MartinLogan Sequel II - Manual (Page 15)

Page 15 Sequel II User's Manual
Rules of Thumb Rules of Thumb Rules of Thumb Rules of Thumb Rules of Thumb
Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Hard vs. Soft Surfaces Hard vs. Soft Surfaces. If the front or back wall of your
listening room is soft, it may benefit you to have a
hard or reflective wall in opposition. As well, the
ceiling and floor should follow the same basic
guideline. However, the side walls should be roughly
the same in order to deliver a focused image.
This rule suggests that a little reflection is good. As a
matter of fact, some rooms can be so “over damped”
with carpeting, drapes and sound absorbers that the
music system can sound dull and lifeless. On the
other hand, rooms can be so hard that the system
can sound like a gymnasium with too much reflec-
tion and brightness. The point is that balance is the
optimum environment.
Break-up Objects Break-up Objects Break-up Objects Break-up Objects Break-up Objects. Objects with complex shapes, such
as bookshelves, cabinetry, and multiple shaped
walls can help break up those sonic gremlins and
diffuse any dominant frequencies.
Solid Coupling Solid Coupling Solid Coupling Solid Coupling Solid Coupling. Your loudspeaker system generates
frequency vibrations or waves into the room. This is
how it creates sound. Those vibrations will vary from
20 per second to 20,000 per second. If your speaker
system is not securely planted on the floor or solid
surface, it can shake as it produces sound and,
consequently, the sound can be compromised. If
your speaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot
gliders are used, the bass can be ill defined and
even boomy. The use of spikes is recommended to
insure secured footing for your speakers.
Bipolar Speak Bipolar Speak Bipolar Speak Bipolar Speak Bipolar Speakers and Y ers and Y ers and Y ers and Y ers and Your R our R our R our R our Room oom oom oom oom
Martin-Logan electrostatic loudspeakers are known as
bipolar radiators. This means that they produce sound
from both their fronts and their backs. Consequently,
musical information is reflected by the wall behind them
and may arrive either in or out of step with the information
produced by the front of the speaker.
The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled
by the position from the front wall. Your Sequel II's have
been designed to be placed 2 to 3 feet from the front
wall (the wall in front of the listening position) to obtain
the best results, however your room may see things
differently. So, listening to the difference of the bass
response as a result of the changes in distance from the
front wall can allow you to get the best combination of
depth of bass and tonal balance.
Now that you know about Reflective Surfaces Reflective Surfaces Reflective Surfaces Reflective Surfaces Reflective Surfaces and
Resonant Objects Resonant Objects Resonant Objects Resonant Objects Resonant Objects, you can see how the mid-range
and high frequencies can be affected. The timing of the
first wave as it is first radiated to your ears and then the
reflected information as it arrives at your ears later in time,
can result in confusion of the precious timing information
that carries the clues to imaging and, consequently result
in blurred imaging and excessive brightness. Soft walls,
curtains, wall hangings, or sound dampeners (your
dealer can give you good information here) can be
effective if these negative conditions occur.