MartinLogan Speaker System The Quest Speaker System User Manual

Use r's Ma nua l

The Que st Spe a ke r Syste m

T H

E L E C T R

T A T I C

T E C

L O

Introduc tion

Congratulations, you have invested in one of the world’s

premier loudspeaker systems!

special high dielectric compound that is applied via a

proprietary electrostatic deposition process. This panel

assembly houses a membrane 0.0005 of an inch thick!

Ruggedly constructed and insulated, as much as 200 watts

of continuous power has driven the Quest’s energized

diaphragm into massive excursions with no deleterious

effects.

The result of cumulative technology gleaned from eight

previous Research and Development projects, the Quest

represents the latest developments in Electrostatic and

Hybrid loudspeaker technology.

Combining our proprietary curvilinear electrostatic trans-

ducer with a compact, but powerful subwoofer, we have

designed a product, in one package, that reproduces music

with uncompromised electrostatic clarity and deep ex-

tended bass, yet takes up little more than one square foot of

floor space.

We know you are anxious to listen to your new speakers.

So, to speed you along, we have provided an Insta lla tion

in Brie f section ahead of the detailed descriptive informa-

tion contained in this manual.

Please read and follow these instructions as you initially

connect your Quest speakers into your system. These

instructions are important and will prevent you from

experiencing any delay, frustration, or system damage

which might occur in a trial-and-error procedure.

All materials in your new Quest speakers are of the highest

quality to provide years of enduring enjoyment and deepen-

ing respect. All trim pieces are constructed from selected

hardwoods. They are then grain and color matched and

finally hand finished. The cabinetry is constructed from a

special high-density hardwood powderboard for structural

integrity and is finished with a durable and attractive matte

surface finish.

The other sections of your Use r’s Ma nua l will explain in

detail the operation of your Quest speakers and the

philosophy applied to their design. A clear understanding of

your speakers will insure that you obtain maximum perform-

ance and pleasure from this most exacting transducer.

Through rigorous testing, the curvilinear electrostatic panel

has proven itself to be one of the most durable and reliable

transducers available today. Fabricated from a specially

tooled, high-grade steel, the panel is then coated with a

Happy Listening!

Page 3

Quest User's Manual

Insta lla tion in Brie f

We know you are eager to hear your

Ste p 1: Unp a c king

new Quest loudspeakers, so this

section is provided to allow fast and

easy set up. Once you have them

operational, please take the time to

read, in depth, the rest of the informa-

tion in this manual. It will give you

perspective on how to obtain the best

possible performance from your

system.

Remove your new Quest speakers from their packing.

Ste p 2: Pla c e me nt

Place each Quest at least two feet from any wall and angle them slightly toward

your listening area. This is a good place to start. Please see the Pla c e me nt

section of this manual for more details.

If you should experience any difficul-

ties in the set-up or operation of your

Quest speakers please refer to the

Room Ac oustic s, Pla c e me nt or

Ope ra tion section of this manual.

Ste p 3: Powe r Conne c tion (AC)

Martin-Logan speakers require AC power to energize their electrostatic cells.

Using the AC power cords provided, plug them in, making sure that you have

made a firm connection, first to the AC power receptacle on the rear panel of the

speaker and then to the wall outlet. Extension cords may be used, if necessary,

since the power requirement of the Quest is extremely small.

Should you encounter a persistent

problem that cannot be resolved,

please contact your Authorized

Martin-Logan dealer. He will provide

you with the appropriate technical

analysis to alleviate the situation.

Ste p 4: Sig na l Conne c tion

WARNING !

Turn your amplifier off before making or breaking any signal

connections! The chassis is earth grounded and can present a

short circuit to your amplifier if contact is made!

Use the best speaker cables you can! Higher quality cables, available from your

specialty dealer, are recommended and will give you superior performance!

Spade connectors are suggested for optimum contact and ease of installation.

Attach your speaker cables to the AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS Full-Range/

High-Pass Signal Input section on the rear panel of each Quest. Be consis-

tent when connecting speaker leads to the terminals on the back of the Quest:

take great care to assign the same color to the (+) terminal on both the left and

right channels. If bass is nonexistent and you cannot discern a tight, coherent

image, you may need to reverse the (+) and (-) leads on one side to bring the

system into proper polarity. For Bi-Wiring/Bi-amping instructions, turn to the

Ope ra tions section of this manual for proper set-up of the Quest system.

Ste p 5: Liste n a nd Enjoy!

Page 4

Quest User's Manual

The Ele c trosta tic Conc e pt

How can sound be reproduced by something that you are

able to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this

possible.

music. This technique is known as push-pull operation and

is a major contributor to the sonic purity of the electrostatic

concept due to its exceptional linearity and low distortion.

Where the world of traditional loudspeaker technology

deals with cones, domes, diaphragms and ribbons that are

moved with magnetism, the world of electrostatic loud-

speakers deals with charged electrons attracting and

repelling each other.

Since the diaphragm of an electrostatic speaker is uni-

formly driven over its entire area, it can be extremely light

and flexible. This allows it to be very responsive to tran-

sients, thus perfectly tracing the music signal. As a result,

great delicacy, nuance and clarity is possible. When you

look at the problems of traditional electromagnetic drivers,

you can easily see why this is so beneficial. The cones and

domes which are used in traditional electromagnetic

drivers cannot be driven uniformly because of their design.

Cones are driven only at the

To fully understand the electrostatic concept, some back-

ground information will be helpful. Remember when you

learned, in a science or physics class, that like charges

repel each other and opposite

charges attract each other?

apex. Domes are driven at

their perimeter. As a result,

the rest of the cone or dome

is just "along for the ride". The

An Ele c trosta tic Tra nsd uc e r

Well, this principle is the

foundation of the electrostatic

concept.

very concept of these drivers

Diaphragm

Spacer

An electrostatic transducer

consists of three pieces: the

stators, the diaphragm and the

spacers. See Figure 1. The

diaphragm is what actually

moves to excite the air and

create music. The stator's job is

to remain stationary, hence the

word stator, to provide a

require that the cone or dome

be perfectly rigid, damped

and massless. Unfortunately

these conditions are not

Stator

available in our world today.

To make these cones and

domes move, all electromag-

netic drivers must use voice

Figure 1. Cut away view of an electrostatic transducer.

Notice the simplicity due to minimal parts usage.

reference point for the moving

diaphragm. The spacers

coils wound on formers,

spider assemblies, and

provide the diaphragm with a

fixed distance in which to move

between the stators.

surrounds to keep the cone

or dome in position. See

Figure 2. These pieces, when

combined with the high mass

of the cone or dome materials

used, make it an extremely

complex unit with many

weaknesses and potential for

failure. These faults contrib-

ute to the high distortion

products found in these

drivers and is a tremendous

disadvantage when you are

trying to change motion as

quickly and as accurately as

a loudspeaker must (40,000

times per second!).

An Ele c tro ma g ne tic Tra nsd uc e r

As your amplifier sends music

signals to an electrostatic

speaker, these signals are

changed into two high-voltage

signals that are equal in

DustCap

Surround

Cone

Voice Coil Former

strength but opposite in

Spider

polarity. These high voltage

signals are then applied to the

stators. The resulting electro-

static field, created by the

opposing high voltage on the

stators, works simultaneously

with and against the dia-

BasketAssembly

MagnetAssembly

Magnet

Voice Coil

Magnetic Gap

Figure 2. Cut away view of a typical moving coil driver.

