“Spherical High End in a vacuum” - it is this wording that is at least a little able to reflect the scale of the phenomenon, which will be discussed below. Acoustics Neolith from Martin Logan are assembled according to all High-End canons - they are high-tech, insanely beautiful, and monstrously expensive. And in their pursuit of excellence, the developers have gone so far that it has become a problem not only for competitors but also for future owners, who will have to make many sacrifices on the altar of audiophilia. However, first things first.

Martin Logan Neolith

To begin with, electro stats technology as such has many technological benefits over traditional dynamic emitters. The almost weightless membrane, thinner than a human hair, obediently follows the slightest change in signal and reproduces sound much more accurately and cleaner than any of the most high-tech cones of a conventional speaker. Electrostatic also have weak points, what can we hide? The physical properties of the membrane and the design of the emitter in the form of a sandwich, in which it is literally sandwiched between two metal stator grids, severely limit the working stroke. This can be partially compensated for by increasing the area of the radiator because the larger the area, the lower the amplitude is required to achieve the required sound pressure.

However, there are limits to everything, and in order to get truly deep bass, the electrostatic would have to be done simply gigantic. This is why the developers at Martin Logan turned to smart engineering. They gave the entire low-frequency range to traditional dynamic radiators, which are able to work very efficiently in a narrow frequency range. Such hybrids with an active or passive subwoofer section form the backbone of the company's range. And here it makes sense to remember that the most modest electrostatic speaker by the standards of Martin Logan is at least top Hi-Fi, but rather High End from the point of view of the industry as a whole.

Against the backdrop of such a powerful technological advantage, the Neolith model was created. But to ascend the throne, just scaling the structure to XXXL size is not enough, so the developers made many changes and additions wherever possible and justified. The first thing that catches your eye is the absolutely fantastic appearance. The body of the acoustics is painted in bright red according to the technology used for luxury cars. Leather accents reinforce the high-end sports car look and a combination of Lamborghini-inspired chopped shapes with flowing lines reminiscent of classic Porsche contours. Taken together, this creates a completely unique and unrepeatable image, literally imbued with the spirit of luxury.

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Aerodynamic shapes in the design of acoustics usually appear for a reason and not only for design reasons, from which it can be assumed that Neolith is no exception in this regard. The absence of sharp corners in the mid-range / high-frequency emitter and the streamlined shape of the low-frequency section provide a significant positive contribution to the sound by eliminating the main causes of diffraction distortion. And the curved shape of the electrostatic emitter, in combination with the dipole principle of operation, gives an optimal sound wave in directivity, creating a minimum of reflections from the floor, ceiling, and sidewalls.

As a structural material of the body, a polymer composite was chosen, which has high mechanical strength and prevents the propagation of vibrations. The ability to create such bizarre shapes without losing the rigidity of the structure is also his merit. A key element of the Neolith is a large electrostatic emitter, the largest in the Martin Logan range. And it looks like it is, in principle, the largest of those produced to date - its effective area is almost 0.7 m2. Such an impressive surface area allows for solid sound pressure and also increases the dynamic range, in other words, this electrostatic panel surpasses any other smaller electrostatic in terms of sonic dynamics. If we were talking about a dynamic emitter, then an increase in size would lead to a loss of microdynamics and a deterioration in the transmission of high frequencies, but an electrostatic emitter is not inclined to such manifestations, which is why the obvious pluses are not accompanied by minuses.

There are two traditional speakers in the design, and Martin Logan had to work hard to bring all the key quality characteristics of the Bass section to the level set by the electrostatic midrange/tweeter module. The rear panel features a 15-inch rigid aluminum cone driver with a 4-layer voice coil. This speaker is responsible for frequencies below 60 Hz. The front woofer, whose operating range directly mates with the electrostatic radiator, is located on the front panel and features a multi-layer carbon-coated diffuser. Both speakers feature extended travel, open baskets, and a vented magnet system to minimize compression and distortion at high volumes.

Illusion ESL C34A

Traditionally, an active subwoofer section with DSP is installed at the base of all older models of Martin Logan electro stats, which allows you to adapt the sound to the acoustics of the room. In Neolith, a different path was chosen: both woofers are passive, which, according to the manufacturer, allows the user to choose amplifiers with a suitable sound character. The message is generally noble and quite consistent with the ideas of the High End. However, in modern realities, this can create additional problems, because the power range for this model is specified in the range of 20-1300 watts. This means that for efficient operation, each channel would be nice to provide 1 kW of power, but the available range of suitable amplifiers will be very, very limited. The only thing that reassures is that those few candidates will be worthy, because nothing but High-End models will provide such power.

In addition to the problem of choosing a suitable amplifier, the passive principle of operation gave rise to another problem: the inability to use DSP to adapt the sound of the acoustics to the listening environment. And it is simply impossible to do without sound calibration of a system with such large speakers since the size of the rooms that they have to sound varies over an extremely wide range.

The solution was a custom crossover. Two adjustments, carried out by rearranging powerful jumpers, perform essentially different functions and the combination of which helps to adapt the sound to the existing conditions. The first setting controls the response of the large woofer, allowing you to set levels of 0, -4, and -8 dB, thereby changing the amount of bass. The second adjustment is more interesting: it allows you to shift the focal point. This is due to a change in the crossover frequency between the second woofer and the electrostatic emitter within 250 ... 400 Hz, and, most likely, some manipulations with the phase response occur.

