MartinLogan CLX User Manual

tm

u s e r ’ s m a n u a l

Serial Numbers: ________________ / ________________

Record your serial numbers here for easy reference. You will need this in­formation when filling out your warranty registration. CLX’s serial number
is located near the bottom of the backplate and on the shipping container.
Each individual unit has a unique serial number.

CLX

Tested to Comply

with FCC Standards

FO R HO ME OR OFF ICE U SE

This device complies with part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1)
This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received,
in clu ding in terfere nce tha t may
cause undesired operation.

Thank you—the MartinLogan owner,

for loving what we do,

and

making it possible for us to do what we love.

Contents

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Controls and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

AC Power Connection

Signal Connection
Break-In
ML Logo and CLX Light Switches

Setup and Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Left/Right Placement
Listening Position
The Wall Behind the Listener
The Wall Behind the Speakers
The Side Walls
Experimentation

Final Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Extra “Tweak” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Solid Footing
Enjoy Yourself

Room Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Your Room
Terminology
General Rules

Dipolar Speakers and Your Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Dispersion Interactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Controlled Horizontal Dispersion
Controlled Vertical Dispersion
Three Major Types of Dispersion

Home Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Electrostatic Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Full Range Electrostatic Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The lightning bolt flash with arrowhead symbol, within

an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to
the presence of potentially “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may be sufficient 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.

MartinLogan Exclusives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

XStat™ Transducer

CLS™ (Curvilinear Line Source)
Generation 2 Diaphragm
MicroPerf Stator
Vacuum Bonding
Uniform Full Surface Drive
Dipole Dispersion

DualForce™ ESL Bass Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dipole Phase Stabilization
Precision Vojtko™ Filtering
Environmentally Conscious Design

Electrostatic Loudspeaker History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Frequently Asked Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Specifications
Warranty and Registration
Serial Number
Service

Dimensional Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Glossary of Audio Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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.

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.

WARNING! Do not use your CLX loudspeakers outside of the country of original sale—voltage requirements vary
by country. Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to repair. The CLX is shipped to
authorized MartinLogan distributors with the correct power supply for use in the country of intended sale. A list of
authorized distributors can be accessed at www.martinlogan.com or by emailing [e-mail].

4 Contents

InstallatIon In BrIef

We know you are eager to hear your CLX speakers,
so this section is provided to allow fast and easy set up.
Once they are 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 experience any difficulties in the setup or opera­tion of your CLX speakers, please refer to the Room
Acoustics, Placement or Operation 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!

• Hazardous voltages exist inside—do not
remove cover.

• Refer servicing to a qualified technician.

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

• Turn amplifier off and unplug speaker if any
abnormal conditions occur.

• Turn amplifier off before making or breaking
any signal connections!

• Do not operate if there is any visual damage
to the electrostatic panel element.

• Do not drive speaker beyond its rated power.

• 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.

• No candles or other sources of open flame
should be placed on the speaker.

• No liquids either in glasses or vases should be
placed on speaker.

• Speaker should not be exposed to dripping or
splashing liquids.

• The terminals marked with the lightning bolt
symbol should be connected by an instructed
person or by way of ready made terminals.

• The power cord should remain readily acces­sible and operable should any abnormal
conditions occur.

Step 1: Unpacking

Remove your new speakers from their packaging. Refer to
the unpacking diagrams printed on the CLX packaging

Step 2: Placement

Place each CLX so that the curvilinear electrostatic panel is
on the inside. Place each CLX so the electrostatic panels are
at least four feet from the back wall, two feet from the side
walls, and angled slightly toward your listening area. Please
see the Setup and Placement section (pages 8–10) of this
manual for more details.

Step 3: Power Connection (AC) (see warning)

Your CLX speakers require AC power to energize their
electrostatic cells. Using the AC power cords provided,
plug them in
of the speaker
connection, and then to a wall outlet. Please see AC Power
Connection (pages 7) for more details.

Step 4: Signal Connection

Higher quality cables, available from your audio video
dealer, are recommended and will give you superior per­formance. Use the best speaker cables you can. 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 CLX. Take great care to
assign the same color cable to the (+) terminal on both
the left and right channels.

For detailed setup instructions, please turn to the Controls
and Connections section (Page 7) of this manual for more
details.

Step 5: Listen and Enjoy

Now, you may turn on your system and enjoy!

first to the AC power receptacle on the rear

, making sure that you have made a firm

Installation in Brief 5

IntroduCtIon

Congratulations! You have invested in one of the world’s
premier loudspeaker systems.

The MartinLogan CLX™ rep r es ents an advanced
combination of sonic technologies establishing an unprec­edented direction for audiophile design. The result of
years of research, the new CLX™ loudspeaker features
DualForce™ and XStat™ electrostatic technologies, setting
new standards for efficiency, dynamics and precision in a
floorstanding loudspeaker.

