Summit floorstanding loudspeaker manual

S UMMIT user’s manual TM[...]

Serial Numbers: ________________ / ________________ Record your serial numbers here for easy reference. You will need this information when filling out your warranty registration. Summit’s serial number is located near the bottom of the backplate and on the shipping container. Each individual unit has a unique serial number. 25Hz Setting: _______[...]

Thank you—to you the MartinLogan owner, for loving what we do, and for making it possible for us to do what we love.[...]

4 Contents Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Controls and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 AC Power Con[...]

Installation in Brief 5 We know you are eager to hear your Summit 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 exac[...]

6 Introduction Congratulations! You have invested in one of the world’s premier loudspeaker systems. The MartinLogan Summit represents an advanced combination of sonic technologies establishing an unprec- edented direction for audiophile design. The result of years of research, the new Summit™ hybrid electro- static loudspeaker features Powered[...]

Light Knob The light control knob allows the brightness of the illuminat- ed strip to be adjusted. 25Hz Level Knob The 25Hz Level knob sig- nificantly adjusts the level between 20 and 30Hz by ±10dB. This is an area where peaks and dips of different amplitudes often manifest in real environments. This set- ting is dependent on room size and constru[...]

AC Power Connection 8 Controls and Connection Because your Summit speakers use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells and to power the PoweredForce™ woofers, 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 t[...]

Single Wire Connection Controls and Connection 9 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 bl[...]

10 Controls and Connection 1 Start with the 25Hz and 50Hz level knobs set to 0dB. 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 adjus[...]

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. The[...]

12 Placement Tilting the Speakers Backwards and Forwards— As the diagrams show in the Dispersion Interactions section of this manual (page 15), the vertical dispersion is directio na l 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 p[...]

This is one of those areas that requires both a little back- 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[...]

ond. If your speaker system is not securely planted on th e floor or solid surface, it can shake as it produces sou nd 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 yo[...]

Your Summit’s launch a 30 degree horizontal dispersion pattern. This horizontal dispersion field gives a choice of good seats for the performance while minimizing inter- actions 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[...]

16 Home Theater 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[...]

Electrostatic Advantages 17 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[...]

18 Electrostatic Advantages 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 Summit uses no crossover networks above 270 Hz because they are not needed. The Summit consists of a single, seamless electrostatic membrane re[...]

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[...]

20 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,[...]

Electrostatic History 21 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 [...]

22 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 damp[...]

Frequently Asked Questions 23 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 th[...]

24 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 fr[...]

General Information 25 System Frequency Response: 24–23,000 Hz ± 3db Dispersion Horizontal: 30 Degrees Vertical: 44” (112 cm) line source Sensitivity 92 dB/2.83 volts/meter Impedance Nominal: 4 ohms Minimum: 0.7 ohms @ 20 kHz Crossover Frequency 270 Hz Components Custom-wound audio transformer, air core coils, poly- propylene capacitors Woofer[...]

26 Glossary of Audio Terms 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 f[...]

Glossary of Audio Terms 27 Inductance. The property of an electrical circuit by which a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field that in troduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby circuit. It is measured in henrys. Inductor. A device designed primarily to introduce induc- ta nce into an electri cal circuit. Sometimes called[...]

2101 Delaware Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66046, USA tel 785.749.0133 fax 785.749.5320 www.martinlogan.com ©2005 MartinLogan. All rights reserved. Rev. #031605 ® WARNING! Do not use your Summit loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale—voltage requirements vary by country. Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expen[...]