Description
MartinLogan Neolith Floorstanding Speaker
The incredible MartinLogan Neolith Floorstanding Speaker. For those who understand this truth in sound, they created a flagship loudspeaker: Neolith. Made-to-order, hand-delivered and professionally installed; in a world of same, Neolith proclaims different. In a world of artifice, Neolith delivers truth in sound.
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Reviews
“Some big speakers can only play big, while some small speakers can only play small. The MartinLogan Neolith does it all. A solo vocalist or instrument is rendered just right, with the tiniest of musical nuances never blown out of proportion. Yet when you need to rock, they will blow you away. Few speakers at any price can do this, putting the Neolith into the rarefied air of the world’s finest.”
“MartinLogan’s Neolith is a world-class product, taking its place in the upper echelon of today’s best loudspeakers. The Neolith’s transparency to sources, resolution, coherence, transient fidelity, and lifelike sense of presence and immediacy are as good as they get.”
“These are baller speakers… The soundstage is huge and all-encompassing, and literally makes you feel like you’re sitting in the front row of a concert… Plenty of dynamics… Leading edges of notes were lightning fast… Spatial imaging of every ‘whack’ on a drum’s skin was etched into the air between the speakers… I laughed several times at how enjoyable this system sounded and how it gave you absolutely no choice but to rock out with it. To me, this wasn’t hi fi per se, it was an experience like no other I’ve had from a two-way stereo. And at this price point, it should be. Performers were presented completely life-sized and exuded all the air, breath, punch and visceral individuality of a live band right in front of you.”
Features
Breathtaking
Prepare yourself for an astonishing new audio experience; a bigger, bolder, no-holds-barred experience of breathtakingly articulate performance. The bespoke Neolith is the culmination of over 30 years of MartinLogan passion, engineering innovation and dedication to the ultimate truth in sound.
Unconstrained
Neolith is not for the faint of heart. As the embodiment of our philosophy of the truth in sound, its performance is unconstrained. It goes against the grain. In a world of small, Neolith says size is no impediment.
Uninhibited
Neolith features one of MartinLogan’s largest electrostatic radiating surfaces, fully 35% larger than the Statement E2. Its proprietary curvilinear electrostatic transducer delivers an ideal wave launch; a detailed, ultrarealistic soundstage, reproducing nearly the entire mid-range and high frequency audio spectrum. It is utterly uninhibited by room limitations.
Visceral
Smoothly blended low-frequencies are provided by a 15-inch rear-firing ported woofer and 12-inch front-firing sealed mid-bass woofer. Combined, they deliver powerful, extremely accurate bass.
Detailed
And this is just the beginning. The details demand your attention. The exclusive advanced-topology Vojtko Crossover uses hand-selected components for optimum power handling. The passive Neolith design gives you more control, allowing single-wire or bi-amp connections with silver filigree WBT Binding Posts, plus a unique system of audio adjustment jumpers. The audaciously sculpted Neolith frame is made of non-resonant Phenolic Resin Polymer, smoothly finished in a premium automotive gloss. Its hand-crafted woofer cabinet is wrapped in elegant soft leather.
Breathtaking
Prepare yourself for an astonishing new audio experience; a bigger, bolder, no-holds-barred experience of breathtakingly articulate performance. The bespoke Neolith is the culmination of over 30 years of MartinLogan passion, engineering innovation and dedication to the ultimate truth in sound.
Electrostatic Truth
MartinLogan didn’t invent electrostatic transducer technology. But by eliminating the perceived deficiencies of electrostatic technology, such as poor power handling, lack of bass response and narrow soundstage (beaming), MartinLogan has reinforced the benefit of electrostatic technology: uncanny audio accuracy.
Parts of an Electrostatic Transducer
A) Diaphragm B) Spars C) Stators
An electrostatic transducer has three components—stators, a diaphragm, and spars (non-conductive spacers that keep the tall assembly stationary)—assembled as a sandwich. The diaphragm is an ultra-light film impregnated with an electrically conductive material and stretched taut between two stators, which are perforated steel sheets coated with an insulator.
Electrostatic Forces at Work
Opposite charges attract. Like charges repel. The diaphragm holds a constant positive charge.
When the speaker is operating, the diaphragm is charged with an electrostatic field of fixed positive voltage. The two stators, between which the diaphragm is stretched, are charged with voltages of equal strength but opposite polarity. These charges occur in instantaneously alternating pulses according the signal received from your audio equipment. When the charge on one stator is positive, the charge on the other is negative. Because like charges repel and opposite charges attract, the diaphragm’s constantly positive charge will force it to move forward or backward depending on the stator charges. With this movement, an electrostatic transducer translates an electrical audio signal into the diaphragm motion that produces sound waves in your room.
