Before beginning, please note the following:
• All of our hybrid electrostatic speakers require power from AC mains (they need
to be plugged into the wall) in order for the stat panel portion of the speaker to
work. This voltage is used to supply a “charge” to the stat panel diaphragm, which
allows it to make sound. Depending on the model of speaker you have this
voltage can be supplied to the speaker either via a standard “IEC” power cable, or
from a low voltage adapter which plugs into the wall. If the speaker is not
receiving this voltage the stator panel will not function.
• Some models (The Vantage, Summit, Ethos and Montis) will also have a powered
woofer section. In this instance, power would be required for both the stator panel
and the bass section to work.
• Issues with hybrid electrostatic speakers can generally be broken down into 4
categories:
1. Speaker is completely dead. No sound from either the woofer section or stat panel
section from the speaker.
2. Only the woofer is working. There is no sound coming from the stat panel.
3. Only the stat panel is working. There is no sound from coming from the woofer
section.
4. There is distortion present, in either the panel section or the woofer section (or
both).
We can look at these issues one by one. Pick the one that most closely resembles your
issue.
1. Speaker is completely dead, there is no sound at all coming from either section
of the speaker.
a. In most cases this will either be a connection issue, or there will be
malfunctioning equipment up-stream from the speaker. First check to see that
all of the speaker cables are properly connected at both ends, and that the
speaker is receiving power.
b. If the connections have been verified, swap the speaker cables from the output
of your amplifier. That is, leave everything connected to the amp, just run the
left speaker wire to your right speaker, and the right speaker wire to your left
Page 2 of 3
speaker. If the issue “moves” to the other speaker when doing this, we have
confirmed that there is an issue up stream with either a bad cable or faulty
component. You may need to do further troubleshooting (swapping
cables/components) in order to determine the root cause of your issue.
c. If the issue “stays” with this speaker, it may either be an internal connection
problem with the speaker, or in some cases a defective component on the
“backplate” of your speaker. In some unusual instances this may indicate
multiple problems with the speaker (e.g. a blown woofer and a defective power
supply).Your Martin Logan Service Tech can provide you with instructions for
your particular model of speaker for performing a “backplate swap” between
your two speakers. Doing this swap will further narrow down the possible issue
with the speaker.
2. Only the woofer is working. There is no sound coming from the stat panel.
a. Confirm that the speaker is getting power from the wall. In the instance of
speakers which use the low voltage adapters, you can swap these between the
two speakers to confirm that this is not the issue. Note that if your speaker uses
a red or blue indicator light, the speaker will need to be receiving both power
from the wall AND a signal from the amp to turn this light on.
b. If your model has 2 pr. of binding posts, confirm that the top two binding posts
are receiving signal from the amp. If you are using jumpers between the
binding posts, be sure that these are connected securely and are snug. If you are
bi-amping, you may wish to confirm that there is not an upstream issue by
swapping speaker cables as above.(1.b.).
c. Once we have ruled out a connection or upstream issue, we would need to
determine whether this is an issue with the stat panel itself. To do this, we
would want to either “swap” the “backplates” between speakers or “swap” the
stat panels themselves between the speakers. Which procedure is best would
largely depend on the model of speaker you have. Your Martin Logan Service
Tech can provide you with instructions for your particular model of speaker for
performing either a “backplate swap” or “stat panel swap” between your two
speakers. Doing this swap will further narrow down the possible issue with the
speaker.
d. For some models of speakers, it may be possible that one or more of the wires
that are soldered to the stat panel have become disconnected or the solder
connection has been compromised. You can check the red, blue and black wires
on the stat panel to see if this is the case. In many cases it will be possible to resolder
the wire to the stat. Your Martin Logan Service Tech can provide you
with more specific information for your model.
Page 3 of 3
3. Only the stat panel is working. There is no sound from coming from the
woofer section.
a. If your model has 2 pr. of binding posts, confirm that the bottom two binding
posts are receiving signal from the amp. If you are using jumpers between the
binding posts, be sure that these are connected securely and are snug. If you are
bi-amping, you may wish to confirm that there is not an upstream issue by
swapping speaker cables as above.(1.b.).
b. Gently push on the cone of the woofer to insure that it is not frozen up. If the
woofer is seized up or frozen it is blown and will need to be replaced.
c. Remove the woofer and examine the connections between the woofer and
crossover to insure that these are still making a goof connection.
d. Perform a “battery test” on the woofer to insure that there is not an open voice
coil in the woofer. If you don’t know how to do this we can provide you with
instructions.
4. There is distortion present, in either the panel section or the woofer section
(or both).
a. In many cases this will either be a connection issue, or there will be
malfunctioning equipment up-stream from the speaker. First check to see that all of
the speaker cables are properly connected at both ends, and that the speaker is
receiving power.
b. If the connections have been verified, swap the speaker cables from the output of
your amplifier. That is, leave everything connected to the amp, just run the left
speaker wire to your right speaker, and the right speaker wire to your left speaker.
If the issue “moves” to the other speaker when doing this, we have confirmed that
there is an issue up stream with either a bad cable or faulty component. You may
need to do further troubleshooting (swapping cables/components) in order to
determine the root cause of your issue.