- Computers & electronics
- Audio & home theatre
- Soundbar speakers
- MartinLogan
- The Stylos Speaker System
- User's manual
advertisement
▼
Scroll to page 2
of 28
User's Manual The Stylos Speaker System T H E E L E C T R O S TAT IC T E C H N O L O G Y Page 2 Stylos User's Manual Important Contents Your Stylos speakers are provided with an automatic Limited 90 Day Warranty coverage. Introduction 4 The Electrostatic Concept 5 History 6 Martin-Logan Exclusives 8 You have the option, at no additional charge, to receive Limited 3 Year Warranty coverage. To obtain Limited 3 Year Warranty coverage you need only complete and return the Certificate of Registration that was included with your speakers along with a copy of your invoice to Martin-Logan, within 30 days of purchase. Martin-Logan may not honor warranty service claims unless we have a completed Warranty Registration card on file! Should you be using your Martin-Logan product in a country other than the one in which it was originally purchased, we ask that you note the following: 1) The appointed Martin-Logan 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 Martin-Logan product require servicing in a country other than the one in which it was originally purchased, the end user may seek to have repairs performed by the nearest Martin-Logan distributor, subject to that distributor's local servicing policies, but all cost of repairs (parts, labor, transportation) must be born by the owner of the Martin-Logan product. 3) If you relocate to a country, other than where you purchased your Martin-Logan's, after owning your speakers for 6 months your warranty may be transferable. Contact Martin-Logan for details. If you did not receive a Certificate of Registration with your Stylos speakers you cannot be assured of having received new units. If this is the case, please contact your Authorized Martin-Logan dealer. Stylos User's Manual Installation Options 10 Operation 11 Placement/Listening Position 12 On-Wall Installation 13 Room Acoustics 16 Home Theatre 20 Questions 21 Troubleshooting 22 Recommended Music 23 Glossary 24 Stylos Specifications 26 Page 3 Introduction Congratulations, you have invested in one of the world’s premier loudspeaker systems! The result of 3 years of research and more than 40 fully functional prototypes, the Stylos represents the latest advancements in electrostatic technology and speaker placement flexibility. specially tooled, high-grade steel, the panel is then coated with a special high dielectric compound that is applied via a proprietary electrostatic deposition process. This panel assembly houses a membrane 0.0005 of an inch thick! Ruggedly constructed and insulated, as much as 200 watts of continuous power has driven the Stylos energized diaphragm into massive excursions with no deleterious effects. Combining our proprietary curvilinear electrostatic transducer with a compact, but powerful woofer, we have designed a product, in one package, that reproduces music with uncompromised electrostatic clarity and extended bass, yet can be mounted on or in a wall requiring no floor space. Please read and follow these instructions as you initially install the Stylos speakers into your system. These instructions are important and will prevent you from experiencing any delay, frustration, or system damage which might occur in a trial-and-error procedure. All materials in your new Stylos speakers are of the highest quality to provide years of enduring enjoyment and deepening respect. The cabinetry is constructed from a special high-density hardwood powderboard for structural integrity and is finished with a durable and attractive matte surface finish. The other sections of your User’s Manual will explain in detail the operation of your Stylos 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. 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 Happy Listening! Page 4 Stylos User's Manual The Electrostatic Concept How can sound be reproduced by something that you are able to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this possible. technique is known as 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 uniformly 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. To fully understand the electrostatic concept, some The cones and domes which are used in traditional background information will be helpful. Remember when electromagnetic drivers cannot be driven uniformly you learned, in a science or physics class, that like because of their design. charges repel each other and Cones are driven only at the opposite charges attract each An Electrostatic Transducer apex. Domes are driven at other? Well, this principle is the their perimeter. As a result, foundation of the electrostatic the rest of the cone or dome concept. is just "along for the ride". The very concept of these drivers Diaphragm An electrostatic transducer require that the cone or dome consists of three pieces: the Spacer be perfectly rigid, damped stators, the diaphragm and the and massless. Unfortunately spacers. See Figure 1. The Stator these conditions are not diaphragm is what actually available in our world today. moves to excite the air and create music. The stator's job is To make these cones and to remain stationary, hence the domes move, all electromagword stator, to provide a Figure 1 1. Cut away view of an electrostatic transducer. netic drivers must use voice reference point for the moving Notice the simplicity due to minimal parts usage. coils wound on formers, diaphragm. The spacers spider assemblies, and provide the diaphragm with a surrounds to keep the cone fixed distance in which to move or dome in position. See between the stators. An Electromagnetic Transducer Figure 2. These pieces, when combined with the high mass As your amplifier sends music Dust Cap of the cone or dome materials