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18 Electrostatic Advantages
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 Summit uses no crossover networks above 270 Hz
because they are not needed. The Summit consists of a
single, seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all
frequencies above 270 Hz simultaneously. How is this
possible?
First we must understand that music is not composed
of separate high, mid and low frequency pieces. In fact,
music is comprised of a single complex waveform with all
frequencies interacting simultaneously.
The electrostatic transducer of the Summit essentially acts
as an exact opposite of the microphones used to record
the original event. A microphone, which is a single work-
ing element, transforms acoustic energy into an electrical
signal that can be amplified or preserved by some type
of storage media. The Summit’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 nar-
row, fixed bandwidth of the frequency range, and then
combined electrically 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 enlisted 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 networks and during the acoustical
recombination process, nonlinearities and severe deg-
radation of the music signal take place in the ear’s most
critical zone (see figure 15).
The Summit’s electrostatic transducer can single-handedly
reproduce all frequencies above 270 Hz simultaneously.
You have in one transducer the ability to handle in elegant
simplicity the critical frequencies above 270 Hz.
The crossover phase aberrations that are associated with
traditional tweeter, midrange, and woofer systems are
eliminated. The result is a dramatic improvement in imag-
ing and staging performance due to the minutely accurate
phase relationship of the full-range panel wave launch.
Full Range Operation
Figure 15. This diagram illustrates how a conventional
speaker system must use multiple crossover networks
that have negative effects on the musical performance.