MartinLogan Masterpiece CI Series Brochure

Masterpiece CI Series

High-Performance In-Wall and In-Ceiling Loudspeakers

Truth in Sound

State-of-the-art Truth in Sound:
Masterpiece

™

CI Series offers
the biggest, boldest, and most
lifelike performance possible.

We consider something a masterpiece when skill and artistry shape
the familiar in unexpected ways, revealing an essential truth.

For MartinLogan, the essential truth is astonishing and unprecedented audio realism.

From extreme home theater to transcendent 2-channel listening, Masterpiece CI achieves
the pinnacle of discreet in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeaker design: state-of-the-art Truth in
Sound that takes up no floor space. Featuring lightning-fast, low-distortion, Folded Motion XT
Obsidian tweeters, handcrafted Vojtko crossover networks, and unidirectional carbon fiber

®

multi-section cone drivers with Nomex
delivers astonishing realism. This is a loudspeaker that is a tribute to the acoustic achievements
of MartinLogan’s original iconic masterpiece, our flagship floorstanding electrostatic speakers.

backers, each model of the Masterpiece CI Series

This new generation of custom installation loudspeakers artfully blends over 30 years of
audio design and engineering innovation, refining it into a startling fresh loudspeaker ideal.

Each model features a family of exclusive, interlinked MartinLogan technologies
that achieve a level of performance beyond that of traditional speakers.

MartinLogan presents a rare opportunity for you to own your own Masterpiece.

Let us show you.

The Masterpiece CI Series by MartinLogan

• FORT Y DRIVERS

• SIXTEEN TWEETERS: FOLDED MOTION

• SIXTEEN MID: 3.5 -INCH • EIGHT BAS S: 6.5-INCH

• UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER MULTI-SECTION CONES WITH NOMEX

• LINE SOURCE CONFIGURATION WITH CONTROLLED DISPERSION SOUND RADIATION

• VOJTKO™ CROSSOVER NETWORK CONSTRUCTED FROM AUDIOPHILE-GR ADE COMPONENTS

• PHENOLIC BAFFLE • SEALED BACK BOX • SURFACE MOUNT GRILLE

®

XT OBSIDIAN

®

BACKERS

Statement 40XW Tech

If your performance benchmark is MartinLogan’s
most ambitious floorstanding hybrid electrostatic
loudspeakers, it’s going to be quite a challenge to
achieve that level of accuracy and impact in an
in-wall speaker.

Challenge accepted. The Statement 40XW is a
triumph of audio engineering. Its performance
(and sheer size) rivals the very best of our
electrostatic models, with full-on speed and
high-frequency accuracy, incredibly detailed
midrange, and lifelike deep bass impact. And yet
it takes up absolutely no space in your room and
vanishes into any decor.

It’s an incredible sixteen tweeters, and sixteen
mid-range drivers, and eight woofers, arrayed
in a line-source design and built directly into
your wall, delivering awe-inspiring levels of
full-spectrum dynamic output even in the largest
listening areas.

The keys to this performance are superior
components and innovative design. The multi­driver design allows each driver and tweeter to
operate with extreme efficiency. This combination
of high-resolution drivers, each working to offset
the demands on the others, results in a highly
accurate and distortion-free performance, even
during the most demanding sonic passages, and
even at realistic volume levels. The large line­source design also ensures the same sonic impact
over a large area of listening positions. There’s no
drop-off, as can be the case with smaller, point­source designs.

“Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world only, our own, we

see that world multiply itself and we have at our disposal as

many worlds as there are original artists...”

– Marcel Proust

With each channel featuring a mind-boggling
forty drivers, you simply have to hear the
Statement 40XW to believe it.

Statement 40XW—The Benefits of Line
Source Configuration. The line-source

design, a tall vertical array of identical sets
of drivers, shares significant characteristics
with hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers—
something we know a little about.

Like electrostatic speakers, line-source
arrays restrict vertical dispersion, eliminating
the majority of a room’s performance­destroying sound reflections.

In the Statement 40XW, the combination of the
natural 80-degree horizontal dispersion pattern

Dispersion of Statement 40XW

of the Folded Motion XT tweeters, and the sheer
52-inch-tall cliff of vertical tweeters, minimizes
side-wall, floor, and ceiling reflections whose short
arrival times tend to interfere with our perception
of “direct” sound.