Notice the complexity due to the high number of parts.

phragm, consequently moving

it back and forth, producing

Page 5

Quest User's Manual

History

In the late 1800’s, any loudspeaker was considered exotic.

Today, most of us take the wonders of sound reproduction

for granted.

outcome would dictate the way that future generations

would refer to loudspeakers as being either "conventional",

or "exotic".

It was 1880 before Thomas Edison had invented the first

phonograph. This was a horn-loaded diaphragm that was

excited by a playback stylus. In 1898, Sir Oliver Lodge

invented a cone loudspeaker, which he referred to as a

“ bellowing telephone” , that was very similar to the

conventional cone loudspeaker drivers that we know today.

However, Lodge had no intention for his device to repro-

duce music, because in 1898 there was no way to amplify

an electrical signal! As a result, his speaker had nothing to

offer over the acoustical gramophones of the period. It was

not until 1906 that Dr. Lee DeForrest invented the triode

vacuum tube. Before this, an electrical signal could not be

amplified. The loudspeaker, as we know it today, should

have ensued then, but it did not. Amazingly, it was almost

twenty years before this would occur.

Bell Laboratory’s electrostat was something to behold. This

enormous bipolar speaker was as big as a door. The

diaphragm, which was beginning to rot, was made of the

membrane of a pigs intestine that was covered with fine

gold leaf to conduct the audio signal.

When Rice and Kellogg began playing the new electrically

cut records through the electrostat, they were shocked and

impressed. The electrostat performed splendidly. They had

never heard instrumental timbres reproduced with such

realism. This system sounded like real music rather than the

honking, squawking rendition of the acoustic gramophone.

Immediately, they knew they were on to something big. The

acoustic gramophone was destined to become obsolete.

Due to Rice and Kelloggs enthusiasm, they devoted a

considerable amount of time researching the electrostatic

design. However, they soon encountered the same

In 1921, the electrically cut phonograph record became a

reality. This method of recording was far superior to the

mechanically cut record and possessed almost 30 dB of

dynamic range. The acoustical gramophone couldn't begin

to reproduce all of the information on this new disc. As a

result, further developments in loudspeakers were needed

to cope with this amazing new recording medium.

difficulties that even present designers face; planar speak-

ers require a very large surface area to reproduce the lower

frequencies of the audio spectrum. Because the manage-

ment at Bell Labs considered large speakers unacceptable,

Rice and Kelloggs work on electrostatics would never be

put to use for a commercial product. Reluctantly, they

advised the Bell management to go with the cone. For the

next thirty years the electrostatic design lay dormant.

By 1923, Bell Telephone Laboratories made the decision to

develop a complete musical playback system consisting of

an electronic phonograph and loudspeaker to take advan-

tage of the new recording medium. Bell Labs assigned the

project to two young engineers, C.W. Rice and E.W.

Kellogg.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, consumer audio

almost died. The new electrically amplified loudspeaker

never gained acceptance, as most people continued to use

their old Victrola-style acoustic gramophones. Prior to the

end of World War II, consumer audio saw little, if any,

progress. However, during the late 1940's, audio experi-

enced a great rebirth. Suddenly there was tremendous

interest in audio products and with that, a great demand for

improved audio components. No sooner had the cone

become established than it was challenged by products

developed during this new rebirth.

Rice and Kellogg had a well equipped laboratory at their

disposal. This lab possessed a vacuum tube amplifier with

an unheard of 200 watts, a large selection of the new

electrically cut phonograph records and a variety of

loudspeaker prototypes that Bell Labs had been collecting

over the past decade. Among these were Lodge’s cone, a

speaker that used compressed air, a corona discharge

(plasma) speaker, and an electrostatic speaker.

In 1947, Arthur Janszen, a young Naval engineer, took part

in a research project for the Navy. The Navy was interested

in developing a better instrument for testing microphone

After a short time, Rice and Kellogg had narrowed the field

of "contestants" down to the cone and the electrostat. The

Page 6

Quest User's Manual

arrays. The test instrument needed an extremely accurate

speaker, but Janszen found that the cone speakers of the

period were too nonlinear in phase and amplitude re-

sponse to meet his criteria. Janszen believed that

electrostats were inherently more linear than cones, so he

built a model using a thin plastic diaphragm treated with a

conductive coating. This model confirmed Janszen's beliefs,

for it exhibited remarkable phase and amplitude linearity.

In the early 1960's Arthur Janszen joined forces with the

KLH loudspeaker company and together they introduced

the KLH 9. Due to the large size of the KLH 9, it did not have

as many limitations as the Quad. The KLH 9 could play

markedly louder and lower in frequency than the Quad ESL.

Thus a rivalry was born.

Janszen continued to develop electrostatic designs. He was

instrumental in the design of the Koss Model One, the

Acoustech, and the Dennesen speakers. Roger West, the

chief designer of the JansZen Corporation became the

president of Sound Lab. When JansZen Corporation was

sold, the RTR loudspeaker company bought half of the

production tooling. This tooling was used to make the

electrostatic panels for the Servostatic, a hybrid electrostatic

system that was Infinity's first speaker product. Other

companies soon followed; each with their own unique

applications of the technology. These include Acoustat,

Audiostatic, Beverage, Dayton Wright, Sound Lab, and Stax

to name a few.

Janszen was so excited with the results that he continued

research on the electrostatic speaker on his own time. He

soon thought of insulating the stators to prevent the

destructive effects of arcing. By 1952 he had an electrostatic

tweeter element ready for commercial production. This new

tweeter soon created a sensation among American audio

hobbyists. Since Janszen's tweeter element was limited to

high frequency reproduction, it often found itself used in

conjunction with woofers, most notably, woofers from

Acoustic Research. These systems were highly regarded by

all audio enthusiasts.

As good as these systems were, they would soon be

surpassed by another electrostatic speaker.

Electrostatic speakers have progressed and prospered

because they actually do what Peter Walker claimed they

would. The limitations and problems experienced in the

past were not inherent to the electrostatic concept. They

were related to the applications of these concepts.

In 1955, Peter Walker published three articles on electro-

static loudspeaker design in Wireless World, a British

electronics magazine. In these articles Walker demon-

strated the benefits of the electrostatic loudspeaker. He

explained that electrostatics permit the use of diaphragms

that are low in mass, large in area, and uniformly driven

over their surfaces by electrostatic forces. Due to these

characteristics, electrostats have the inherent ability to

produce a wide bandwidth, flat frequency response with

distortion products being no greater than the electronics

driving them.

Today, these limitations have been addressed. Advance-

ments in materials due to the U.S. space program give

designers the ability to harness the superiority of the

electrostatic principle. Today's electrostats use advanced

insulation techniques or provide protection circuitry. The

poor dispersion properties of early models have been

addressed by using delay lines, acoustical lenses, multiple

panel arrays or, as in our own products, by curving the

diaphragm. Power handling and sensitivity have been

increased.

By 1956 Walker backed up his articles by introducing a

consumer product, the now famous Quad ESL. This

speaker immediately set a standard of performance for the

audio industry due to its incredible accuracy. However, in

actual use the Quad had a few problems. It could not play

very loud, it had poor bass performance, it presented a

difficult load that some amplifiers did not like, its dispersion

was very directional, and its power handling was limited to

around 70 watts. As a result, many people continued to use

box speakers with cones.

