manual_spire
Contents
1. Now that you have positioned your speaker system spend time listening Wait to make any major changes in your initial setup for the next few days as the speaker system itself will change subtly in its sound Over the first 72 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 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 prob lems and confuse imaging quality It is better for the wall behind you to be absorptive than to be reflective If you have a hard back wall and your listening position is close to it experiment with devices that will absorb information i e wall hangings and possibly even sound absorbing panels The Wall Behind the Speakers The front surface the wall behind the speakers should not be extremely hard or soft 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 diffuse an overly reflective surface A standard sheet rock or textured wall is generally an ade quate surface if the rest of the room is not too bright and hard Walls can also be too soft If the entire front wall consists of heavy drapery yo2. Serial Numbers Record your serial numbers here for easy reference You will need this information when filling out your warranty registration Spire s serial num ber is located near the bottom of the backplate and on the shipping con tainer Each individual unit has a unique serial number 35Hz Setting left channel right channel Spire Cc Tested to Comply with FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation Thank you to you the MartinLogan owner for loving what we do and for making it possible for us to do what we love CONTENTS Con ENS 66 656456 5 60555 See EEIE EE 4 Installation in Brief ccc ccc wwe ccc e cece 5 Introduction 6606456004046 560650 50eesueoenscees 6 Controls and Connections cccccccccees 7 AC Power Connection 0 00000 ee eee eens 8 Signal Connection Break In Jumper Clips Single Wire Connection eee ee eee 9 Bi Wire Connection Bi Amplification 35Hz Level Control PIACCINEGN 6 56 65 6004 54555 b 5 60655 6S 550 cise ede 11 Listening Position The Wall Behind the Listener The Wall Behind the Speakers The Side Walls Experimentation Final Placement caso 56 44oh0 tiee
3. 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 resolved 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 dis persion properties of early models have been addressed by using delay lines acoustical lenses multiple panel arrays or as in 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 Electrostatic History 21 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How do I clean my speakers Use a dust free cloth or a soft brush to remove the dust from your speakers We also recommend a specialty cloth available at the Xtatic shop at www martinlogan com that cleans your speakers better than anything else we have tried For the wood surfaces it is accept able to slightly dampen the cloth Do not spray any kind of cleaning agent on or in close proximity to the electrostatic element Avoid the use of ammonia based products or silicone oil on the wood parts What
4. system configuration and personal pref erence Light Switch The light control switch allows the brightness of the illu minated MartinLogan logo to be dimmed or turned off ESL Signal Input These binding posts provides a place to connect the signal that drives the XStat ESL transducer Woofer Signal Input These binding posts provides a place to connect the signal that drives the PoweredForce woofer Status Light The Spire is equipped with a multi color LED to indicate the current status of the PoweredForce woofer The fol lowing list explains the meaning of the different colors No color No power The Spire is not plugged in Blue Play mode This indicates the Spire detects an audio signal and has automatically switched into play mode Red Standby mode This indicates the Spire has detect ed no audio signal for approximately 15 minutes and has automatically switched into standby mode Flashing Red Initializing or Safe mode This indicates that the Spire is initializing This also indicates if the Spire s temperature has exceeded nominal operating range If the Spire overheats please allow the Spire to cool and reset it by unplugging the unit and plugging it back in AC Power Connection Because your MartinLogan Spire speakers use an inter nal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells and PoweredForce woofer they must be connected to an AC power source Figure 1 Spire Controls and
5. to return the knob to OdB and listen for a moment between each adjustment Once you ve found the best sounding setting for your room make a note of the setting Remember due to the unpredictabililty of every listening room experimentation is essential when setting up a loudspeaker It may take several attempts to find a combination of control settings speaker positions and listening position that is ideal for you and your listening preferences If you still hear anomalies you may need to experiment with speaker placement or the location of the listening position sometimes even the subtlest adjust ments will make huge changes Listening Position 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 about two feet from the side walls Your sitting distance should be further than the distance between the speakers themselves You are trying to attain 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
6. 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 plas ma speaker and an electrostatic speaker 20 Electrostatic History cone and the electrostat 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 dif ficulties that even present designers face planar speakers require a very large surface area to reproduce the lower fre quencies 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 a
