Designed and built for the most demanding home theater and stereo musical systems with proprietary amplifiers capable of delivering 1700 and 3400 peak watts of total power.
Denver, CO – CEDIA 2013 – September 26-28 – Sound Room #SR-2 – MartinLogan, the world's leader in electrostatic and Folded Motion™ loudspeaker technology, proudly announces two powerful and accurate new subwoofers. The BalancedForce 210 and BalancedForce 212 subwoofers feature PBK room correction and custom tailored low pass filters for MartinLogan floor standing speakers. Additional features include a host of new internal and aesthetic design elements, dual aluminum cone woofers, and powerful 850 watt (1700 watt peak) amplifiers.
BalancedForce 210 and 212 Subwoofers Features Include:
- Rigid, Low-Mass Aluminum Element Woofers
- BalancedForce™ Woofer Alignment
- PBK Room Correction (sold separately) and Built-In 25Hz Level Control
- Custom Low-Pass Filters For Specific Individual Loudspeaker Models
- Two Proprietary High-Power Amplifiers Delivering a System Peak of 3400 Watts (BalancedForce 212)
- Proprietary High-Power Amplifier Delivering 1700 Watts Peak (BalancedForce 210)
- Simultaneous LFE and 2-Channel Connection (via RCA, XLR, and Speaker Level Inputs)
- Sealed Cabinet Enclosure
- Top Mounted Control Interface
- Tone Sweep to Help Identify Room Rattles and Resonances
- 12-Volt Trigger Control
- ETC™ (Energy Transfer Coupler) Spikes
Aluminum Element Woofers and BalancedForce™ Alignment for Clean Bass
Dual low-distortion woofers pair a high-power magnet structure with 10- and 12-inch aluminum cone diaphragms to deliver huge excursion and sound output while preserving minute bass details, all without a hint of distortion. The cone material's exceptional damping properties ensure the smooth, non-resonant response necessary for seamless blending with high-resolution full-range loudspeakers.
These woofers, spaced 180 degrees apart in a 'BalancedForce' configuration, operate in exact opposition, to nullify distortion causing cabinet vibrations and deliver pure bass energy. Traditional subwoofer enclosures suffer from an equal and opposite reaction to the cone's movement, generating acoustic vibrations within the cabinet. You feel this by touching the cabinet. Although the "physics" of this phenomenon actually cause a subwoofer cabinet to resonate or even dance, most subwoofer designers apply weight or mass to the cabinet to minimize such disturbances, but still leave one byproduct—"smeared bass". BalancedForce is an elegantly simple solution that removes the variable of cabinet vibration contributions from the acoustic equation.
PBK Room Correction (sold separately) and Built-In 25Hz Level Control
Although correct placement plays a key role in optimizing subwoofer performance, positioning a subwoofer often requires compromises. The optional MartinLogan Perfect Bass Kit (PBK, sold separately) uses a computer and microphone to listen throughout the listening environment and tailor the sub's performance to the unique acoustic properties of a room—resulting in clean, powerful bass down to the lowest frequencies. Additionally, a built-in 25Hz level control allows listeners to adjust subwoofer output by ±10dB and compensate for excessive room gain by cutting output in the 20- to 30-Hz range, or to accentuate the feeling of deep-bass energy by augmenting those frequencies.
Custom Low-Pass Filters for Individual Loudspeaker Models
Custom tailored low pass filters are available for nearly every floor standing MartinLogan loudspeaker released in the last 30 years. These optional custom filters adjust the subwoofer's low pass settings to seamlessly blend with the roll-off characteristics of individual loudspeaker models. Filters are easily installed via a user-friendly process involving a USB thumb drive and are available for free download from MartinLogan.com/filters. 46 unique filters are currently available and additional filters will be added as new speakers are released.
Advanced Ultra-Efficient Amplifier Design
BalancedForce subs match powerful proprietary switching amps with incredible woofer drivers resulting in tightly defined bass while keeping distortion at the lowest possible levels. The BalancedForce 210 features an 850-watt class-D switching amplifier capable of a 1700-watt dynamic peak operating at over 90% efficiency. BalancedForce 212 features dual 850-watt amplifiers (one for each woofer) with a total system power of 1700-watts (3400-watts dynamic peak).
Low-noise, high-power transformers and switching power supplies feature high-quality MOSFET transistors, noise-suppression networks, and control circuitry to provide tremendous levels of current with extremely low levels of distortion. Split power supply rails minimize distortion while maximizing switching efficiency. Military grade glass epoxy circuit boards, temperature sensors, and protection circuitry guarantee quality sound and reliable trouble-free operation.
Simultaneous LFE and 2-Channel Connections for Seamless System Integration
Robust connection and control systems allow simultaneous connection of both 2-channel stereo music and multi-channel home theater and allows each source to have individual crossover and level settings, giving listeners a perfect performance in every application. LFE input via RCA or XLR effectively uses no low-pass filter, leaving crossover control to the processor. Left and right RCA, XLR, and speaker level inputs integrate discrete user-adjustable or speaker specific custom-installed audiophile grade low-pass filters allowing different level and crossover points when playing back two channel music.
Sealed System
Although ports are a convenient and cost-effective way of increasing low-frequency output, their reliance on resonant energy impairs bass quality. The BalancedForce subwoofer's sealed system exhibits less transient-blurring group delay while maintaining smooth, consistent response, regardless of music or movie source material.
Additional Features
Top mounted controls are discretely hidden beneath a smoked glass accent panel allowing easy access to fine tune the subwoofer's settings.
A unique tone sweep feature assists users in locating areas in listening rooms where troublesome rattles or resonances may occur. A single press of a button allows listeners to initiate a tone sweep from 120–20Hz. If a rattle or resonance occurs in the room a second press of the button holds the current frequency allowing the listener to investigate and identify the source.
An 'On/Auto (Trigger)/Off' switch controls the subwoofer's energy saving feature. The 'On' setting prevents the sub from entering energy saving mode. When set to 'Auto (Trigger)', the sub will turn on when a music signal is detected and off after several minutes without a signal. If a 12-volt trigger is connected, the triggering device will turn the subwoofer on and off.
Further flexibility is afforded by custom energy transfer coupler (ETC™) spikes, which can enhance stability on thick carpets, or create tighter coupling between subwoofer and floor to enhance overall sound quality.
Finish Options & Availability
MartinLogan's BalancedForce 210 and 212 subwoofers begin shipping in Fall 2013. High-gloss black cabinets are standard. Top trim is available in a variety of high-gloss and wood finishes. BalancedForce 210 starts at $2,995/each and BalancedForce 212 starts at $3,995/each. PBK room correction is sold separately ($99 US MSRP).
These new BalancedForce 210 and 212 subwoofers represent a revolutionary step forward in subwoofer design. For more information on the new BalancedForce subwoofers from MartinLogan, please visit: www.martinlogan.com/balancedforce.