These developments allow the consumer the opportunity to

own the highest performance loudspeaker products ever

built. It's too bad Rice and Kellogg were never able to see

just how far the technology would be taken.

Page 7

Quest User's Manual

Ma rtin-Loga n Exc lusive s

Full Ra ng e Op e ra tion

The most significant advantage of Martin-Logan's

exclusive transducer technology reveals itself when you

compare to examples of other loudspeaker products on

the market today.

of music and then combined electrically so that the sum of

the parts equals the total signal. While this sounds nice in

theory, a different story unfolds in real-world conditions.

In order to use multiple drivers, a crossover network is

enlisted to divide the complex musical signal into the

separate parts (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 recombina-

tion process, nonlinearities and severe degradation of the

music signal takes place in the ear's most "critical zone".

See Figure 1.

The Quest uses no crossover networks above 150 Hz

because they are not needed. It consists of a single,

seamless electrostatic membrane reproducing all

frequencies above 150 Hz simultaneously. How is this

possible?

First, it is important to understand that music is not

composed of separate high,

mid and low frequency

So, music in the "critical

pieces. In fact, music is

zone" becomes delayed in

comprised of a single

time. These delays can be

picked-up by your ear and

result in poor imaging and

Conventional Loudspeaker

complex waveform with all

frequencies interacting

simultaneously.

Twe e te r

ambience cues.

Critica l Zone

250 - 20kHz

The electrostatic transducer

of the Quest essentially acts

as an exact opposite of the

microphones used to record

the original event. A

microphone, which is a

single working element,

transforms acoustic energy

into an electrical signal that

can be amplified or pre-

served by some type of

storage media. The Quest's

electrostatic transducer

transforms electrical energy

from your amplifier into

acoustical energy with a

single membrane.

The Que s t's e le ctro-

s ta tic tra ns duce r ca n

s ingle -ha nde dly re pro-

duce a ll fre que ncie s

a bove 150 Hz s imulta -

n e o u s ly.

Mid ra n g e

Wo o fe r

Martin-Logan Quest Loudspeaker

Q u e s t

The crossover phase

discontinuities that are

associated with traditional

tweeter, midrange, and

woofer systems are elimi-

nated in the Quest. This

results in a dramatic

improve me nt in ima ging

a nd s ta ging pe rform-

ance due to the mi-

nute ly a ccura te pha s e

re la tions hip of the full-

ra nge pa ne l wa ve

la u n c h .

Critica l Zone

250 - 20kHz

E le c tro s ta tic

Tra n s d u c e r

Wo o fe r

Figure 1. Illustrates how a conventional speaker system

must use a crossover network that has negative affects

on the musical performance, unlike the Quest which

needs no crossover networks in the "critical zone".

Upon looking carefully at a

traditional magnetic driver

(i.e. dynamic, ribbon,

induction), no single unit can

reproduce the full range of

frequencies. Instead, these

drivers must be designed to

operate within narrow areas

Page 8

Quest User's Manual

Va p or De p osite d Film

Curviline a r Line Sourc e

The diaphragm material used in all Martin-Logan speakers

employs an extremely sophisticated vapor deposited conduc-

tive polymer surface. A proprietary conductive compound is

vaporized then electrostatically driven into the surface of the

polymer film in a vacuum chamber. This process allows an

optically transparent membrane, adds no mass to the dia-

phragm and is extremely uniform in its surface resistivity

characteristics. This uniform surface resistivity controls the

electrostatic charge on the diaphragm surface and regulates

its migration. As a result, no discharging or “ arcing” can

occur.

Since the beginning of Audio, achieving smooth full

range dispersion has long been a problem for all

loudspeaker designers. Large panel transducers present

even more of a challenge because the larger the panel,

the more directional the dispersion pattern becomes.

Full range electrostats have always been one of the most

complex transducers because they attain their full range

capabilities via a large surface area. It looked as if they

were in direct conflict to smooth dispersion and almost

every attempt to correct this resulted in either poor

dispersion or a serious compromise in sound quality.

After extensive research, Martin-Logan engineers

discovered an elegantly simple solution to achieve a

smooth pattern of dispersion without degrading sound

quality. By curving the horizontal plane of the electrostatic

transducer, a controlled horizontal dispersion pattern

could be achieved, yet the purity of the almost massless

electrostatic diaphragm remained uncompromised. After

creating this technology, we developed the production

capability to bring this technology out of the laboratory

and into the market place.

Tra nsd uc e r Inte g rity

All Martin-Logan transducers begin with two pieces of high

grade, cold rolled steel. These steel pieces are then custom

perforated and insulated with an exotic composite coating.

This proprietary coating insulates the stator to 3 times its

actual needed working voltage and gives the Quest a wide

margin of safe operation. In addition to the electrical insulation

properties, this coating also provides the Quest with a

durable, attractive finish that dampens the steel to prevent

ringing. The finished metal plates are then sandwiched with

our exclusive vapor deposited diaphragm and spacers into a

curved geometry and bonded together with aerospace

adhesives whose strength exceeds that of welding.

You will find this proprietary Martin-Logan technology

used in all of our products. It is one of the many reasons

behind our reputation for high quality sound with practical

usability. This is also why you see the unique "see

through" cylindrical shape of all Martin-Logan products.

The result of these advanced technologies is a transducer that

is attractive, durable, highly rigid, well dampened, and neutral.

Page 9

Quest User's Manual

Ope ra tion

AC Powe r Conne c tion

Sig na l Co nne c tio n

Because your Martin-Logan Quests use an internal power

supply to energize their electrostatic cells with high-voltage

DC, they must be connected to an AC power source. For

this reason they are provided with the proper IEC standard

power cords. These cords should be firmly inserted into the

AC power receptacles on the rear connection panel of the

speakers, then to any convenient AC wall outlet. Extension

cords may be used, if necessary, since the AC power

requirement of the speaker is extremely small (less than 2.5

watts). The Quests have been designed to remain on

continuously and should remain connected to a continuous

AC power source. As mentioned earlier, power consump-

tion of the Quest is very small and the life expectancy of its

components will not be reduced by continuous operation.

Use the best speaker cables you can! The length and type

of speaker cable used in your system will have an audible

effect. Under no circumstance should a wire of gauge

higher (thinner) than #16 be used. In general, the longer the

length used, the greater the necessity of a lower gauge, and

the lower the gauge, the better the sound, with diminishing

returns setting in around #8 to #12.

A variety of speaker cables are now available whose

manufacturers claim better performance than with standard

heavy gauge wire. We have verified this in some cases, and

the improvements available are often more noticeable than

the differences between wires of different gauge.

We would also recommend, if possible, that short runs of

speaker cable connect the power amplifier(s) and speakers

and that high quality long interconnect cables be used to

connect the preamplifier and power amplifier. This results in

the power amplifiers being close to the speakers, which

may be practically or cosmetically difficult, but if the length

of the speaker cables can be reduced to a few meters, sonic

advantages may be obtained. The effects of cables may be

masked if the equipment is not of the highest quality.

The powe r cord s hould not be ins ta lle d, re move d,

or le ft de ta che d from the s pe a ke r while the othe r

e nd is conne cte d to a n AC powe r s ource .

