Details
The Summit™ is our most advanced
and sophisticated full-range loudspeaker, taking technology
developed through years of painstaking Martin Logan research to
the limit. Its breakthrough XStat™ electrostatic panel and
PoweredForce™ woofer section allow a dramatic reduction in
bulk while establishing new standards for efficiency,
precision, and dynamics in a floorstanding speaker.
XStat electrostatic transducer
Key to the Summit's revolutionary
performance is our advanced XStat™ electrostatic panel,
which covers most of the audible range, from the midrange to
beyond the limit of human hearing, with unprecedented
accuracy. A perfectly integrated PoweredForce™ woofer
section – the most advanced woofer technology available in a
full-range speaker – supplies an authoritative bass
foundation from its twin 10-inch aluminum-cone drivers,
effortlessly extending the Summit's response to frequencies
below where even most subwoofers reach. Yet the Summit never,
ever sounds heavy.
Nor does it look heavy. In fact, it
almost seems to float in the air. We believe you'll agree that
the Summit looks nearly as good as it sounds – maybe because
the way it looks is actually sort of like the way it sounds.
Martin Logan
electrostats are a
special breed of speaker, and the Summit is the most special
of them all. Hearing is believing.
XStat™ Transducer
Advanced MicroPerf stator technology
gives Martin Logan's latest-generation CLS™ electrostatic
transducer almost twice as much exposed diaphragm surface as a
traditional electrostatic panel of the same size. This
dramatic increase in effective radiating area translates to
higher efficiency and an even more effortless, unlimited
dynamic presentation. The XStat pulls no punches!
But there's more to it than just
putting more holes in the stators, which must maintain uniform
spacing in front of and behind the diaphragm to exacting
tolerances. They cannot flex. XStat's ultra-rigid aluminum
AirFrame™ firmly anchors the transducer's working elements
– stators and diaphragm – around their periphery, while
ClearSpar™ spacers stiffen the assembly further across its
width. ClearSpars enable precise, consistent tensioning of the
Vacuum Bonded diaphragm without obstructing the floating,
see-through look that is the visual hallmark of Martin Logan
electrostats.
AirFrame technology
In the end, a speaker cannot
outperform the signal feeding it. Martin Logan's
state-of-the-art toroidal transformer and electrical interface
engineering ensure an absolutely transparent link from
amplifier to electrostatic panel. The result is sound of
unparalleled purity, precision, clarity, and openness – the
next best thing to no speaker at all.
AirFrame™ Technology
XStat™ panels are secured to
speaker cabinets using Martin Logan's AirFrame technology.
AirFrames, manufactured from aerospace-grade billet and
extruded aluminum alloy, make the panels extremely rigid
without obstructing playable surface area or interfering with
their dipole sound radiation. At the same time, they provide
electrical and acoustical isolation, minimizing
intermodulation distortion caused by vibration and resonance.
Overall, AirFrames enhance imaging, low-level sonic detail,
accuracy, and efficiency.
Vacuum Bonding
The components of each XStat™ panel
– two insulated, high-purity carbon steel stators,
plasma-deposited PET diaphragm, and ClearSpar™ spacers –
are fused into a cylindrical-section geometry with an
aerospace adhesive whose hold strength exceeds that of
welding. Our proprietary Vacuum Bonding process ensures
uniform diaphragm tensioning and facilitates the extremely
tight tolerances necessary for construction of such a
precision transducer.
Curvilinear Line Source
Electrostatic Panel
One of Martin Logan's original
breakthroughs, CLS™ technology has been an essential
ingredient of every electrostatic loudspeaker we've produced.
Proprietary manufacturing methods enable construction of
electrostatic panels as cylindrical sections. Their gentle
horizontal curvature solves the problem of obtaining good
high-frequency dispersion from a large radiating surface
without compromising overall sound quality or reliability.
PoweredForce™ Bass
10-inch low-distortion
aluminum-cone woofers
Martin Logan
PoweredForce woofers
feature advanced driver and amplification technologies that
deliver astonishingly dynamic and articulate bass to as low as
24 Hz from enclosures only about the size of a case of wine.
Integrated low-frequency equalization further enhances
performance by allowing precise tailoring to individual room
acoustics.