The result is a broad, enveloping soundstage, with
an accurate, lifelike rendering of the most subtle
imaging details, even in an ample listening space.

Statement 40XW—Surprisingly Discreet
Installation. Whether you are designing a new

listening room from the ground up or retrofitting
a room back to the studs, it’s the perfect time
to incorporate built-in audio. And if you’re
planning a larger than average space, it’s worth
considering a massive line-source loudspeaker
that both vanishes into your decor, and puts even
the farthest seat in the sweet spot.

The Statement 40XW incorporates a reinforced,
sealed, acoustically-inert back box enclosure
that isolates and decouples the drivers from the
wall surface.

This sealed box enclosure, with its uniform volume
and material, eliminates in-wall variables from
the acoustic equation, guaranteeing a consistent,
accurate performance in any installation. The
sealed design also effectively eliminates audio
leak-through into adjoining rooms.

It fits comfortably between studs and works with
both 1/2- or 5/8-inch wallboard.

The low profile, paintable, micro-perforated grille
presents a clean, near-invisible aesthetic. One of
the world’s most incredible audio performances,
from practically invisible loudspeakers!

• SEVEN DRIVERS

• ONE TWEETER: FOLDED MOTION

• ONE MID: 6.5-INCH • TWO BASS: 6.5 -INCH • THR EE PASSIVE: 6.5-INCH

• UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER MULTI-SECTION CONES WITH NOMEX

• VOJTKO™ CROSSOVER NETWORK CONSTRUCTED FROM AUDIOPHILE-GR ADE COMPONENTS

• PHENOLIC BAFFLE • SEALED BACK BOX • DIE-CAST ALUMINUM MOUNTING-LOCK SYSTEM

• PRE-INSTALL BRACKETS (SOLD SEPARATELY)

®

XT OBSIDIAN

®

BACKERS

Dispersion of Icon 3XW,
Tribute 5XW, and Monument 7XW

Masterpiece CI Tech

Folded Motion® XT Obsidian Tweeters.

MartinLogan’s signature Folded Motion
tweeter is a miracle of audio engineering. Its
folded thin-film diaphragm gives it a much
larger surface area than traditional dome
tweeters of the same size. This “squeezing”
design requires significantly less excursion
than a dome tweeter, too, revealing controlled
dispersion characteristics and vanishingly low
distortion. These tiny tweeters mimic the high­frequency detail and response speed of a
large electrostatic panel in a small space.

Masterpiece CI Series steps up the game
with the Folded Motion XT Obsidian
tweeters, which advance thin-film
transducer technology even further.

The Folded Motion XT design features a 40%
larger radiating surface and 80 x 30-degree
controlled dispersion. This innovation increases
audible bandwidth without sacrificing details
and minimizes distortion to an unprecedented
level, even while increasing the efficiency of the
tweeter’s already lightning-fast response time.

The result is superior realism and
alarming specificity. Folded Motion XT
takes thin-film transducers to the next
level—it’s aurally astonishing.

“What would life be if we had no

courage to attempt anything?”

– Vincent Van Gogh

• FIVE DRIVERS

• ONE TWEETER: FOLDED MOTION

®

XT OBSIDIAN

• TWO MID/BA SS: 5.25-INCH • T WO PASSIVE: 6.5-INCH

• UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER MULTI-SECTION CONES WITH NOMEX

®

BACKERS

• VOJTKO™ CROSSOVER NETWORK CONSTRUCTED FROM AUDIOPHILE-GR ADE COMPONENTS

• PHENOLIC BAFFLE • SEALED BACK BOX • DIE-CAST ALUMINUM MOUNTING-LOCK SYSTEM

• PRE-INSTALL BRACKETS (SOLD SEPARATELY)

Powerful Mid-Frequency and Bass
Drivers with Unidirectional Carbon
Fiber Multi-Section Cones with Nomex®
Backers. Masterpiece CI loudspeakers

feature cones custom-built using unidirectional
carbon fiber, a material that is twice as strong
as steel but with a sixth of the density, for
exceptional rigidity without excessive weight.
They are designed in multiple sections to take
full advantage of the benefits of this material.