Surround Cone signals to an electrostatic Voice Coil Former used, make it an extremely speaker, these signals are complex unit with many changed into two high-voltage weaknesses and potential for signals that are equal in failure. These faults contribSpider strength but opposite in polarity. ute to the high distortion These high voltage signals are products found in these then applied to the stators. The drivers and is a tremendous resulting electrostatic field, disadvantage when you are Basket Assembly created by the opposing high Magnet Assembly trying to change motion as voltage on the stators, works Magnet Voice Coil Magnetic Gap quickly and as accurately as simultaneously with and Figure 2. Cut away view of a typical moving coil driver. a loudspeaker must (40,000 against the diaphragm, Notice the complexity due to the high number of parts. times per second!). consequently moving it back and forth, producing music. This 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. Stylos User's Manual Page 5 History In the late 1800’s, any loudspeaker was considered exotic. Today, most of us take the wonders of sound reproduction for granted. The outcome would dictate the way that future generations would refer to loudspeakers as being either "conventional", or "exotic". 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 reproduce 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 this, an electrical signal could not be amplified. The loudspeaker, as we know it today, should have ensued then, but it did not. Amazingly, it was almost twenty years before this would occur. Bell Laboratory’s electrostat was something to behold. This enormous bipolar speaker was as big as a door. The diaphragm, which was beginning to rot, was made of the membrane of a pigs intestine that was covered with fine gold leaf to conduct the audio signal. 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 1923, Bell Telephone Laboratories made the decision to develop a complete musical playback system consisting of an electronic phonograph and 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 (plasma) speaker, and an electrostatic speaker. After a short time, Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field of "contestants" down to the cone and the electrostat. Page 6 When Rice and Kellogg began playing the new electrically cut records through the electrostat, they were shocked and impressed. The electrostat performed splendidly. They had never heard instrumental timbres reproduced with such realism. This system sounded like real music rather than 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 difficulties that even present designers face; planar speakers require a very large surface area to reproduce the lower frequencies 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 advised the Bell management to go with the cone. For the next thirty 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 experienced 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 Stylos User's Manual 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 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, woofers 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 on electrostatic loudspeaker design in Wireless World, a British electronics magazine. In these articles Walker demonstrated the benefits of the electrostatic loudspeaker. He explained that electrostatics 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 play very loud, it had poor bass performance, it presented a difficult load that some amplifiers did not like, its dispersion was very directional, and its power handling was limited to around 70 watts. As a result, many Stylos User's Manual 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 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 president 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 electrostatic 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. 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 addressed. 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 dispersion 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 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. Page 7 Martin-Logan Exclusives Full Range Operation The most significant advantage of Martin-Logan's exclusive transducer technology reveals itself when you compare it to examples of other loudspeaker products on the market today. The Stylos uses no crossover networks above 700 Hz because they are not needed. It consists of a single, seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all frequencies above 700 Hz simultaneously. How is this possible? First, it is important to understand that music is not composed of separate high, mid and low frequency pieces. In fact, music is comprised of a single complex waveform with all frequencies interacting simultaneously. The electrostatic transducer of the Stylos essentially acts as an exact opposite of the microphones used to record the original event. A microphone, which is a single working element, transforms acoustic energy into an electrical signal that can be amplified or preserved by some type of storage media. The Stylos electrostatic transducer transforms electrical energy from your amplifier into acoustical energy with a single membrane. Upon looking carefully at a traditional magnetic driver (I.e. dynamic, ribbon, induction), no single unit can reproduce the full range of frequencies. Instead, these drivers must be designed to operate within narrow areas of music and then combined electrically so that the sum of the parts Page 8 equals the total signal. While this sounds nice in theory, a different story unfolds in real-world conditions. In order to use multiple drivers, a crossover network is enlisted to divide the complex musical signal into the separate parts (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 