™
P A S S A G E
u s e r ’ s m a n u a l
™
M A R T I N L O G A N
the loudspeaker technology company
®
CONTENTS AND INTRODUCTION
Contents Introduction
Contents and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Contents
Introduction
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Placement
Horizontal Installation
Installing the Passage
Installing an IR Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Removing the End Caps for Painting . . . . . . . . . .10
ATF (Advanced Thin Film) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting 12
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Specifications
Warranty and Registration
Service
Glossary of Audio Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Congratulations! You have invested in a new world
of high performance audio!
The MartinLogan Passage 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 materials in your new Passage speaker are of the high
est
quality and will provide years of enduring enjoyment
and
deepening respect.
This User’s Manual will explain in detail the operation of
your Passage speaker and the philosophy applied to their
design. A clear understanding of your speaker will insure
that you obtain maximum performance and pleasure from
this most exacting transducer. It has been designed and con
structed to give you years of trouble-free listening enjoyment.
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-
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.
The fire within an equilateral triangle is intended to
alert the user to the potential of creating a fire hazard
if they do not follow the instructions.
The dollar sign within an equilateral triangle is intend-
ed to alert the user that they run the risk of causing
damage that could be potentially expensive to repair
if they don't follow the instructions.
2 Contents & Introduction
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.
Placement
To achieve maximum performance, it is recommended that
the Passage not be installed near a room corner or directly
behind furniture. When used as a front left/right channel, it
is recommended that the listening position be no closer to
the wall then the distance between the speakers.
Horizontal Installation
Although most users will mount the Passage in a vertical
orientation, it can also be mounted in a horizontal orientation (for use as a center channel). If you plan to use
the Passage in a horizontal orientation, it will cross drywall
studs and the wall will require modification. A bonded
contractor should be contacted to mount the Passage in a
horizontal orientation.
Installing the Passage
INSTALLATION
NOTE: These instructions must be carefully followed to
assure that your Passage is safely installed. Study them
thoroughly before installing your Passage's.
NOTE: The following instructions assume the mounting
surface is of standard wood frame and standard sheet rock
construction. If you wish to mount the Passage to another
type of material, you should consult a bonded contractor.
Warning! Before installing check
for
obstructions behind the drywall
(electrical, plumbing and other
fixtures). To do this make a small
hole, cutting at a 45° angle (this
will make the hole easier to patch
if obstructions are found). Only
cut the mounting hole after
you have verified there are no
obstructions behind the wall.
Figure 1. The Passage is designed for both vertical and horizontal installation.
Installation 3
Required tools (included):
4mm Allen bit
(2) Push pins
Required tools (not included):
Stud finder
Sharp pencil or pen
Level
Dry wall knife/saw
Wire strippers
Electric drill (with clutch)
Tape measure
Depth required behind wall surface:
3 3/16" (8.1cm)
Required
wall opening (includes tolerance):
7 1/2" x 22 15/16" (19.1cm x 58.3cm)
Figure 3. Side view.
Figure 2. The Passage is designed to mount anywhere between studs.
4 Installation
Figure 4. Top view.
Figure 6. Installation step 4.Figure 5. Installation steps 1–3.
1 Using a stud finder, locate the final speaker position
between studs.
WARNING! Absolutely no part of the template
should overlap a stud.
2 Insert top push pin (provided). Level template. Insert
bottom pushpin (provided). Recheck level.
3 Mark cutout through slots in template. Remove Template.
4 Use a dry wall knife/saw to cut out the opening.
Installation 5
Figure 7. Installation step 5. Figure 8. Installation step 6.
5 If the tweeter is above or below ear level, position the
marked woofer closest to ear level (see sticker on the
back of speaker).
6 Installation
6 Connect speaker cable. Be consistent when connect
ing speaker leads to the terminals on the back of the
Passage. Take great care to assign the same color to
the (+) terminal on both the speaker and the amplifier.
WARNING! Turn your amplifier off before
making or breaking any signal connections!
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Figure 9. Installation step 7.
Figure 10. Installation step 8.
7 Place speaker in hole. 8 Use a 4mm Allen bit (provided) and an electric drill to
lock all 8 mounting locks in place. Use a low clutch
setting on the drill.
Installation 7
Figure 11. Installation step 9.
Figure 12. Installation step 10.
9 Aim the tweeter toward the primary listening position by
gently pushing the edge of the tweeter globe (which is
capable of 20° tilt in all directions).
The Passage tweeter should always be orientated so that
the long dimension of the tweeter is vertical (see tweeter
position in figure 1). To accommodate both horizontal and
vertical orientations, the tweeter globe can rotate 90°.
WARNING! Do not turn the tweeter more
than 90° in either direction. Turning the tweeter
globe too much may cause wires to disconnect.