The CLX’s CLS XStat transducer builds upon the legacy
of MartinLogan’s electrostatic heritage with the incorpo­ration of advanced vacuum bonding and MicroPerf stat
panels, providing even greater efficiency and precision.
CLX’s unique DualForce™ ESL double diaphragm, triple
stator low-frequency dipole transducer delivers deep,
dynamic bass with twice as much force as a standard ESL.

Additionally, CLX’s low-frequency dipole stabilization
technology reduces low frequency rear wave cancellation
inherent to dipole transducers. This is accomplished by
increasing the air path length behind the CLX and delay­ing the out-of-phase back wave. The resulting decrease in
low-frequency front-wave cancellation increases overall
output while minimizing total harmonic distortion at low
frequencies.

The integration of electrical interface technology devel­oped by MartinLogan’s Statement™ e2 engineering team
extends effortless dynamics and purity, resulting in even
higher sonic standards of efficiency and precision.

Featuring an advanced crossover topology MartinLogan
carefully hand-builds each CLX™ Vojtko™ crossover
utilizing precision point-to-point wiring, thick film on
alumina substrate resistors, audiophile-grade polypro­pylene capacitors, high-purity air-core coils, and toroidal
transformers. This advanced crossover topology flawlessly
preserves microscopic subtleties while effortlessly han­dling the broadest range of dynamics contained within
even the most demanding sonic source.

The materials in your new CLX speakers are of the high­est

quality and will provide years of enduring enjoyment

with

deepening respect. The cabinetry is constructed from

the highest quality materials for acoustical integrity.

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
custom tool punched high-grade steel, the patented
panel is then coated with a special polymer that is applied
via a proprietary electrostatic bonding process. This panel
assembly houses a membrane just 0.0005 of an inch thick.

The other sections of this User’s Manual explain in detail
the operation of your CLX 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. It has been
designed and constructed to give you years of trouble-free
listening enjoyment.

6 Introduction

AC Power Connection

Controls and ConneCtIons

Figure 1. CLX Controls and Connections

The power cords should be firmly inserted into the AC
power receptacle on the rear connection panel of the
CLX, then to any convenient AC wall outlet. Your CLX
speakers use an internal power supply to energize their
electrostatic panels and must be connected to an AC
power source with the proper IEC standard power cords.
CLX’s signal sensing power supply will switch off after 5
minutes of no signal, and requires less than four seconds
to recharge the panels when a music signal is present.

Your CLX speakers are wired for the power service
supplied in the country of original consumer sale. The
AC power rating for each unit is specified both on the
packing carton and on the speaker’s serial number plate.
If removed from the country of original sale, be certain
that the AC power supplied in any subsequent location
is suitable before connecting and operating the speakers.
Substantially impaired performance or severe damage
may occur to an CLX speaker if operation is attempted
from an incorrect AC power source.

WARNING! 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.

both the left and right channel speakers. If bass is weak
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 higher (thin­ner) than #16 gauge be used. The longer the wire, 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.

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

Break-In

Proper break in will improve bass extension. The high
quality components used in our electrostatic panels may
cause your CLX speakers to sound a bit bass shy when
they are first used. CLX requires approximately 100 hours
of break-in at 90 dB (moderate listening levels) before any
critical listening. The break-in requirements of the cross­over components are equivalent.

Signal Connection

Connections are made on the rear electronics panel of the
CLX. Use spade connectors for optimum contact and ease
of installation. Hand tighten the binding posts, taking care
to assign the same color cable lead to the (+) terminal on

ML Logo and CLX Light Switches

The li gh t contro l switch e s allow the illuminated
MartinLogan logo and CLX logo to be turned off or on.

Controls and Connections 7

setup and plaCement

Left/Right Speaker Placement

Place your CLX speakers so the curvilinear electrostatic
transducer is orientated inside, towards the listening posi­tion (figure 3).

Listening Position

By now your speakers should be placed so the electrostatic
panels are approximately four feet from the front wall (the
wall in front of the listening position) and about two feet
from the side walls. Your sitting distance should be fur­ther than the distance between the speakers themselves to
achieve good center imaging and stage width.

There is no exact distance between speakers and listener,
but there is a relationship. In long rooms, naturally, that
relationship changes. The distance between the speakers
will be far less than the distance from you to the speaker
system. In a wide room, you will still find that if the dis­tance from the listener to the speakers becomes smaller
than the distance between the speakers themselves, the
image will no longer focus in the center.