recombination process, nonlinearities and severe degradation of the music signal takes place in the ear's most "critical zone", the crossover between the tweeter and midrange. See Figure 1. So, music in the "critical zone" becomes delayed in time. These delays can be pickedup by your ear and result in poor imaging and ambience cues. Voices lose their Conventional Loudspeaker complex harmonies and sound less like the vocalist and more like a stereo Tweeter speaker. Critical Zone 700 20kHz Midrange The Stylos electrostatic transducer can singlehandedly reproduce all Woofer audio frequencies above 700 Hz simultaneously. Martin-Logan Stylos Loudspeaker The crossover phase discontinuities that are associated Stylos with traditional tweeter, Critical Zone Electrostatic midrange/woofer systems are 700 - 20kHz Transducer eliminated in the Stylos. This results in a dramatic improvement in imaging and staging performance Woofer due to the minutely accurate phase relationFigure 1. Illustrates how a conventional speaker system ship of the full-range must use a crossover network that has negative affects panel wave launch. on the musical performance, unlike the Stylos which needs no crossover networks in the "critical zone". Stylos User's Manual Vapor Deposited Film The diaphragm material used in all Martin-Logan speakers employs an extremely sophisticated vapor deposited conductive polymer membrane. A proprietary conductive compound is vaporized then electrostatically driven into the surface of the polymer film in a vacuum chamber. This process allows an optically transparent membrane, adds no mass to the diaphragm and is extremely uniform in its surface resistivity characteristics. This uniform surface resistivity controls the electrostatic charge on the diaphragm surface and regulates its migration. As a result, no discharging or “arcing” can occur. Transducer Integrity All Martin-Logan transducers begin with two pieces of high grade, cold rolled steel. These steel pieces are then custom perforated and insulated with an exotic composite coating. This proprietary coating insulates the stator to 3 times its actual needed working voltage and gives the Stylos a wide margin of safe operation. In addition to the electrical insulation properties, this coating also provides the Stylos with a durable, attractive finish that dampens the steel to prevent ringing. The finished metal plates are curved into a 30 degree arc. Placed between them is our exclusive vapor deposited diaphragm and spacers. This assembly is then bonded together with aerospace adhesives whose strength is so great that it is commonly used as an alternative to welding. The result of these advanced technologies is a transducer that is attractive, durable, highly rigid, well dampened, and neutral. Mechanical/Acoustical Tone Shaping diaphragm + or - 6dB without the use of an insertion loss crossover. The advantage of this system is a high efficiency driver with wide bandwidth capabilities of dimensions which are easily integrated into a domestic environment. Curvilinear Line Source Since the beginning of audio, achieving smooth full range dispersion has long 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. Full range electrostatics have always been one of the most complex 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 every attempt to correct this resulted in either poor dispersion or a serious compromise in sound quality. After extensive research, Martin-Logan 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, we developed the production capability to bring this technology out of the laboratory and into the market place. You will find this proprietary Martin-Logan technology used in all of our products. It is one of the many reasons behind our reputation for high quality sound with practical usability. This is also why you see the unique "see through" cylindrical shape of all Martin-Logan products. The clear Lexan® panels on the back of the Stylos stator are the key elements of an innovative pressure compensation technology. Martin-Logan is able to tone-shape the Stylos User's Manual Page 9 Installation Options The most difficult part of installing your Stylos is deciding which of the available installation options will best integrate into your home. Here are some examples of how each of the 4 Stylos installation kits can be used. The only thing to add is your imagination. On Wall On a Stand - When the wall in front of you is ideal for speaker placement but floor space is not available - To flank a projection screen, window or fireplace - Fit inside a cabinet Hardware required: Standard wall-mount kit included with all Stylos - When the wall behind the speaker will not allow speaker mounting, i.e. book case or window - If there is a high possibility the speakers will be frequently moved - As a dipole side channel for a home theatre system Hardware required: Optional Stylos stand kit On A Side Wall In Wall - The front wall is a window or book case - The room is long and narrow - A dipole side channel for home theatre Hardware required: Optional Stylos side-mount kit - When not being seen is as important as sounding great - Allows finishing the Stylos grill to match the wall color - Most complicated installation Hardware required: Optional Stylos in-wall kit, certified electrician to provide in-wall A.C. in accordance to code, in-wall speaker cable accessibility Page 10 Stylos User's Manual Operation AC Power Connection Signal Connection Because your Martin-Logan Stylos use an internal power supply to energize their electrostatic cells with highvoltage DC, 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 any convenient AC wall outlet. Extension cords may be used, if necessary, since the AC power requirement of the speaker is extremely small (less than 5 watts). The Stylos have been designed to remain on continuously and should remain connected to a continuous AC power source. As mentioned earlier, power consumption of the Stylos is very small and the life expectancy of its components will not be reduced by continuous operation. Connections are done at the Signal Input section on the bottom electronics panel of the Stylos. Use spade connectors for optimum contact and ease of installation. Make certain that all of your connections are tight. 