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
E L E C T R  
O
S
T A T I C  
T E C  
H
N
O
L O  
G
Y
 
Introduc tion  
Congratulations, you have invested in one of the worlds  
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 Quests 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 1800s, 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 Laboratorys 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 Lodges 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  
OUTPUT  
Amplifier  
INPUT  
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.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
B
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
I-  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
W
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
IR  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
E
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
/
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
B
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
I-  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
A
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
M
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
P
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
S
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
W
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
IT  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
C
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
H
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
in  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
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  
OUTPUT  
Amplifier  
INPUT  
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  
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  
Amplifier  
INPUT  
INPUT  
OUTPUT  
OUTPUT  
INPUT  
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.  
                                                                                                                                                             
B
                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                               
I-  
                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                  
W
                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                      
IR  
                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                          
E
                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                            
/
                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                              
B
                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                
I-  
                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                   
A
                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                     
M
                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                         
P
                                                                                                                                                                                         
Flat  
-3dB  
0dB  
-3dB  
-6dB  
OUTPUT  
INPUT  
Preamplifier  
20Hz  
200Hz  
Effects of the Bass Contour Switch  
OUTPUT  
OUTPUT  
Amplifier  
INPUT  
INPUT  
+2dB  
+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  
Lets 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? Youve got near-field reflections. Stomp your foot  
on the floor. Can you hear a “ boom” ? Youve 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? Youve  
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  
a
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, ICs,  
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 speakers  
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.  
                                                                                                     
R
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                        
e
                                                                                                        
                                                                                                          
s
                                                                                                          
                                                                                                            
i
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                             
s
                                                                                                             
                                                                                                               
t
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                
a
                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                  
n
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                     
c
                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                       
e
                                                                                                                       
. That property of a  
                                                                                                                                                                                   
T
                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                     
r
                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                      
a
                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                        
n
                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                           
s
                                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                             
i
                                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                              
e
                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                                                
n
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                  
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, ICs,  
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 45o  
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  
G
Y
2001 de la wa re stre e t  
p.o. box 707  
la wre nc e , ka nsa s 66044  
ph: 913.749.0133  
© 1990 ma rtin-loga n ltd. a ll rights re se rve d  
 

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