Your Quest speakers are wired for the power service

supplied in the country of original consumer sale unless

manufactured on special order. The AC power rating

applicable to a particular unit is specified both on the

packing carton and on the serial number plate attached to

the speaker.

Connections are done at the AMPLIFIER CONNEC-

TIONS section on the rear electronics panel of the Quest.

Use spade connectors for optimum contact and ease of

installation. Make certain that all your connections are tight.

If you remove your Quest speakers from the country of

original sale, be certain that AC power supplied in any

subsequent location is suitable before connecting and

operating the speakers. Substantially impaired performance

or severe damage may occur to a Quest speaker if opera-

tion is attempted from an incorrect AC power source.

Be consistent when connecting the speaker cables to the

AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS terminals. Take care to

assign the same color cable lead to the (+) terminal on both

the left and right channel speakers. If bass is nonexistent

and you cannot discern a tight, coherent image, you may

need to reverse the (+) and (-) leads on one speaker to

bring the system into proper polarity.

If your home is not equipped with three-prong wall outlets,

you may use “ cheater” plugs to connect the speakers to

AC power. These may be obtained at your dealer or any

hardware department.

Page 10

Quest User's Manual

CAUTION!

Turn your amplifier off before making or

breaking any signal connections! The

chassis is earth grounded and can

present a short circuit to your amplifier if

contact is made!

OUTPUT

INPUT

Preamplifier

Sta nd a rd Co nne c tio n

OUTPUT

Amplifier

INPUT

Connect the speaker wire from your

amplifier to the top-most AMPLIFIER

CONNECTIONS Full-Ra nge /High-

Pass Input binding post. See figure 1.

Figure 1. Standard connection. One channel shown.

I-

th e

S ingle -Wire pos ition.

Bi-Wire Co nne c tio n

For superior performance, bi-wiring the

Quest loudspeaker requires that the

BI-WIRE/BI-AMP S WITCH, loca te d

ne xt to the AMP LIFIER CONNEC-

TIONS input binding pos ts , be

s witche d to the Bi-Wire /Bi-Amp

pos ition be fore ma king a ny con-

ne ctions to the Low-P a s s Input

binding pos t.

OUTPUT

INPUT

Preamplifier

OUTPUT

Amplifier

INPUT

Using two sets of speaker cable between

your amplifier and the crossover doubles

the signal carrying conductors from the

amplifier to the speaker, thus direct

coupling the high-pass and low-pass

portions of the crossover network to the

amplifier. This will minimize interaction

between the two sections of the cross-

over network. See figure 2.

Figure 2. Bi-wire connection. One channel shown. BI-WIRE/BI-AMP SWITCH in

th e

Bi-Wire /Bi-Amp pos ition.

Page 11

Quest User's Manual

Ope ra tion

Pa ssive

Bi-a m p lific a tio n

For those of you that desire ultimate

performance, the Quest may be

passively bi-amplified using the

existing internal passive crossover

elements.

INPUT

OUTPUT

Preamplifier

OUTPUT

WARNING! Only a fte r the BI-

WIRE/BI-AMP S WITCH is in the

Bi-Wire /Bi-Amp pos ition ma y

you conne ct individua l runs of

s pe a ke r ca ble from your a mpli-

fie r to the Low-pa s s a nd High-

pa s s AMP LIFIER CONNEC-

TIONS binding pos ts . Da ma ge

will occur to your a mplifie rs if

the BI-WIRE/BI-AMP S WITCH is

not in the corre ct pos ition!

Amplifier

INPUT

OUTPUT

INPUT

Passive bi-amplification takes the bi-

wiring concept one step further. Now

you will have a dedicated channel of

amplification directly connected to the

Figure 3. Horizontal passive bi-amplification. One channel shown. BI-WIRE/BI-AMP

S WITCH in Bi-Wire /Bi-Amp pos ition.

high and low-pass sections of the Quest crossover.

Horizonta l Bi-a mping (re a d Wa rning a bove ).

With horizontal bi-amping, one amplifier drives the high-

pass section while the second amplifier drives the low-pass

section. To horizontally bi-amplify your Quests, connect

the low frequency amplifier to the Low-Pass Input + and -

AMPLIFIER CONNECTIONS binding post. Connect the high

frequency amplifier to the Full-Range/High-Pass Input

+ and - binding posts. Next, connect the left and right

preamplifier outputs to the appropriate left and right inputs

of both amplifiers. See figure 3.

There are two different methods to passively bi-amplify. The

first, and most common, is referred to as Horizontal Bi-

amping. The second method that is gaining in popularity is

referred to as Vertical Bi-amping. With either method

you may use two stereo amplifiers or four mono amplifiers,

or two mono amplifiers and one stereo amplifier. Get the

idea? With either form of passive bi-amplification, your pre-

amplifier must have dual outputs. If your pre-amplifier is not

so equipped, you must either purchase or construct a "Y"

adaptor.

Ve rtica l bi-a mping (re a d Wa rning a bove ).

With vertical bi-amping, each of the stereo amplifiers is

dedicated to one speaker. To vertically bi-amp your

Quests, connect the left amplifier channel of amplifier #1 to

the Low-Pass Input + and - binding post and the right

amplifier channel of amplifier #1 to the Full-Range/High-

Pass Input + and - binding post. Repeat the same

procedure for the other speaker with amplifier #2. Connect

the left preamplifier outputs to both inputs of the left channel

amplifier (#1) and the right pre-amplifier outputs to both

inputs of the right channel amplifier (#2). See figure 4 on the

following page.

Horizontal bi-amping allows you to use two different

types, models or brands of amplifiers (i.e. tubes on top,

transistor on the bottom), assuming that they have identical

gain or that one stereo pair has adjustable gain. However,

we recommend that you use two identical amplifiers (i.e.

same brand and model). If the amplifiers of choice do not

have the same gain characteristics, then a sonic imbalance

will occur between the high-pass and low-pass sections of

the speaker, and integration between the two will suffer

greatly. The very nature of vertical bi-amping dictates

that both amplifiers be identical.

Page 12

Quest User's Manual

Figure 4. Vertical passive bi-amplification. One channel shown.

I-

Flat

-3dB

0dB

-3dB

-6dB

OUTPUT

INPUT

Preamplifier

20Hz

200Hz

Effects of the Bass Contour Switch

OUTPUT

Amplifier

INPUT

+2dB

0dB

-2dB

2.5kHz

100Hz

20kHz

Effects of the Presence Contour

S witc h

Figure 5.

Effects of the Contouring Switches

for most rooms. However, if you feel that the bass in your

system is too strong relative to the mid-range and high

frequencies, simply select the -3 dB position. This switch

position will attenuate the woofer response by 3 decibels

below 200Hz. With the Flat position selected, the Bass

Contour circuit is removed from the audio signal path,

thereby eliminating any possibility of signal degradation

caused by added circuitry.

Ac tive Bi-Amp lific a tio n

The passive crossover elements in the Quest are very

complex electrical devices with unique voicing and equal-

ization. They cannot be replaced with a standard electronic

crossover. If, at some time, a properly designed electronic

crossover for the Quest becomes available from Martin-

Logan, the owner of warranty will be sent notification.

P re s e nce Contour S witch.

