ACI Sapphire 3-LE Owners manual

Sapphire III LE

Reference Monitor

Owner's Manual

Table of Contents:

Guarantee/Warranty …2
Specifications …4
Design Philosophy …5
Using your Speakers …8
Avoiding Damage …9
Hookup …10
Positioning the Sapphire III LEs …11
Adding Subwoofers …12
Troubleshooting …13
Warranty Registration …15

Audio Concepts, Inc.

901 South 4th Street, La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Website: www.audioc.com Email: [e-mail]

All Rights Reserved 2001

Sound that Satisfies…

Audio Concepts, Inc.

Our Guarantee and Warranty

Satisfaction Guaranteed:

We’re sure you’re going to love your new Audio Concepts, Inc. (ACI)
products! In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied, please contact us
within 30 days of receipt of your ACI products for a hassle-free return.

1. Return Authorization: Call us at [phone] or email [e-mail], within 30 days of

receipt of your ACI products for a return authorization number. Clearly mark the return authorization
number on the outside of the box. Include a brief note stating your name, address and daytime
telephone number, along with a short description why the products are being returned.

2. Returning: We request that you return the ACI products to us in their original packaging and

include packaging materials, manuals, etc. Ship by the most economical means (preferably UPS)
and insure the products for the invoice purchase price. The customer is responsible for return
shipping. Please note: ACI does not accept C.O.D. returns.

3. Credit: Upon receipt and inspection, we will issue a refund for the invoice purchase price and

invoiced UPS Ground service only. Please note this return policy is in effect only if the ACI products
are in new condition, in their original packaging, without drilled holes, disassembled or any other
modifications.

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Speaker Manufacture’s Warranty:

For five years from receipt, Audio Concepts, Inc. will, at its option, repair or
replace factory defective components. This warranty does not apply to products that
have been abused, modified, or disassembled in any way. This warranty does not
apply to products, which have been damaged in shipping. Audio Concepts, Inc. liability
is limited only to the replacement of defective parts. No other liabilities or obligations
are written or implied.

Return Authorization: Call us at [phone] or email [e-mail] for a return

1.

authorization number. Clearly mark the return authorization number on the outside of the box.
Include a brief note stating your name, address and daytime telephone number, along with a short
description why the products are being returned.
Returning: Carefully repack defective ACI merchandise. Ship by the most economical means

2.

(preferably UPS) and insure the products. The customer is responsible for return shipping. Please

note: ACI does not accept C.O.D. returns.

Replacement: Audio Concepts, Inc. will inspect and determine the cause of failure and will pay

3.

return shipping on the defective goods replaced or repaired.

The above stated guarantee and warranty applies only to assembled speaker

models purchased directly from Audio Concepts, Inc. A different warranty and
guarantee applies to purchasers of parts kits and DIY components.

Please ship any returns to the following address:

Audio Concepts, Inc., 901 So. 4th Street, La Crosse, WI 54601 [phone]

IMPORTANT NOTICE

All new speakers require a minimum of 60 hours break-in-time before
they sound the way they are supposed to. A speaker's performance improves
significantly once broken in. It is critical that you have at least 60 hours on your
speakers before you evaluate them. Don't worry if your speakers do not sound perfect
the first time you play them. This is normal until they are broken in. If you are having
difficulty getting enough hours on your speakers and your 30 day return privilege is
getting near, call us. We will work with you. Please give us the courtesy of breaking
the speakers in before you determine they don't sound right.

Many of our customers break their speakers in by:

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A) Leaving them on at moderate listening levels when they are not home.
B) Leaving them on at moderate listening levels while they sleep.
C) Running pink noise through them.

These methods are not convenient for everyone and we understand this. But
please know that you are not giving yourself, your speakers or us a fair chance if you
do not break them in before critical evaluation.

THANK YOU!

The Sapphire III LE

Thank you for your order and congratulations on becoming the owner of an ACI
speaker system. These fine speakers will provide you with many years of listening pleasure!

ACI speakers are designed to be the most cost-effective systems available. Read the
reviews. The Sapphire III has the reputation of being the best value, stand mounted monitor
that money can buy and is frequently compared to very expensive high-end monitors. By
purchasing directly from the factory you eliminate costly markups. You will find that your
Sapphire III LEs will compare favorably with systems costing far more!

