Summit floorstanding loudspeaker ユーザーズマニュアル

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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.