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. Your Stylos speakers are wired for the power service supplied in the country of original consumer sale unless manufactured on special order. The AC power rating applicable to a particular unit is specified both on the packing carton and on the serial number plate attached to the speaker. If you remove your Stylos speakers from the country of original sale, be certain that AC power supplied in any subsequent location is suitable before connecting and operating the speakers. Substantially impaired performance or severe damage may occur to a Stylos speaker if operation is attempted from an incorrect AC power source. If your home is not equipped with three-prong wall outlets, you may use “cheater” plugs to connect the speakers to AC power. These may be obtained at your dealer or any hardware department. Stylos User's Manual 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. Use the best speaker 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 #14 be used. In general, the longer 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 speaker cables are now available whose manufacturers claim better performance than with standard heavy gauge wire. We have verified this in some cases, and the improvements available are often more noticeable than the differences between wires of different gauge. We would also recommend, if possible, that short runs of speaker cable connect the power amplifier(s) and speakers and that high quality long interconnect cables be used to connect the preamplifier and power amplifier. This results in the power amplifiers being close to the speakers, which may be practically or cosmetically difficult, but if the length of the speaker cables can be reduced to a few meters, sonic advantages may be obtained. The effects of cables may be masked if the equipment is not of high quality. Page 11 Placement/Listening Position Distance from the Side W all Wall For the most even bass response, we recommend that the center of the Stylos be greater than 16" from the side-wall. Locating the Stylos closer to the corner may reinforce certain bass notes. Distance from the Floor Using ergometric data of the 95th% male (6’1") and the 5th% female (4’11) placed on the average height seat of living room furniture, we recommend a floor to speaker distance of 7" inches. This will provide excellent frequency response if you are sitting or standing. However, if this is not practical, the speaker can be tipped in the brackets to compensate for a 3 inch variation in mounting height. Page 12 Stylos User's Manual On-Wall Installation Installation Procedure After determining the best location for your speakers, based on your room requirements and our recommendations, you are ready to begin installation. Tools required: 1 - M-L Wall Mount Kit: 4 - wall brackets 1 - Stylos template 16 - zip anchors 16 - #8X3/4" screws 1 - plumb line 2 - 1/2" screws with knobs 2 - 1/2" allen head cap screws 4 - metal washers 4 - nylon washers 1 - 3/16 allen wrench 1 - pencil or scratch awl 1 - screw driver 1 - power drill 1 - #2 phillips bit for drill 1 - tape measure 6ft or longer 1 - roll of masking tape Figure 1 1. Mount Template 1 - bullet level (optional) STEP 1 (Figure 1) Unroll the template and mount it to the wall pushing the plumb line's pin through the bull's-eye (making sure the line tied to the push-pin falls directly from the bottom of the pin). We recommend locating the bull's-eye 66 inches from the floor. This distance will place the Stylos the recommended 7" from the floor. See Placement/Listening Position section for seating and speaker placement, information and suggestions. Step 2 (Figures 1 & 2) Shift the bottom of the template side to side until the plumb line matches the vertical center line on the template; then tape each of the four corners of the template to the wall. After taping make sure the template is still aligned. Stylos User's Manual Figure 2 2. Mark Zip Anchor Locations STEP 3 (Figures 2 & 3) Using the pencil or awl, poke through the template at the 8 bracket mounting marks and mark the wall for anchor attachment. You will notice that the anchor mounting cross-hairs fall in different locations in the upper and lower bracket slots (see Figure 3). This was designed-in so that the bottom bracket rests securely on top of the screw shafts, preventing it from inadvertently slipping down the wall; conversely, the upper bracket crosshairs fall in the center of the slot allowing maximum up or down travel to correct for any misalignment. Do not poke large holes in the template cross-hairs. Remove the template from the wall and save it for the other speaker or a future installation. Page 13 On-Wall Installation Cont., STEP 4 (Figure 4) We have supplied plastic Zip-It anchors designed for easy installation on drywall only*. If you have drywall, insert the provided Zip-It anchors** at the 8 previously marked locations, until flush. DO NOT OVERDRIVE. If you hit a wall stud, back the anchor out and use a 1-1/2" drywall screw (not supplied) instead of the Zip-It anchor when attaching the bracket. *If you have a masonry, paneled, plaster or other type of wall, you should consult a local hardware store for proper anchors for your wall type. You will need 16 anchors that will accept a #8 screw for the total installation. ** To insert Zip-It