7. Connections Controls and Connections 7 AC Power Connection Because your Spire speakers use an internal power sup ply to energize their electrostatic cells and to power the PoweredForce woofer 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 Spire s integrate a signal sensing power supply which will switch off after 15 min utes of no music signal and requires less than four seconds to recharge the panels when a music signal is present Your Spire speakers are wired for the power service supplied in the country of original consumer sale The AC power rating applicable to a particu lar unit is specified both on the packing carton and on the serial number plate attached to the speaker If you remove your Spire speakers from the country of original sale be certain that the 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 Spire speaker if opera tion is attempted from an incorrect AC power source WARNING The power cord should not be A N installed removed or left detached from the speaker while the other end is connected to an AC power source Signal Connection Use the best spe
8. blurred Figure 8 9 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 10 11 A controlled 30 degree cylindri cal wave front a MartinLogan exclusive offers optimal sound distribution with minimal room interaction The result is solid imaging with a wide listening area DISPERSION INTERACTIONS Three Major Types of Dispersion It is a known fact that as the sound wave becomes pro gressively 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 one reason why many manufacturers opt for small drivers i e tweeters and midrange to approximate what is known as a point source wave launch Historically most attempts to achieve smooth dispersion from large flat panel transducers resulted in trade offs After exhaustive testing of many different methods we conceived an elegantly simple yet intensely hand craft ed process 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 pat tern of our transducers Dispersion Interactions 15 HOME THEATER It had long been the practice of stereo buffs to co
9. com 4 Contents We know you are eager to hear your Spire 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 operation of your Spire 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 situation WARNING e Hazardous voltages exist inside do not remove cover e Refer servicing to a qualified technician e To prevent fire or shock hazard do not expose this module to moisture e Turn amplifier off and unplug speaker should any abnormal conditions occur e Turn amplifier off before making or breaking any signal connections e Do not operate if there is any visual damage to the electrostatic panel element e Do not drive speaker beyond its rated power e 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 e Use only with a grounded electrical outlet e No candles or other sources of open flame should be
10. 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 its capabilities The flat topped signal has high levels of har monic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure CLS The abbreviation for curvilinear linesource Crossover An electrical circuit that divides a full band width signal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeaker components dB decibel A numerical expression of the relative loud ness 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 GENERAL INFORMATION Diaphragm A thin
11. 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 elec trical input Often expressed as decibels watt meter dB w m ESL The abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker Headroom The difference in decibels between the peak and RMS levels in program material 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 fre quency It is a combination of resistance and reactance and is measured in ohms Remember that a speaker s imped ance changes with frequency it is not a constant value Inductance The property of an electrical circuit by which a varying current in it produc
12. has attracted airborne dust or pollen 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 and cannot collect dust You can get the same benefit by simply unplugging them when ever they are not in use A power strip is an easy way to do that 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 continu ously 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 dif ference in the consistent performance of our product There may be a little more maintenance involved in humid regions when not in an air conditioned envi ronment Simply enough the concern is to keep the electrostatic panels dust free Humidity will combine wi
13. is the advantage of ESL Since the 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 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 where a subwoofer is employed Our hybrid designs will perform well with either a tube or transistorized amplifier and will reveal the sonic char acter of either type However it is important that the amplifier be stable operating into varying impedance loads an ideally stable amplifier will typically be able to deliver nearly twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohms and should again increase 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
14. 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 those from Acoustic Research These systems were highly regarded by all audio enthusiasts As good as these systems were they would soon be surpassed by another electrostatic speaker In 1955 Peter Walker published three articles regarding electrostatic loudspeaker design in Wireless World a British magazine In these articles Walker demonstrated the benefits of 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 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 performan
15. on the rear panel Be consistent when connecting speaker leads to the terminals on the back of the Spire 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 detailed setup instructions please turn to the Controls and Connections section Page 7 10 of this manual for more details Step 5 Control Settings Set the 35Hz Bass Level Control knobs to OdB Please see 35Hz Level Control page 7 of this manual for more details Step 6 Listen and Enjoy Now you may turn on your system and enjoy Installation in Brief 5 INTRODUCTION 6 Congratulations You have invested in one of the world s premier loudspeaker systems The MartinLogan Spire represents an advanced combination of sonic technologies establishing an unprec edented direction for audiophile design The result of years of research the new Spire hybrid electrostat ic loudspeaker features PoweredForce and XStat technologies dramatically reducing cabinet size yet establishing new standards for efficiency dynamics and precision in a floorstanding loudspeaker The luminous legacy of MartinLogan subwoofer engi neering and research not only produced some of the world s most sophisticated subwoofers but has also yielded new breakthro