8 Installation
10 Gently bend the grill cover into place.
WARNING! These instructions are written
based on commonly available IR repeaters that
mount in a 1/2" diameter hole. Before beginning
this installation, please refer to the instructions
that came with your IR repeater to verify this
hole size. If your IR repeater requires a hole size
other than 1/2" diameter, adjust these instructions accordingly. Before drilling the mounting
hole, a 1/8" pilot hole should always be drilled
from the back regardless of the final mounting
hole diameter.
INSTALLING AN IR REPEATER
Required tools (not inc
Electric drill
1
/8" drill bit
1
/2" drill bit
1 Prepare a flat surface with a cushion and/or blanket to
protect the Passage. Place the Passage driver side down.
WARNING! Be careful to put no weight on
the tweeter globe.
2 From the rear of the speaker and at the location shown
in figure 13, use a 1/8" drill bit to drill a pilot hole.
3 Turn the Passage over so that it is driver side up.
4 From the front of the speaker, use a
widen the hole for the IR repeater.
5 Follow the instructions that come with the IR repeater to
finish installation.
luded):
1
/2" drill bit to
Figure 13. Installing an IR repeater—location to drill hole.
Installing an IR Repeater 9
REMOVING THE END CAPS FOR PAINTING
Figure 14. Removing the end caps step 2.
Required tools (not inc
Philips head scrwedriver
1 Prepare a flat surface with a cushion and/or blanket to
protect the Passage. Place the Passage driver side down.
WARNING! Be careful to put no weight on
the tweeter globe.
2 Using a Phillips head screwdriver remove 2 screws from
the back/bottom of the Passage (see figure 14).
3 Using a Phillips head screwdriver remove three screws
from the bottom edge of the Passage (see figure 15).
4 The end cap may now be safely removed (see figure 16).
Repeat steps 2–4 to remove other end cap.
luded):
Figure 15. Removing the end caps step 3.
Figure 16. Removing the end caps step 4.
10 Removing the End Caps for Painting
ATF (ADVANCED THIN FILM)
ATF Operation
The MartinLogan ATF transducer (based on RADIA planar
technology) consists of a micro-thin, low-mass Kaladex
diaphragm with an ultra-light, etched conductive aluminum surface suspended between two high field strength
neodymium super magnet arrays (see figure 17). When an
electrical current (music signal) passes through the etched
aluminum on the diaphragm's surface it is simultaneously
pulled towards one of the neodymium arrays and pushed
away from the opposing array. When the direction of current
is reversed the diaphragm is simultaneously pushed and
pulled in the opposite direction, thus producing sound.
Extremely Low-Mass Diaphragm
—Blazing Speed and Inner Detail
Low-mass diaphragms are crucial to a loudspeaker's ability
to accurately reproduce sound. As the mass of a transducer's
diaphragm decreases, its ability to resolve detail increases.
With extremely low-mass characteristics, the ATF transducer
tracks the audio signal with almost perfect accuracy.
MartinLogan ATF diaphragms are constructed of extremely low
mass Dupont Kaladex® PEN (polyethylene naphthalate)—a
material chemically similar to the low-mass PET (polyethylene
terathylate) film used in MartinLogan's generation 2 electro
static transducers, yet capable of handling the high thermal
requirements required for stable magnetic thin film operation.
Push-Pull Operation = Ideal Linearity
Linearity is another factor contributing to a loudspeaker's
ability to achieve ultimate clarity, detail and resolution. By
positioning neodymium magnet arrays in a push-pull configuration, MartinLogan ATF transducer technology maintains
uniform diaphragm control, regardless of position as it
traverses the entire audio signal. The push-pull concept is
a major contributor to the linearity and sonic superiority of
ATF transducers.
Direct Full-Surface Drive
Provides Outstanding Clarity
Unlike traditional voice coil driven systems, ATF diaphragms
are directly and uniformly driven throughout their entire
surface. This full-surface drive system results in ultra-fast
transient response with no cone break up and the ability
to accurately reproduce sound with great delicacy, nuance
and clarity.
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High Field Strength
—Superb Control and Efficiency
With a field strength almost 2000% more powerful than
traditional systems, Neodymium iron boron (NIB) rare-earth
super magnets are one of the world's strongest commercially available magnetic materials. This incredible field
strength proves ideal for maintaining perfect control over
the low-mass Kaladex diaphragm. Super-low distortion
levels, high-resolution, and crystal-clear transparency are
just a few of the benefits resulting from this superb combination of low-mass diaphragm and high field strength.
Figure 17. Cut away view of an ATF transducer. Note the simplicity due
to minimal part usage.
ATF (Advanced Thin Film) 11
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
Frequently Asked Questions Troubleshooting
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 Xtatic shop at www.martinlogan.
com) that cleans your speakers better than anything
else we have tried. Do not spray any kind of clean-
ing agent on or in close proximity to the ATF
element.