Each cone is reinforced by a Nomex backer, for
additional damping that prevents ringing and
reduces breakup modes in these extremely rigid
cones. The drivers feature powerful, efficient
magnet structures, enabling massive excursion and
huge sound output, while preserving deep bass
details, even at sustained, lifelike volume levels.

Driver Engineering Details. Masterpiece CI
features innovation upon innovation. To deliver
more accuracy in the critical midrange, the mid­frequency drivers have had their suspensions
(spider and surround) “stiffened.” Stiffening the
suspension raises the driver’s resonant frequency
and optimizes its performance to achieve a
more natural roll-off, inherently keeping it in an
ideal range for mid-frequency reproduction.

“It is not enough to know your craft - you

Each cone includes a concave dust cap that
adds additional strength and rigidity, while
further reducing breakup modes. An inverted
surround design maximizes clearance behind
the grille, helping enhance driver excursion,
clarity, and linearity.

Masterpiece CI mid-range and bass sections
perfectly blend with the extreme accuracy of
the high resolution Folded Motion XT tweeters,
for a bold, seamless, distortion-free line-source
performance throughout large listening areas.

Tribute 5XW and Monument 7XW feature passive
radiators constructed from the same high-strength,
low mass material as the woofers—unidirectional
carbon fiber multi-section cone diaphragms with
Nomex® backers. These passive radiators ensure
shockingly powerful, dynamic, and distortion-free
bass from a small, unobtrusive, sealed enclosure.

have to have feeling. Science is all very well,

but for us imagination is worth far more.”

– Edouard Manet

• THREE DRIVERS

• ONE TWEETER: FOLDED MOTION

• UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER MULTI-SECTION CONES WITH NOMEX

®

XT OBSIDIAN • TWO MID/BA SS: 5.5-INCH

®

BACKERS

• VOJTKO™ CROSSOVER NETWORK CONSTRUCTED FROM AUDIOPHILE-GRADE COMPONENTS

• PHENOLIC BAFFLE • SE ALED BACK BOX • DIE-CAST ALUMINUM MOUNTING-LOCK SYSTEM

• PRE-INSTALL BRACKETS (SOLD SEPARATELY)

“The artist must be a philosopher…an artistic genius should

have no other guide except the torch of reason.”

Proprietary Vojtko™ Crossover Networks.

Vojtko Crossovers are named after MartinLogan’s
chief audio technologist, Joe Vojtko.

His unique approach to crossover design is just as
crucial to MartinLogan’s Truth in Sound as are our
innovative electrostatic and Folded Motion thin-film
driver technologies. A Vojtko Crossover isn’t just
a set of design requirements; it’s a philosophy.

Vojtko Crossovers are hand-built from the highest
quality components and avoid overly complex
topologies. This crossover has a straightforward
objective: breathtaking realism.

Hand Selected Components. In designing each
crossover topology, we take the drivers themselves
into consideration. Carefully selected drivers,

engineered for specific performance characteristics,
are kept within their optimal frequency range by the
custom Vojtko Crossover.

Each crossover is handcrafted using exceptional
polypropylene and polyester capacitors, custom wound
and large steel laminate low-DCR inductors, and double
thick PCBs. This precision-tuned network preserves even
the most microscopic sonic nuances while handling the
full dynamics of any source. It’s a recipe for vanishingly
low distortion and seamless driver integration.

The most critical aspect of a Vojtko Crossover design
is the final voicing, always conducted in a real-world
environment. This uniquely pragmatic approach
guarantees that even the most amazing MartinLogan
loudspeakers, like the massive Statement 40XW,
deliver Truth in Sound in any room, including yours.

– Jacques-Louis David

• FOUR DRIVERS

• ONE TWEETER: FOLDED MOTION

®

XT OBSIDIAN

• TWO MID: 3.5-INCH • ONE BASS: 8-INCH

• UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER MULTI-SECTION CONES WITH NOMEX

®

BACKERS

• VOJTKO™ CROSSOVER NETWORK CONSTRUCTED FROM AUDIOPHILE-GR ADE COMPONENTS

• SEALED BACK BOX • DIE-CAST ALUMINUM MOUNTING-LOCK SYSTEM

• PRE-INSTALL BRACKETS (SOLD SEPARATELY) • SQUARE GRILLE (SOLD SEPARATELY)

“Tries make perfection, and perfection is no trie.”