16. a result no discharging or arcing can occur MMIARTINLOGAN EXCLUSIVES MicroPerf Stator Sleek Compact MicroPerf stator technology featured in all XStat transducers reveals more open playable area in each panel offering increased performance from even more compact stat panels It is significant to note that the XStat transducer in the radical new Spire loudspeaker supports the bandwidth and dynamics associated with traditional electrostatic panels nearly twice its size Vacuum Bonding To achieve the power precision and strength of the XStat transducer two insulated high purity carbon steel stators along with a proprietary plasma bonded diaphragm and ClearSpar spacers are fused into a curved geometry with an aerospace adhesive whose strength exceeds that of welding Our proprietary Vacuum Bonding process guarantees uniform diaphragm tensioning and extremely precise construction tolerances resulting in unequivocal precision linearity and efficiency AirFrame Technology Ultra rigid extruded aerospace grade aluminum alloy AirFrame technology rigidifies and secures the XStat elec trostatic panel to the woofer cabinet while at the same time providing sonic and electrical isolation Advanced AirFrame technology maximizes the electrostatic panels playable sur face area and dipole dispersion pattern while minimizing potentially acoustically destructive intermodulated distortion caused by spurious vibrat
17. abeateueea aes 12 The Extra Tweak Enjoy Yourself Room ACOUSTICS 2 cece cece cece cece ee cces 13 Your Room Terminology Rules of Thumb Dipolar Speakers and Your Room 4 14 Solid Footing Dispersion InteractionsS ceceeeeeecece 15 Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Controlled Vertical Dispersion Three Major Types of Dispersion 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 mag nitude 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 HOME Theater cc sesescduwsadseessonsasenendes 16 Electrostatic Advantages ceeeeeeee 17 Full Range Operations 12 2a2cce penneedeasaenaas 18 MartinLogan Exclusives ceceeeeees 19 XStat Transducer CLS Curvilinear Line Source Generation 2 Diaphragm MicroPerf Stator Vacuum Bonding AirFrame Technology PoweredForce Bass Technology Electrostatic Loudspeaker History 20 Frequently Asked Questions e06 22 Troubleshooting 6 s 0w 4 d 6 0005 pode de 06 ooe bees 24 General Information 2 6c50800s00scesse000 eee 25 Spe
18. ak In When you first begin to play your Spire speakers they will sound a bit bass shy This is due to the high quality long life components used in our woofer Our custom made butyl surround woofer requires approximately 72 hours of break in at 90 dB moderate listening levels before any critical listening The break in requirements of the crossover components 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 Single Wire Connection Please take note of the jumper clips installed under the binding posts These clips attach the high and low fre quency sections of the crossover together Leaving these in place connect the wire from your amplifier to either red binding post and the wire from your ampli fier to either black binding post see figure 2 Bi Wire Connection Bi wiring the Spire is not necessary The Spire is pro vided with a bi wiring option to allow consumers who already own quality bi wire cables to use their existing cables This connection method 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 right out Stereo Amplif
19. aker 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 lon ger 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 cables are available whose manufacturers claim better performance than standard heavy gauge wire 8 Controls and Connection We have verified this in many cases and the improvements available are often more noticeable than the differences between wires of different gauge The effects of cables may be masked if equipment is not of the highest quality Connections are done at the signal input section on the rear electronics panel of the Spire Use spade connectors for optimum contact and ease of installation Hand tight en the binding posts but do not overtighten do not use a tool to tighten the binding posts 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 Bre
20. ass response but for stage width and good pinpoint focusing Your ideal listening position and speaker position will be determined by e Tightness and extension of bass response e Width of the stage e 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 This extra tweak may be useful when your speakers are placed in a dedicated listening room Use the fol lowing procedure and measurements for your speakers placement to see what can happen to your system s per formance These formulas will help determine optimum placement of your speakers to minimize standing waves 1 Distance from the front wall in front of the listening position to the center of the curvilinear transducer To determine distance from the front wall measure the ceiling height inches and multiply the figure by 0 618 i e ceiling height 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 cur vilinear 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 Spire is a very refined speaker and benefits from care in setup Wit
21. ce it presented a dif ficult load that some amplifiers did not like its dispersion These developments allow the consumer to own the highest performance loud speaker products ever built 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 1960 s 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 sonic limitations as the Quad The KLH 9 could play markedly louder and lower in frequency than the Quad ESL Thus a rivalry was born Janszen continued to develop electrostatic 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 presi dent 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 elec trostatic 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
