Fresco Speaker User Manual

F RESCO™i

user’s manual

M ARTIN L OGAN

the loudspeaker technology company

®

CONTENTS AND INTRODUCTION

Contents Introduction

Contents and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Contents

Introduction

Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Signal Connection
On Wall/Off Wall Switch
Break-In

Mounting the Fresco i On A Wall or Ceiling. . . . . .5

Which Way Should It Rotate?

Preparing For Vertical Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Preparing For Horizontal Installation

Changing the Direction of Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Installing the Bracket Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Installing the Fresco i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Home Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

ATF (Advanced Thin Film) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting 15

Dimensional Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Specifications
Warranty and Registration
Serial Number
Service

Glossary of Audio Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

In accordance with the European Union WEEE (Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive effective
August 13, 2005, we would like to notify you that this
product may contain regulated materials which upon
disposal, according to the WEEE directive, require
special reuse and recycling processing.

Congratulations! You have invested in a new world
of music and home cinema!

The MartinLogan Fresco i represents the culmination of
an intensive, dedicated group research program directed
toward establishing a world class reference monitor utilizing
leading-edge technology, without compromising durability,
reliability, craftsmanship or aesthetic design.

The advantages of MartinLogan ATF (advanced thin film)
technology will present themselves to you from the moment
the sound begins. The box effect (a phenomenon similar
to cupping your hand around your mouth when speaking)
produced by dynamic drivers is absent and the natural
openness of the human voice comes through. Sounds
clearly define the area from where they were actually
created, not the area of the speaker that created them.

The materials in your new Fresco i speaker are of the
highest
enjoyment and

quality and will provide years of enduring

deepening respect. The cabinetry is
constructed from the highest quality HIPP (high-impact
polypropylene) to create an acoustically inert, high-density
enclosure.

This User’s Manual will explain in detail the operation
of your Fresco i speaker and the philosophy applied
to its design. A clear understanding of your speakers
will ensure that you obtain maximum performance and
pleasure from this most exacting transducer. It has been
designed and constructed to provide years of trouble-free
listening enjoyment.

For this reason MartinLogan has arranged with our
distributors in European Union member nations to
collect and recycle this product at no cost to you.
To find your local distributor please contact the
dealer from whom you purchased this product, email
[e-mail] or visit the distributor locator at
www.martinlogan.com.

Please note, only this product itself falls under the WEEE
directive. When disposing of packaging and other
related shipping materials we encourage you to recycle

these items through the normal channels.

2 Contents & Introduction

INSTALLATION IN BRIEF

We know you are eager to hear your new Fresco i
loudspeaker, so this section is provided to allow fast and
easy set up. Once you have it operational, please take
the time to read, in depth, the rest of the information in
this manual. It will give you perspective on how to attain
the greatest possible performance from this most exacting
transducer.

If you should experience any difficulties in the setup or
operation of your Fresco i speaker, please refer to the
Operation or Mounting sections of this manual.

Should you encounter a persistent problem that cannot
be resolved, please contact your authorized MartinLogan
dealer. They will provide you with the appropriate
technical analysis to alleviate the situation.

WARNING!

• Refer servicing to a qualified technician.

• To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
expose this module to moisture.

• Turn amplifier off should any abnormal
conditions occur.

• Do not drive speaker beyond its rated power.

Step 1: Unpacking

Remove your new Fresco i speaker from the packing.

Step 2: Placement

Place the Fresco i near the desired location. Please see
the ‘Mounting the Fresco i On a Wall or Ceiling’ section
(page 5–12) for more placement details.

Step 3: Signal Connection

Use the best speaker cables you can. High quality cables,
available from your specialty dealer, are recommended
and will give you superior performance. Spade
connectors are suggested for optimum contact and ease
of installation.

Attach your speaker cables to the signal input section on
the rear panel. Be consistent when connecting speaker
leads to the terminals on the back of the Fresco i. Take
great care to assign the same color to the (+) terminal
on both the speaker and the amplifier. Please see the ‘
Operation’ section (page 4) for more details.

Step 4: Listen and Enjoy

Now, you may turn on your system and enjoy!

The lightning bolt flash with arrowhead symbol within

an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to
the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage" within
the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle

is intended to alert the user to the presence of
important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the
appliance.

Installation in Brief 3

OPERATION

Signal Connection On Wall/Off Wall Switch

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 #16 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.

A variety of speaker cables are now available whose
manufacturers claim better performance than standard
heavy gauge wire. We have verified this in many
cases, and the improvements available are often more
noticeable than the differences between wires of different
gauge. The effects of cables may be masked if the
equipment is not of the highest quality.

Connections are done at the signal input section on the
rear electronics panel of the Fresco i (see figure 1). Use
spade connectors for optimum contact. Make certain that
all of your connections are tight.