Phenolic Baffle and Sealed Back Box
Enclosure. One key to replicating the performance of

traditional loudspeakers with hidden, built-in speakers
is the use of sealed, controlled-volume, back boxes.

Statement 40XW, Monument 7XW, Tribute 5XW, and
Icon 3XW, feature baffles of incredibly dense phenolic

resin polymer fronted by an aluminum faceplate. This
phenolic resin polymer is the same material we use
in the Neolith’s massive, acoustically-inert cabinet. It
offers extraordinary material consistency that naturally
minimizes deleterious resonances and vibrations.

Masterpiece CI back boxes fit into standard stud walls.
They provide controlled and predictable airspace
(volume) within which the specially engineered drivers
can perform at their best. The sealed box removes
variables, like wall cavity size and construction quality,
from the acoustic equation, guaranteeing a consistent,
accurate performance, regardless of installation specs.

Also, the hermetically sealed design keeps sound from
leaking through walls. By controlling the sealed space
volume and damping characteristics, and maintaining
complete control over driver performance, crossover
design, and cabinet construction, Masterpiece CI in­wall and in-ceiling speakers achieve an emotionally

engaging experience on par with the performance of
the world’s most exceptional floorstanding speakers.

(Our own.)

Die-cast Aluminum Mounting-Lock System.

A simple, yet robust die-cast aluminum mounting­lock system maximizes strength while allowing
quick, trouble-free installation. Pocketed screw holes
help hold the drill steady, making installation a
snap. When not in use, mounting locks are secured
within a self-contained housing. When moved into
place, they couple the chassis firmly to the ceiling
or wall, increasing the rigidity of surfaces. If ever
removed, the locks retract and latch back in their
housings. Each speaker includes a full-size installation
template featuring quick-reference instructions,
and die-cut guides for marking the cutout hole.

Spring-Loaded Binding Posts. With easy pre­installation access, our spring-loaded binding posts
feature a large 4.5mm wire access hole and connect
via banana plug, pin, or 10AWG bare wire.

Pre-Installation Brackets are available for
every model in the Masterpiece CI Series, except
for the Statement 40XW, which requires unique
considerations for installation.

– Michelangelo Buonarroti

Masterpiece CI

Specications

Statement 40XW

Monument 7XW

Frequency Response

52–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB

Frequency Response

48–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB

Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)

80° x 52-inch line source

Sensitivity

95 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter

Impedance

4 ohms. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amps.

Crossover Frequencies

300, 2700 Hz

High-Frequency Drivers

Sixteen 1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) Folded Motion XT Obsidian
transducer with 4.5 x 2.75 inch (11.4 x 7 cm) diaphragm.

Mid-Frequency Drivers

Sixteen 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber
multi-section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum
basket, sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Low-Frequency Drivers

Eight 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber
multi-section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum
basket, sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Binding Post Inputs

Push style (two sets for easy installation)

Components

Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film
capacitors, and low DF electrolytic capacitors.

Suitable Amplifier Range

50–800 watts

Max Power Handling

400 watts

Weight

150 lb (68.1 kg)

Required Wall Cavity (width)

Minimum: 14.5 inch (368 mm)
Maximum: 16.5 inch (420 mm)

Required Wall Cavity (height, unobstructed)

Minimum: 89 inch (2260 mm)

Required Wall Cavity (depth)

Minimum: 3.5 inch (89 mm)

Enclosure (width x height x depth, excludes padding)

14.3 x 84.2 x 3.4 inch (361 x 2137 x 86 mm)

Grille (height x width)

11.5 x 59.5 inch (292 x 1511 mm)

Installation Kit (included—choose appropriate size)

1/2-inch drywall (PN: 40XWIWK05)
5/8-inch drywall (PN: 40XWIWK0625)

Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)

80° x 30°

Sensitivity

95 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter

Impedance

4 ohms. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amps.

Crossover Frequencies

200, 3200 Hz

Tweeter Aiming

Rotatable tweeter for horizontal or vertical installations

High-Frequency Driver

1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) Folded Motion XT Obsidian
transducer with 4.5 x 2.75 inch (11.4 x 7 cm) diaphragm.