The Presence Contour switch is also a two-position

switch that allows you to tailor the mid-range response

(presence) of the Quest. The Flat position is considered the

normal setting for most rooms. However, if you would like

more presence, select the +2dB position. This switch

setting will cause a 2 decibel rise centered around 2.5kHz.

With the Flat position selected, the rise is eliminated.

Please refer to the graphs in Figure 5 showing how these

switch settings effect the response of the Quest.

Co nto uring Switc he s

Because of the wide variety of room environments, record-

ing techniques and customer preferences that we feel are

important issues for today's premier loudspeaker designers

to address, we have provided the Quest with two switches

that will give you more flexibility and control over the final

sound.

Ba s s Contour S witch.

Some experimentation with these two switches will allow

you to find the optimal tonal balance to meet your specific

tastes, room environment and audio equipment.

The Bass Contour switch is a two-position switch that

allows you to tailor the low frequency response of the

Quest. The Flat position is considered the normal setting

Page 13

Quest User's Manual

Room Ac oustic s

Your Room

this wave experience like a 3 dimensional pool with

waves reflecting and becoming enhanced depending on

the size of the room and the types of surfaces in the room.

This is one of those areas that requires both a little

background to understand and some time and experi-

mentation to obtain the best performance from your

system.

Remember, your audio system can literally generate all of

the information required to recreate a musical event in

time, space, and tonal balance. The purpose of your

room, ideally, is to not contribute to that information.

However, every room does contribute to the sound and

the better speaker manufacturers have designed their

systems to accommodate this phenomenon.

Your room is actually a component and an important part

of your system. This component is a very large variable

and can dramatically add to, or subtract from, a great

musical experience.

All sound is composed of waves. Each note has its own

wave size, with the lower bass notes literally encompass-

ing from 10' to as much as 40'! Your room participates in

Let’s talk about a few important terms before we begin.

Te rm ino lo g y

Resonant Surfaces and Objects. All of the surfaces

and objects in your room are subject to the frequen-

cies generated by your system. Much like an

instrument, they will vibrate and “ carry on” in

syncopation with the music and contribute in a

negative way to the music. Ringing, boominess, and

even brightness can occur simply because they are

“ singing along” with your music.

Standing Waves. The parallel walls in your room will

reinforce certain notes to the point that they will

sound louder than the rest of the audio spectrum and

cause “ one note bass” , “ boomy bass” , or “ tubby

bass” . For instance, 100Hz represents a 10' wave-

length. Your room will reinforce that specific fre-

quency if one of the dominant dimensions is 10'.

Large objects in the room such as cabinetry or

furniture can help to minimize this potential problem.

Some serious “ audiophiles” will literally build a

special room with no parallel walls just to get away

from this phenomenon.

Resonant Cavities. Small alcoves or closet type areas

in your room can be chambers that create their own

“ standing waves” and can drum their own “ one

note” sounds.

Re fle ctive S urfa ce s (ne a r-fie ld re fle ctions ). The

hard surfaces of your room, particularly if close to

your speaker system, will reflect those waves back

into the room over and over again, confusing the

clarity and imaging of your system. The smaller

sound waves are mostly effected here and occur in

the mid and high frequencies. This is where voice

and frequencies as high as the cymbals can occur.

Clap your hands. Can you hear an instant echo respond

back? You’ve got near-field reflections. Stomp your foot

on the floor. Can you hear a “ boom” ? You’ve got

standing waves or large panel resonances such as a

poorly supported wall. Put your head in a small cavity

area and talk loudly. Can you hear a booming? You’ve

just experienced a cavity resonance.

Page 14

Quest User's Manual

Rule s of Thumb

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.

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.

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.

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 absorb-

ers 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

reflection and brightness. The point is that balance is

the optimum environment.

Bip ola r Sp e a ke rs a nd Your Room

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.

Now that you know about Reflective Surfaces and

Resonant Objects, you can see how the mid-range

and high frequencies can be effected. 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.

The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled by

the position from the front wall. Your Quests 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.

Page 15

Quest User's Manual

Room Ac oustic s a nd Dispe rsion Inte ra c tions

Co ntro lle d Ho rizo nta l Disp e rsio n

Controlle d Ve rtic a l Disp e rsion

Your Quests launch a 30 degree dispersion pattern when

viewed from above. This horizontal dispersion field gives

you a choice of good seats for the performance while

minimizing interactions with side walls. See Figure 1.

As you can see from the illustrations, your Quest speak-

ers project a controlled dispersion pattern. Each Quest is

a four foot line source beginning two feet above floor

level. See Figure 2. This vertical dispersion profile

minimizes interactions with the floor and the ceiling.

Make sure both speakers stand exactly at the same

vertical angle, otherwise the image can be skewed or

poorly defined. The wave launch of both speakers is

extremely accurate in both the time and spectral domain

and, consequently, small refined adjustments can result

in noticeable sonic improvements.

Figure 1. Martin-Logan Quests deliver a 30 degree wave

launch dispersion pattern distributed horizontally.

Figure 2. Your Quest speaker system is a 4 foot line source

when viewed vertically. Actual height above the floor is from two

to six feet.

Page 16

Quest User's Manual

Thre e Ma jor Typ e s of Disp e rsion

Historically, most attempts to achieve smooth dispersion

from large flat panel transducers resulted in trade-offs.

After exhaustive testing of these different solution

attempts, we found an elegantly simple, yet very difficult

to execute solution. By curving the radiating surface, we

create the effect of a horizontal arc. This allows the

engineers at Martin-Logan to control the high frequency

dispersion pattern of our transducers. That is why you see

the gentle curve on our products.

In the field of loudspeaker design, it is a known fact that

as the sound wave becomes progressively smaller than

the transducer producing it, the dispersion of that wave

becomes more and more narrow, or directional. This fact

occurs as long as the transducer is a flat surface. Large

flat panel speakers exhibit venetian blind effects due to

this phenomenon. This is why most manufacturers opt for

small drivers (i.e. tweeters and midrange) to approximate

what is known as a point source wave launch.

Multiple La rge P a ne l Dis pe rs ion

Even though they suffer from "vene-

tian blind" effect, angled multiple panel

speakers can deliver good imaging,

but only to specific spots in the listening

area.

Tra ditiona l P oint S ource Dis -

p e rs io n

As can be seen, point source con-

cepts invite a great deal of room inter-

action. While delivering good frequency

response to a large listening audience,

imaging is consequently confused and

blurred.

Curviline a r Line S ource Dis pe r-

s io n

A controlled 30-degree cylindrical

wave-front, which is

Martin-Lo-

gan exclusive, offers optimal sound

distribution with minimal room interac-

tion. The result is solid imaging with a

wide listening area.

Page 17

Quest User's Manual

Pla c e me nt

Liste ning Po sitio n

The Wa ll Be hind the Sp e a ke rs

By now your speakers should be placed approximately 2

to 3 feet from the front wall (wall in front of the listening

position) and at least 1 to 2 feet from the side walls. Your

sitting distance should be further than the distance

between the speakers themselves. What you are trying to

attain is the impression of good center imaging and stage

width.

The front wall (the wall behind your speakers), should not

be extremely hard or soft. For instance, a pane of glass

will cause reflections, brightness, and confused imaging.

