MartinLogan SISTINE4XC User Manual

user’s manual

®

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.

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 equilat-

eral 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 tri-

angle is intended 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.

Content Check List .....................3

Connection ..........................4

Protect Your Investment .................4

Break-In ............................4

Speaker Placement ....................4

Achieving Superior Imaging ............4

Balancing Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Improves ..4

Choosing a Mounting Location ..........4

Balancing Bass Output................ 5

Suggested Placement of In-Ceiling Loudspeakers

Painting the Speaker Grille ..............6

Installation ..........................6

Frequently Asked Questions ..............8

Troubleshooting .......................8

Contacting Customer Service .............9

General Information ...................9

Warranty Information .................9

Serial Number ......................9

Service ..........................9

Specifications .......................12

Serial Number:_____________________________

Record your serial number here for easy reference.
You will need this information when filling out your
warranty registration. The serial number is located
near the binding posts and on the product carton.

5

Per 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, requires special
reuse and recycling processing. For this reason,
Martin Logan has arranged with our distributors
in European Union member nations to collect and
recycle this product at no cost to you.

2

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 the pack­aging and other related shipping materials we
encourage you to recycle these items through the
usual channels.

Content CheCk List

You will find the following items enclosed for your new MartinLogan loudspeaker. Should you require
assistance, please call our service department at [phone].

• Install Template • Grille Cover • Paint Shield • Torx T20 Driver

3

ConneCtion

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

These speakers are designed with easy-to-use push­style binding posts that accept bare wire (fig. 1).

Assign the same color to the (+) and (–) terminals
on both the speaker and the amplifier. Make sure
that all connections are tight.

ProteCt Your investment

Fig. 1

• Use an amp that approximately matches the
speaker’s specified power handling.

• To avoid damage, turn down the volume if
the speaker is distorting, sounds harsh, or the
bass begins to break up.

Break-in

When you first begin to play your speakers, they
will sound a bit bass shy, due to the high qual­ity, long-life components used in the drivers. Allow

sPeaker PLaCement

Achieving Superior Imaging

These MartinLogan in-ceiling speakers offer superb
imaging and flexible placement in nearly any loca­tion. However, for best performance and imaging
place speakers equidistant from one another and
avoid physical obstructions between the speaker
and primary listening position.

• Tone controls and equalizers may increase
the likelihood of distortion, especially at high
volumes. Use these setting sparingly.

approximately 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB (mod­erate listening levels) before any critical listening.

Rooms that are “overdamped” with carpeting,
drapes, and other sound absorbers can cause your
system to be dull and lifeless. On the other hand,
rooms can have so many hard surfaces that the
system sounds like a gymnasium. Experiment by
adding or removing soft surfaces until you find a
mix that is right for you.

Balancing Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Improves High­and Mid-Frequency Performance

4

Choosing a Mounting Location

Install the Sistine 4XC between ceiling joists. Be

careful to avoid electrical wires behind the wall

12”

Min.

12”

Min.

12”

(30cm)

Min.

12”
(30cm)
Min.

12”
(30cm)
Min.

12” (30cm)
Min.

12”

(30cm)

Min.

12” (30cm)

Min.

and ceiling surfaces.

Balancing Bass Output

Corner placement of these speakers will reinforce
their bass output. If you require balanced output
across the entire audio spectrum avoid mounting
these speakers in a corner.

When choosing placement, follow these simple tips:

• Place a minimum of 12” (30 cm) from any
wall corner.

• Place front and center channels equidistant
between 10–14 feet (3–4.3 m) from the lis­tening position.

• Orient the tweeter towards the primary listen­ing position.

12” (30cm)

Min.

10’–14’

(3–4.3m)

Figure 2. 2-channel installation.

a 5- or 7-channel installation.

12” (30cm) Min.

12” (30cm) Min.

10’–14’
(3–4.3m)

Figure 3. Adding a center channel.

Figure 5. Distributed audio.Figure 4. Adding surround channels to create

5

Painting the sPeaker griLLe

IMPORTANT! Before painting, remove the grille
from speakers and remove the cloth scrim attached
inside the grille.

proceeding. IMPORTANT! For best results
use a spray rather than a brush or roller.

3. Gently press the scrim back into place before
reinstalling the speaker grille.

1. Remove the grille from the speaker. A protec­tive cloth scrim is attached to the back of the
grille with low-tack adhesive. Remove this
scrim by gently pulling it away from the grille.

2. Paint the grille, being careful not to plug the
holes. Allow the paint to dry completely before

instaLLation

NOTE: These instructions assume the mounting sur­face is of standard wood frame and conventional
sheetrock construction. If you wish to mount the
speakers to another type of material you should
contact a bonded contractor.

NOTE: See your local dealer for new construction
pre-install brackets (sold separately).

WARNING! Before installing check
local building codes to verify compli­ance with local regulations. WARN-
ING! Before installing check for ob­structions behind drywall. To do this
make a small cutout, cutting at a 45°
angle (this will make the hole easier
to patch if you find obstacles. Only
cut out the mounting hole after you
have verified there are no obstruc­tions behind the drywall. WARN-
ING! Use speaker cable rated for
in-wall use. The UL standard is CL2,
CL3, and CM. The CSA standard is
FT4. WARNING! Turn your ampli­fier off before making or breaking
any signal connections.

