Ultimate Performance In-Ceiling Speaker
The world’s most sophisticated in-ceiling loudspeaker features four drivers, including a Folded Motion XT Obsidian tweeter, dual 3.5-inch unidirectional carbon fiber multi-section cone midrange drivers with a Nomex® backer, and a matching 8-inch woofer seamlessly blended with a flagship-class Vojtko crossover network constructed from audiophile-grade components. A pre-installation bracket is available.
From extreme home theater to transcendent 2-channel listening, Masterpiece CI achieves the pinnacle of discreet in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeaker design: state-of-the-art Truth in Sound that takes up no floor space. Featuring lightning-fast, low-distortion, Folded Motion XT Obsidian tweeters, handcrafted Vojtko crossover networks, and unidirectional carbon fiber multi-section cone drivers with Nomex® backers, each model of the Masterpiece CI Series delivers astonishing realism. This is a loudspeaker that is a tribute to the acoustic achievements of MartinLogan's original iconic masterpiece, our flagship floorstanding electrostatic speakers.
MartinLogan's signature Folded Motion tweeter is a miracle of audio engineering. Its folded thin-film diaphragm gives it a much larger surface area than traditional dome tweeters of the same size. This "squeezing" design requires significantly less excursion than a dome tweeter, too, revealing controlled dispersion characteristics and vanishingly low distortion. These tiny tweeters mimic the high-frequency detail and response speed of a large electrostatic panel in a small space.
Masterpiece CI Series steps up the game with the Folded Motion XT Obsidian tweeters, which advance thin-film transducer technology even further.
The Folded Motion XT design features a 40% larger radiating surface and 80 x 30-degree controlled dispersion. This innovation increases audible bandwidth without sacrificing details and minimizes distortion to an unprecedented level, even while increasing the efficiency of the tweeter's already lightning-fast response time.
The result is superior realism and alarming specificity. Folded Motion XT takes thin-film transducers to the next level—it's aurally astonishing.
Masterpiece CI loudspeakers feature cones custom-built using unidirectional carbon fiber, a material that is twice as strong as steel but with a sixth of the density, for exceptional rigidity without excessive weight. They are designed in multiple sections to take full advantage of the benefits of this material.
Each cone is reinforced by a Nomex backer, for additional damping that prevents ringing and reduces breakup modes in these extremely rigid cones. The drivers feature powerful, efficient magnet structures, enabling massive excursion and huge sound output, while preserving deep bass details, even at sustained, lifelike volume levels.
Masterpiece CI features innovation upon innovation.
To deliver more accuracy in the critical midrange, the mid-frequency drivers have had their suspensions (spider and surround) "stiffened." Stiffening the suspension raises the driver's resonant frequency and optimizes its performance to achieve a more natural roll-off, inherently keeping it in an ideal range for mid-frequency reproduction.
Each cone includes a concave dust cap that adds additional strength and rigidity, while further reducing breakup modes.
Masterpiece CI mid-range and bass sections perfectly blend with the extreme accuracy of the high resolution Folded Motion XT tweeters, for a bold, seamless, distortion-free line-source performance throughout large listening areas.
An inverted surround design maximizes clearance behind the grille, helping enhance driver excursion, clarity, and linearity.
Sistine 4XC utilizes a dense, ejection molded back box with a sealed design that helps keep sound from leaking through the wall to unintended areas of the home, while also providing predictable airspace for the woofers to perform their best.
The sealed box removes variables, like wall cavity size and construction quality, from the acoustic equation, guaranteeing a consistent, accurate performance, regardless of installation specs.
Also, the hermetically sealed design keeps sound from leaking through walls.
By controlling the sealed space volume and damping characteristics, and maintaining complete control over driver performance, crossover design, and cabinet construction, Masterpiece CI in-wall and in-ceiling speakers achieve an emotionally engaging experience on par with the performance of the world's most exceptional floorstanding speakers. (Our own.)
A simple, yet robust die-cast aluminum mounting-lock system maximizes strength while allowing quick, trouble-free installation. Pocketed screw holes help hold the drill steady, making installation a snap. When not in use, mounting locks are secured within a self-contained housing. When moved into place, they couple the chassis firmly to the ceiling or wall, increasing the rigidity of surfaces. If ever removed, the locks retract and latch back in their housings. Each speaker includes a full-size installation template featuring quick-reference instructions, and die-cut guides for marking the cutout hole.
An installation handle, included with the Sistine 4XC, allows you to comfortably hold the in-ceiling speaker in position during complicated overhead installations.
With easy pre-installation access, our spring-loaded binding posts feature a large 4.5mm wire access hole and connect via banana plug, pin, or 10AWG bare wire.
Sistine 4XC features an ultra-low profile, paintable, micro-perforated grilles with no visible bezel for a near-invisible integration into any wall or ceiling. A series of powerful magnets hidden inside the speaker quickly secure grilles into place, reducing the risk of warping or damage during installation. Optional square grilles are available for the Sistine 4XC.
Vojtko Crossovers are named after MartinLogan's chief audio technologist, Joe Vojtko.
His unique approach to crossover design is just as crucial to MartinLogan's Truth in Sound as are our innovative electrostatic and Folded Motion thin-film driver technologies. A Vojtko Crossover isn't just a set of design requirements; it's a philosophy.
Vojtko Crossovers are hand-built from the highest quality components and avoid overly complex topologies. This crossover has a straightforward objective: breathtaking realism.
In designing each crossover topology, we take the drivers themselves into consideration. Carefully selected drivers, engineered for specific performance characteristics, are kept within their optimal frequency range by the custom Vojtko Crossover.
Each crossover is handcrafted using exceptional polypropylene and polyester capacitors, custom wound and large steel laminate low-DCR inductors, and double thick PCBs. This precision-tuned network preserves even the most microscopic sonic nuances while handling the full dynamics of any source. It's a recipe for vanishingly low distortion and seamless driver integration.
The most critical aspect of a Vojtko Crossover design is the final voicing, always conducted in a real-world environment. This uniquely pragmatic approach guarantees that even the most amazing MartinLogan loudspeakers, like the massive Statement 40XW, deliver Truth in Sound in any room, including yours.
Pre-installation brackets are available for every model in the Masterpiece CI Series, except for the Statement 40XW, which requires unique considerations for installation.
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Frequency Response |
63–25,000 Hz ± 3 dB |
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Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical) |
30° x 80° |
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Sensitivity |
92 dB @ 2.83 volts/ meter |
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Impedance |
4 ohms. Compatible with |
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High Frequency Driver |
1.25 x 2.4 inch (3.2 x 6.1 cm) |
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Crossover Frequency |
400, 2250 Hz |
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Mid-Frequency Drivers |
Two 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) black |
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Low Frequency Driver |
8-inch (20.3 cm) black unidirectional |
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Controls |
Tweeter Level (dB): +2, –2, 0 |
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Components |
Custom air core coil inductors, |
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Suitable Amplifier Range |
20–300 watts |
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Max Power Handling |
150 watts |
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Binding Post Inputs |
Push style |
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Weight |
13.5 lb (6.1 kg) |
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Dimensions (overall size) |
12.8 x 7.5 inch |
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Required Wall Opening (includes tolerance) |
11.46 inch |
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Projection From Wall Surface |
0.26 inch |
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Depth Behind Wall Surface |
7.2 inch |
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Optional Accessories |
Pre-install bracket (PN: C8HTBRK) |