Curtains, drapery and objects such as bookshelving can

be placed along the wall to tame an extremely hard

surface. A standard sheet rock or textured wall is gener-

ally an adequate surface if the rest of the room is not too

bright and hard.

There is no exact distance between speakers and

listener, but there is a relationship. In long rooms,

naturally, that relationship changes. The distance

between the speakers will be far less than the distance

from you to the speaker system. However, in a wide room

you will still find that if the distance from the listener to the

speakers becomes smaller than the distance between the

speakers themselves, the image will no longer focus in

the center.

Sometimes walls can be too soft. If the entire front wall

(the wall in front of the listening position) consists of only

heavy drapery, your system can literally sound too soft or

dull. You may hear dull, muted music with little ambience.

Harder room surfaces will actually help in this case.

The front surface should, optimally, be one long wall

without any doors or openings. If you have openings, the

reflection and bass characteristics from one channel to

the other can be different.

Now that you have positioned your speaker system,

spend some time listening. Wait to make any major

changes in your initial set-up for the next few days as the

speaker system itself will change subtly in its sound. Over

the first 20 hours of play the actual tonal quality will

change slightly with deeper bass and more spacious

highs resulting.

The Sid e Wa lls

The same requirements exist for side walls. Additionally,

a good rule of thumb is to have the side walls as far away

from the speaker sides as possible, minimizing near field

side wall reflections. Sometimes, if the system is bright or

the imaging is not to your liking, and the side walls are

very near, try putting curtains or softening material directly

to the edge of each speaker. An ideal side wall, however,

is no side wall at all.

After a few days of listening you can begin to make

refinements and hear the differences of those refine-

ments.

The Wa ll Be hind the Liste ne r

Near-field reflections can also occur from your back wall

(the wall behind the listening position). If your listening

position is close to the back wall, these reflections can

cause problems and confuse the quality of imaging.

Actually it is better for the wall behind you to be soft than

to be bright. If you have a hard back wall and your

listening position is close to it, experiment with devices

that will soften and absorb information (i.e. wall hangings

and possibly even sound absorbing panels).

Page 18

Quest User's Manual

Exp e rim e nta tio n

Toe-in. Now you can begin to experiment. First begin by

toeing your speakers in towards the listening area and

then toeing them straight into the room. You will notice

that the tonal balance changes ever so slightly. You

will also notice the imaging changing. Generally it is

found that the ideal listening position is with the

Tonal Balance. Voices should be natural and full,

cymbals should be detailed and articulate yet not

bright and piercing, pianos should have a nice

transient characteristic and deep tonal registers as

well. If you cannot attain these virtues, re-read the

section on Room Ac oustic s. This will give you clues

on how to get closer to those ideal virtues.

speakers slightly toed-in so that you are listening to

the inner third of the curved transducer section.

Experimenting with the toe-in will help in terms of

tonal balance. You will notice that as the speakers are

toed-out, the system becomes slightly brighter than

when toed-in. This design gives you the flexibility to

modify a soft or bright room.

A Fina l Word

Fina l P la ce me nt.

After obtaining good wall treatments and attaining proper

angle, begin to experiment with the distance from the wall

behind the speakers. Move your speaker slightly forward

into the room. What happened to the bass response?

What happened to the imaging? If the imaging is more

open and spacious and the bass response tightened, that

is a superior position. Move the speakers back six inches

from the initial set-up position. Again, listen to the imaging

and bass response. There will be a position where you

will have pin-point imaging and good bass response.

That position becomes the point of the optimal placement

from the front wall.

Tilting the S pe a ke rs Ba ckwa rds a nd Forwa rds .

As can be seen from the diagrams in the Room

Ac oustic s section of this manual, the vertical

dispersion is directional above and below the stator

panel itself. In some instances, if you are sitting close

to the floor, slight forward tilting of the speakers can

enhance clarity and precision.

Imaging. In their final location, your Quests should have

a stage width somewhat wider than the speakers

themselves. On well recorded music, the instruments

should extend beyond the edges of each speaker to

the left and to the right, yet a vocalist should appear

directly in the middle. The size of the instruments

should be neither too large nor too small. Additionally,

you should find good clues as to stage depth. Make

sure, when listening, that the vertical alignment,

distance from the front wall (wall in front of the

listening position), and toe in is exactly the same from

one speaker to the other. This will greatly enhance the

quality of your imaging.

Now experiment with placing the speakers farther apart.

As the speakers are positioned farther apart, listen again,

not so much for bass response but for stage width and

good pin-point focusing.

Your ideal listening position and speaker position will be

determined by:

1) tightne s s a nd e xte ns ion of ba s s re s pons e ,

2) the width of the stage, and

Bass Response. Your bass response should neither

be one note nor should it be too heavy. It should

extend fairly deep to even the deepest organ pas-

sages, yet it should be tight and well defined. Kick-

drums should be tight and percussive, string bass

notes should be uniform and consistent throughout

the entirety of the run without any booming or thud-

ding.

3) the pin-point focus ing of ima ging.

Once you have found the best of all three of those

considerations, you will have your best speaker location.

Page 19

Quest User's Manual

Pla c e me nt

Solid Footing

The X-tra "Twe e k"

After living and experimenting with your Quests, you will

then want to use the spikes included in your owners kit.

The Quest will become more firmly planted on the floor

and, consequently, bass will tighten and imaging will

become more coherent and detailed. It is best not to

implement the spikes, however, until you are secure in

the positioning as the spikes can damage the floors if the

speaker is moved.

A major cable company developed the following proce-

dure for speaker placement. As a final test of exact

placement, use these measurements for your speakers

placement, and see what can happen to the ultimate

enhancement of your system's performance.

The procedure consists of two basic measurements:

1) distance from the front wall (wall in front of

the lis te ning pos ition) to the ce nte r of the

curviline a r tra ns duce r.

Enjoy Yourse lf

The Quest is a very refined speaker and, as such,

benefits from care in set-up. With these tips in mind, you

will find, over your months of listening, that small changes

can result in demonstrable differences. As you live with

your speakers, do not be afraid to experiment with their

positioning until you find the optimal relationship between

your room and your speaker system to give you the best

results. Your efforts will be rewarded.

To determine distance from the front wall, measure the

height of your ceiling (inches) and multiply the figure by

.618 (i.e. ceiling height in inches X .618 = distance from

the front wall to the center of the curvilinear transducer).

2) dis ta nce from the s ide -wa lls to the ce nte r of

the curviline a r tra ns duce r.

To determine distance from the side-walls, measure the

width of your room (inches) and divide the figure by 18,

next multiply the quotient by 5 (i.e. (room width in inches/

18) X 5 = distance from the side-walls to the center of the

curvilinear transducer).

You are now armed with the fundamentals of room

acoustics and the specific fundamentals of the Quest

louds pe a ke r. Ha ppy lis te ning!

These two formulas will determine optimum placement of

your speakers to minimize standing waves.

Page 20

Quest User's Manual

Que stions

Could my childre n, pe ts , or mys e lf be s hocke d

by the high-volta ge pre s e nt in the e le ctros ta tic

p a n e l?

What size of an amplifier should I use with the

Q u e s ts ?

We recommend an amplifier with 100 to 200 watts per

channel for most applications. The Quest will perform

well with either a tube or transistorized amplifier, and will

reveal the sonic character of either type. However, it is

important that the amplifier be stable operating into

varying impedance loads: a stable amplifier will be able

to deliver twice its rated wattage into 4 Ohms and should

again double into 2 Ohms.

