MartinLogan EFXBK User Manual

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32FrequentlyAskedQuestions

How do I clean my speakers?

Useadustfreeclothorasoftbrushtoremovethedustfrom

yourspeakers.Wealsorecommendaspecialtycloth(avail-

ableattheXtaticshopatwww.martinlogan.com)thatcleans

yourspeakersbetterthananythingelsewehavetried.For

thewoodsurfacesitisacceptabletoslightlydampenthe

cloth.Do not spray any kind of cleaning agent on or in

close proximity to the electrostatic element. Avoid the

use of ammonia based products or silicone oil on the

wood parts.

What is the advantage of ESL?

Sincethediaphragmisuniformlydrivenoveritsentiresur-

face—unlikeatweeterthatisonlydrivenatitsedges—itis

theonlytechnologythatcanbemadelargeenoughtoplay

bass,yetisstilllightenoughforhighfrequencies.Thisunique

propertyallowsfortheeliminationofhighfrequencycross-

overpointsandtheirassociateddistortions.

What size amplifier should I use?

Werecommendanamplifierwith20to400wattsperchan-

nelformostapplications.Probablylesswouldbeadequate

foroursmallerhybridsorwhenusedinhometheaterwhere

asubwooferisemployed.Ourhybriddesignswillper-

form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:anideallystableamplifierwilltypicallybe

abletodelivernearlytwiceitsratedwattageinto4Ohms

andshouldagainincrease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.

Is there likely to be any interaction between my speakers

and the television in my Audio/Video system?

Actually,thereislessinteractionbetweenatelevisionand

anelectrostaticspeakerthanbetweenatelevisionanda

conventionalsystem.However,wedorecommendthatyou

keepyourspeakersatleastonefootawayfromthetelevision

becauseofthedynamicwoofertheyemploy.Inthecaseof

ourcenterchannelspeakers,however,theyarefullyshielded

andcangoanywhere.

Will my electric bill go ‘sky high’ by leaving my speakers

plugged in all the time?

No.ApairofMartinLogan’swilldrawabout8wattsmaxi-

mum(idle).Thereiscircuitrytoturnoffthestaticcharge

whennotinuse;however,actualconsumptionwillremain

closetothesame.Theprimarypurposeofthesensingcircuit-

ryistopreventdustcollectionontheelectrostaticelement.

If the diaphragm is punctured with a pencil or similar item,

how extensive would the damage to the speaker be?

Ourresearchdepartmenthasliterallypuncturedhundreds

ofholesinadiaphragm,neitheraffectingthequalityofthe

soundnorcausingthediaphragmtorip.However,youwill

beabletoseetheactualpunctureanditcanbeaphysical

nuisance.Ifthisisthecase,replacingtheelectrostatictrans-

ducerwillbetheonlysolution.

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grillcloth,speakercones,etc.Smallexpo-

surestoUVwillnotcauseaproblem.Ingeneral,thefiltering

ofUVraysthroughglasswillgreatlyreducethenegative

effectsontheelectrostaticmembraneitself.

Will excessive smoke or dust cause any problems with my

electrostatic speakers?

Exposure to excessive contaminants such as smoke

or dustmay potentially affect the performanceof the

electrostatic membrane, and may cause discoloration

ofthediaphragmmembrane.Whennotinuseforextended

periods,youshouldunplugthespeakersandcoverthem

withtheplasticbagsinwhichthespeakerswereoriginally

packed.Itisagoodideatovacuumtheelectrostaticportion

ofeachspeakerthreeorfourtimesayear.Seethevacuum-

ingFAQ.

A problem has recently developed with my MartinLogan

speakers. The right speaker seems to be hissing even when

the amplifier and such are not connected. I was wondering

if this sounds like any problem you have encountered previ-

ously and have a simple solution for or might it be something

which will need to be looked into more carefully.

Yourspeakersaredusty.SeethevacuumingFAQ.Theelec-

trostaticchargeontheelementhasattractedairbornedustor

pollen.Since1993,allofourspeakershavebeenbuiltwitha

chargingcircuitboardthatonlychargestheelectrostaticele-

Frequently asked questIons

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MartinLogan EFXBK Black ESL Series Premium On-Wall Electrostatic Loudspeakers (Pair)

User Manual - Page 32