MartinLogan CLX manual

user’s manual tm[...]

Serial Numbers: ________________ / ________________ Record your serial numbers here for easy reference. You will need this in- formation when filling out your warranty registration. CLX’s serial number is located near the bottom of the backplate and on the shipping container. Each individual unit has a unique serial number. This device complies w[...]

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

C o n t e n t s ......................................4 I n s t a l l a t i o n i n B r i e f .............................5 I n t r o d u c t i o n ...................................6 Controls and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 AC Power Connection Signal Connection Break-In ML Logo and CLX Light Switches S e t u p a n[...]

Installation in Brief 5 We know you are eager to hear your CLX speakers, so this section is provided to allow fast and easy set up. Once they are operational, please take the time to read, in depth, the rest of the information in this manual. It will give yo u perspec tive on how to a ttain the greatest possible performance from this most exacting [...]

6 Introduction Co n g ra t u la t i on s ! You h a ve i nv e s te d in o ne o f th e wo r l d’ s premier loudspeaker systems. The MartinLogan CLX™ represents an advanced combination of sonic t echnologies es tablishing an unprec- edented direction for audiophile design. The result of years of research, the new CLX™ loudspeaker features DualFo[...]

Controls and Connections 7 C ontrols and C onneCtIons Figure 1. CLX Controls and Connections The power cords should be firmly inserted into the AC power receptacle on the rear connection panel of the CLX, then to any convenient AC wall outlet. Your CLX speakers use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic panels and must be connecte[...]

8 Setup and Placement s etup and p laCement Left/Right Speak er Placement Place your CLX speakers so the curvilinear electrostatic transducer is orientated inside, towards the listening posi- tion (figure 3). Listening Position By n ow y our spea kers sho uld be p lace d so the ele ctro stat ic panels are approxi mately four feet from the front wal[...]

towards the listening area. You will notice the tonal bal - ance and imaging changing. You will notice that as the speakers are toed-in, the system becomes slightly brighter than when toed-out. 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 spe akers[...]

10 Setup and Placement The Extra “Tweak” This may be useful when your speakers are placed in a dedicated listening room. Use the following procedure fo r your speaker’s placement to see what can happen to your system’s performan ce. These formulas will h elp dete rmine optimum placement of your speakers to minimize stand- ing waves. 1 Dista[...]

This is the element of your system that requires back- grou nd to u nders tand and so me t ime and expe rime ntat ion to obtain best performance. 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 comp[...]

and c onseq uent ly, th e soun d can b e com promi sed. If your speaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot gliders are used , the bass c an be ill de fined and e ven bo omy. The use of spikes is recommended to ensure secured footing for your speakers. (See ‘Solid Footing’ for spike information and installation instructions). Dipolar Speak e[...]

Your CLX’s launch a 30 degree horizontal dispersion pat- tern . This horizont al disper sion fiel d gives a ch oice of goo d seats for the performance while minimizing intera ctions with side walls (see figure 11). Make sure both speaker s stand exactly at the same vertical angle, otherwise the image can be skewed or poorly defined. The wave laun[...]

14 Home Theater It ha d lo ng be en th e pr ac tic e of st er eo b uff s to co nn ec t t he ir tele visio n to a stere o syst em. Th e adv antag e was t he us e of the larger speakers and more powerful amplifier of the st e re o sy st e m. E ve n t ho ug h th e s ou nd w a s g r ea tl y i mp ro v ed , it was still mono and limited by the broadcast [...]

Electrostatic Advantages 15 How can sound be reproduced by something that you are ab le to see th ro ugh ? Ele ct ros ta ti c e ner gy ma ke s thi s p oss ib le . 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 cha[...]

16 Electrostatic Advantages Another significant advantage of MartinLogan’s exclusive tra ns duc er tech nol og y re vea ls its elf wh en you look at exam- ples of other loudspeaker products on the market today. The CLX uses no crossover networks above 360 Hz because they are not needed. The CLX has a single elec- trostatic transdu cer repro ducin[...]

XStat™ Transducer MartinLogan's award winning Curvilinear Line Source™ XStat™ electrostatic (ESL) technology, including CLS™, MicroPerf, Generation 2 Diaphragms, ClearSpars™, and Vacuum Bonding, allows smooth unencumbered disper- sion of sound throughout the listening area. The result? Perfectly etched imaging and focus achieved thro[...]

the direct sound while producing a generous amount of ambience-enriching later-arriving reflections off the wall behind them. DualF orce™ ESL Bass T echnology CLX’s unique DualForce™ ESL double diaphragm, triple stator dipole low-frequency transducer delivers deep, dynamic bass with twice as much force as a standard ESL. Dipole Phase Stabiliz[...]

Electrostatic History 19 e leCtrost a tIC HIstory In th e late 1800 ’s, an y loud speak er wa s cons idere d exo tic. Toda y, mo st of u s tak e the wonde rs of sound repr oduct ion for gr ante d. It was 1880 before Thomas Edison had invented the f i r s t p h o n o g r a p h . T h i s wa s a h or n - l o a d e d di a p h r a g m that was excited[...]

20 Electrostatic History In 1947 , Arthur Janszen , a young Naval eng ineer, took part in a re searc h proje ct for t he Nav y. The N avy was inter ested 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 per iod w ere too nonl in[...]

Frequently Asked Questions 21 f requentl y a sked q uestIons 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 i[...]

22 Frequently Asked Questions sun can cause det erio rat ion of g ril l clo th, spe ake r con es, et c. Smal l exposures to UV will not cause a problem. In general, the filtering of UV rays through glass will greatl y r educe the negative effects on the electrostatic membra ne its elf. Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems with my electro[...]

Troubleshooting 23 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.) W ea k or n o O u t [...]

24 General Information g eneral I nforma tIon System Frequency Response: 56–23,000 Hz ± 3db Dispersion Horizontal: 30 Degrees Vertical: 57” (145cm) line source High-Frequency Transducer 57” (145 cm) CLS™ XStat™ electrostatic transducer Low-Frequency Transducer 57” (145 cm) DualForce™ ESL double diaphragm, triple stator dipole electro[...]

Dimensional Drawings 25 d ImensIonal d rawIngs[...]

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. Am pli tu de. T he e xtr em e ran ge o f a sig na l. Us ua lly m ea sur ed from the average to the extreme. Arc. The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge. Ba[...]

Glossary of Audio Terms 27 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 crossove r in [...]

Lawrence, Kansas, USA tel 785.749.0133 fax 785.749.5320 www.martinlogan.com info@martinlogan.com ©2008 MartinLogan. All rights reserved. Rev. #081208 ® WARNING! Do not use your CLX loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale—voltage requirements vary by country. Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to re[...]