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"A Joy to Listen To"
MartinLogan's Theos is the company's most affordable hand-built electrostatic speaker. It was originally developed for the company's exclusive Reserve Series. Descended from MartinLogan's critically acclaimed flagship CLX loudspeaker, the Theos features advanced XStat electrostatic technology and a proprietary Vojtko crossover topology delivering the highest sonic standards of efficiency and precision.
A passive 8" high-excursion woofer and ultra low turbulence down-firing bass port generate unyielding, detailed bass down to 43 Hz. Custom coupling spikes and tool-less bi-wire binding posts provide the final touch, offering the ultimate level of flexibility for connection and setup.
"A Wonderful Speaker"
"The Theos is overall a wonderful speaker and a joy to listen to," reports Chris Heinonen in his October 31, 2011 review for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. "Sounds came from all around, causing me to check and make sure that there were no surround speakers setup in addition to the Theos. The soundstage up front was huge and open, and the speakers themselves were amazingly detailed."
"The Theos makes almost.anything you spin sound irresistible, as does the way it delivers voices," notes England's Hi-fi Choice magazine. "Rarely have we encountered a more direct line of emotional communication than this speaker achieves with a great singer, Stevie Nicks' voice on Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams' is enough to stir the feelings of the most stony heart imaginable..."
XStat Transducer
Sharing with its PoweredForce counterpart Ethos, a unique XStat transducer was developed to exclusively address specific mechanical requirements. Vertically identical in size and dispersion to the flagship Summit X, Theos' thinner 9.2" horizontal panel dimension required a tighter curve to achieve MartinLogan's distinct 30-degree dispersion pattern. To accomplish this MartinLogan engineers reduced the gauge thickness of the steel stators. The reduced gauge does not alter the performance characteristics of Theos' electrostatic panel. However, as a natural byproduct of tighter build tolerances, visual transparency of the panel is increased significantly. Theos' new XStat panel is so visually transparent that it nearly vanishes when you're sitting and listening.
Advanced Vojtko Filtering
Proprietary Vojtko filtering technology is utilized for Theos' electrostatic transducer. This audiophile quality network, derived from the CLX, is carefully hand-built using precision point-to-point wiring, polypropylene capacitors, massive air-core coils, and a custom wound toroidal audio transformer. The network flawlessly preserving micro-acoustic subtleties while effortlessly handling the broadest range of dynamics contained within even the most demanding sonic source.
Bi-wirable Tool-less Binding Posts and Low-Voltage Power Supply
MartinLogan's proprietary tool-less binding posts simplify cable connection and management. Two sets are supplied. One is connected to the electrostatic panel and the other feeds the woofer. You can choose to vertically/horizontally bi-amp the Theos, or use jumper clips between the binding post sets for a single wire-connection. Theos is the only model in the Reserve Series to feature bi-wirable binding posts and provide the ultimate level of flexibility for connection and setup. To further simplify setup and cable management, Theos features a low-voltage DC power supply, eliminating the need for a heavy IEC power cord.
Dipole Sound Radiation
The sound we hear from a loudspeaker is a combination of direct radiation from it to our ears and reflections off of room surfaces – walls, floor, and ceiling. How our brains integrate all this information is far from simple. Depending on the angle of incidence to the ears and the arrival-time difference between direct and reflected sound, reflections can either blur detail and stereo imaging or enhance the natural impression of depth and openness.
True dipole speakers, such as electrostatic panels, have long been noted for their near-ideal radiation patterns. They send very little sound to the sides, thereby minimizing side-wall reflections with short arrival times that tend to interfere with perception of the direct sound. Their strong rear radiation, however, produces a generous amount of ambience-enriching later-arriving reflections off the wall behind them. | 
