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22
English
Full Range Operation
Another significant advantage of MartinLogan’s exclusive
transducer technology reveals itself when you look at exam-
ples of other loudspeaker products on the market today.
The Neolith uses no crossover networks above 250–400 Hz
because they are not needed. The Neolith consists of a single,
seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all frequencies
above 250–400 Hz simultaneously. How is this possible?
First we must understand that music is not composed of separate
high, mid and low frequencies. In fact, music is comprised of a
single waveform with all frequencies interacting simultaneously.
The electrostatic transducer of the Neolith essentially acts as
an exact opposite of the microphones used to record the origi-
nal event. A microphone, which is a single working element,
transforms acoustic energy into an electrical signal that can be
amplified or preserved by some type of storage media. The
Neolith’s electrostatic transducer transforms electrical energy
from your amplifier back into acoustical energy.
Due to the limitations of electromagnetic drivers, no single
unit can reproduce the full range of frequencies. Instead, these
drivers must be designed to operate within a narrow, fixed
bandwidth of the frequency range, and then combined electri-
cally so that the sum of the parts equals the total signal. While
nice in theory, we must deal with real-world conditions.
In order to use multiple drivers, a crossover network is enlist-
ed to attempt a division of the complex musical signal into
the separate pieces (usually highs, mids, and lows) that each
specific driver was designed to handle. Unfortunately, due
to the phase relationships that occur within all crossover net-
works and during the acoustical recombination process,
nonlinearities and severe degradation of the music signal take
place in the ear’s most critical zone (see figure 23).
The Neolith’s electrostatic transducer can single-handedly
reproduce all frequencies above 250–400 Hz simultaneously.
You have in one transducer the ability to handle in elegant
simplicity the critical frequencies above 250–400 Hz.
The crossover phase aberrations that are associated with tradi-
tional tweeter, midrange, and woofer systems are eliminated.
The result is a dramatic improvement in imaging and staging
performance due to the minutely accurate phase relationship
of the full-range panel wave launch.
Critical Zone
Conventional Loudspeaker
Tweeter
Midrange
Woofer
crossover point (100–400 Hz)
crossover point (2,000–5,000 Hz)
MartinLogan Neolith
crossover point (250–400 Hz)
ESL
Panel
Woofer
Figure 23. This diagram illustrates
how a conventional speaker system
must use multiple crossover networks
that have negative effects on the
musical performance.
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