22. cifications Warranty and Registration Serial Number Service Dimensional Drawings eeeeeeees 26 Glossary of Audio Terms eeee eens 27 X In accordance with the European Union VVEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive efective August 13 2005 13AUG2005 we would like to notify you that this product may contain regu lated materials which upon disposal according to the WEEE directive require special reuse and recycling processing For this reason Martinlogan has arranged with our distributors in European Union member nations to collect and recycle this product at no cost to you To find your local distributor please contact the dealer from whom you purchased this product email into martiniogan com or visit the distributor locator at www martiniogan com Please note only this product itself falls under the WEEE directive When disposing of packaging and other related shipping materials we encourage you to recycle these items through the normal channels WARNING Do not use your Spire loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale voltage requirements vary by country Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to repair The Spire is shipped to authorized MartinLogan distributors with the correct power supply for use in the country of intended sale A list of authorized distributors can be accessed at www martinlogan com or by emailing info martinlogan
23. coves 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 you 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 sup ported 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 carpet ing 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
24. d of a single complex waveform with all frequencies interacting simultaneously The electrostatic transducer of the Spire essentially acts as an exact opposite of the microphones used to record the original event A microphone which is a single work ing element transforms acoustic energy into an electrical signal that can be amplified or preserved by some type of storage media The Spire s electrostatic transducer trans forms electrical energy from your amplifier back into acoustical energy Due to the limitations of electromagnetic drivers no single unit can reproduce the full range of frequencies Instead MartinLogan Spire crossover point 320Hz Figure 15 This diagram illustrates how a conventional speaker system must use multiple crossover networks that have negative effects on the musical performance 18 Electrostatic Advantages these drivers must be designed to operate within a nar row 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 recombina
25. dvised the Bell management to go with the cone For the next 30 years the electrostatic design lay dormant During the Great Depression of the 1930 s 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 1940 s audio expe rienced 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 than it was challenged by products developed during this new rebirth 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
26. e 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 MARTIN LOGAN Lawrence Kansas USA tel 785 749 0133 2008 MartinLogan All rights reserved fax 785 749 5320 www martinlogan com info martinlogan com Rev 022208
27. e voice coils wound on formers spider assemblies and surrounds to keep the cone or dome in position see figure 14 These pieces when combined with the high mass of the cone or dome materials used make it an extremely complex unit with many weaknesses 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 Surround Cone Dust Cap Voice Coil Former Basket Assembly m e vene Voice Coil Magnet Gap Assembly Magn m Figure 13 Cut away view of an XStat electrostatic transducer Notice the simplicity due to minimal parts usage Figure 14 Cut away view of a typical moving coil driver Notice the com plexity due to the high number of parts Electrostatic Advantages 17 Full Range Operation Another significant advantage of MartinLogan s exclusive transducer technology reveals itself when you look at exam ples of other loudspeaker products on the market today The Spire uses no crossover networks above 320 Hz because they are not needed The Spire consists of a single seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all frequencies above 320 Hz simultaneously How is this possible First we must understand that music is not composed of separate high mid and low frequency pieces In fact music is comprise
28. er Amp Power 200 watts channel 4 ohms Controls Bass 10dB at 35Hz Light Three Position Light Intensity Switch Power Handling 250 watts per channel Signal Inputs Custom bi wire binding posts Mains Power Draw Standby lt 1W each Idle 8W each Max 150W each Weight 58 Ibs each 26 3 kg Size 59 h x 12 5 w x 17 75 d 150h x 32 w x 45 1 d cm For detailed dimensional drawings please see page 26 GENERAL INFORMATION Warranty and Registration Your Spire speakers are provided with an automat ic 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 For your conve nience MartinLogan also offers online warranty registration at www martinlogan com MartinLogan may not honor warranty service claims unless we have a completed Warranty Registration on file If you did not receive a Certificate of Registration with your new Spire speakers you cannot be assured of having received new units If this is the case please contact your autho rized MartinLogan dealer Serial Number Spire s serial number is located near the bottom of the backplate Each individual unit has a unique serial number Service Should y
29. ergy 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 used in a circuit to provide resistance Resonance The effect produced when the natural vibra tion 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 Transducer Any of various devices that transmit energy from one system to another sometimes one that converts the energy in form Loudspeaker transducers convert elec trical 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 reproduce only high frequencies Wavelength The distanc
