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Stylos User's Manual
It has long been the practice of stereo buffs to connect
their television to the stereo system. The advantage was
the use of the larger speakers and more powerful
amplifier of the stereo system. Even though the sound
was greatly improved, it was still mono and limited by the
broadcast signal.
In the late 1970's and early '80's two new home movie
formats became widely available to the public; VCR and
laser disc.
By 1985, both formats had developed into very high
quality audio/video sources. In fact, the sonic perfor-
mance of some video formats exceeded audio-only
formats. Now, with theatre quality sound available at
home, the only element missing was the "surround
sound" presentation found in movie houses.
Fortunately, "Dolby" encoded movies (which includes
almost all movies) have the same surround sound
information encoded on home releases as the theatre
films. All that is required to retrieve this information is a
decoder and additional speakers to reproduce it.
As home theatre is a complex purchase, we recommend
that you consult your local Martin-Logan dealer as he is
well versed in home theatre. The following list and
descriptions will only give you a brief outline as to the
responsibilities and demands placed on each speaker.
Front Left and Right.
Front Left and Right.
Front Left and Right.
Front Left and Right.
Front Left and Right. These speakers are the same
two used for audio only and should be of very good
quality. The front speakers need to be able to play
loud (over 102 dB) and reproduce bass below 80 Hz.
Center Channel.
Center Channel.
Center Channel.
Center Channel.
Center Channel. This is the most important speaker in
a video system as almost all of the dialogue is
reproduced through it. Also, a large portion of the
information that is reproduced by the front channel
speakers is reinforced by the center speaker. It is
important that the center speaker be designed by the
same manufacturer as the front speakers and is
recommended for use as a center speaker. This is
not the place to cut corners.
Surround Speakers.
Surround Speakers.
Surround Speakers.
Surround Speakers.
Surround Speakers. We recommend that the surround
speakers play down to 80 Hz or below. The surround
speakers contain the information that makes it
appear that planes are flying over your head. Some
may suggest that this is the place to save money and
purchase a small inexpensive speaker. If you choose
to do so, be prepared to upgrade in the future as
discrete six channel digital encoding becomes
available and the demands on the surround speak-
ers increase.
Subwoofer.
Subwoofer.
Subwoofer.
Subwoofer.
Subwoofer. Most movie soundtracks contain large
amounts of bass information as part of the special
effects. A good subwoofer will provide a foundation
for the rest of the system. Good subwoofers are very
complex and expensive to manufacture. We recom-
mend a subwoofer with a built in amplifier.
Each piece of a surround system can be purchased
separately. Take your time and buy quality. No one has
ever complained that the movie was too real.
Home Theatre
Surround Speaker
(dipole design)
Surround Speaker
(dipole design)
Front Speaker
Center Speaker
Subwoofer
Front Speaker
Subwoofer
Rear Projection
Television