Now that you have positioned your speaker system, spend
time listening. Wait to make any major changes in
initial setup for the next few days as the speaker
itself will change subtly in its sound. Over the first 100
hours of play the actual tonal quality will change slightly
with deeper bass and more spacious highs resulting. After
a few days of listening you can begin to make refinements
and hear the differences.

your

system

The Wall Behind the Listener

Near-field reflections can occur from your back wall (the
wall behind the listening position). If your listening posi­tion is close to the back wall, these reflections can confuse
imaging quality. It is better for the wall behind you to be
absorptive than to be reflective. If you have a hard back
wall and your listening position is close to it, experiment
with devices that will absorb information (i.e. wall hang­ings and possibly even sound absorbing panels).

The Wall Behind the Speakers

The front surface, the wall behind the speakers, should
not be extremely hard or soft. A pane of glass will cause
reflections, brightness and confused imaging. Curtains,
drapery and objects such as bookshelves can be placed
along the wall to diffuse an overly reflective surface. A
standard smooth or textured wall is generally an adequate
surface if the rest of the room is not too bright and hard.
Walls can also be too soft. If the entire front wall consists
of heavy drapery, your system may sound dull. You may
hear muted music with little ambience. Harder surfaces
will actually help in this case.

The front surface ideally should be one long wall without
doors or openings. If you have openings, the reflection and
bass characteristics from each channel can be different.

The Side Walls

MartinLogan’s unique controlled dispersion electrostatic
transducer inherently minimizes side wall reflections—a
position as little as two feet from the side walls often
proves adequate. A good practice is to have the side walls
as far away from the speaker sides as possible. Sometimes,
if the system is bright or the imaging is not to your liking,
and the side walls are very near, try putting curtains or
softening material directly to the edge of each speaker. An
ideal side wall, however, is no side wall at all.

Figure 3. Orientation of the left and right speakers.

8 Setup and Placement

Experimentation

Toe-in—Now you can begin to experiment with the
angle of your speakers. First begin by facing your speakers
straight into the room and then by slightly angling them

towards the listening area. You will notice the tonal bal­ance and imaging changing. You will notice that as the
speakers are toed-in, the system becomes slightly brighter
than when toed-out. This design gives you the flexibility
to compensate for a soft or bright room.

Generally it is found that the ideal listening position is with
the speakers slightly toed-in so that you are listening to the
inner third of the curved transducer section. A simple, yet
effective method to achieve equal toe-in involves sitting at
the listening position, holding a flashlight under your chin
and pointing it at each speaker. The reflection of the flash­light should be within the inner third of the panel (figure 4).

Tilting the Speakers Backwards and Forwards—As the
diagrams show in the Dispersion Interactions section of
this manual (page 13), the vertical dispersion is directional
above and below the stator panel itself. In some instances,
if you are sitting close to the floor, slight forward tilting of
the speakers can enhance clarity and precision.

Imaging—In their final location your CLX speakers may
have a stage width somewhat wider than the speakers
themselves. On well-recorded music, the instruments can
extend beyond the outer edges of each speaker (left and
right), yet a vocalist should appear directly in the middle.
The size of the instruments should not be too large or too
small, subject to the intent and results of each unique
audio recording.

Additionally, you should find good clues to stage depth
and height. Make sure that the vertical alignment, dis­tance from the front wall, and toe-in is exactly the same

for both speakers. This will greatly enhance the quality of
your imaging.

Bass Response—Your bass response should be tight and
well defined. Kick-drums should be tight and percussive.
String bass notes should be uniform and consistent the run
without booming or thudding. Bass response should not
be ‘one note’ or be too heavy.

Tonal Balance—Voices should be natural and full.
Cymbals should be detailed and articulate yet not bright
and piercing. Pianos should have a nice transient char­acteristic and deep tonal registers. If you are not hearing
these traits, read the section on Room Acoustics (pages
11–12). This will give you clues on how to get closer to
these ideal qualities.

Final Placement

After the full break in period, obtaining good wall treat­ments, and the proper toe-in angle, begin to experiment
with the distance from the wall behind the speakers.
Move your speaker slightly forward into the room. What
happened to the bass response? What happened to the
imaging? If the imaging is more open and spacious and
the bass response is tightened, that is a superior position.
Move the speakers back six inches from the initial setup
position and again listen to the imaging and bass response.
There will be a position where you will have pinpoint
imaging and good bass response. That position is the point
of the optimal placement from the front wall.

Now experiment with placing the speakers farther apart.
As the speakers are positioned farther apart, listen again,
not so much for bass response but for stage width and
good pinpoint focusing.

Figure 4. Flashlight toe-in technique.

Check and adjust toe-in each time you move the speakers.

Your ideal listening position and speaker position will
be determined by:

• Tightness and extension of bass response

• Width of the stage

• Pinpoint focusing of imaging

Once you have determined the best of all three of these
considerations, you will have your best speaker location.

Setup and Placement 9