended throw driver assembly Non resonance chamber format Bass Control Switch 3 dB at 150Hz Power Handling 250 watts per channel Recommended Amplifier Power 80 250 watts per channel Weight 105 lbs
47. supply which will switch off after a few minutes of no music signal and requires less than two seconds to recharge the panels when a music signal is present Your Odyssey speakers are wired for the power service supplied in the country of original consumer sale The AC power rating applicable to a particular unit is specified both on the packing carton and on the serial number plate attached to the speaker If you remove your Odyssey speakers from the country of original sale be certain that AC power supplied in any subsequent location is suitable before connecting and operating the speakers Substantially impaired performance or severe damage may occur to an Odyssey speaker if operation is attempted from an incorrect AC power source WARNING The power cord should not be installed removed or left detached from the speaker while the other end is connected to an AC power source Signal Connection Use the best speaker cables you can The length and type of speaker cable used in your system will have an audible effect Under no circumstance should a wire of gauge higher thinner than 16 be used In general the longer the length used the greater the necessity of a lower gauge and the lower the gauge the better the sound with diminishing returns setting in around 8 to 12 A variety of speaker cables are now available whose man ufacturers claim better performance over standard heavy gauge wire We have verified this in many case
48. t is blurred imaging and excessive brightness Soft walls curtains wall hangings or sound dampeners your dealer can give you good information here can be effective if these negative conditions occur Solid Footing After living and experimenting with your Odysseys you will then want to implement the enclosed 3 8 x 16 thread special version ETC Energy Transfer Coupler Spikes See Figure 6 With the use of these spikes the Odyssey will become more firmly planted on the floor and conse quently bass will tighten and imaging will become more coherent and detailed It is best not to implement the spikes however until you are secure in the positioning as the spikes can damage the floor if the speaker is moved MartinLogan ETC spikes are also available with a common 1 4 x 20 thread insert that may be used on your other audio equipment racks speakers etc which are avail able from your local MartinLogan dealer or on our website at www martinlogan com 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 into holes and visually adjust to an equal height 3 Tighten jam nut snugly by hand Do not over tighten the nut 4 Right the speaker Caution Make sure your hands and any cabling are clear of the spikes Do not slide speaker as spikes are sharp and can damage your floor or carpet 5 Adjust to level by rota
49. ting spikes Tighten the jam nut securely when satisfied that speaker is level Room Acoustics 11 Figure 6 The ETC Spike Your Odysseys launch a 30 degree dispersion pattern when viewed from above This horizontal dispersion field gives a choice of good seats for the performance while minimizing interactions with side walls See Figure 7 Make sure both speakers stand exactly at the same vertical angle otherwise the image can be skewed or poorly defined The wave launch of both speakers is extremely accurate in both the time and spectral domain Consequently small refined adjustments can result in noticeable sonic improvements Controlled Vertical Dispersion As you can see from the illustrations your Odyssey speakers project a controlled dispersion pattern Each Odyssey is a four foot line source beginning 20 inches above the floor level See Figure 8 This vertical dispersion profile minimizes interactions with the floor and the ceiling In the field of loudspeaker design it is a known fact that as the sound wave becomes progressively smaller than the transducer producing it the dispersion of that wave becomes more and more narrow or directional This fact occurs as long as the transducer is a flat surface Large flat panel speakers exhibit venetian blind effects due to this phenomenon This is why most manufacturers opt for small drivers i e tweeters and midrange to approximate what is known as a point source wave launch
50. tion The result is solid imaging with a wide listening area It had long been the practice of stereo buffs to connect their television to the stereo system The advantage was the use of the larger speakers and more powerful amplifier of the stereo system Even though the sound was greatly improved it was still mono and limited by the broadcast signal In the late 1970 s and early 80 s two new home movie formats became widely available to the public VCR and laser disc By 1985 both formats had developed into very high quality audio video sources In fact the sonic performance of some video formats exceeded audio only formats Now with theater quality sound available at home the only element missing was the surround sound presentation found in movie houses Fortunately Dolby and DTS encoded movies which include almost all movies have the same surround sound information encoded on home releases as the theater films All that is required to retrieve this information is a decoder and additional speakers and amps to reproduce it Home theater is a complex purchase and we recommend that you consult your local MartinLogan dealer as they are well versed in this subject Each piece of a surround system can be purchased separately Take your time and buy quality No one has ever complained that the movie was too real The following list and descriptions will only give you a brief outline of the responsibilities and deman
51. trostat performed splendidly They had never heard instrumental timbres reproduced with such realism This system sounded like real music rather than the honking squawking rendition of the acoustic gramophone Immediately they knew they were on to something big The acoustic gramophone was destined to become obsolete Due to Rice and Kellogg s enthusiasm they devoted a considerable amount of time researching the electrostatic design However they soon encountered the same difficulties that even present designers face planar speakers require a very large surface area to reproduce the lower frequencies of the audio spectrum Because the management at Bell Labs considered large speakers unacceptable Rice and Kellogg s work on electrostatics would never be put to use for a commercial product Reluctantly they advised the Bell management to go with the cone For the next thirty years the electrostatic design lay dormant During the Great Depression of the 1930s consumer audio almost died The new electrically amplified loudspeaker never gained acceptance as most people continued to use their old Victrola style acoustic gramophones Prior to the end of World War II consumer audio saw little if any progress However during the late 1940s audio experienced a great rebirth Suddenly there was tremendous interest in audio products and with that a great demand for improved audio components No sooner had the cone become established t
52. y some type of storage media The Odyssey s electrostatic transducer transforms electrical energy from your amplifier into acoustical energy Due to the limitations of electromagnetic drivers no single unit can reproduce the full range of frequencies Instead these drivers must be designed to operate within narrow fixed bandwidth of the frequency range and then combined electrically so that the sum of the parts equals the total signal While nice in theory we must deal with real world conditions In order to use multiple drivers a crossover network is enlisted to attempt a division of the complex musical signal into the separate pieces usually highs mids and lows that each specific driver was designed to handle Unfortunately due to the phase relationships that occur within all crossover networks and during the acoustical recombination process nonlinearities and severe degradation of the music signal take place in the ear s most critical zone See Figure 17 The Odyssey s electrostatic transducer can single handedly reproduce all frequencies above 250 Hz simultaneously You have in one transducer the ability to handle in elegant simplicity the critical frequencies above 250 Hz The crossover phase aberrations that are associated with traditional tweeter midrange and woofer systems are eliminated The result is a dramatic improvement in imaging and staging performance due to the minutely accurate phase relationship of t
53. y which one sine wave leads or lags a second wave of the same frequency The difference is described by the term phase angle Sine waves in phase reinforce each other those out of phase cancel Pink noise A random noise used in measurements as it has the same amount of energy in each octave Polarity The condition of being positive or negative with respect to some reference point or object RMS Abbreviation for root mean square The effective value of a given waveform is its RMS value Acoustic power is proportional to the square of the RMS sound pressure Resistance That property of a conductor by which it opposes the flow of electric current resulting in the generation of heat in the conducting material usually expressed in ohms Resistor A device that is used in a circuit primarily to provide resistance Resonance The effect produced when the natural vibration frequency of a body is greatly amplified by reinforcing vibrations at the same or nearly the same frequency from another body Sensitivity The volume of sound delivered for a given electrical input Stator The fixed part forming the reference for the moving diaphragm in a planar speaker THD The abbreviation for total harmonic distortion See Distortion TIM The abbreviation for transient intermodulation distortion See Distortion Transducer Any of various devices that transmit energy from one system to another sometimes one that converts the e
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