anchor, insert #2 Phillips driver bit into the recess of the Zip-It anchor head. Use manual screw driver or electric drill. Push the Zip-It anchor into the surface of the wall board until the two cutting blades penetrate the surface. Rotate the Zip-It into the drywall until the collar sets flush to the surface. DO NOT OVERDRIVE. Figure 3 3. Zip Anchor Locations Figure 4 4. Insert Zip Anchors into Wall STEP 5 (Figure 5) Install the lower bracket first, using any of the 4 brackets. Place the bracket over the four lower anchors, with the protruding arm of the bracket located towards the bottom; insert all four screws, do not tighten. Place a level on the top of the bracket. With the bracket resting on the screws, level and tighten the screws. Install the top bracket, with the protruding arm located above the anchors. The distance between the top surface of the lower bracket arm and the bottom surface of the upper bracket arm should be approximately 62.5". Level and tighten. Page 14 Figure 5 5. Bracket Mounting Details Stylos User's Manual Mounting the Stylos Remove the Stylos from the packing bag, spread the bag on the floor and lay the Stylos face down. If possible, attach the speaker cable and A.C. cord to the Stylos now, as the A.C. receptacle and 5-way binding posts are more accessible before mounting to the wall. Parts required for each Stylos: 1 - additional human 2 - metal washers 2 - nylon washers 1 - cap screw 1 - cap screw with knob 1 - allen wrench STEP 6 (Figure 6) This step requires 2 people. Place the speaker between the brackets, attach the top first. Begin by placing a nylon washer between the Stylos and the bracket. Then, using the metal washer and the bolt with the knob, loosely attach the Stylos to the bracket. To attach the bottom, use the same procedure as above except mount with the 1/2" allen head cap screw, do not tighten at this time. Adjust the Stylos for your listening position. After fine tuning the speaker position (see Step 7), tighten both bolts. Do not over-tighten. If the top knob strips from the bolt, pop off the knob and use the supplied allen wrench to tighten. Replace the knob to complete the design cosmetics. Figure 6 6. Stylos Assembly Parts Sequence STEP 7 (Figure 7) For optimum performance, both speakers should be positioned so that they mirror each other. We recommend aiming the inside 1/3 of the electrostatic panel to your main listening area. Take the time to measure the distance from the wall to the outward edge of each speaker to ensure mirrored placement. Stylos User's Manual Figure 7 7. Stylos Position Page 15 Room Acoustics Your Room This is one of those areas that requires both a little background 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' to as much as 40'! Your room participates in this wave experience like a 3 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. The purpose of your room, ideally, is to not contribute to that information. However, every room does contribute to the sound and the better speaker manufacturers have designed their systems to accommodate this phenomenon. Let’s talk about a few important terms before we begin. Terminology Standing Waves 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 “tubby bass”. For instance, 100Hz represents a 10' wavelength. Your room will reinforce that specific frequency if one of the dominant dimensions is 10'. Large objects in the room such as cabinetry or furniture can help to minimize this potential problem. Some serious “audiophiles” will literally build a special room with no parallel walls just to get away from this phenomenon. Page 16 Reflective Surfaces (near-field reflections) reflections). The hard surfaces of your room, particularly if close to your speaker system, will reflect those waves back into the room over and over again, confusing the clarity and imaging of your system. The smaller sound waves are mostly effected here and occur in the mid and high frequencies. This is where voice and frequencies as high as the cymbals can occur. Stylos User's Manual Resonant Surfaces and Objects Objects. 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. Clap your hands. Can you hear an instant echo respond back? You’ve got near-field reflections. Stomp your foot on the floor. Can you hear a “boom”? You’ve got standing waves or large panel resonances such as a poorly supported wall. Put your head in a small cavity area and talk loudly. Can you hear a booming? You’ve just experienced a cavity resonance. Resonant Cavities Cavities. Small alcoves or closet type areas in your room can be chambers that create their own “standing waves” and can drum their own “one note” sounds. Rules of Thumb Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Surfaces. If the front or back wall of your listening room is soft, it may benefit you to have a hard or reflective wall in opposition. As well, the ceiling and floor should follow the same basic guideline. 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 carpeting, 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. Stylos User's Manual Break-up Objects 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 Coupling. Your loudspeaker system generates frequency vibrations or waves into the room. This is how it creates sound. Those vibrations will vary from 20 per second to 20,000 per second. 