Now, ACI takes the next step with a completely redesigned LE series cabinet. What we
have is a new Sapphire cabinet design that not only looks extremely elegant, but improves
performance as well. The front panel is now 1" thick with bracing and the sides are 1 1/2"
multiple density construction. This new LE cabinet is 50% heavier than the Sapphire III! The
look is, well, gorgeous! As important to us, the new cabinet further refines the sound. The new
improved, heavy, multi-density cabinet improves resolution, transparency, image size, image
specificity, and tonality. Many listeners might not immediately hear the difference. However,
audiophiles and music lovers looking for the absolute finest musical reproduction will find the
improvements to be very worthwhile. An audiophile favorite just got even better!

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We’ll put the Sapphire III LE against any speaker in the world for overall balance and
musicality. The Sapphire III LE has phenomenal detail and resolution yet it does not have the
somewhat harsh quality that many detailed sounding speakers have. It is extremely coherent
from top to bottom and its dynamic range is very good for a small monitor system.

Those who wish to have a truly full-range system will want to add either the Quake,
Titan or Titan II powered subwoofer(s). These subwoofers are adjustable for a perfect match
with the Sapphire III LEs. The addition of one of these subwoofers allows for the accurate
reproduction of the lowest musical tones and increases the output capability of the system.

The Sapphire III LE is the result of ongoing research and development by Mike Dzurko
of Audio Concepts, Inc. and Bob Clark of Clark Specialties.

Specifications

Frequency response: 64-20kHz ±3db, anechoic, (actual useable in-room bass response will
extend cleanly to 40-45Hz)

Nominal impedance: 6 ohms, minimum impedance: 4.7 ohms
Sensitivity: 90db 1 watt/1 meter
Bass-loading: Aperiodic Bessel alignment
Recommended RMS Power: 30 to 200 watts per channel
Tweeter: Hand-damped silk 28 mm dome with aperiodic rear chamber, cast face plate and

ferro-fluid.
Bass-mid: Cast-frame 7” kevlar sandwich cone with rubber surround, vented low-distortion
motor design and dual voice coils.
Cabinet: MDF Construction: 1” Front Panel, 3/4” Top, Bottom and Rear. Multiple density sides
include 3/4” MDF with added 3/4” solid hardwood sides. Internally damped with Dacron.
Finishes: Clear lacquer on American oak or black oak. (Optional cherry, maple, walnut and
rosewood finishes also available).

Inputs: Dual gold plated heavy-duty five-way binding posts to facilitate most cables and
terminations.

Dimensions: 16” tall, 10-1/2” wide and 13” deep
Weight: 30lbs

Recommended accessories: Atlantis or Sanus Systems stands, Quake, Titan or Titan II

Powered Subwoofers.

Design Philosophy for the Sapphire III LE

Modern speaker design is a combination of science, art and sweat. A successful
design such as the Sapphire III LE requires thousands of hours utilizing computer modeling,
several generations of prototypes, precision testing, critical listening and many “fine tunings”.

Our design goals for the Sapphire III LE were to produce a compact, attractive speaker
with smooth, uncolored, wide-range response, holographic stereo imaging, good sensitivity,
high power handling, and long term enjoyability. The Sapphire III LE is the most advanced
model of a speaker family first produced in 1988. The Sapphire III LE had to be a true
“monitor” that could be optionally used with subwoofers. And, as an ACI product it had to sell
for far less than the state-of-the-art monitors it would compete with. We are pleased to have
achieved and in some areas exceeded our goals by systematically engineering and refining
the Sapphire III LE to optimize performance. Please note the following factors:

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Frequency Response:

For a speaker to be considered “accurate” it must have a smooth frequency response
that is free of major dips, peaks, troughs or plateaus. The Sapphire III LEs exhibit
exceptionally flat response throughout the range from below 65Hz to 20kHz. The dual-voice
coiled woofer provides excellent bass performance at all but subwoofer frequencies.