30. es 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 induc tance into an electrical circuit Sometimes called a choke or coil Glossary of Audio Terms 27 vary by country Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to repair The Spire is WARNING Do not use your Spire loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale voltage requirements shipped to authorized MartinLogan distributors with the correct power supply for use in the country of intended sale A list of authorized distributors can be accessed at www martinlogan com or by emailing info martinlogan com 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 IC s 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 by 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 en
31. faces and reso nant 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 informa tion 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 result 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 Spire s you may want to use ETC energy transfer coupler spikes sup plied with the Spire see figure 5 With the use of these spikes the Spire will become more firmly planted on the 14 Placement floor and consequently 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 The feet that attach to the bottom of the Spire use a common 3 8 16 thread 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 screw them in all of the way If the speaker does not sit level loosen one spike until level is achieved 3 Tighten the jam nut snugly by hand D
32. h these tips in mind you will find over your months of listening that small changes can result in mea surable differences As you live with your speakers do not be afraid to 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 Room ACOUSTICS Your Room This is one of those areas that requires both a little back Resonant Surfaces and Objects ground to understand and some time and experimentation to obtain 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 partici pates 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 Ideally your room should not contribute to that information However every room does contribute to the sound to some degree Fortunately MartinLogan had designed the Spire to minimize these anoma
33. help find the optimal setting for your room play mate rial with which you are familiar with low frequency information such as a drum or a pipe organ When adjusting the 35Hz level we recommend doing so with two or three people one located at the listening position and one or two people at the controls 1 Start with the 35Hz level knob set to OdB The person at the listening position needs to become familiar with the sound at this setting Remember only the person in the listening position should judge the bass integration Nodes and nulls change dramatically throughout every location in a room A person adjusting the controls on the speaker will experience an entirely different bass performance than a person sitting in the listening position 10 Controls and Connection 2 Adjust the 35Hz level knob by 10dB In most cases the bass will sound boomy and unnatural Return the setting to OdB and listen to the speaker again for a moment Next adjust the 35Hz knob by 10dB In most cases the bass will sound thin and nonexistent Return the setting to OdB and listen again for a moment Now you have an idea of the control you have over the 35Hz output If you feel the bass is too boomy at OdB adjust towards the negative settings If it is to thin at OdB adjust toward the positive settings Repeat this procedure using increasingly smaller amounts 8dB 6dB 4dB etc until you find a setting where the low bass sounds balanced remember
34. his 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 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 Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems with my electrostatic speakers Exposure to excessive contaminants such as smoke 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 three or four times a year See the vacuuming FAQ 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 See the vacuuming FAQ The electrostatic charge on the element
35. ier Figure 2 Single wire connection One channel shown direct coupling each portion of the crossover to the amplifier First you must remove the jumper clips Connect one set of wires to the upper set of ESL binding posts Next con nect a second set of wires to the lower woofer binding posts Finally connect both sets of wires to the appro priate terminals on your amplifier Please take care to connect both wires to the amplifier terminals and both wires to the amplifier terminals This is also known as a parallel connection see figure 3 Bi Amplification The Spire s PoweredForce woofer is internally powered Because of this we do not recommend either active or passive bi amplification right out Stereo Amplifier Figure 3 Bi wire connection One channel shown Controls and Connection 9 35Hz Level Control After you have determined the speaker position and pri mary listening position see pages 11 12 you will want to adjust the 35Hz level control On the rear of the Spire is a knob that control the 35Hz frequency responses by 10db MartinLogan engineers have found this frequency area 30 50Hz to be problem atic Low frequencies tend to react to a room environment by creating nodes boomy and unnatural bass or nulls nonexistent bass By adjusting the 35Hz level knob you can dial out undesirable nodes or nulls and create a bal anced and seamless presentation To
36. ions and resonance The result Ultimate imaging capability low level detail resolution improved efficiency and overall accuracy PoweredForce Bass Technology Through integrated engineering of advanced amplification and transducer designs PoweredForce bass tech nology results in usable bass extension down to 29Hz immense bass dynamics and precision beyond the reach of traditional massive box systems all from an enclo sure not much larger than a case of wine Additionally low frequency equalization capabilities integrated into PoweredForce technology allow precision calibration for optimal room integration MartinLogan Exclusives 19 ELECTROSTATIC HISTORY In the late 1800 s 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 repro duce 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
37. lies 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 louder than the rest of the audio spectrum and cause one note bass boomy bass or bloated 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 seri ous 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 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 al