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. Page 17 Room Acoustics and Dispersion Interactions Three Major Types of Dispersion In the field of loudspeaker design, it is a known fact that as the sound wave becomes progressively 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 why most 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 these different solution attempts, we found an elegantly simple, yet very difficult to execute solution. By curving the radiating surface, we create the effect of a horizontal arc. This allows the engineers at Martin-Logan to control the high frequency dispersion pattern of our transducers. That is why you see the gentle curve on our products. Multiple Large Panel Dispersion Even though they suffer from "veneveneblind" effect, angled multiple panel tian blind speakers can deliver good imaging, but only to specific spots in the listening area. Traditional Point Source Dispersion As can be seen, 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. Curvilinear Line Source Dispersion A controlled 30-degree cylindrical wave-front, which is a Martin-Logan exclusive exclusive, offers optimal sound distribution with minimal room interaction. The result is solid imaging with a wide listening area. Page 18 Stylos User's Manual Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Controlled Vertical Dispersion Your Stylos launch a 30 degree dispersion pattern when viewed from above. This horizontal dispersion field gives you a choice of good seats for the performance while minimizing interaction with side walls. See Figure 1. As you can see from the illustrations, your Stylos speakers project a controlled dispersion pattern. Each Stylos is a 38" line source. See Figure 2. This vertical dispersion profile minimizes interactions with the floor and the ceiling. 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 and, consequently, small refined adjustments can result in noticeable sonic improvements. Figure 1 1. Martin-Logan Stylos deliver a 30 degree wave launch dispersion pattern distributed horizontally. Stylos User's Manual Figure 2 2. Your Stylos speaker system is a 38" line source when viewed vertically. Page 19 Home Theatre It has 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, it was still mono and limited by the broadcast signal. Surround Speaker (dipole design) Subwoofer Rear Projection Television In the late 1970's and early '80's two new home movie formats became widely available to the public; VCR and laser disc. Center Speaker 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 theatre quality sound available at home, the only element missing was the "surround sound" presentation found in movie houses. Fortunately, "Dolby" encoded movies (which includes almost all movies) have the same surround sound information encoded on home releases as the theatre films. All that is required to retrieve this information is a decoder and additional speakers to reproduce it. As home theatre is a complex purchase, we recommend that you consult your local Martin-Logan dealer as he is well versed in home theatre. The following list and descriptions will only give you a brief outline as to the responsibilities and demands placed on each speaker. Front Left and Right. These speakers are the same two used for audio only and should be of very good quality. The front speakers need to be able to play loud (over 102 dB) and reproduce bass below 80 Hz. Center Channel. This is the most important speaker in a video system as almost all of the dialogue is reproduced through it. Also, a large portion of the information that is reproduced by the front channel speakers is reinforced by the center speaker. It is important that the center speaker be designed by the same manufacturer as the front speakers and is recommended for use as a center speaker. This is not the place to cut corners. Page 20 Front Speaker Subwoofer Surround Speaker (dipole design) Front Speaker Surround Speakers. We recommend that the surround speakers play down to 80 Hz or below. The 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 a small inexpensive speaker. If you choose to do so, be prepared to upgrade in the future as discrete six channel digital encoding becomes available and the demands on the surround speakers increase. Subwoofer. Most movie soundtracks contain large amounts of bass information as part of the special effects. A good subwoofer will provide a foundation for the rest of the system. Good subwoofers are very complex and expensive to manufacture. We recommend a subwoofer with a built in amplifier. Each piece of a surround system can be purchased separately. Take your time and buy quality. No one has ever complained that the movie was too real. Stylos User's Manual Questions What size of an amplifier should I use with the Stylos? We recommend an amplifier with 80 to 200 watts per channel for most applications. The Stylos will perform well with either a tube or transistorized amplifier, and will reveal the sonic character of either type. However, it is important that the amplifier be stable operating into varying impedance loads: a stable amplifier will be able to deliver twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohms and should maintain or increase power into 2 Ohms. Should I unplug my Stylos during a thunderstorm? Yes. Or before. It’s a good idea to disconnect all of your audio/video components during stormy weather. Is there likely to be any interaction between the Stylos 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. The magnets in conventional speakers do interact with televisions tubes. However, we do recommend that you keep your speakers at least one foot away from the television because of the dynamic woofer they employ. 