Of nearly equal importance is the off-axis response of the speaker. This response from
15 to 45 degrees off the axis of the speaker determines the smoothness of the early reflections
from the wall surfaces. In most domestic listening situations this energy is nearly equal to the
on-axis response in determining the balance of the system. The off-axis response should show
a gradual decrease in output with increased frequency but should not show major dips or
peaks which will color the overall sound. Again, the Sapphire III LE gives an exemplary off-axis
dispersion pattern.

Tight quality control procedures are necessary to assure that your Sapphire III LEs
sound every bit as good as our lab samples. Incoming shipments of raw parts including
cabinet materials, drivers and crossover components are subject to extensive testing to verify
that they meet our exacting standards. Precise quality control is critical for the best stereo
imaging. Drivers are selected to closely match the standard, and crossover components are
hand selected to better than 1% tolerance.

Dynamic range:

Dynamic range in a speaker requires;

• Adequate sensitivity so that it may be driven to realistic levels with available amplification.

The C-weighted sensitivity for the Sapphire III LE is 90db, which is three to eight db better
than many small monitors! The Sapphire III LE will not have to be driven as hard as less
efficient monitors.

• An easy load for the amplifier. A speaker can have a high sensitivity number but may

present a difficult load for the driving amplifier. The Sapphire III LE has a nominal
impedance of 6ohms. The minimum impedance is 4.6 ohms and the maximum impedance

is 9.2 ohms. Some speakers have wildly varying impedance phase curves that can cause
problems for amplifiers. The phase of the Sapphire III LEs impedance helps make the
Sapphire III LE an easy load for any amplifier.

• Low distortion drive units are necessary to keep the music from becoming edgy or gritty as

the volume is turned up. The drive units used in the Sapphire III LE have very linear
suspensions, which reduce distortion components to inaudible levels and contribute to the
excellent sense of “clarity”. The crossover used keeps low frequencies out of the tweeter
and protects it from over-excursion at resonance, which would otherwise cause increased
distortion.

Good power handling is a requirement if musical peaks are to be reproduced cleanly and
without damage to the speaker. The drive units in the Sapphire III LE are extremely rugged
and will cleanly reproduce the dynamics of live music.

Time domain performance:

Traditional frequency response testing does not give us a clue as to the time domain
performance of a speaker. For this we need to look at impulse response, cumulative spectral
decays, step response and square wave response data as well as phase measurements.

When we are looking at the time domain response of a speaker we are looking at how
well the speaker stops and starts when fed by an electrical system. Speakers with non­minimum phase type crossovers “smear” transient signals.

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In the above impulse responses the Sapphire III LE, has a very coherent and compact
impulse. All the energy is delivered quickly. The competition, (a 24db/oct. Linkwitz-Riley MTM
configuration in a speaker using similar drive units as the Sapphire III LE), delivers a series of
nearly equal energy “mini” impulse spread out over time. The tweeter “speaks” first, followed
by a cancellation as the dual bass-mids begin to “speak”, followed by a series of smaller
impulses. A musical analogy would be similar to having different instruments in an ensemble
playing slightly out of time with each other. Peter Aczel, writing in The Audio Critic, said this
about the original Sapphire, “In our laboratory tests, the most outstanding characteristic of the

Sapphire was its response to square pulses, which we swept from 1 ms. width to about 125
us. We have never seen more coherent waveshapes and fewer trailing squiggles coming out
of any loudspeaker with a crossover.”

Virtually all speaker designers agree that without doing a good job with Frequency
response, and Dynamic range, a speaker will just not be good enough for serious musical

listening. However, the limit of audibility for Time domain performance is still open to debate.
Some very good engineers believe that the impulse or step response shape of a speaker is
not important. We know for sure that delayed resonances are quite audible and can make a
speaker sound “colored”, “harsh”, etc., as well as ruin the imaging. Since all speakers have
some delayed resonance the question becomes just how much is tolerable and how to
eliminate or damp the delayed resonance that cause audible problems.

You might ask, “Why not just optimize a speaker for perfect Frequency response,
Dynamic range and Time domain response?” Not that simple. Speaker design is a matter of
tradeoffs, (the art part of design). For example, using higher-order crossover filters will surely
improve the power handling of a speaker by keeping more energy out of the tweeter. A higher­order filter may also be successfully employed to yield a very smooth frequency response. But
a higher-order filter will cause problems with the Time domain response of the system, (go
back and look at the step and impulse response of the system using higher-order filters).