38. llowing list and descriptions will give you only a brief outline of the responsibilities and demands placed on each speaker Front Left and Front Right If these speakers will be the same two used for your stereo playback they should be of very high quality and able to play loudly over 102 dB and reproduce bass below 80 Hz Center Channel This is the most important speaker in a home theater 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 extremely accurate and mate well with the front 16 Home Theater speaker and that it is recommended for use as a center speaker This is not the place to cut corners Surround Speakers We recommend along with the film industry that the sur round speakers play down to at least 80 Hz 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 small inexpensive speakers If you choose to do so be prepared to upgrade in the future as discrete multi channel digital encoding is proliferating rapidly and the demands on surround speak ers have increased Subwoofer With any good surround system you will need one or more high quality subwoofers the 1 in a 5 1 6 1 or 7 1 channel surround system Most movie soundtracks contain large amounts of bass information as pa
39. n 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 the stators works simultaneously with and against the diaphragm consequently moving it back and forth producing music This technique is known as MicroPert ClearSpar Plasma Bonded Stator Spacers Diaphragm 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 uniform ly 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 driv ers 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 electromagnet ic drivers must us
40. ne note nor should it be too heavy It should extend to the deepest organ passages and yet 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 booming or thudding Tonal Balance Voices should be natural and full and cymbals should be detailed and articulate yet not bright and piercing pianos should have a nice transient characteristic and deep tonal registers If you cannot attain these virtues read the section on Room Acoustics pages 13 14 This will give you clues on how to get closer to these ideal virtues Final Placement After the full break in period obtaining good wall treat ments and the proper toe in 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 12 Placement Now experiment with placing the speakers farther apart As the speakers are positioned farther apart listen again not so much for b
41. nnect their television to a 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 1980 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 DVD s emerged with the same surround sound information encoded on home releases as the theatrical release Additionally new high resolution home viewing formats such as HD DVD and Blu ray as well as high definition content provided via cable or satellite have evolved which include multi chan nel encoded audio that is virtually master tape quality 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 sepa rately Take your time and buy quality No one has ever complained that the movie was too real The fo
42. o a switched outlet Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off Please see the FAQ regarding vacuuming If using a single wire connection check to make sure that the jumper clips are in place and that the binding posts are firmly hand tightened Check the binding posts Are the dirty If so clean them with rubbing alcohol Check the binding posts Are the loose Make sure they are firmly hand tightened Has a foreign substance such as a household cleaning chemical or soap been applied to the panel If so the speaker will require servicing Popping and Ticking Sounds Funny Noises 24 These occasional noises are harmless and will not hurt your audio system or your speakers All electrostatic speakers are guilty of making odd noises at one time or another It is the result of airborne contaminates most notably dust Vacuuming is recommended These noises may be caused by dirt and dust particles collecting on the speaker by high humidity Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off Please see the FAQ regarding vacuuming Troubleshooting 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 L
43. o 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 rotating spikes Tighten the jam nut securely when satisfied that speaker is level Caution Walking the speaker may result in a broken spike Figure 5 The ETC Spike Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Your Spire s launch a 30 degree horizontal dispersion pat tern This horizontal dispersion field gives a choice of good seats for the performance while minimizing interactions with side walls see figure 10 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 adjust ments can result in noticeable sonic improvements Controlled Vertical Dispersion As you can see from the illustrations your Spire speakers project a controlled dispersion pattern see figure 11 Each Spire is a 44 inch line source beginning 15 inches above the base This vertical dispersion profile minimizes inter actions with the floor and the ceiling Figure 6 7 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
44. oss of Highs Lack of Bass No Bass Check your speaker wires Is the polarity correct Check your speaker wires Is the woofer working Check your speaker wires if bi wiring If using a single wire connection check to make sure that the jumper clips are in place and that the binding posts are firmly hand tightened Check the binding posts Are the dirty If so clean them with rubbing alcohol Check the binding posts Are the loose Make sure they are firmly hand tightened 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 sidewalls Check the polarity of the speaker wires Are they con nected properly Try switching the left speaker with the right Are your speakers set up in an L shaped room If so you may experience off center imaging Talk to your dealer about acoustical room treatment options Specifications System Frequency Response 29 23 000 Hz 3db Dispersion Horizontal 30 Degrees Vertical 44 112 cm line source Sensitivity 91 dB 2 83 volts meter Impedance Nominal 4 ohms Minimum 0 8 ohms 20 kHz Crossover Frequency 320 Hz Components Custom wound audio transformer air core coils poly propylene capacitors Woofer Type 10 25 4 cm cast basket high excursion aluminum cone with extended throw driver assembly non reso nance asymmetrical chamber format Woof