Be consistent when connecting speaker leads to the
terminals on the back of the Fresco i. Take great care to
assign the same color to the (+) terminal on both the
speaker and the amplifier.

Fresco i features a unique 'on-wall/off-wall' switch that
tailors Fresco i's acoustic equalization to either installation
option by engaging specialized equalization that
improves the system matching. This is critical for effective
multichannel playback. Set this switch to On-Wall if the
Fresco i is mounted to a wall or ceiling. Set the switch to
Off Wall if the Fresco i is more than four inches from a
wall (see figure 1).

Break-In

Due to the sophisticated materials used to create high­resolution ATF™ (Advanced Thin Film) drivers your new
speakers require a 72–100 hour break-in period at 90
dB (moderate listening levels) before achieving optimum
performance characteristics. During this time you will
experience incremental audible improvements, finally
resulting in tonally balanced, clean, detailed sound.

WARNING! Turn your amplifier off before
making or breaking any signal connections!

Figure 1. Single wire connection. One channel shown.

4 Operation

MOUNTING THE FRESCO I ON A WALL OR CEILING

Figure 2. The parts of the Fresco i bracket assembly.

NOTE: MartinLogan recommends using 5 wall anchors

to secure each Fresco i to a wall. During the installation,
if any of the screw/wall anchor positions are over a stud,
it is recommended to screw directly into the stud.

NOTE: To assure that your Fresco i is safely wall
mounted, these instructions must be carefully followed.
Study them thoroughly before installing your Fresco i's.

NOTE: The following instructions assume the mounting
surface is standard wood frame and standard sheet rock
construction. If you wish to mount the Fresco i to another
type of material, you should consult a bonded contractor.

WARNING! Although installing the Fresco i on a
wall requires 1 person, an assistant will be helpful.

The bracket assembly shipped with the Fresco i
loudspeaker is designed for use only with the
Fresco i. Use with other appliances may result in
instability causing possible injury. To prevent injury,
this apparatus must be securely attached to the
wall in accordance with the installation instructions.

Which Way Should It Rotate?

The bracket assembly supplied with the Fresco i allows the
speaker to mount flat against a wall and pivot up to 90°.
Depending on the installation locations, the Fresco i
on-wall bracket will need to be modified to allow either
counter-clockwise/up or clockwise/down rotation (see
figure 3 and 4). The configuration of Fresco i’s bracket
assembly is identical for counter-clockwise and up
rotation and is identical for clockwise and down rotation.

Figure 3. Vertical Installation. Rotation direction for various installation

Figure 4. Horizontal Installation. Rotation direction for various installation

Mounting the Fresco i On A Wall or Ceiling 5

INSTALLATION

Preparing For Vertical Installation

NOTE: Fresco i’s bracket assembly consists of two main
parts: the wall bracket (attaches to the wall) and the
cabinet bracket (attaches to the Fresco i). When correctly
configured the wall and cabinet brackets should each
have one pin installed—the wall bracket with an upward
pointing pin in the upper hinge, and the cabinet bracket
with a downward pointing pin in the lower hinge (see
figures 5 and 6).

NOTE: When correctly installed in a vertical orientation,
the Fresco i’s cabinet bracket (installed on the cabinet)
should slide down, onto the wall bracket (installed on the
wall).

Each Fresco i should be installed so that it can rotate to
point towards your listening position (see figure 3). Hold
each Fresco i near its desired location and try pivoting it
to assure that each speaker is correctly configured.

Vertical

(Right Rotation)

Horizontal

(Up Rotation)

Preparing for Horizontal

Installation

NOTE: Fresco i’s bracket assembly consists of two main
parts: the wall bracket (attaches to the wall) and the
cabinet bracket (attaches to the Fresco i). When correctly
configured each bracket should have one pin installed
—the wall bracket with a pin installed in the left hinge,
pointing to the left and the cabinet bracket with a pin
installed in the right hinge, pointing to the right (see
figures 5 and 6).

NOTE: When the Fresco i is correctly installed in a
horizontal orientation, gravity will pull on the speaker
trying to rotate down. The Fresco i bracket assembly
is designed in such a way that the force of gravity will
tighten the left cap nut and prevent the speaker from
rotating.

Each Fresco i should be installed so that it can rotate to
point towards your listening position (see figure 4). Hold
each Fresco i near its desired location and try pivoting it
to assure that each speaker is correctly configured.

Figure 5. Fresco i’s bracket assembly configured for right/up rotation

Vertical

(Left Rotation)

Horizontal

(Down Rotation)

Figure 6. Fresco i’s bracket assembly configured for left/down rotation

6 Mounting the Fresco i On A Wall or Ceiling