The minimum-phase design also results in a narrower vertical “sweet spot” than higher
order designs. Sitting or standing significantly lower or higher than this “sweet spot” results in a
less than optimum frequency response and a defocused stereo image. This is not a problem
for most music lovers. With the Sapphire III LE mounted on its 24” stand it will be at the correct
listening height for a seated listener. A standing listener may notice some loss of depth and
slight midrange coloration. The music will still be enjoyable for the standing person, just not as
“perfect”. Keep in mind that for serious listening the best response will be with the listener
seated. All speakers using minimal-phase crossovers have this requirement.

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In our design of the Sapphire III LE we determined that we would make Time domain
response a major priority. Specifically, we determined that we would design and use drivers

and an enclosure that would allow a minimum-phase type crossover. To successfully
implement a minimum-phase type design like the Sapphire III LE requires the use of wide­bandwidth drivers with well-controlled response beyond their passband. The specially
designed silk dome tweeter features a very low and well-damped resonance to allow a
seamless transition down to the bass-mid driver. The Sapphire III LE also employs a “trap” at
resonance to significantly reduce the high excursions, (and resulting distortions), that are
typical in speakers using less advanced first-order crossovers.

The ultimate control of delayed resonance required extensive use of Cumulative
Spectral Decay analysis coupled with accelerometer testing of the cabinet wall surfaces
allowing us to develop a sophisticated system of internal cross-bracing. The entire cabinet is
formed of an incredibly inert and well-damped Willamette MDF specified at 49.3 pounds per
cubic foot density. Strategically placed bracing further stiffens the cabinet. The Focal woofer
and Scan Speak tweeter were designed with effective resonance control in mind. The tweeter
uses a hand-damped fabric-silk dome, and a rigid face plate. The bass-mid unit uses a rigid
cast chassis with a well-damped cone “sandwich” of kevlar and fabric. A carefully selected
amount of ACI damping material provides nearly 30% better control at critical mid-bass
frequencies than common damping materials.

Our experience has been that speakers with good frequency response but poor time
domain behavior often sound fine initially. However, poor Time domain response often
contributes to “listening fatigue”. Psychoacoustic research indicates that the ear-brain
mechanism is able to “mask” time domain errors so that we don’t perceive them directly.
But...the more problems the ear-brain has to “correct”, the sooner the sound becomes irritating
and listening fatigue sets in. Other factors contribute to listening fatigue as well. Any major
peaks in the frequency response which cause the music to sound “shrill”, “hard” or “boomy”

will have a listener reaching to turn down the volume. Amplifiers that are overdriven and poor
quality recordings are also major contributors to listening fatigue.

It has also been our experience that all else being equal, a minimum-phase type of
design often yields the most accurate three-dimensional stereo image. Sound sources are
placed correctly in width, height and depth according to how the recording was made. Certain
types of systems may yield more spectacular imaging “effects” but are surreal in comparison.

Our last reason for making Time domain response a priority is the exceptional
resolution of the subtle musical details that are often masked in speakers with poorer Time
domain response. Details like the sound of fingers or bows on strings, the vocalist’s breath and
the mechanical sounds that some instruments make. Combined with imaging precision, these
details greatly enhance the sense of listening to “real” music.

We’ve attempted to show you some of the important design considerations that go into the
Sapphire III LE system. To fully document the design process would require many hundreds of
pages. We haven’t even discussed the extremely high level of quality control that must be
exercised in the drivers, crossovers and enclosure to maintain the design standards. But the
most important point is that the Sapphire III LEs are designed and built by and for music
lovers. You must hear the Sapphire III LE system reproduce your favorite music over a period
of time to appreciate how fine these speakers are.

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Using Your Speakers

If the rest of your system does not work properly or is not correctly connected you will not get
the best performance from your system. To eliminate problems we recommend the following:

I. Use the finest associated components you can afford. Turntable, cartridges,

pre-amps, amplifiers, (receivers) and cables all have profound impact on the
sound of your system. Accurate speakers let more detail through. You will hear
more of the beauty of the music, but flaws in your system and or source
material may be more obvious.