What size amplifier should I use?
We recommend an amplifier with 100 watts per channel
for most applications. Probably less would be adequate when used in home theater where a subwoofer
is employed. Our hybrid designs will perform well with
either a tube or transistorized amplifier, and will reveal
the sonic character of either type. However, it is important that the amplifier be stable operating into varying
impedance loads: a stable amplifier will be able to
deliver twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohms and should
again double into 2 Ohms.
Could you suggest a list of suitable electronics and
cables that would be ideal for MartinLogan speakers?
The area of electronics and cable choice is probably
the most common type of question that we receive. It is
also the most subjective. We have repeatedly found that
brands that work well in one setup will drive someone
else nuts in another. We use many brands with great
success. Again, we have no favorites; we use electronics
and cables quite interchangeably. We would suggest
listening to a number of brands—and above all else—
trust your ears. Dealers are always the best source for
information when purchasing additional audio equipment
or cables and will be well versed in the subject of special
safety requirements for in-wall cable.
Output
• Check that all your system components are turned on.
• Check your speaker wires and connections.
• Check all interconnecting cables.
Will exposure to sunlight affect the life or perfor
mance of my speakers?
We recommend that you not place any loudspeaker
in direct sunlight. The ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun
can cause deterioration of grill cloth, speaker cones, etc.
Small exposures to UV will not cause a problem. In
general, the filtering of UV rays through glass will greatly
reduce the negative effects.
12 Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Warranty and RegistrationSpecifications
System Frequency Response
45–20,000 Hz ± 3 dB
Sensitivity
90 dB/2.83 volts/meter (mounted on wall)
Impedance
6 ohms
Crossover Frequency
2200 Hz
Components
Air core coils, metal film and low dissipation electrolytic
capacitors
Woofer Type
Two 6.5” (16.5cm) magnetically shielded high rigidity alu
minum cones with extended throw drive assembly
ATF High Frequency Driver
1.5" x 2.25" (3.8cm x 5.7cm) ATF Transducer
ATF High Frequency Driver Range of Motion
20° tilt in all directions. 90° rotation.
Power Handling
150 watts
Weight
16 lbs. each (7.3 kg)
Overall Size
8.9375” inches W × 4.93755” inches D × 24.5” inches H
(22.7cm W × 12.5cm D × 62.2cm H)
Required
7.5" x 22.9375" (19.1cm x 58.3cm)
Projection
1.75" (4.4cm)
Depth required behind wall surface
3.1875" (8.1cm)
wall opening (including tolerance)
from wall surface
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Your Passage speaker is provided with an automatic Limited
90 Day Warranty coverage.
You have the option, at no additional charge, to receive a
Limited 5 Year Warranty coverage. To obtain the Limited
5 Year Warranty coverage you need to complete and return
the Certificate of Registration, included with your speakers,
and provide a copy of your dealer receipt to MartinLogan
within 30 days of purchase.
For your convenience MartinLogan also offers online warranty
registration at www.martinlogan.com.
MartinLogan may not honor warranty service claims unless
we have a completed Warranty Registration on file!
If you did not receive a Certificate of Registration with your
new Passage speaker, you cannot be assured of having
received new units. If this is the case, please contact your
authorized MartinLogan dealer.
Service
Should you be using your MartinLogan product in a country
other than the one in which it was originally purchased,
we ask that you note the following:
1 The appointed MartinLogan distributor for any given
country is responsible for warranty servicing only on
units distributed by or through it in that country in
accordance with its applicable warranty.
2 Should a MartinLogan product require servicing in a
country other than the one in which it was originally
purchased, the end user may seek to have repairs per
formed by the nearest MartinLogan distributor, subject
to that distributor’s local servicing policies, but all cost
of repairs (parts, labor, transportation) must be born by
the owner of the MartinLogan product.
3 If, after owning your speakers for six months, you
relocate to a country other than the one in which
you purchased your speakers, your warranty may be
transferable. Contact MartinLogan for details.
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General Information 13
GLOSSARY OF AUDIO TERMS
AC. Abbreviation for alternating current.
Active crossover.
tubes) and some form of power supply to operate.
Amplitude.
sured from the average to the extreme.
Arc. The visible sparks generated by an electrical dis-
charge.
ATF.
The abbreviation for advanced thin film.
Bass. The lowest frequencies of sound.
Bi-Amplification. Uses an electronic crossover, or line-
level passive crossover, and separate power amplifiers for
the high and low frequency loudspeaker drivers.
Capacitance.
how much charge can be stored in it for a given potential
difference between its terminals, measured in farads, by
the ratio of the charge stored to the potential difference.
Capacitor.
plates separated from one another by an insulating material and used for storing an electrical charge. Sometimes
called a condenser.