No. High voltage with low current is not dangerous. As a

matter of fact, the voltage in our speakers is 10 times less

than the static electricity that builds up on the surface of

your television screen.

If my child puncture d the dia phra gm with a

pe ncil, s tick, or s imila r ite m., how e xte ns ive

would the da ma ge to the s pe a ke r be ?

S hould I unplug my Que s ts during a thunde r-

s to rm ?

Our research department has literally punctured hun-

dreds of holes in a diaphragm, neither affecting the

quality of the sound nor causing the diaphragm to rip.

However, you will be able to see the actual puncture and

it can be a physical nuisance. If this is the case, replacing

the electrostatic transducer will be the only solution.

Yes. Or before. It’s a good idea to disconnect all of your

audio/video components during stormy weather.

Is the re like ly to be a ny inte ra ction be twe e n the

Que s ts a nd the te le vis ion in my Audio/Vide o

s ys te m ?

Will e xpos ure to s unlight a ffe ct the life or pe r-

forma nce of the Que s t?

Actually, there is less interaction between a television

and an electrostatic speaker than between a television

and a conventional system. The magnets in conventional

speakers do interact with televisions tubes. However, we

do recommend that you keep your speakers at least one

foot away from the television because of the dynamic

woofer they employ.

We recommend that you not place any loudspeaker in

direct sunlight as the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun

can cause deterioration of grill cloth, speaker cones, etc..

Small exposures to UV will not cause a problem.

Will e xce s s ive s moke or dus t ca us e a ny prob-

le m s ?

Will my e le ctric bill go ‘s ky high’ by le a ving my

s pe a ke rs plugge d in a ll the time ?

Exposure to excessive contaminants, such as smoke or

dust, may potentially effect the performance of the

electrostatic membrane and may cause discoloration of

the diaphragm membrane. When not in use for extended

periods, you should unplug the speaker and cover with

the plastic bags that the speakers were originally packed.

No. A pair of Quests draw about 5 watts maximum. Much

less than a 40 watt light bulb.

Page 21

Quest User's Manual

Trouble shooting

No Output

P oor Ima ging

Check that all your system components are turned on.

Check your speaker wires and connections.

Check all interconnecting cables.

Check placement. Are both speakers the same distance

from the walls? Do they have the same amount of toe-

in? Try moving the speakers away from the front and

side walls.

Check the polarity of the speaker wires. Are they con-

nected properly?

Weak Output, Loss of Highs

Check the power cord. Is it properly connected to the

speaker?

Popping and Ticking Sounds, Funny Noises

These occasional noises are harmless and will not hurt

your audio system or your speakers. All electrostatic

speakers are guilty of making odd noises at one time or

another.

Exa gge ra te d Highs , Brightne s s

Check the toe-in of the speakers. Read Room Pla c e -

me nt for more information.

These noises may be caused by dirt and dust particles

collecting on the speaker, by high humidity or by AC line

fluctuations that may occur in your area.

Muddy Ba s s

Dirt and dust may be vacuumed off with a brush attach-

ment connected to your vacuum cleaner or you may

blow them off with compressed air.

Check placement. Try moving the speakers closer to the

front and side walls.

Check the type of feet being used. Try attaching the

coupling spikes.

DO NOT S P RAY ANY KIND OF CLEANING

AGENT ON OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE

ELECTROS TATIC ELEMENT.

Lack of Bass

Check your speaker wires. Is the polarity correct?

Checkthe Bass Contourswitch. Is itin the -3dBposition?

Check the Bi-wire/Bi-amp switch. Is it in the correct

position?

Page 22

Quest User's Manual

Re c omme nde d Music

Ana log Disc s:

Comp a c t Disc s:

Astounding Sound Show......... Reference Recordings RR-7

Chet Atkins in Hollywood ............................. RCA LSP-1993

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique ........ Chesky Records CR1

Big Band Jazz ........................................ Umbrella UMB-DD4

The Chicago Symphony Winds ................... Sheffield Lab 22

Judy Collins: Judith ....................................... Elektra 6E-111

Phil Collins: Face Value .................................. Virgin V-2185

Dafos ..................................... Reference Recordings RR-12

Miles Davis: You're Under Arrest ......... Columbia FC 40023

Arturo Delmoni:

Pachelbel Canon:

The Acadamy of Ancient Music, L'Oiseau-Lyre 410 553-2

Count Basie & His Orchestra: 88 Basie Street, Pablo 3112-42

David Benoit:

Every Step of the Way ........... GRP Records GRD-9558

This Side Up .................................. En Pointe ENP 0001

Cantate Domino .................................. Proprius PRCD 7762

Copland:

Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Fanfare Telarc CD-80078

Country ............................. Windham Hill Records WD-1039

Dafos .............................. Reference Recordings RR-12 CD

Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms ......... Warner Bros. 9 25264-2

Dorian Sampler Vol. 1 ............................Dorian DOR-90001

Freddie Hubbard: Ride Like the Wind . En Pointe ENP 0002

Huey Lewis and the News: Sports ........ Chrysalis VK 41412

Bob James & Earl Klugh: One On One ........ CBS CK 36241

Albert King: Live Wire .................. Mobile Fidelity MFCD 838

Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass:

Songs My Mother Taught Me .......... North Star DS0004

Dire Straits: Dire Straits ................... Warner Bros. BSK 3266

Dire Straits: Love Over Gold .............. Warner Bros. 23728-1

Fresh Aire II............................... American Gramophone 359

Fresh Aire III .............................. American Gramophone 365

Gershwin: An American in Paris ........ Chesky Records RC8

Earl Klugh: Crazy for You ........................... Liberty LT 51113

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 ............................ Telarc DG10066

Joni Mitchell: For the Roses ....................... Asylum SD 5057

Moroder: Cat People .......................... Backstreet BSR-6107

The Moscow Sessions .................... Sheffield Lab TLP-1000

Ohio Players: Gold ............................. Mercury SRM-1-1122

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon ... EMI Harvest SHVL-804

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 Chesky Records CR2

The Reiner Sound ........................................ RCA LSC-2183

Rickie Lee Jones: Rickie Lee Jones Warner Bros. BSK 3296

Shalamar: The Look ....................................... Solar 9-60239

The Sheffield Track Record ........................ Sheffield Lab-20

Strauss: Til Eulenspiegel ....... Reference Recordings RR-16

Stanley Turrentine: Cherry ................ CTI Records CTI 6017

McCoy Tyner & Jackie McLean:

Present Perfect ...................................... MPS 823 543-2

Nojima Plays Liszt ........... Reference Recordings RR-25CD

Linda Ronstadt: Round Midnight ............. Asylum 9 60489-2

Round-Up .................................................. Telarc CD-80141

Sainte-Saens: Symphony No. 3 ................Philips 412 619-2

Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra,

GRP Records GRD-9550

Paul Simon: Graceland .................. Warner Bros. 9 25447-2

Ein Straussfest ........................................... Telarc CD-80098

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 Chesky Records CD-13

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto .......... Chesky Records CD-12

Vollenweider: Caverna Magica .................... CBS MK 37827

Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life ....... Island 9 25548-2

Yellowjackets: Shades .............. MCA Records MCAD-5752

It's About Time ............................... Blue Note BT 85102

Dionne Warwick: Soulful ........................... Scepter SPS-573

Page 23

Quest User's Manual

Glossa ry

AC. Abbreviation for alternating

current.

