User manual POLK AUDIO PSW1200

[. . . ] IMPORTANT-- READ THIS MANUAL WE KNOW YOU ARE ANXIOUS TO PLUG IN YOUR HOT NEW TOY (THIS SUB) AND LET `ER RIP. BUT IF YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE HOOK-UP OPTIONS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS, YOU WILL ULTIMATELY GET BETTER PERFORMANCE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. PSW1200 OWNERS MANUAL Table of Contents PSW1200 features Subwoofer placement Connecting the subwoofer (general) Bass management/ speaker setup Inputs and outputs Hook up options chart AC Power controls Subwoofer adjustments Maintenance Hum Technical assistance Specifications Warranty 4 4 5 5-8 9-15 16-17 19 19-20 21 21 21 22 23 2 POLK AUDIO LIMITED WARRANTY Polk Audio, Inc. , warrants to the original purchaser only that the Amplifier in this Polk Audio Loudspeaker Product (the "Product") will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of original retail purchase from a Polk Audio Authorized Dealer. Polk Audio, Inc. , further warrants to the original purchaser only that the Loudspeaker(s) in this Polk Audio Product (the "Product") will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of five (5) years from the date of original retail purchase from a Polk Audio Authorized Dealer. The original retail purchaser shall hereinafter be referred to as "you. " However, this Warranty will automatically terminate prior to the expiration if you sell or otherwise transfer the Product to any other party. [. . . ] 1b) NEVER LAY THE SUBWOOFER ON THE AMPLIFIER END ­ THIS WILL DAMAGE THE AMPLIFIER. A poor blend will sound unnatural; you will be aware that the main and subwoofer speakers are separate units. In a well-blended system, the subwoofer will not call attention to itself; you will simply hear at lot more deep, tight, exciting bass. Experiment with alternate hook-up methods to find the one that works best for you. WHAT IS BASS MANAGEMENT AND HOW DO I USE IT? The PSW1200 is not magnetically shielded and should not be placed close to a television set. If you see any color distortion in your TV, move the subwoofer a few inches farther from the set. CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER TO THE SYSTEM--GENERAL Bass management involves moving bass signals from one speaker to another. For example, if you have a speaker that is not well suited to reproducing loud deep bass, bass management allows you to move that channel's bass to another speaker--generally to the subwoofer. The PSW1200 has some built-in bass management features for those systems that have no bass management facility at all, or for those whose facilities are inadequate for your needs. Dolby Pro Logic® receivers and processors usually have minimal bass management facilities. Dolby Digital® processors always have bass management features but the capabilities and operation may vary from model to model. The bass management system function in your receiver or processor is usually accessed through an on-screen display and may be called "Speaker Set-Up. " Some units use switches on the front and/or rear panels. Read your electronics' owner's manual to learn how to access your bass management/speaker setup features. Here is a list of the terms and choices you will find, and how they operate: The PSW1200 was designed to allow you to get the maximum bass performance from your stereo or home theater system, regardless of the type of equipment you have. Due to the broad range of equipment available, and the versatility of the PSW1200, we are not able to describe every possible hook up method. Start by understanding the issues and the capabilities of the PSW1200. From there, you should be able to determine the hook up method that is perfect for you. WHAT ARE THE GOALS? The first goal is to make sure that all the bass information on the recording gets to your speakers. Second, that the bass gets to the speakers that are best suited to reproduce it. And third that all the speakers in the system "blend" per- 5 BASS MANAGEMENT/SPEAKER SETUP SETTINGS DOLBY PRO LOGIC Wide­(center speaker only) The center speaker is sent a full-range signal: all the sounds that are on that channel will go to the center speaker. Normal­(center speaker only) Bass frequencies below 100Hz are filtered out of the center channel and sent to the Front and Subwoofer outputs. Phantom­(center speaker only) Not part of the bass management/speaker setup system at all. Subwoofer Output Jack­In Pro Logic units this output is nothing more than summed left and right front channels with a low pass (lets only bass through) filter, usually fixed at 80Hz. Because a fixed filter negates the Variable Low Pass Crossover function, one of your main bass "tuning" tools, you shouldn't use this output unless it is unfiltered. THX Variation­In THX certified Pro Logic receivers and processors, the front main speakers can also be selected as WIDE (LARGE) or NORMAL (SMALL). [. . . ] To connect wire to the binding post, unscrew the plastic hex nut on the binding post and insert the bare wire into the hole near the base of the binding post (Fig. Do not insert the insulated part of the wire into the hole, as this will not give you a good connection. Twist the hex nut back down the binding post until it firmly meets the wire. Do not over-tighten. 15 FIGURE 9. + ­ FRONT SPEAKER LEVEL OUT L R VARIABLE LOW PASS CROSSOVER + 40Hz 120Hz VARIABLE PHASE ALIGNMENT ­ 0° 180° 40HZ POWER AUTO OFF ON 80HZ FULL RANGE SWITCHABLE HIGH PASS CROSSOVER (SPEAKER LEVEL) SWITCHABLE HIGH PASS CROSSOVER (LINE LEVEL) 40HZ 80HZ ­ FRONT LEFT OUT FRONT RIGHT OUT + LEFT FRONT IN RIGHT FRONT IN L R LEFT REAR IN RIGHT REAR IN FRONT SPEAKER LEVEL IN CENTER 1 IN CENTER 2 IN 80 HZ 40 HZ LFE/SUBWOOFER IN FULL RANGE SPEAKER CONNECTIONS Speaker level hook up is often the most convenient method and may yield the best results, especially if the subwoofer is placed far from your electronics. [. . . ]