Clipping. Distortion of a signal by its being chopped
off. An overload problem caused by pushing an amplifier beyond its capabilities. The flat-topped signal has
high levels of harmonic distortion which creates heat in a
loudspeaker and is the major cause of loudspeaker component failure.
CLS.
Crossover. An electrical circuit that divides a full band-
width signal into the desired frequency bands for the
loudspeaker components.
dB (decibel). A numerical expression of the relative loud-
ness of a sound. The difference in decibels between two
sounds is ten times the Base 10 logarithm of the ratio of
their power levels.
A device consisting of two or more conducting
The abbreviation for curvilinear linesource.
Uses active devices (transistors, ICs,
The extreme range of a signal. Usually mea-
That property of a capacitor which determines
DC. Abbreviation for direct current.
Diffraction.
some type of mechanical interference such as a cabinet
edge, grill frame or other similar object.
Diaphragm. A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates
in response to electrical signals to produce sound waves.
Distortion. Usually referred to in terms of total harmonic
distortion (THD) which is the percentage of unwanted harmonics of the drive signal present with the wanted signal.
Generally used to mean any unwanted change introduced
by the device under question.
Driver. See transducer.
Dynamic Range. The range between the quietest and the
loudest sounds a device can handle (often quoted in dB).
Efficiency. The acoustic power delivered for a given elec-
trical input. Often expressed as decibels/watt/meter
(dB/w/m).
ESL. The abbreviation for electrostatic loudspeaker.
Headroom. The difference, in decibels, between the peak
and RMS levels in program material.
Hybrid. A product created by the marriage of two different
technologies. Meant here as the combination of a dynamic woofer with an electrostatic or ATF transducer.
Hz (Hertz). Unit of frequency equivalent to the number of
cycles per second.
Imaging. To make a representation or imitation of the
original sonic event.
Impedance.
circuit to the flow of an alternating current of a single frequency. It is a combination of resistance and reactance and
is measured in ohms. Remember that a speaker’s impedance changes with frequency, it is not a constant value.
The breaking up of a sound wave caused by
The total opposition offered by an electric
14 Glossary of Audio Terms
Inductance. The property of an electrical circuit by which
a varying current in it produces a varying magnetic field
that introduces voltages in the same circuit or in a nearby
circuit. It is measured in henrys.
Inductor.
tance into an electrical circuit. Sometimes called a choke
or coil.
Linearity. The extent to which any signal handling process
is accomplished without amplitude distortion.
Midrange. The middle frequencies where the ear is the
most sensitive.
NAC. The abbreviation for natural ambience compensation.
Passive crossover.
tors, ICs, tubes) and needs no power supply (AC, DC,
battery) to operate. The crossover in a typical loudspeaker is of the passive variety. Passive crossovers consist of
capacitors, inductors and resistors.
A device designed primarily to introduce induc-
Uses no active components (transis-
Resistor. A device used in a circuit to provide resistance.
Resonance.
tion frequency of a body is greatly amplified by reinforcing
vibrations at the same or nearly the same frequency from
another body.
Sensitivity. The volume of sound delivered for a given
electrical input.
Stator.
diaphragm in a planar speaker.
THD. The abbreviation for total harmonic distortion. (See
Distortion)
TIM. The abbreviation for transient intermodulation distortion.
Transducer.
from one system to another, sometimes one that converts
the energy in form. Loudspeaker transducers convert electrical energy into mechanical motion.
The effect produced when the natural vibra-
The fixed part forming the reference for the moving
Any of various devices that transmit energy
Phase.
Pink noise.
Polarity.
RMS.
Resistance.
The amount by which one sine wave leads or lags
a second wave of the same frequency. The difference is
described by the term phase angle. Sine waves in phase
reinforce each other; those out of phase cancel.
A random noise used in measurements, as it
has the same amount of energy in each octave.
The condition of being positive or negative with
respect to some reference point or object.
Abbreviation for root mean square. The effective
value of a given waveform is its RMS value. Acoustic power
is proportional to the square of the RMS sound pressure.
That property of a conductor by which it
opposes the flow of electric current, resulting in the generation of heat in the conducting material, usually expressed
in ohms.
Transient.
time. A change from one steady-state condition to another.
Tweeter.
high frequencies.
Wavelength.
progression of a wave, from any given point characterized
by the same phase.
White noise.
has the same amount of energy at each frequency.
Woofer.
Drive units in two-way systems are not true woofers but
are more accurately described as being mid/bass drivers.
Applies to that which lasts or stays but a short
A small drive unit designed to reproduce only
The distance measured in the direction of
A random noise used in measurements, as it
A drive unit operating in the bass frequencies only.
Glossary of Audio Terms 15
M A R T I N L O G A N
®
the loudspeaker technology company
2101 Delaware Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66046, USA tel 785.749.0133 fax 785.749.5320 www.martinlogan.com
©2004 MartinLogan. All rights reserved.
Rev. #080604
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