ILLUSION ESL C34A

Masters of the Illusionist school of art perfected trompe-l’oeil, employing painting techniques that mimicked actual objects so vividly that “Illusionism” blurred the boundaries between art and reality.

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

The Ultimate Center Channel Loudspeaker

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

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

PoweredForce^™ Bass Technology

Inspired by the breakthrough innovations of the Masterpiece Series, the Illusion ESL C34A features a redesigned woofer section. The four 6.5-inch laser-engineered low-distortion aluminum cone drivers use exclusive PoweredForce™ bass technology to deliver astonishingly articulate, well-blended bass, as low as 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 the performance to suit your room’s unique characteristics, further improving 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 speaker cabinets using MartinLogan’s redesigned AirFrame Blade technology, precision manufactured from an aerospace-grade extruded aluminum alloy. This material, and this exclusive manufacturing process, makes the panels extremely rigid.

Premium WBT Binding Posts

Connect your electronics safely and securely using 5-Way audiophile 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 vibrations. They give you plenty of room for large-gauge professional speaker connections.

Frequency Response

45–23,000 Hz ±3dB

Recommended Amplifier Power

20—600 watts per channel

Horizontal Dispersion

30°

Sensitivity

90 dB/2.83 volts/meter

Impedance

6 Ohms Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 Ohm rated amplifiers.

Crossover Frequency

500, 2000 Hz

High Frequency Transducer

Two 1.25" x 2.4" (3.2cm x 6.1cm) Folded Motion XT Transducers with 4.5" x 2.75" (11.4cm x 7cm) diaphragm.

Mid Frequency Transducer

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

Low Frequency Transducer

Four 6.5" (16.5cm) cast basket, high excursion, rigid aluminum cone with extended throw drive assembly, non-resonance asymmetrical chamber format.

Amplifier

1x 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 core coils, polypro- pylene capacitors. 24-bit DSP based preamplifier (used with woofer amplifier).

Audio Controls

Bass: ±10dB under 75Hz Mid-Bass: –2dB, 0dB, +2dB ARC Room EQ: On, Off

Signal Inputs

WBT-0703Cu nextgen™ 5-way binding posts feature a filigree signal conductor made from gold plated, nickel free, non- ferromagnetic, pure copper for high conductivity and fully insulated. Free from eddy current effects.

Inputs

AC Power, RJ45 (for ARC), mini USB (for ARC)

Power Draw

Max: 300W per channel Standby: <1W per channel

Weight

90 lbs. (40.9 kg)

Dimensions

23.75" x 32.35" x 23.1 " (60.3cm x 82.2cm x 58.6cm)