MartinLogan Ascent LoudSpeaker manual

A S CENT TM user ’s manual c l s e l e c t r o s t a t i c M ART IN L OG A N[...]

2 Contents C ONTENTS Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

3 Installation in Brief 3 I NST ALLA TION IN B RIEF W e know you are eager to hear your Ascent loudspeakers, 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 possibl[...]

Assembling the Ascent Introduction I NTRODUCTION AND A S SEMBL Y Congratulations! Y ou have invested in one of the world’s premier loudspeak er systems. The MartinLogan Ascent represents the culmination of an intensive, dedicated group research program directed toward establishing a world class reference monitor utilizing leading-edge technology [...]

O PERA TION Operation 5 Because your MartinLogan Ascents use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells with high-voltage DC, they must be connected to an AC power source. F or 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 c[...]

Figure 3. Bi- Wire Connection. One Channel shown. Amplifier speaker output Jumper clips removed 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 binding post and the[...]

With horizontal bi-amping , one amplifier drives the high pass (ESL) section while the second amplifier drives the low pass (WOOFER) section. T o horizontally bi-amp your Ascents 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 fre[...]

8 Placement P LACEMENT 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. Y our sitting distance should be further than the distance between the speakers themselves. What you are trying to attain is the impression o[...]

Placement 9 Imaging In their final location, your Ascents 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 l[...]

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. Y our 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[...]

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 F ooting’ for spike inf[...]

12 Dispersion Interactions Y our Ascents 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 F igure 7). Make sure both speakers stand exactly at the same vertical angle, otherwise the image can be skewed or[...]

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[...]

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, i t was still mono and limited by the broadcast signal. In the late 1970’s and early ‘80’s two new home m[...]

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 o[...]

ESL P anel Critical Zone: 280Hz–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 Ascent uses no crossover networks above 280 Hz because they are not needed. The Ascent consists of a single, seamless electrostati[...]

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. F ull range electrostats have long been one of the most problematic transducers because they attain th[...]

18 Electrostatic Loudspeaker History In the late 1800s, any loudspeaker was considered exotic. T oday , 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 l[...]

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 nonl[...]

20 Frequently Asked Questions F REQUENTL Y A SKED Q UESTIONS How do I clean my speak ers? Just use a dust free cloth or a soft brush to remove the dust from your speakers. W e 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 [...]

Frequently Asked Questions 21 Will excessive smok e or dust cause any problems with my electrostatic speak ers? 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 [...]

22 Troubleshooting T ROUBLESHOOTING No Output •Check that all your system components are turned on. •Check your speaker wires and connections. •Check all interconnecting cables. W eak 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. Rea[...]

The Ascent hybrid speaker system consists of a broad-range single element electrostatic transducer integrated with a quick- response woofer . This approach takes advantage 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 elegan[...]

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-Ampli[...]

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 i s measured in henrys. Inductor . A device designed primarily to introduce inductance into an electrical circuit. Sometimes called a choke or coil. Linearity . [...]

26 Notes N OTES[...]

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 ART I N L OG A N ©2000 MartinLogan, All rights reserved Rev. #072100[...]