Because traditional cone loudspeakers produce sound in response to the separate movements of many small parts (voice coil, former, diaphragm), they can’t help but suffer distortion-inducing time lag as the signal travels through these parts and across the cone. But an electrostatic transducer has only one moving part: the diaphragm. Its movement is instantaneous, with no time lag, enabling the diaphragm to trace even the most delicate sonic details with absolute precision. The diaphragm’s surface area is much larger than any cone driver, giving the electrostatic transducer the ability to perform over an exceptionally wide frequency range without having to cross over to another driver.
MartinLogan engineers have improved these basic electrostatic technologies with their unique innovations.
The components of each MartinLogan electrostatic panel are fused in our proprietary Vacuum Bonding process using an aerospace adhesive whose hold-strength exceeds that of welding. Vacuum Bonding ensures uniform diaphragm tensioning, and facilitates the extremely tight tolerances necessary for the construction of such a precision transducer.
The stators that “sandwich” the diaphragm must be rigid enough to remain absolutely stationary despite the strong electrostatic forces pushing and pulling them during operation. They must also be perforated to allow sound to pass through. MartinLogan’s MicroPerf design optimizes this tradeoff by reducing the size of the individual stator holes, increasing the effective radiating area of the diaphragm without compromising the structural integrity of the panel. MartinLogan’s ClearSpar spacers strengthen the assembly across its width, ensuring the consistent tension of the Vacuum Bonded diaphragm between the stators with absolutely no visual or auditory obstructions.
MartinLogan’s groundbreaking Curvilinear Line Source (CLS) electrostatic panel design is an elegant solution to the impression of sound “beaming” from an electrostatic panel. MartinLogan CLS electrostatic panels feature a gentle horizontal curve. This ingeniously simple innovation radically changes the speaker’s dispersion pattern, radiating a wide, enveloping soundstage, packed with detail; truly unlike any other loudspeaker experience.
Another key attribute of an electrostatic speaker is its dipolar radiation pattern. A true dipole transducer radiates with equal intensity from the front and back of its diaphragm, with the outputs in opposite phase. As a result, sound waves rippling out toward the sides meet at the speaker’s edge and cancel, minimizing side-wall reflections with short relative arrival times. This reduction in side-output minimizes interfering side-wall reflections, which can muddy the image. It frees the dipole radiation pattern to produce a generous amount of ambience-enriching late-arriving reflections off the wall behind your loudspeakers. At the same time, electrostatic panels maintain relatively limited vertical dispersion, which minimizes undesirable floor and ceiling reflections.
Neolith is the apogee of electrostatic performance, combining these innovations in a new design. By delivering an undiluted soundstage with excellent separation, Neolith brings your music and movie soundtracks to startlingly accurate, 3-dimensional life.
Specifications
Specifications are subject to change without notice
| Frequency Response | 23–22,000 Hz ±3dB |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 20—1300 watts per channel |
| Horizontal Dispersion | 30° |
| Vertical Dispersion | 48″ (122 cm) line source |
| Sensitivity | 90 dB/2.83 volts/meter |
| Impedance | Nominal: 4 ohms, 0.43 ohms @ 20 kHz. Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 Ohm rated amplifiers. |
| Crossover Frequency | 60, 250–400 Hz |
| High Frequency Transducer | XStat™ CLS™ electrostatic transducer » Panel Dimensions 48″ x 22″ (122 x 56cm) » Radiating Area 1056 in² (6,832 cm² ) |
| Low Frequency Transducer | Rear: 15” (38.1cm) cast basket, high excursion, rigid aluminum cone with extended throw drive assembly. Extensively vented triple shorting ring motor and 4-layer coil to eliminate compression and distortion. Front: 12” (30.5cm) round cast aluminum alloy frame, high excursion, rigid carbon fiber sandwich cone with long throw design, 3-inch (7.5cm) diameter copper-clad aluminum flat wire voice coil, and vented pole piece and under-spider opening to reduce power compression. |
| Cabinet | Phenolic Resin Polymer: Dense substrate with superb mechanical strength to minimize cabinet vibrations caused by woofer cone motion counter forces to provide an ideal baffle for the electrostatic panel and woofers. |
| Components | High-Pass Crossover: 1% resistors mounted to heat sinks, polypropylene capacitors, air core inductors, dual toroidal audio transformers to drive electrostatic element Low-Pass Crossover: 1% resistors mounted to heat sinks, toroidal inductors, supports user options to modify sound output via jumpers. |
| Audio Controls | Bass Control: 0dB, -4dB, -8dB Distance Control: 3 meters (or less), 4 meters, 5 meters (or greater) |
| Inputs | WBT-0705Ag nextgen™ 5-way bi-wire binding posts feature a filigree signal conductor made from fine silver for high conductivity. Fully insulated for CE and IEC conformity providing shock hazard protection. Free from eddy current effects. Max constant current 30 A, admissible peak current 200 A. Outer metal cap with palladium plated finish. |
| Power Draw | Standby: 1W each Max: 15W each |
| Lighting | LED intensity control: On, Dim, Off |
| Weight | 385 lbs. (175 kg) |
| Dimensions | 74.8″ x 30.3″ x 34.2 ” (189.9cm x 76.9cm x 87cm) |
