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S u m m i t X
u s e r ’ s m a n u a l
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Summit X Tested to Comply Serial Numbers: ________________ / ________________ with FCC Standards Record your serial numbers here for easy reference. You will need this FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE information when filling out your warranty registration. Summit X’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 with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two con
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Thank you—the MartinLogan owner, for loving what we do, and making it possible for us to do what we love.
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Contents Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . .Home Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 . . . . . . . . . Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . . .Electrostatic Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 . . . . .Full Range Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Cont
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II tallanst on In BrIef We know you are eager to hear your Summit X speakers, Step 1: Unpacking so this section is provided to allow fast and easy set up. Remove your new Summit X speakers from their packaging. Once you have them operational, please take the time to read, in depth, the rest of the information in this manual. Step 2: Placement It will give you perspective on how to attain the greatest Place each Summit X at least two feet from the back wall possible performance from this most e
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IC ntrodu I t on Congratulations! You have invested in one of the world’s Featuring an advanced crossover topology derived from premier loudspeaker systems . the award winning CLX™ loudspeaker, MartinLogan carefully hand-builds each Summit™ X crossover utiliz- The MartinLogan Summit X™ represents an advanced ing precision point-to-point wiring, audiophile-grade combination of sonic technologies establishing an unprec- polypropylene capacitors and high-purity air-core coils. edented directi
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Controls and ConneCtIons 25Hz Level Knobs Light Knob The 25Hz Level knob sig- The light control allows the nificantly adjusts the level Summit X’s three lights to be between 20 and 30Hz by turned on and off. ±10dB. This is an area where peaks and dips of different 50Hz Level Knobs amplitudes often manifest in The 50Hz Level knob sig- real environments. This set- nificantly adjusts the level ting is dependent on room between 40 and 60Hz by size and construction, system ±10dB. This is an area
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AC Power Connection Your Summit X speakers use an internal power sup- Connections are made at the signal input section on the ply to energize their electrostatic cells and the amplified rear electronics panel of the Summit X. Use spade con- PoweredForce™ woofer system, and must be connected nectors for optimum contact and ease of installation. to an AC power source. For this reason they are provided Hand tighten the binding posts, but do not overtighten— with the proper IEC standard power cor
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drum or a pipe organ). When adjusting the 25Hz and experiment with speaker placement or the location of the 50Hz levels we recommend doing so with two or three listening position—sometimes even the subtlest adjust- people—one located at the listening position and one or ments will make huge changes! two people at the controls. 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
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PC la ement and r oom a CIC oust s Listening Position By now your speakers should be placed approximately The front surface should be one long wall without any two to three feet from the front wall (the wall in front of doors or openings. If you have openings, the reflection and the listening position) and at least two feet from the side bass characteristics from each channel can be different. walls. Your sitting distance should be further than the dis- tance between the speakers themselves. Y
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Experimentation Toe-in—Now you can begin to experiment. First begin speakers can enhance clarity and precision. The Summit by toeing your speakers in towards the listening area and X is supplied with ETC spikes that provide the ability to then facing them straight into the room. You will notice adjust the rake of the speakers from –1° to 11° degrees. the tonal balance and imaging changing. You will notice See Solid Footing (pages 13–14) for more information. that as the speakers are toed-in
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good pinpoint focusing. Your ideal listening position to obtain the best performance from your system. and speaker position will be determined by: Your room is actually a component and an important part • Tightness and extension of bass response of your system. This component is a very large variable • Width of the stage and can dramatically add to, or subtract from, a great • Pinpoint focusing of imaging musical experience. Once you have determined the best of all three of these All sound
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the frequencies generated by your system. Much like an are used, the bass can be ill defined and even boomy. The instrument, they will vibrate and “carry on” in syncopation use of spikes is recommended to insure secured footing for with the music, and contribute in a negative way to the your speakers. (See ‘Solid Footing’ for spike information music. Ringing, boominess, and even brightness can occur and installation instructions). simply because they are “singing along” with your music. Dipo
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3 Tighten the jam nut snugly by hand. Do not over tighten. The Summi X’s feet can be configured to adjust the rake of the speaker from –1° to 11° allowing precise control of 4 Right the speaker. the speaker’s vertical dispersion (figure 4). Caution: Make sure your hands and any cabling are Spike Installation Instructions: clear of the spikes. Do not slide speaker as spikes are sharp and can damage your floor or carpet. 1 Carefully lay your speaker on its side. 5 Adjust to level by rotatin
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d IP s I ers on IC ntera tIons Controlled Horizontal Dispersion Three Major Types of Dispersion Your Summit X’s launch a 30 degree horizontal disper- It is a known fact that as the sound wave becomes pro- sion pattern. This horizontal dispersion field gives a gressively smaller than the transducer producing it, choice of good seats for the performance while minimiz- the dispersion of that wave becomes more and more ing interactions with side walls (see figure 9). Make sure narrow, or direction
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Home t Hterea It had long been the practice of stereo buffs to connect their speaker, and that it is recommended for use as a center television to a stereo system. The advantage was the use of speaker. This is not the place to cut corners. the larger speakers and more powerful amplifier of the stereo system. Even though the sound was greatly improved, Surround Speakers it was still mono and limited by the broadcast signal. We recommend (along with the film industry) that the sur- round speaker
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e leCIC tatrost a agesantdv How can sound be reproduced by something that you are push-pull operation and is a major contributor to the sonic able to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this possible. purity of the electrostatic concept due to its exceptional linearity and low distortion. Where the world of traditional loudspeaker technology deals with cones, domes, diaphragms and ribbons that Since the diaphragm of an electrostatic speaker is uniform- are moved with magnetism, the world
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Full Range Operation Another significant advantage of MartinLogan’s exclusive these drivers must be designed to operate within a nar- transducer technology reveals itself when you look at exam- row, fixed bandwidth of the frequency range, and then ples of other loudspeaker products on the market today. combined electrically so that the sum of the parts equals the total signal. While nice in theory, we must deal with The Summit X uses no crossover networks above 270 Hz real-world conditions.
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m I art n l ogan e x CusIl ves XStat™ Transducer XStat™ transducers incorporate a myriad of technological and technology, MartinLogan developed the production capa- design innovations including CLS™, MicroPerf, Generation 2 bility to bring it out of the laboratory and into the market Diaphragms, ClearSpars™, and Vacuum Bonding. place. You will find this proprietary MartinLogan technol- ogy used in all of our electrostatic products. It is one of the AirFrame™ Technology many reasons behind our
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e C le IC tatrost HIstory In the late 1800’s, any loudspeaker was considered exotic. After a short time, Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field Today, most of us take the wonders of sound reproduction of “contestants” down to the cone and the electrostat. The for granted. outcome would dictate the way that future generations would refer to loudspeakers as being either “conventional” It was 1880 before Thomas Edison had invented the or “exotic”. first phonograph. This was a horn-loaded diaph