45. ou 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 origi nally purchased the end user may seek to have repairs performed by the nearest MartinLogan distributor sub ject to that distributor s local servicing policies 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 Specifications are subject to change without notice General Information 25 DIMENSIONAL DRAWINGS 26 Dimensional Drawings AC Abbreviation for alternating current Active crossover Uses active devices transistors IC s 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
46. placed on the speaker e No liquids either in glasses or vases should be placed on speaker e Speaker should not be exposed to dripping or splashing liquids e The terminals marked with the lightning bolt symbol should be connected by an instructed person or by way of ready made terminals e The power cord should remain readily oper able should any abnormal conditions occur INSTALLATION IN BRIEF Step 1 Unpacking Remove your new Spire speakers from their packaging Step 2 Placement Place each Spire at least two feet from the back wall and angle them slightly toward your listening area This is a good place to start Please see the Placement section pages 11 12 of this manual for more details Step 3 Power Connection AC see warning Your Spire speakers require AC power to energize their electrostatic cells and to power the PoweredForce woofer 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 a wall outlet Please see AC Power Connection pages 8 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
47. rce The materials in your new Spire speakers are of the high est quality and will provide years of enduring enjoyment and deepening respect The cabinetry is constructed from the highest quality composite material for acoustical integrity and features hand rubbed wood veneers Through rigorous testing the 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 patented panel is then coated with a special polymer that is applied via a proprietary electrostatic bonding process This panel assembly houses a membrane just 0 0005 of an inch thick Ruggedly constructed and insulated the panel is rated to easily handle up to 250 watts of continuous power with no deleterious effects The other sections of your User s Manual explain in detail the operation of your Spire 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 CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS 35Hz Level Knob The 35Hz Level knob significantly adjusts the level between 30 and 50Hz by 10dB This is an area where peaks and dips of different amplitudes often manifest in real environments This setting is dependent on room size and construction
48. rt of the special effects Good subwoofers will provide a founda tion for the rest of the system Figure 12 Spire speakers as front channels the Stage as the center and surround channels and Descent i subwoofers as 0 1 effects channel ELECTROSTATIC ADVANTAGES 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 stators the diaphragm and spacers see figure 13 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 i
49. ry 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 capability to bring it out of the laboratory and into the market place You will find this proprietary MartinLogan technology used in all of our electrostatic products It is one of the many reasons behind our reputation for high quality sound with prac tical usability This is also why you see the unique see through cylindrical shape of MartinLogan products Generation 2 Diaphragm Spire s diaphragm employs an extremely sophisticated conductive coating applied to the polymer surface at an atomic level using a plasma bonding process A proprietary compound is driven into the surface of the polymer film in an oxygen free argon chamber This process allows extremely uniform surface resistivity characteristics an optically transparent surface and a nearly massless dia phragm This uniform surface resistivity controls the electrostatic charge on the diaphragm surface and regulates its migration As
50. th any dust on the panel to make it slightly conduc tive 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 vacuuming with a strong vacuum hose How do I vacuum my MartinLogan speakers Vacuuming will be most effective if the speakers have been unplugged for six hours to twelve hours or over night You need not worry about the vacuum pressure damaging the delicate membrane It is extraordi narily durable 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 When vacuuming or blowing off your panels do so to both sides but focus the majority of your attention on the front of the panels 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 Frequently Asked Questions 23 TROUBLESHOOTING No Output Check that all your system components are turned on Check your speaker wires and connections Check all interconnecting cables Try hooking up a different set of speakers The lack of output could point to a problem with other equipment in your system amp pre amp processor etc Weak or no 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 t
51. this an electrical signal could not be ampli Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field of 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 dia phragm 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 stunned and impressed The electrostat performed splendidly They had never heard instrumental timbres reproduced with such realism This sys fied The loudspeaker as we know it contestants down to the tem sounded like real music rather than 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 gramophone couldn t begin to reproduce all of the information on this new disc As a result further developments in loudspeakers were needed to cope with this amazing new recording medium By
