Page 2 - ONTENTS; Contents
2 Contents and Introduction C ONTENTS A ND I NTRODUCTION Contents and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Low-...
Page 3 - NSTALLATION IN; Installation in Brief
Installation in Brief 3 I NSTALLATION IN B RIEF We know you are eager to hear your new Clarity loud- 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 y...
Page 4 - Signal Connection; PERATION
Your Clarity speakers use external low-voltage power sup- plies to energize their electrostatic panels. For this reason the proper low-voltage power supplies are provided. A power supply should be firmly inserted into the ‘DC Power In’ receptacle on the rear connection panel of each speaker, then to...
Page 5 - Using Only One Power Supply; Turning the NAC
Operation 5 Your Clarity loudspeakers are equipped with a NAC (natural ambience compensation) driver located on top of Clarity’s cabinet. To turn the NAC on or off gently insert a narrow object such as a pen or pencil into the small hole located above the NAC’s perforated screen (see figure 2). For ...
Page 6 - LACEMENT; The Wall Behind the Listener; Listening Position
6 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. Your sitting distance should be farther than the distance between the speakers themselves....
Page 7 - Final Placement; The Extra “Tweak”
Placement 7 Imaging In their final location, the Clarity’s 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....
Page 8 - Terminology; OOM; Your Room
8 Room Acoustics 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 ca...
Page 9 - Dipolar Speakers and Your Room; Solid Footing
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 r...
Page 10 - Dispersion; ISPERSION; Controlled Horizontal Dispersion
Your Clarity launches 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 figure 5). Make sure both speakers stand exactly at the same vertical angle, otherwise the...
Page 11 - 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 spea...
Page 12 - OME; Home Theater
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, it was still mono and limited by the broadcast signal. In the...
Page 13 - Electrostatic Advantages
How can sound be reproduced by something that you are able to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this possible. 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 charg...
Page 14 - Full Range Operation
ESL Panel Critical Zone: 500Hz–20kHz The most 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 Clarity uses no crossover networks above 450 Hz because they are not needed. The Clar...
Page 15 - ARTIN
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. Full range electrostats have long been one of the mo...
Page 16 - LECTROSTATIC; Rice and Kellogg had; ESL History
16 Electrostatic Loudspeaker History In the late 1800s, 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 sty...
Page 17 - These developments allow
Electrostatic Loudspeaker History 17 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 and amplitude response to meet his criteria. Janszen believe...
Page 18 - REQUENTLY; Frequently Asked Questions
18 Frequently Asked Questions F REQUENTLY A SKED Q UESTIONS How do I clean my speakers? Just use a dust free cloth or a soft brush to remove the dust from your speakers. We recommend a specialty cloth (available at the XStatic shop at www.martinlogan.com) that cleans your speakers better than anythi...
Page 20 - ROUBLESHOOTING; Troubleshooting
20 Troubleshooting T ROUBLESHOOTING No Output • Check that all your system components are turned on. • Check your speaker wires and connections. • Check all interconnecting cables. Weak Output from Electrostatic Panel, Loss of Highs • Check the power cord. Is it properly connected to the speaker and...
Page 21 - Service; ENERAL; Warranty and Registration
The Clarity 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 el...
Page 22 - LOSSARY OF; Glossary of Audio Terms
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...