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. If my child punctured the diaphragm with a pencil, stick, or similar item., how extensive would the damage to the speaker be? Stylos User's Manual 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 this is the case, replacing the electrostatic transducer will be the only solution. Will my electric bill go ‘sky high’ by leaving my speakers plugged in all the time? Your Stylos are equipped with a device we call the signal sensing circuit. Here's how it works. The signal automatically diminishes the bias voltage of the ESL cell to conserve energy and prolong the life of the system. If you like, you can think of it as an attendant who turns off the lights when you aren't using them. Your ESL's don't use much energy anyway (they may cost you about as much to operate as one 15 watt light bulb) but after five minutes of the absence of any program material, the circuit will turn them off. Will exposure to sunlight affect the life or performance of the Stylos? We recommend that you not place any loudspeaker in direct sunlight as the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can cause deterioration of grill cloth, speaker cones, etc.. Exposures through glass will not cause a problem, however the heat generated by the sun will age the finish on the speaker as it would any fine furniture. MartinLogan speakers are not recommended for outdoor use. Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems? Exposure to excessive contaminants, such as smoke or dust, may potentially effect the performance of the electrostatic membrane and may cause discoloration of the diaphragm membrane. Page 21 Troubleshooting No Output Check that all your system components are turned on. Check your speaker wires and connections. Check all interconnecting cables. Weak Output, Loss of Highs Check the power cord. Is it properly connected to the speaker? Low Frequency (60Hz) Hum If the Stylos hum when the amplifier is turned on, but not playing music, the cause may be a ground loop. A ground loop is caused by a difference in the ground potential in the A.C. line. To eliminate this loop, use a ground lift adaptor on the Stylos A.C. cord. Popping and Ticking Sounds, Funny Noises 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. Exaggerated Highs, Brightness Check the toe-in of the speakers. Read Room Acoustics for more information. Lack of Bass These noises may be caused by dirt and dust particles collecting on the speaker, by high humidity or by AC line fluctuations that may occur in your area. 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. Check your speaker wires. Is the polarity correct? Poor Imaging DO NOT SPRAY AGENT ON OR IN ELECTROSTATIC ANY KIND OF CLEANING CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ELEMENT. Check placement. Are both speakers the same distance from the walls? Do they have the same amount of toein? Check the polarity of the speaker wires. Are they connected properly? Page 22 Stylos User's Manual Recommended Music Compact Discs Classical Cantate Domino .................................. Proprius PRCD 7762 Bob James & Earl Klugh: One On One ........ CBS CK 36241 Copland: Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Fanfare Telarc CD-80078 Present Perfect ...................................... MPS 823 543-2 Dorian Sampler Vol. 1 ............................ Dorian DOR-90001 Diane Schuur and the Nojima Plays Liszt ........... Reference Recordings RR-25CD Count Basie Orchestra ................. GRP Records GRD-9550 Pachelbel Canon: Vollenweider: Caverna Magica .................... CBS MK 37827 Acadamy of Ancient Music .... L'Oiseau-Lyre 410 553-2 Yellowjackets: Shades .............. MCA Records MCAD-5752 Round-Up .................................................. Telarc CD-80141 Sainte-Saens: Symphony No. 3 ................ Philips 412 619-2 Rock and Pop Ein Straussfest ........................................... Telarc CD-80098 Greg Brown: Dream Cafe .. Red House Records RHRCD47 Tchaikovsky: Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms ......... Warner Bros. 9 25264-2 Piano Concerto No. 1 ............... Chesky Records CD-13 Sara Hickman: Short Stop ........................ Elektra 9 60964-2 Violin Concerto ......................... Chesky Records CD-12 Billy Idol: Charmed Life .......................... Chrysalis F2 21735 Ricky Lee Jones: Flying Cowboys ............ Geffen 9 24246-2 Jazz and Big Band Count Basie & His Orchestra: 88 Basie Street ....................................... Pablo 3112-42 David Benoit: Every Step of the Way ........... GRP Records GRD-9558 Lyle Lovett: And His Large Band ............ MCA MCAD-42263 Linda Ronstadt: Round Midnight ............. Asylum 9 60489-2 Paul Simon: Graceland .................. Warner Bros. 9 25447-2 Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life ....... Island 9 25548-2 Yellow: Baby ..................................... Phonogram 848 791-2 This Side Up .................................. En Pointe ENP 0001 Ray Brown Trio: Summer Wind .... Concord Jazz CCD-4426 Country ............................. Windham Hill Records WD-1039 Dafos .............................. Reference Recordings RR-12 CD Todd Garfinkle: The Immigrant's Dilemma ......... MA Recordings M017A Along with the introduction of CD came the record label samplers. These compilations are an excellent way to become familiar with a wide variety of artists and genres of music. Ask the "expert" at your favorite store for the names of artists or record lables that produce the type of music which interests you. Shirley Horn: You Won't Forget Me ............ Verve 847-482-2 Freddie Hubbard: Ride Like the Wind ........................ En Pointe ENP 0002 Stylos User's Manual Page 23 Glossary AC AC. Abbreviation for alternating current. Active crossover crossover. Uses active devices (transistors, IC’s, tubes) and some form of power supply to operate. Amplitude Amplitude. The extreme range of a signal. Usually measured from the average to the extreme. Arc Arc. The visible sparks generated by an electrical discharge. Bass Bass. The lowest frequencies of sound. Bi-Amplification Bi-Amplification. Uses an electronic crossover or line-level passive crossover and separate power amplifiers for the high and low frequency loudspeaker drivers. Capacitance 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 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 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 harmonic distortion which creates heat in a loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure. Page 24 Crossover Crossover. An electrical circuit that divides a full bandwidth signal into the desired frequency bands for the loudspeaker components. dB (decibel) (decibel). A numerical expression of the relative loudness of a sound. The difference in decibels between two sounds is ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of their power levels. DC DC. Abbreviation for direct current. Diffraction 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. Diaphragm Diaphragm. A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves. Distortion 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 Driver. See transducer. Dynamic Range Range. The range between the quietest and the loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB). Efficiency Efficiency. The acoustic power delivered for a given electrical input. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m). ESL ESL. Abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker. Headroom Headroom. The difference, in decibels, between the peak and RMS levels in program material. Hybrid 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) (Hertz). Unit of frequency equivalent to the number of cycles per second. Imaging Imaging. To make a representation or imitation of the original sonic event. Impedance Impedance. The total opposition offered by an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency. It is a combination of resistance and reactance and is measured in ohms. Remember that a speaker’s impedance changes with frequency, it is not a constant value. Inductance Inductance. The property of an electric 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 is measured in henrys. Inductor Inductor. A device designed primarily to introduce inductance into an electric circuit. Sometimes called a choke or coil. Linearity Linearity. The extent to which any signal handling process is accomplished without amplitude distortion. Stylos User's Manual Midrange Midrange. The middle frequencies where the ear is the most sensitive. Passive crossover 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 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 noise. A random noise used in measurements, as it has the same amount of energy in each octave. Polarity Polarity. The condition of being positive or negative with respect to some reference point or object. RMS 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. Stylos User's Manual Resistance 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 Resistor. A device used in a circuit primarily to provide resistance. Resonance Resonance. The effect produced when the natural vibration frequency of a body is greatly amplified by reinforcing vibrations at the same or nearly the same frequency from another body. Sensitivity Sensitivity. Volume of sound delivered for a given electrical input. Stator Stator. The fixed part forming the reference for the moving diaphragm in a planar speaker. THD THD. Abbreviation for total harmonic distortion. (See Distortion.) Transient Transient. Applies to that which lasts or stays but a short time. A change from one steady-state condition to another. Tweeter Tweeter. A small drive unit designed to produce only high frequencies. Wavelength Wavelength. The distance measured in the direction of progression of a wave, from any given point characterized by the same phase. White noise noise. A random noise used in measurements, as it has the same amount of energy at each frequency. Woofer 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. TIM TIM. Abbreviation for transient intermodulation distortion. (See Distortion.) Transducer Transducer. Any of various devices that transmit energy from one system to another, sometimes one that converts the energy in form. Loudspeaker transducers convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. Page 25 Specifications The Stylos 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 elegantly simple solution. Frequency Response 55-20,000 Hz +/- 3dB Dispersion Horizontal: 30 degrees; Vertical 38" Line Source Sensitivity 88dB 2.83 volts/1 meter Impedance Nominal: 4 ohms; Minimum: 2 ohms at 20,000 Hz Crossover Frequency 700 Hz, 12dB per octave Woofer Type 6.5" high rigidity cone with extended throw driver assembly, sealed enclosure Power Handling 200 watts/channel Recommended Amplifier Power 60 - 200 watts/channel Weight 40 lbs. each Size 63.5 H x 10.5 W x 4.5 D Page 26 Stylos User's Manual Notes Stylos User's Manual Page 27 $ 5.00 T H E E L E C T R O S TAT IC T E C H N O L O G Y 2001 delaware street p.o. box 707 lawrence, kansas 66044 ph: 913.749.0133 © 1993 martin-logan ltd. all rights reserved
advertisement
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Related manuals
Download PDF
advertisement
Table of contents
- 1 Cover
- 3 Important
- 3 Contents
- 4 Introduction
- 5 The Electrostatic Concept
- 6 History
- 8 Martin-Logan Exclusives
- 8 Full Range Operation
- 9 Vapor Deposited Film
- 9 Transducer Integrity
- 9 Mechanical/Acoustical Tone Shaping
- 9 Curvilinear Line Source
- 10 Installation Options
- 11 Operation
- 11 AC Power Connection
- 11 Signal Connection
- 12 Placement/Listening Position
- 12 Distance from the Side Wall
- 12 Distance from the Floor
- 13 On-Wall Installation
- 13 Installation Procedure
- 15 Mounting the Stylos
- 16 Room Acoustics
- 16 Your Room
- 16 Terminology
- 17 Rules of Thumb
- 18 Room Acoustics and Dispersion Interactions
- 18 Three Major Types of Dispersion
- 19 Controlled Horizontal Dispersion
- 19 Controlled Vertical Dispersion
- 20 Home Theatre
- 21 Questions
- 22 Troubleshooting
- 23 Recommended Music
- 24 Glossary
- 26 Specifications
- 27 Notes
- 28 Back Cover