The minimum adjustment is intended for listening from a distance of less than 3 m, the middle position is marked as 4 m, and the maximum distance starts at 5 m. Since the electrostatic emitter is a dipole and has a horizontal directionality of only 30 °, the distance from the walls and the rotation of the acoustics will also play a significant role in the formation of a soundstage. In sum, this provides a wide field for experimentation, but also requires a lot of free space.

Listening to the acoustics of this class is an event that occurs infrequently. Simply because it is not an easy task to collect so many unique components in one suitable size room. The system, presented to the Russian public, was demonstrated in a spacious hall, quite suitable in scale for Neolith. The most interesting components of the system, in addition to the acoustics itself, were the power amplifiers. McIntosh's MC901 twin monoblocs seem to have been designed for just such a situation. In total, one such amplifier produces 900 W of power, of which 600 W is provided by a transistor amplifier connected to the low-frequency section of the acoustics, and 300 W is provided by a tube circuit responsible for the upper and middle frequencies. The double-amplifier principle of operation of monoblocks unambiguously denotes a double arrow indicator, which displays the level separately for the tube and transistor sections. And although according to the passport the acoustics has a sensitivity of 90 dB, even at an average volume the arrows did not leave the middle zone of the scale and often went further to the right.

The remainder of the path consisted of a McIntosh preamp and turntable, which was powered by the Aurender A30 digital source. All this looked no less impressive but more familiar. And a truly epic part of the setup, comparable in scope to the engineering thought of huge electro stats, is located behind the system. High-fidelity cables, equipped with unique magnetic "accelerators", and massive Mudra Akustik modular surge protectors made a lasting impression with their appearance, evoking the associations of a powerful electrical substation. In addition, they were surprised by a non-standard approach to solving common technological problems.

Still, the most important thing is how such an extraordinary set of components has developed, and it has developed into something absolutely fantastic.

The first thing that the system literally hits the listener with is a grandiose sound stage: perfectly traced and surrounding the listener from all sides. When listening, sometimes there is a desire to get up from the chair and take a walk inside the arisen sound space, bypass all the musicians, "see" the picture from different angles.

The impression of the absolute reality of what is happening is reinforced by a solid dynamic range, which at times seems simply limitless. Neolith's bass delivery is just a reference. In a large room without any serious acoustic training, accuracy and focus were maintained at the lowest notes. Parts of a live double bass in jazz and synthetic basslines in electronic tracks sounded very powerful, thoroughly, with a clear drawing of each note, without failures or domination of any individual sounds. For a system that does not have any sound setting other than a couple of jumpers in the crossover, the result is simply excellent.

On the whole, the acoustics turned out to be very neutral in sound character and transparent for the rest of the path. The nature of the sound of Neolith themselves is rather problematic to hear, but you can accurately distinguish the sound of vinyl from digital or CD from Hi-Res from the first sounds. The tube nature of the mid/high section of the amplifier was also quite obvious, which surprisingly did not discord and did not contrast with the clear transistor sound of the Bass section.

MARTIN LOGAN ElectroMotion ESL X

In terms of the quality and character of the mastering, the exceptional resolution of Neolith came out in a very curious way. Modern mixes sounded extremely transparent, voluminous, with many details distributed in space. The wildest fantasies of sound engineers and sound producers were flawlessly embodied. It is enough to turn on something atmospheric from Aphex Twin or, for example, "Blackstar" by David Bowie, and a teleport to another universe is immediately triggered.

But against this background, the question immediately arises: what happens if you listen to something recorded with deliberately low quality? An experiment like this is not difficult to perform. When listening to the early Led Zeppelin and the most popular Lo-Fi release of all time, Deep Purple "In Rock", everything happened the same as with modern mixes, only the feeling of outer space was replaced by the atmosphere of a cramped and old analog studio located right opposite the listener. Even the monophonic recordings of The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald performed by Neolith sounded very natural and lively, literally pulling into active emotional listening from the very first notes.

Playing academic music is a separate pleasure. Here again, each recording is good in its own way, but the most impressive is the modern releases, in which Neolith demonstrates an impeccable separation of instruments, allowing you to hear each violin separately without any damage to the musicality and integrity of the composition. Thanks to these qualities, the most complex avant-garde compositions, and improvisational music became surprisingly clear and easy to understand.

Concluding the story about sound and acoustics in general, it should be noted that Martin Logan Neolith has practically no real competitors. With impeccable resolution and perfectly balanced tonal balance inherent in electrostatic technology, they are in no way inferior to the best traditional speakers in terms of dynamics, density and sound energy. This provides a superiority that is obvious from an engineering standpoint and undeniable when listening. Well, the fact that these are the first contenders for the title of the most stylish and luxurious acoustics in the history of mankind is an added bonus.

However, everything cannot be perfect, and with all the advantages listed above, Neolith have their obvious disadvantages or, more precisely, limitations. The minimum room size for this model corresponds to the volume in which most speakers are no longer able to work. The problem of selecting an amplifier can be formulated in approximately the same way: most of the powermen simply cannot cope with the task. Well, and the third problem, the least obvious at first glance, but very tangible in practice: the highest quality requirements for all components of the system in which Neolith will operate. Only components and cables of the highest quality class can unleash the full potential of this model.

It would be at least imprudent on my part to recommend Neolith for purchase, referring to the general public, but listening to these speakers, if such an opportunity suddenly happens, is the direct duty of every audiophile!

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