Fig. 6

Recommended tools:

• Stud finder

• Sharp pencil or pen

• Pushpin

• Drywall knife/saw

• Wire strippers

• Electric drill

• Tape measure

• Low-tack tape

1. Using a stud finder, position the template
centered between wall studs or ceiling joists.

2. Hold or pin the template in place and mark
cutout with a pencil.

3. Remove the template and cut out the opening
with a drywall knife/saw.

4. Place fiberglass insulation 12” (30cm) or thicker
between the joists directly above the speaker.

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

5 Connect speaker cable. Be consistent when

connecting speaker leads to the terminals on

6

the speaker. Take great care to assign the
same color to the (+) terminal on both the
speaker and the amplifier.

6 Place the speaker in the hole.

7 Orient the tweeter so it is pointing towards

the primary listening position. There is an
arrow on the installation handle to help with
this. Hold the speaker in place by the instal­lation handle. Tighten all screws numbered
“1” in the direction labeled on the installation
handle to engage mounting locks. Use the
supplied Torx T20 driver and an electric drill
to lock all mounting locks in place. Use a low
clutch setting on the drill.

Fig. 7

Required opening

(including tolerance):

11.46” (29.1cm)

8 Loosen the screws numbered “2” to remove

the installation handle.

9. Adjust the switches (figure 8). Set the Position
switch to reflect the speaker’s location in the
room. For a center channel, choose either
setting. Set the Tweeter Level switch to the
desired setting (+2dB, –2dB, or 0).

10 Remove the protective sticker that is covering

the Folded Motion tweeter.

11

Place the magnetic grille over the speaker.

Fig. 8

7.36” (18.7cm)

12.68” (32.2cm)

7

FrequentLY asked questions

How do I clean my speakers? Use a clean
cloth or a soft brush to remove the dust from your
speakers. Do not spray any cleaning agents on or
near the drivers.

What size amplifier should I use? We rec­ommend an amplifier rated within the suitable
amplifier range of your speaker.

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

trouBLeshooting

No Output

• Check that all your system components are
turned on, are not muted, and that your bal­ance control (if applicable) correct.

• Check to make sure your power outlet at the
wall is working.

• Check your power cords, speaker wires, and
interconnecting cables.

• Check to make sure no headphones are
plugged in.

• Swap speaker wires at your amplifier with
those of a speaker that is functioning correct-

great success. Again, we have no favorites; we
use electronics and cables quite interchangeably.
We would suggest listening to many 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.

Will exposure to sunlight affect the life or
performance 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 grille cloth and speaker
cones. Small exposures to UV will not cause a
problem. In general, the filtering of UV rays through
glass will significantly reduce the adverse effects.

ly. If the lack of output moves to a different
speaker the problem could be with other
equipment in your system (i.e., amp, pre­amp, processor, and such).

• Try hooking up a different set of speakers.
The lack of output could point to a problem
with other equipment in your system (i.e.,
amp, pre-amp, processor, and such).

Lack of Bass or Poor Imaging

• Check your speaker wires. Is the polarity cor­rect — (+) to (+) and (–) to (–).

8

ContaCting Customer serviCe

MartinLogan customer service is available Monday
– Friday between the hours of 8 am – 5 pm
(central time) by calling [phone] or by
emailing [e-mail].

generaL inFormation

SERIAL NUMBER

You can locate the serial number on the back of
the speaker and the product carton.

SERVICE

Should your MartinLogan product be used in a
country other than where initially purchased, we
ask that you note the following:

1 The appointed MartinLogan distributor for any

given country is only responsible for warranty
servicing on units distributed by or through it in
that country, per its applicable warranty.

2 Should a MartinLogan product require service

in a country other than the one in which ini­tially purchased, the end-user may seek to have
repairs performed by the nearest MartinLogan
distributor, subject to that distributor’s local ser­vicing policies. The owner of the MartinLogan
product must bear the cost of all repairs (parts,
labor, transportation, and such).

3 If, after owning your speaker for six months,

you relocate to a country other than the one
in which you purchased your speaker, your
warranty may be transferable. Contact
MartinLogan for details.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Thank you for purchasing a MartinLogan product.
All MartinLogan products meeting the conditions
set forth here are eligible to receive the Limited

Warranty. Please retain your sales receipt for proof
of warranty terms and proof of purchase from an
authorized MartinLogan dealer or distributor in
the United States or Canada. Please register your
purchase on the Online Warranty Registration sys­tem (https://www.martinlogan.com/register) on
MartinLogan.com.

Limited Warranty and Duration

MartinLogan, Ltd. warrants the product designated
herein to be free of manufacturing defects in mate­rial and workmanship, subject to the conditions
and for a period set forth below. This Warranty
expires on the anniversary of the date of delivery.
The Limited Warranty period on MartinLogan prod­ucts is as follows:

• Five (5) Years – Floorstanding, bookshelf, and
on-wall speakers;

• Five (5) Years – On-wall, in-wall, and in-ceiling
speakers;

• Three (3) Years – Powered subwoofers;

• Three (3) Years – Outdoor Living Series satellite
speakers and subwoofers;

• Two (2) Years – Installer Series outdoor/all­weather speakers;

• Two (2) Years – Soundbars, separate power
amplifiers and pre-amplifiers, and fully pow­ered speakers;

• One (1) Year – Headphones.

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