MartinLogan Purity Fully Powered Hybrid Electrostatic Loudspeaker manual

P URITY user’s manual TM Fully Powered Hybrid Electrostatic Loudspeaker[...]

Thank you—to you the MartinLogan owner, for loving what we do, and for making it possible for us to do what we love. Serial Numbers: _______________ / _______________ Record your serial numbers here for easy reference. You will need this information when filling out your warranty registration. Purity’s serial num- ber is located near the bottom[...]

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Connections & Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 AC Power Connection Status Light Line Level (RCA) Connection Speaker Level Connection . . . . .[...]

We know you are eager to hear your Purity 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 [...]

Introduction 5 I NTRODUCTION Congratulations! You have invested in one of the world’s premier loudspeaker systems. Internally powered with a high-resolution digital ampli- fier, the Purity provides an unprecedented level of system connection flexibility. Equipped with a standard line-level input, the Purity is able to connect directly to devices [...]

6 Connections & Controls C ONNECTIONS & C ONTROLS AC Power Connection Because your Purity speakers use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells and to power the inter- nal amplifiers, they must be connected to an AC power source. For this reason they are provided with the proper IEC standard power cords. These cords sh[...]

Connections & Controls 7 volume control). Usually this is a headphone or pre-amp output. However, as this varies from device to device we recommend referencing your device’s user manual. Please note: When making or breaking connections from devices that utilize the Line Level input a popping noise may occur. This is caused by grounding and st[...]

8 Placement & Room Acoustics Your speakers should be placed approximately two to three feet from the front wall, the wall in front of the lis- tening 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 [...]

Placement & Room Acoustics 9 Tilting the Speakers Backwards and Forwards As the diagrams show in the Dispersion Interactions sec- tion of this manual (page 12), 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 enha[...]

10 Placement & Room Acoustics your speaker slightly forward into the room. What hap- pened 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 posi- tion. Move the speakers back six inches from the initial setup position and again listen to the imagi[...]

Placement & Room Acoustics 11 back? You have near-field reflections. Stomp your foot. 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. Hear a booming? You’ve just experienced a cavity resonance. Rules of Thumb Hard vs. Soft Surfa[...]

12 Dispersion Interactions D ISPERSION I NTERACTIONS Your Purity’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 12). Make sure both speakers stand exactly at the same vertical angle, otherwise the imag[...]

Home Theater 13 It had long been the practice of stereo buffs to connect 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 tw[...]

14 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 att[...]

MartinLogan Exclusives 15 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 Purity uses no crossover networks above 450 Hz because they are not needed. The Purity consists of a single, seamless electrostatic membrane repr[...]

16 MartinLogan Exclusives CLS™ (Curvilinear Line Source) Since the beginning of audio, achieving smooth dispersion has been a problem for all designers. Large panel trans- ducers 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 proble[...]

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 [...]

In 1947, Arthur Janszen, a young Naval engineer, took part in a research project for the Navy. The Navy was interest- ed 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 peri- od were too nonlinear in phase and amplitude respons[...]

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 acceptable to slightly dampen the cloth. Do not spray any k[...]

Will excessive smoke or dust cause any prob- lems 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 wi[...]

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 Pa[...]

System Frequency Response: 41–23,000 Hz ± 3db Dispersion Horizontal: 30 Degrees Vertical: 28” (71 cm) Line Source Sensitivity 93 dB/2.83 volts/meter (binding posts) 95 dB/2.83 volts/meter (line level input) Impedance 4,000 Ohms (binding posts) 14,000 Ohms (line level input) Crossover Frequency 450 Hz Components Custom-wound audio transformer, [...]

Dimensional Drawings 23 D IMENSIONAL D RAWINGS[...]

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 mea- sured f rom the average to the extreme. Arc. The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge. Bass. The lowest frequencies of sound. Bi-[...]

Glossary of Audio Terms 25 Inductance. The property of an electrical circuit by which a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field that i ntroduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby circuit. It is measured in henrys. Inductor. A device designed primarily to introduce induc- tance i nto an electrical circuit. Sometimes called [...]

26 Notes N OTES[...]

Notes 27[...]

Lawrence, Kansas, USA tel 785.749.0133 fax 785.749.5320 www.martinlogan.com ©2007 MartinLogan. All rights reserved. Rev. #050907 ® WARNING! Do not use your Purity loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale—voltage require- ments vary by country. Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to repair. The Purity[...]