MartinLogan has announced the introduction of new, advanced Generation 2 ESL transducers and MicroPerf stator technology, the first major improvements to the company’s core technology in more than 15 years.
Generation 2 ESL transducers and MircoPerf stators will first appear with the imminent introduction of the new Clarity™ loudspeaker. MartinLogan’s current product line will be modified to include the new technology, where appropriate, beginning in the 1st half of 2003.
MartinLogan’s speaker systems, which incorporate patented CLS (curvilinear line source) high-resolution electrostatic technology, range in price from $1,395 to $90,000 (US). The new Clarity hybrid electrostatic speaker is available this month with a suggested retail price of $2,695 per pair (US), aimed at the upscale family home theater buyer.
More on the MartinLogan Clarity Loudspeaker System
The New Generation 2 ESL Transducer
Generation 2 ESL transducers feature an extremely low-mass Polyethylene Terathylate (PET) diaphragm ideally suited for bonding with MartinLogan’s recently reformulated conductive alloy coating. Manufactured using a unique process involving a twenty million-dollar, oxygen-free, argon environment chamber these plasma-bonded diaphragms achieve upwards of 500% increased uniformity of the conductive coating, offering unparalleled impedance tolerance and maximum adhesion and abrasion resistance.
All Generation 2 ESL transducers will also feature MartinLogan’s proprietary ClearSpar™ technology. Originally developed for the cost-no-object Statement e2 loudspeaker, ClearSpars were previously available only on MartinLogan’s most prestigious products. The rigidity of ClearSpars allows Generation 2 ESL transducers to maintain an extremely uniform tension of the diaphragm during the hand building process and permit critical stator spacing within an exact tolerance. This increases both efficiency and dynamic range. ClearSpars, as the name suggests, also enhance a Generation 2 ESL transducers exclusive transparent look.
The New MicroPerf Stator
To further enhance the unparalleled performance of small ESL transducers, MartinLogan went back to the drawing board and redesigned the stator (the black grill on the front and back of an ESL transducer). MartinLogan’s new MicroPerf design reduces the size of individual holes in the stator, allowing more openings per square inch when compared to a traditional stator. This maximizes efficiency and dispersion of sound and also increases the optical clarity of a small ESL transducer. In addition, the tighter grid of holes allows a high level of control over the moving diaphragm, which increases the sonic accuracy of small ESL transducers.
Large ESL transducers (Aeon i size and up) will continue to feature the MartinLogan’s traditional stator perforation pattern. The new MicroPerf design was engineered for small ESL transducers – no benefits are achieved by using the MicroPerf design on large panels.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.