Mid-Frequency Driver

6.5-inch (16.5 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber multi­section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Low-Frequency Drivers

Two 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber multi­section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Passive Radiators

Three 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) unidirectional black carbon fiber
cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Binding Post Inputs

Push style (two sets for easy installation)

Components

Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film capacitors, and
low DF electrolytic capacitors. Thermal/current protection.

Suitable Amplifier Range

20–300 watts

Max Power Handling

150 watts

Weight

44.5 lb (20.2 kg)

Overall Size (height x width x depth)

46.86 x 10.6 x 4.11 inch (1190.2 x 269.2 x 104.3 mm)

Required Opening (including tolerance)

45.57 x 9.29 inch (1157 x 236 mm)

Projection From the Wall Surface

0.31 inch (7.8 mm)

Depth Required Behind the Wall Surface

3.8 inch (96.5 mm)

Optional Accessories

Pre-install bracket (PN: 7XWBRK)

Tribute 5XW

Frequency Response

71–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB

Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)

80° x 30°

Sensitivity

94 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter

Impedance

4 ohms. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amps.

Crossover Frequency

2250 Hz

Tweeter Aiming

Rotatable tweeter for horizontal or vertical installations

High-Frequency Driver

1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) Folded Motion XT Obsidian
transducer with 4.5 x 2.75 inch (11.4 x 7 cm) diaphragm.

Low-Frequency Drivers

Two 5.25-inch (13.33 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber
multi-section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum
basket, sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Passive Radiators

Two 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber multi­section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Binding Post Inputs

Push style (two sets for easy installation)

Components

Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film capacitors, and
low DF electrolytic capacitors. Thermal/current protection.

Icon 3XW

Frequency Response

78–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB

Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)

80° x 30°

Sensitivity

94 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter

Impedance

4 ohms. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amps.

Crossover Frequency

2400 Hz

Tweeter Aiming

Rotatable tweeter for horizontal or vertical installations

High-Frequency Driver

1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) Folded Motion XT Obsidian
transducer with 4.5 x 2.75 inch (11.4 x 7 cm) diaphragm.

Low-Frequency Drivers

Two 5.25-inch (13.33 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber
multi-section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum
basket, sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Binding Post Inputs

Push style

Components

Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film capacitors, and
low DF electrolytic capacitors. Thermal/current protection.

Suitable Amplifier Range

20–250 watts

Max Power Handling

125 watts

Weight

25.5 lb (11.6 kg)

Overall Size (height x width x depth)

31.13 x 10.6 x 4.09 inch (790.82 x 269.2 x 103.93 mm)

Required Opening (including tolerance)

29.82 x 9.29 inch (757 x 236 mm)

Projection From the Wall Surface

0.31 inch (7.8 mm)

Depth Required Behind the Wall Surface

3.8 inch (96.5 mm)

Optional Accessories

Pre-install bracket (PN: 5XWBRK)

Suitable Amplifier Range

20–250 watts

Max Power Handling

125 watts

Weight

15.5 lb (7 kg)

Overall Size (height x width x depth)

15.98 x 9.94 x 4.11 inch (405.95 x 252.6 x 104.3 mm)

Required Opening (including tolerance)

14.66 x 8.64 inch (372 x 219 mm)

Projection From the Wall Surface

0.31 inch (7.8 mm)

Depth Required Behind the Wall Surface

3.8 inch (96.5 mm)

Optional Accessories

Pre-install bracket (PN: 3XWBRK)

Sistine 4XC

Frequency Response

63–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB

Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)

30° x 80°

Sensitivity

92 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter

Impedance

4 ohms. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amps.

Crossover Frequencies

400, 2250 Hz

High-Frequency Driver

1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) Folded Motion XT Obsidian
transducer with 4.5 x 2.75 inch (11.4 x 7 cm) diaphragm.

Mid-Frequency Drivers

Two 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber multi­section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Low-Frequency Driver

8-inch (20.3 cm) black unidirectional carbon fiber multi­section cone with Nomex® backer and cast aluminum basket,
sealed back chamber format. Concave dust cap.

Controls

Tweeter Level (dB): +2, –2, 0
Position: Front R/Rear L, Front L/Rear R, For center choose either

Binding Post Inputs

Push style

A Brief History of

Truth in Sound

Components

Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film capacitors, and
low DF electrolytic capacitors. Thermal/current protection.

