MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A 3-way center channel speaker, gloss black

ILLUSION ESL C34A

Masters of the illusionist school of art perfected trompe-l'oeil, employing painting techniques that imitated real objects so vividly that "illusionism" blurred the lines between art and reality.

This type of illusion is the goal of any loudspeaker, especially a center channel speaker, the most important speaker in a multichannel audio system. It is tasked with reproducing the audio information most critical to imaging and realism: cinematic dialogue, anchoring effects, and a large portion of the front soundstage. It is fitting, then, that we introduce our new Masterpiece Series center channel speaker, the Illusion ESL C34A.

A Masterful Cinematic Experience

There are no illusions about the performance of the Illusion ESL C34A. It is the ultimate high-performance electrostatic center channel speaker. The classic MartinLogan electrostatic panel and Folded Motion XT tweeters are uniquely integrated into the powered woofer section, a new technology combined with proven innovation that produces a truly groundbreaking center channel speaker.

The Ultimate Center Channel Speaker

This ambitious new center channel blurs the line between performance and reality by combining the impeccable accuracy of a 34-inch XStat™ CLS™ electrostatic transducer with the detailed imaging capability of dual Folded Motion XT tweeters. Additionally, four 6.5-inch laser-enhanced aluminum cone woofers, driven by 250 watts of clean amplification with built-in Anthem Room Correction (ARC), anchor the image to your screen and deliver massive cinematic impact.

The Illusion ESL C34A is tonally matched to our flagship Masterpiece Series speakers to create a white-knuckle home theater experience of skidding car chases, flashing battle scenes, or even intimately whispered dialogue in a coherent surround sound environment, making the Illusion ESL C34A the perfect centerpiece of your Masterpiece home theater.

Achieving the lab standard in your own room

In the lab, MartinLogan engineers are committed to transparency. Outside the lab, there's one wild card our engineers can never account for: your listening room. Using ARC technology to ensure seamless low-frequency performance in a center channel speaker is incredibly important to the overall realism of your surround sound system. The unique size and shape of your listening space (and the size and shape of its contents) can make bass waves behave in unpredictable ways, dramatically impacting a speaker's overall performance. When you engage ARC to control the low-frequency curve in relation to the combined output of the ESL panel and Folded Motion XT tweeters (as seen in this graph), you'll experience performance on par with MartinLogan's in-house audio testing lab.

ARC measures the low-frequency sound output in your room and compares it to optimal response curves that account for spatial anomalies. ARC's advanced algorithms then effectively remove anomalies, leaving only the ideal standard: lifelike, natural-sounding bass performance in the listening space.

By minimizing room interactions with ARC's PoweredForce bass technology and advanced room correction capabilities, along with ESL's unique synthesis of Folded Motion XT and bass sections, the Illusion ESL C34A shatters the "illusion of playback." Like other speakers in the Masterpiece Series, it features an utterly natural and transparent performance, with lifelike imaging details on top of a well-blended, full-spectrum performance and tight, accurate bass, even at realistic listening levels.

The Illusion ESL C34A is, in truth, a home theater masterpiece.

PoweredForce™ Bass Technology

Inspired by the groundbreaking innovations of the Masterpiece Series, the Illusion ESL C34A features a redesigned woofer section. The four 6.5-inch laser-powered, low-distortion aluminum cone drivers use exclusive PoweredForce™ bass technology to deliver astonishingly articulated, well-blended bass, starting at 45Hz, from its compact enclosure. The new 250-watt Class-D amplifier is controlled by a 24-bit Vojtko™ DSP Engine and includes ARC™ (Anthem Room Correction).

ARC instantly optimizes performance to match the unique characteristics of your room, further enhancing the most important elements of full-range center channel performance: consistent bass reproduction and precise imaging.

Experience the Pinpoint Detail of Dual Folded Motion XT Tweeters

How does the Illusion ESL C34A produce a level of realism on par with the finest illusionist masterpieces? The secret to its success is the Dual Folded Motion XT tweeters embedded directly behind the XStat electrostatic panel. The discreet tweeter housing design disappears behind the baffle, eliminating high-frequency diffraction and increasing mid/high-frequency phase coherence and time alignment while providing superior dispersion characteristics.

Folded Motion XT tweeters are a unique design that works by moving air (creating sound) perpendicular to the folded ridges of the diaphragm, similar to how an accordion works. This extremely low-mass diaphragm “squeezes” air and requires nearly 90% less excursion than the typical 1-inch dome tweeter. This produces instantaneous response times with dramatically minimized distortion levels. The increased surface area also provides wide, yet tightly controlled sound dispersion to create a precise and realistically detailed soundstage.

With this detailed performance, Folded Motion XT Tweeter technology is the ideal match for our electrostatic transducer. In the case of the Illusion ESL C34A, the electrostatic panel is able to expand into its role as a mid-range driver, while the fast transient response of the high-frequency tweeters delivers superior imaging precision. The Illusion ESL C34A features two 1.25x2. 4-inch folded XT tweeters, each with a total diaphragm area of 4.5x2. 75 inches.