52. tion process nonlinearities and severe deg radation of the music signal take place in the ear s most critical zone see figure 15 The Spire s electrostatic transducer can single handedly reproduce all frequencies above 320 Hz simultaneously You have in one transducer the ability to handle in elegant simplicity the critical frequencies above 320 Hz The crossover phase aberrations that are associated with traditional tweeter midrange and woofer systems are eliminated The result is a dramatic improvement in imag ing and staging performance due to the minutely accurate phase relationship of the full range panel wave launch Conventional Loudspeaker crossover point 2 000 5 000Hz Critical Zone 320Hz 20kHz crossover point 100 400Hz XStat Transducer XStat transducers incorporate a myriad of technology and design innovations including CLS MicroPerf Generation 2 Diaphragms ClearSpars and Vacuum Bonding CLS Curvilinear Line Source Since the beginning of audio achieving smooth dispersion has been a problem for all designers Large panel transduc ers present unique challenge because the larger the panel the more directional the dispersion pattern becomes Wide 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 eve
53. ughs Through integrated engineer ing of advanced amplification and transducer designs PoweredForce bass technology results in usable bass extension down to 29Hz immense bass dynamics and precision beyond the reach of traditional passive box sys tems all from an enclosure not much larger than a case of wine Additionally low frequency equalization capabili ties integrated into advanced PoweredForce technology allow precision calibration for optimal room integration Housed within a radical ultra rigid extruded aluminum AirFrame the Spire s CLS XStat transducer builds upon the legacy of MartinLogan s electrostatic heritage with the incorporation of advanced vacuum bonding and MicroPerf stat panels providing even greater efficiency and precision The integration electrical interface technology developed by MartinLogan s Statement e2 engineering team extends effortless dynamics and purity resulting in even higher sonic standards of efficiency and precision Introduction Featuring an advanced crossover topology derived from the Statement loudspeaker MartinLogan carefully hand builds each Spire crossover utilizing precision point to point wiring audiophile grade polypropylene capacitors and high purity air core coils This advanced crossover topology flawlessly preserves microscopic sub tleties while effortlessly handling the broadest range of dynamics contained within even the most demanding sonic sou
54. ur system can sound dull You may hear muted music with little ambience Harder surfaces will actually help in this case PLACEMENT The front surface ideally should be one long wall without any doors or openings If you have openings the reflection and bass characteristics from each channel can be different The Side Walls A good rule of thumb is to have the side walls as far away from the speaker sides as possible However MartinLogan s unique controlled dispersion electrostatic transducer inherently minimizes side wall reflections a position as little as two feet from the side walls often proves adequate 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 the tonal balance and imaging changing 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 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 A simple
55. vibrations or waves into the room This is how it creates sound These vibrations vary from 20 per second to 20 000 per second Room Acoustics 13 If your speaker system is not securely planted on the floor or solid surface it can shake as it produces sound and consequently the sound can be compromised 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 dipo lar radiators This means that they produce sound from both their fronts and their backs Consequently musical information is reflected by the wall behind them and may arrive either in or out of step with the information pro duced by the front of the speaker The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled by the position from the front wall Your Spire s have been designed to be placed two to three feet from the front wall the wall in front of the listening position to obtain the best results however your room may see things dif ferently So listening to the difference of the bass response as a result of the changes in distance from the front wall can allow you to get the best combination of depth of bass and tonal balance Now that you know about reflective sur
56. 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 22 Frequently Asked Questions 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 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 MartinLogan s will draw approximately 1 watt maximum in standby mode There is circuitry to turn off the static charge when not in use however 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 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 t
57. yet effective method to achieve proper toe involves sitting at the listening position holding a flashlight under your chin and pointing it at each speaker The reflection of the flashlight should be within the inner third of the panel see figure 4 Front View of Panel From Listening Position Right Channel Top View Right Channel i reflection E Figure 4 Flashlight toe in technique Placement 11 Tilting the Speakers Backwards and Forwards As the diagrams show in the Dispersion Interactions section of this manual page 15 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 Imaging lIn their final location your Spire s can have a stage width somewhat wider than the speakers themselves On well recorded music the instruments can extend beyond the edges of each speaker left and right yet a vocalist should appear directly in the middle The size of the instruments should be neither too large nor too small subject to the intent and results of each unique audio recording 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 for both speakers This will greatly enhance the quality of your imaging Bass Response Y our bass response should neither be o
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