Low-Distortion Aluminum-Cone
Woofers
By eliminating cone flexure, aluminum
diaphragms help our advanced-technology woofers achieve the
very low distortion necessary for proper blending with Martin Logan
electrostatic panels.
MicroPerf™ Stators
MicroPerf stators
Although stators are the elements of
an electrostatic driver that are supposed to stand still, they
carry the audio signals that do the work of propelling the
diaphragm back and forth to move air and produce sound.
Because the stators sandwich the diaphragm between them, they
must be perforated to allow sound to pass through. Yet they
must also be rigid enough to remain absolutely stationary
despite the strong electrostatic forces pushing and pulling at
them during operation.
Martin Logan's MicroPerf design
optimizes this tradeoff by reducing the size of the individual
holes and using many more of them than in a traditional
electrostatic panel. MicroPerf almost doubles effective
diaphragm radiating area without compromising structural
integrity. The resulting increase in output capability and
efficiency allows a panel to be made much smaller without
sacrificing performance – or to enjoy a substantial leap in
bandwidth and dynamics without growing larger.
Vojtko™ Crossover
Audiophile-grade proprietary Vojtko
crossover
Carefully hand-built using only the
finest polypropylene capacitors and air-core coils, the
crossover employ's Martin Logan's proprietary Vojtko topology
for vanishingly low distortion and seamless driver
integration. This precision-tuned network preserves even the
most microscopic sonic nuances while handling the full
dynamics of any source.
Portless Enclosure
Although ports are a convenient and
cost-effective way of increasing low-frequency output, they
rely on resonant energy in a way that impairs bass quality. A
good sealed system will exhibit less transient-blurring group
delay while maintaining smooth, consistent response regardless
of output level or voice-coil temperature. Listen carefully to
the sound of a bass drum, and you'll hear the difference.
Dipole Sound Radiation
Dipole sound radiation emits sound
from both the front and back of the speaker (Clarity shown)
The sound we hear from a loudspeaker
is a combination of direct radiation from it to our ears and
reflections off of room surfaces – walls, floor, and
ceiling. How our brains integrate all this information is far
from simple. Depending on the angle of incidence to the ears
and the arrival-time difference between direct and reflected
sound, reflections can either blur detail and stereo imaging
or enhance the natural impression of depth and openness.
True dipole speakers, such as
electrostatic panels, have long been noted for their
near-ideal radiation patterns. They send very little sound to
the sides, thereby minimizing side-wall reflections with short
arrival times that tend to interfere with perception of the
direct sound. Their strong rear radiation, however, produces a
generous amount of ambience-enriching later-arriving
reflections off the wall behind them.
25- and 50-Hz Level Controls
Summit controls and bi-wirable
toolless binding posts
Summit's PoweredForce™ active
woofer system enables fine-tuning of the speaker's output in
the frequency ranges most commonly and severely affected by
room acoustics. The result is bass that is not just deep and
powerful, but also smooth, clean, and detailed.
Bi-wirable Toolless Binding Posts
Martin Logan's proprietary toolless
binding posts make cable connection and management easy. Two
sets are supplied, one connected to the crossover section
feeding the electrostatic panel, the other to the section
feeding the woofer. When the two are linked using the supplied
straps, a conventional single-cable connection can be used. Or
you can remove the straps for bi-wiring.
Custom Feet and Energy Transfer
Coupler Spikes
Custom feet and ETC (Energy
Transfer Coupler) spikes
The Summit is supplied with sturdy,
custom milled three-inch tall feet held in place by an ample
3/8-16 threaded insert. Discretely hidden within each foot is
an ETC™ spikes, which can be used in place of the standard
feet to enhance stability on thick carpets or to create
tighter coupling between speaker and floor.
Finish Options
Available in a variety of aluminum
and hand-rubbed wood finishes, Martin Logan Summit™
loudspeakers can be personalized to match any decor.
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