PoweredForce™ Bass Technology

Inspired by the groundbreaking innovations of the Masterpiece Series, the Illusion ESL C34A features a redesigned woofer section. The four 6.5-inch laser-powered, low-distortion aluminum cone drivers use exclusive PoweredForce™ bass technology to deliver astonishingly articulated and well-blended bass, starting at 45Hz, from its compact enclosure. The new 250-watt Class-D amplifier is controlled by a 24-bit Vojtko™ DSP engine and includes ARC™ (Anthem Room Correction).

ARC instantly optimizes performance to match the unique characteristics of your room, further enhancing the most important elements of full-range center channel performance: consistent bass reproduction and precise imaging.

Ultra-Rigid AirFrame Blade Design

Illusion XStat panels are joined to their diffusers using MartinLogan's redesigned AirFrame Blade technology, precision-crafted from aerospace-grade extruded aluminum alloy. This material and proprietary manufacturing process yield extremely rigid panels.

Premium WBT Binding Posts

Connect your electronics safely and securely using audiophile 5-way WBT binding posts. Their pure copper connection plate is highly conductive and free from eddy current effects. These posts are insulated for shock protection and fully damped against vibration. They give you ample room for high-caliber professional speaker connections.

Powerful 250-watt Class-D amplification with 24-bit Vojtko™ DSP Engine

The Illusion ESL C34A's performance has been reconsidered from the ground up. Taking full advantage of innovations like PoweredForce Forward and ARC Technology, and the integration of the electrostatic panel with the woofer array, required bold thinking about power and efficiency. Our new 250-watt amplifier produces clean power, in a small space, more efficiently than ever before. They enable the effortless delivery of thrilling dynamic impact, with plenty of overhead. Superior, reliable Class-D technology means there is virtually no energy lost between the amplifiers and the woofers.

MartinLogan's dedicated in-house design and engineering team created an extremely precise 24-bit Vojtko Digital Signal Processing (DSP) engine to use in conjunction with these powerful new amplifiers. It gives these speakers the ability to deliver detailed low-frequency performance down to 24Hz. Advanced DSP enables complete control and performance optimization over low-pass filters, woofer equalization, and limiting functions, all of which are mathematically mapped into the digital domain.

Complete control of the signal, coupled with instant response, massive amounts of clean power, and efficient, integrated performance paint an original picture of lifelike audio performance.

Precision-engineered Vojtko Advanced Crossover Topology

Vojtko voiced, advanced crossover and electronics in the Illusion ESL C34A add enhanced midrange clarity to this artistic composition. Painstakingly hand-built using only the finest polypropylene capacitors and air-core voice coils, the crossover utilizes MartinLogan's proprietary Vojtko topology for extremely low distortion and seamless driver/ESL integration. This precisely tuned network preserves even the most microscopic sonic nuances while handling the full dynamics of any source.

We also considered the signal you'll be feeding your speakers and designed the Illusion ESL C34A to work well with virtually any type of electronics. MartinLogan's state-of-the-art toroidal transformer and electrical interface engineering ensure a completely transparent connection from amplifier to electrostatic panel and woofer. This produces a sound of unparalleled purity, precision, clarity and openness – the best thing to do for any speaker.

SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response: 45-23,000 Hz ± 3dB

Recommended Amplifier Power: 20-600 watts per channel

Sensitivity: 90dB / 2.83 volts / meter

Impedance: 6 Ohms, Compatible with 4, 6 or 8 Ohm amplifiers.

Crossover Frequency: 500, 2000 Hz

High Frequency Transducer: Two 1.25" x 2.4" (3.2cm x 6.1cm) folded XT transducers with 4.5" x 2.75" diaphragm (11.4 cm x 7 cm).

Mid-frequency transducer: Patented CLS™ XStat™ electrostatic transducer. »Panel Dimensions: 8" x 34.5" (20.3 x 87.6 cm)» Radiating Area: 276 in² (1,778 cm²).

Low Frequency Transducer: Four 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) cast iron cones, rigid, high-excursion aluminum cone with extended-throw drive assembly, non-resonant asymmetrical chamber format.

Amplifier: 1 x 250 watts/channel (4 ohms), 500 watts peak

Room Correction (Bass Section): Anthem Room Correction (ARC) Ready (sold separately)

Components: Custom-wound audio transformer, air-cored coils, polypropylene capacitors. 24-bit DSP preamp (used with woofer amplifier).

Audio Controls: Bass: ±10 dB in 75 Hz Mid Bass: -2 dB, 0 dB, +2 dB ARC Room EQ: On, Off

Signal Inputs: The Nextgen™ WBT-0703Cu 5-way binding posts feature a filigree signal conductor made of gold-plated, nickel-free, non-ferromagnetic, highly conductive and fully insulated pure copper. Free from eddy current effects.

Inputs: AC Power, RJ45 (for ARC), Mini USB (for ARC)

Dimensions: 24" x 32.5" x 23.25"

Weight: 90 lbs (40.9 kg)

Available finishes: Gloss Black - Walnut - Dark Cherry - Fire Red - Cordoba Red - Deep Sea Blue DX - Basalt Black - Arctic Silver - Desert Silver - Meteor Gray - Gloss White