Any good audio system is made up of matched components. You wouldn’t use
bargain recap tires on a new Porshe, and you shouldn’t use inferior
components with a high quality speaker. Your Sapphire III LEs perform like
speakers costing two to four times their price. Keep this in mind when selecting
the rest of your system.

Your Sapphire III LEs will work in systems with as little as 30 watts per channel.
But for optimum sound we recommend high-quality amplification of 50 - 200
watts per channel.

II. Know your source material. People often blame their audio gear for poor

recordings. A great number of popular recordings are of inferior sound quality.
Unfortunately this applies to records, tapes and CDs. Commonly poor
recordings are rolled off in the low bass, and harsh and constricted in the mids
and highs. Good stereo image is rare. Many recordings are still done on old
studio monitor speakers that are grossly inaccurate. Consider that some
producers still mix recordings to sound best on cheap table and car radios! This
doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these recordings, but you should try a few of the
best audiophile recordings just to see how terrific your system can be when fed
a good signal.

III. Work at getting the best placement of your speakers in their environment. It is

not unusual to be able to get a 25 to 50 percent improvement in sound by
careful placement of speakers and furniture. It may not be practical to go all out,
but the more you can “tune” your room, the better your system will sound. Refer
to the section on placement and room treatment later in this section.

Avoiding Damage

ACI speakers are designed for the purpose of accurate reproduction of music in the home. We
do our best to make our speakers rugged and reliable. However, ANY speaker or system may
be damaged under certain conditions:

-Excessive power, particularly at certain frequencies or for prolonged periods of time

-Excessive distortion often caused by under-powered amplifiers or receivers

-Defective amplification

-Excessive subsonic energy

Our systems are tested at high volume levels with a variety of amplifiers and receivers
before a design is approved. With many years of testing, we know it is virtually impossible to
damage a component without the system first giving audible warning in the form of distortion.
We also know that true factory defects are extremely rare, less than one in 10,000 drivers.
Here are some considerations to keep in mind to avoid damaging your drivers:

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-Even though a system may be rated for 100 watts or more it is very easy to damage it with a
low power receiver. When an amplifier runs out of power, it “clips”. This clipping produces large
amounts of distortion which sends excessive energy particularly to the midrange and tweeter.
This clipping distortion accounts for more than 75% of all tweeter failures. How do you know if
the amplifier is clipping? Volume knob placement does NOT indicate much. Some receivers
reach full output well before 12:00 on the dial. Use of the loudness button, bass boost and
treble boost can all drive the receiver and then the speaker into distortion at fairly low levels.

-Many of today’s recordings including CDs contain extremely powerful low bass. This low bass
can easily drive woofers into over-excursion or cause the amplifier to run out of power and clip,
causing tweeter or midrange damage.

-Our systems are designed for accurate sound. Our rate of damage or failure is extremely low.
We could make the systems even more rugged if we were to compromise sound quality.
Moving the crossover points upward would protect midrange and tweeters better while causing
a loss of detail, clarity and imaging. The cabinets and woofers could be designed to roll-off the
low bass which would protect the woofers but this would lessen the low bass response and
clarity. Protection devices could be added in the crossovers which would shut the system
down when damaging power or distortion was present but every one of these devices audibly
degrades the sound!

You can protect your speakers by following a couple of very simple guidelines:

• If it sounds at all distorted, turn it down. Distortion is a warning sign that should not be

ignored.

• Don’t use tone controls or equalizers if possible. IF you must use them, monitor the system

carefully.

• Beware the party damage epidemic. Speakers are more often damaged during parties. All

those bodies soak up sound, requiring more output to sound as loud, bass and treble

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controls are sometimes cranked up and nobody is listening for distortion.

• Watch out for energy put out by the amplifier in the range below 20Hz which is not music.

Examples include record warps, DC current and subsonic noise in the recording. These
signals can take up a lot of amplifier power which means the amplifier runs out of steam
very early. These signals can also overload a speaker even though you can’t hear them. If
you have ever watched a cone “flap” you know just what we mean.

• Vented speakers are particularly sensitive to signals below their F

point. The average

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vented box that can handle 100 watts at 50Hz may handle less than 5-10 watts below
25Hz! Sealed box speakers with low Qts. numbers have a similar characteristic although
not as severe. Low organ or synthesizer notes may cause an otherwise excellent woofer to
bottom out at relatively low input levels.