Suitable Amplifier Range

20–300 watts

Max Power Handling

150 watts

Weight

13.5 lb (6.1 kg)

Overall Size (diameter x depth)

12.8 x 7.5 inch (325 x 190 mm)

Required Opening (including tolerance)

11.46 inch (291 mm)

Projection From the Wall Surface

0.26 inch (6.6 mm)

Depth Required Behind the Wall Surface

7.2 inch (184 mm)

Optional Accessories

Pre-install bracket (PN: C8HTBRK)
Square grille (PN: C8HTSQ)

The Birth of
a Masterpiece

Picasso’s youthful realistic style soon gave
way to the groundbreaking cubist images that
made him famous. The more traditional style
of the young Van Gogh matured into the bold,
colorful impressionism we recognize today.

This same artistic trajectory was traveled by

Gayle Martin Sanders and Ron Logan
Sutherland, as they grappled with improving

the “finicky” characteristics of classic
electrostatic loudspeaker designs.

Early electrostatics were prized for their
purity and clarity. But they were difficult
to work with, needed lots of amplification,
lacked bass, and had a limited soundstage.
With the artful application of innovative
materials and contemporary technology,
Sanders and Sutherland improved the
performance, and expanded the appeal,
of this exulted audio technology.

By the early 1980s, MartinLogan had gained a
worldwide reputation for superior electrostatic
performance and arresting product design.

By the late 2000s, MartinLogan was not only
producing the world’s most recognized electro­static loudspeakers but also making strides
in the use of alternative thin-film transducer
materials. 2010 saw the introduction of the
speakers featuring Folded Motion tweeter
technology, which miniaturized a high-resolution
thin-film transducer into a compact tweeter
design. Folded Motion tweeter technology
delivered electrostatic-like high-frequency
detail in more traditional speaker design.

Today’s flagship Masterpiece CI Series
of high performance loudspeakers is the
culmination of nearly four decades of
artistic growth and creative evolution.

It is, as its name implies, a masterpiece of audio
realism and impact; destined to be a classic.

Circa 1982, the original MarnLogan prototype

Folded Motion
Drivers at Work.

How do you transform the breathtaking detail and
lightning-fast accuracy of the world’s best electro­static transducers into more traditional loudspeaker
designs? That’s the (very) basic idea behind Martin­Logan’s exclusive Folded Motion tweeter design—a
uniquely engineered thin-film diaphragm that fits
into a traditional speaker cabinet. This extremely
low mass diaphragm “squeezes” air, demanding
significantly less excursion than a typical dome
tweeter. Its folded design allows a much larger
surface area (compared to that of a regular 1-inch
dome tweeter), controlled dispersion characteristics,
and vanishingly low distortion—delivering much
of the high-frequency detail and speed of a large,
dynamic electrostatic panel in a small space.

Folded Motion XT tweeters, advanced thin-film
transducer technology even further, with a 40%
larger radiating surface. This increases audible
bandwidth without sacrificing details and mini­mizes distortion to an unprecedented level while
increasing efficiency and the tweeter’s lightning-fast
response time. The result—superior realism.

High Magnetic Field Strength for Superb
Control and Efficiency. Folded Motion tweeters

incorporate neodymium iron boron (NIB) rare-earth
magnets, with field strengths almost 20 times those
of conventional magnet materials. Combining such
a powerful magnetic motor system with an extremely
lightweight diaphragm yields an outstanding force-to­mass ratio. Folded Motion tweeters are very efficient
and always under perfect control. The sound that
results is pure MartinLogan, with super-low distor­tion, astonishing clarity, and absolute precision.

Folded Motion Tweeters at Work. An array
of neodymium magnets hold constant charges. A
circuit trace on the folded polyamide diaphragm,
driven by the amplifier, is given a charge that
continuously reverses in reaction to the audio
signal. Opposite charges attract and like charges
repel, causing the diaphragm to “squeeze” air
like an accordion and produce sound as the
charges of the magnets and diaphragm interact.

Folded Motion XT Tweeter

Rigid Steel

Housing

Neodymium

Super Magnets

Aluminum

Etched Folded

Polyamid

Diaphragm

martinlogan.com

©2020 MartinLogan, Ltd. All rights reserved.

DuPont™ and Nomex® are trademarks or registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

PN MAN0186

Printed in Canada.