Crossover. An electrical circuit that

divides a full bandwidth signal

into the desired frequency bands

for the loudspeaker components.

Headroom. The difference, in

decibels, between the peak and

RMS levels in program material.

Active crossover. Uses active

devices (transistors, IC’s,

tubes) and some form of power

supply to operate.

Hybrid. A product created by the

marriage of two different tech-

nologies. Meant here as the

dB (decibel). A numerical expres-

sion of the relative loudness of a

sound. The difference in decibels

between two sounds is ten times

the common logarithm of the ratio

of their power levels.

combination of a dynamic woofer

with an electrostatic transducer.

Amplitude. The extreme range of a

signal. Usually measured from

the average to the extreme.

Hz (Hertz). Unit of frequency

equivalent to the number of

cycles per second.

Arc. The visible sparks generated by

an electrical discharge.

DC. Abbreviation for direct current.

Diffraction. The breaking up of a

sound wave caused by some type

of mechanical interference such

as a cabinet edge, grill frame, or

other similar object.

Imaging. To make a representation

or imitation of the original sonic

event.

Bass. The lowest frequencies of

sound.

Bi-Amplification. Uses an electronic

crossover or line-level passive

crossover and separate power

amplifiers for the high and low

frequency loudspeaker drivers.

Impedance. The total opposition

offered by an electric circuit to the

flow of an alternating current of a

single frequency. It is a combina-

tion of resistance and reactance

and is measured in ohms.

Remember that a speaker’s

impedance changes with

Diaphragm. A thin flexible mem-

brane or cone that vibrates in

response to electrical signals to

produce sound waves.

Capacitance. That property of a

capacitor which determines how

much charge can be stored in it

for a given potential difference

between its terminals, measured

in farads, by the ratio of the

charge stored to the potential

difference.

Distortion. Usually referred to in

terms of total harmonic distortion

(THD) which is the percentage of

unwanted harmonics of the drive

signal present with the wanted

signal. Generally used to mean

any unwanted change introduced

by the device under question.

frequency, it is not a constant

value.

Inductance. The property of an

electric circuit by which a varying

current in it produces a varying

magnetic field that introduces

voltages in the same circuit or in a

nearby circuit. It is measured in

henrys.

Capacitor. A device consisting of two

or more conducting plates

Driver. See transducer.

separated from one another by an

insulating material and used for

storing an electrical charge.

Dynamic Range. The range

between the quietest and the

loudest sounds a device can

handle (often quoted in dB).

Inductor. A device designed prima-

rily to introduce inductance into

an electric circuit. Sometimes

called a choke or coil.

Sometimes called a condenser.

Clipping. Distortion of a signal by its

being chopped off. An overload

problem caused by pushing an

amplifier beyond its capabilities.

The flat-topped signal has high

levels of harmonic distortion

Efficiency. The acoustic power

delivered for a given electrical

input. Often expressed as

Linearity. The extent to which any

signal handling process is

accomplished without amplitude

distortion.

decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m).

which creates heat in a loud-

speaker and is the major cause of

loudspeaker component failure.

ESL. Abbreviation for electrostatic

loudspeaker.

Page 24

Quest User's Manual

Midrange. The middle frequencies

where the ear is the most

sensitive.

. That property of a

t. Applies to that which lasts

conductor by which it opposes the

flow of electric current, resulting in

the generation of heat in the

conducting material, usually

expressed in ohms.

or stays but a short time. A

change from one steady-state

condition to another.

Passive crossover. Uses no active

components (transistors, IC’s,

tubes) and needs no power

supply (AC, DC, battery) to

operate. The crossover in a

typical loudspeaker is of the

passive variety. Passive cross-

overs consist of capacitors,

inductors and resistors.

Tweeter. A small drive unit designed

to produce only high frequencies.

Resistor. A device used in a circuit

primarily to provide resistance.

Wavelength. The distance mea-

sured in the direction of progres-

sion of a wave, from any given

point characterized by the same

phase.

Resonance. The effect produced

when the natural vibration

frequency of a body is greatly

amplified by reinforcing vibrations

at the same or nearly the same

frequency from another body.

Phase. The amount by which one

sine wave leads or lags a second

wave of the same frequency. The

difference is described by the

term phase angle. Sine waves in

phase reinforce each other; those

out of phase cancel.

White noise. A random noise used

in measurements, as it has the

same amount of energy at each

frequency.

Sensitivity. Volume of sound

delivered for a given electrical

input.

Woofer. A drive unit operating in the

bass frequencies only. Drive units

in two-way systems are not true

woofers but are more accurately

described as being mid/bass

drivers.

Stator. The fixed part forming the

reference for the moving dia-

phragm in a planar speaker.

Pink noise. A random noise used in

measurements, as it has the

same amount of energy in each

octave.

THD. Abbreviation for total harmonic

distortion. (See Distortion.)

Polarity. The condition of being

positive or negative with respect

to some reference point or object.

TIM. Abbreviation for transient

intermodulation distortion. (See

Distortion.)

RMS. Abbreviation for root mean

square. The effective value of a

given waveform is its RMS value.

Acoustic power is proportional to

the square of the RMS sound

pressure.

Transducer. Any of various devices

that transmit energy from one

system to another, sometimes

one that converts the energy in

form. Loudspeaker transducers

convert electrical energy into

mechanical motion.

Page 25

Quest User's Manual

Que st Spe c ific a tions

The Quest hybrid speaker system

consists of a broad-range single

element electrostatic transducer

integrated with a quick-response

woofer. This approach takes advan-

tage of the benefits that both technolo-

gies have to offer.

S ys te m Fre que ncy Re s pons e

28-22,000 Hz +/-2dB

Ele ctros ta tic Fre que ncy Re -

s p o n s e

100-22,000 Hz +/- 2dB

Woofe r Fre que ncy Re s pons e

28-2,000 Hz +/- 2dB

Dispersion is a controlled 30 degrees.

This was achieved by curving the

electrostatic transducer element itself,

an elegantly simple solution.

Ba s s Contour S witch

-3dB from 60 -150 Hz

P re s e nce Contour S witch

+2dB from 1,000 Hz - 5, 000 Hz

Cros s ove r Fre que ncy

150 Hz at 12dB per octave

Dis p e rs io n

Horizontal: 30 Degrees

Vertical: 4' Line Source

S e n s itivity

90dB/1 watt/meter

P owe r Ha ndling

200 watts per channel

Re comme nde d Amplifie r P owe r

80 - 200 watts per channel

Im p e d a n c e

Nominal: 6 ohms; Minimum: 2 ohms

P ha s e Angle

Less than 45^o

We ig h t

110 lbs/each

S iz e

72.75"H x 19"W x 13"D

C o m p o n e n ts

Custom-wound audio transformers

polypropylene bypass caps, 100%

OFC coils.

Page 26

Quest User's Manual

Note s

Page 27

Quest User's Manual

$ 3.00

T H E E L E C T R O S T A T I C

T E C H N O L O

2001 de la wa re stre e t

p.o. box 707

la wre nc e , ka nsa s 66044

ph: 913.749.0133

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