Audio Video News

MartinLogan announced the relaunch of its Installer Series of speakers at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show that opened yesterday in Amsterdam.

Slated to ship in March, the redesigned speaker line is designed to deliver high performance at affordable prices and comprises two in-wall models, five in-ceiling speakers — including two ultra-compact models — and two water-resistant in-ceiling speakers.

All models combine titanium-dome tweeters with mineral-filled polypropylene woofers in a vibration-resistant ABS chassis with a mounting-lock system that secures the speaker frame to walls and ceilings. Paintable bezel-free grilles attach to the frame via magnets to provide an “aesthetic that blends discreetly into any ceiling or wall,” and the speakers are equipped with spring-loaded binding posts that accept banana plugs, pins, or 12-gauge wire.

Hand-built crossovers made with “the finest polyester capacitors and air-core coils” employ MartinLogan’s proprietary Vojtko topology and have been updated for improved off-axis response.

The in-wall IW6 speaker ($200) mates a 0.75-inch tweeter with a 6.5-inch woofer rated to play down to 55 Hz. The in-wall IW5-LCR ($300) has two 5.5-inch woofers and a low-frequency limit of 60 Hz. Pre-installation brackets are available.

Three of the in-ceiling speakers are stand-alone models. The IC8 ($250) mates a 1-inch tweeter with an 8-inch woofer rated down to 45 Hz–20,000Hz. The IC6 ($200) is rated down to 44 Hz and has a 0.75-inch tweeter and 6.5-inch woofer. The IC3 ($200) is an ultra-compact design that mates a 0.75-inch tweeter with a 3.5-inch woofer rated down to 100. To save space, the woofer surround is molded directly onto the speaker’s chassis, essentially turning the enclosure into the woofer basket.

Designed to deliver stereo sound from one speaker, the in-ceiling IC6-ST ($250) mates two 0.75-inch tweeters with a 6.5-inch dual-voice-coil woofer. The speaker has dual binding posts and a low-frequency limit of 52 Hz. Binding posts can be bridged for “wide-dispersion” mono sound.

The IC6-HT ($300) is designed for home theater applications and has a 1-inch tweeter and 6.5-inch woofer rated down to 55 Hz. Both drivers are mounted at a 30° angle so sound can be directed toward the listening area.

Rounding out the in-ceiling offerings, are the splash-resistant (IP-54-rated) IC8-AW ($350) and IC3-AW ($250), designed for high-moisture areas such as bathrooms and covered patios. To maximize water-resistance, grilles and crossovers are coated and special assembly techniques are used to ensure driver attachment points on the face of the speakers are sealed.

The IC8-AW has a 1-inch tweeter and 8-inch woofer rated down to 45 Hz. The IC3-AW mates a 0.75-inch tweeter with a 3.5-inch woofer rated down to 100 Hz in an ultra-compact housing.

The IC3 and IC3-AW models were “designed to be the smallest, most powerful and dynamic speaker possible,” according to MartinLogan. The mounting-locks on both models are made of die-cast aluminum to maximize the strength of the speakers’ smaller mounting-locks.

Pre-installation brackets and square grilles are available for all in-ceiling models, and all speakers come with a template, quick-reference instructions, and die-cut guides to simplify installation.

For more information, visit martinlogan.com.