• Keep an eye out for excessive cone movement that is not producing music. Find the

source of the problem and eliminate it, play at low levels, or use a subsonic filter (usually in
your pre-amp) which will filter out energy below 20Hz. However, use of a subsonic filter
may take away from the naturalness of bass sounds. We don’t recommend it for extremely
critical listening.

In over twenty four years of daily evaluation of all types of speakers on everything from 10 to
1000 watts with all kinds of music, we have never damaged a driver without first hearing
audible distortion. If it sounds bad, turn it down and you will never damage a speaker. Refer to
the break-in recommendations at the end of this manual.

Hookup

Your Sapphire III LEs are furnished with five-way type binding posts. You may choose
to utilize spade lugs, banana jacks, pins, or bare wire. It is important that the positive and
negative leads do not touch. If you use bare leads, be sure to twist them tightly and insert
through holes in such a manner that they do not fray or short out against each other. Good
connections are important, so make sure any ends are tightly crimped and preferably soldered
to the wire ends. Speaker wires should be kept as short as possible, (long wires add
excessive resistance and color the sound.) The use of quality wire is recommended. ACI
stocks and recommends the Silver Sonics from DH-Labs.

Make sure you hookup the speakers in the correct polarity. The red (positive) terminal
on your amp should hook up to the red binding post, and the black terminal should be
connected to the black binding post. Keep this the same for both speakers in a stereo pair. A
way to check the correct polarity is to play music with a lot of bass. The correct hookup will
yield the greatest amount of bass.

The Sapphire III LE crossovers are built with two pairs of binding posts per speaker to
allow bi-wiring. Bi-wiring requires two pairs of speaker cables. From the factory these posts
are connected with a jumper to enable conventional hookup. To bi-wire, remove the jumpers
and use a bi-wire cable or two speaker cables to hook each set of posts to your amplifier. The
upper posts are for the tweeter and the lower posts are for the bass-midrange driver.

Speaker Grills

Your Sapphire III LEs are supplied with cloth covered grills which enhance the
appearance of your speakers and provide some protection for the drive units. The inside and
outside edges of the grills are shaped to reduce unwanted high-frequency reflections. To

protect the drivers we recommend leaving the grills in place most of the time. However, for the
most critical listening we suggest you remove the grills.

Positioning the Sapphire III LEs

As mentioned, the proper placement of speakers in your room will easily improve the
sound. Because all of our rooms and tastes are different, it is impossible to specify a “correct”
placement. Instead, let us present you with some acoustical facts, then you can optimize
placement in your room.

It helps to visualize sound waves as behaving very much like water waves. The sound
we hear is made up of two types of waves. Direct sound waves come right from the speaker
and are not changed in any way. Reflected waves come to us after bouncing (diffracting) off
the speaker enclosure itself, or walls, ceiling, floor or furniture. If you want to see how much
these reflected waves affect the sound, move your speakers outside and hear the difference.

Sound waves come in different lengths; the lower the note, the longer the wave.
Extreme low frequencies such as the lowest organ pedal notes are over 60 feet long! If your
room is not big enough, the wave can’t develop fully. But the biggest problem with bass notes
is the phenomenon we call standing waves. In effect the waves more or less “pile up”. This
creates big peaks and dips in the bass response. If you put a certain frequency through the
speakers, you can usually walk around the room and find places where it is very loud, and
places where you perceive virtually nothing.

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Just as the room affects the bass response, so it affects the mid-treble sound of the
system. In the mid-treble range, the sound waves are shorter and have peaks and dips, most
of the affects (peaks and dips) occur from enclosure edges, furniture, walls, or the floor.
Sapphire III LEs exhibit the deepest image when placed away from walls and furniture. The
shorter wavelengths of the mids and highs are more easily absorbed than the longer
wavelengths of low frequencies. This is why a bare room sounds so harsh compared to a
room with a lot of stuffed furniture, carpets, drapes, etc.

An ideal setup for sound would be achieved if you could:

• Choose a room with width, height and length dimensions that are not multiples of each

other. (A cube would be the worst!) Good numbers might be something like, height = 8
feet, width = 15 feet, and length = 26 feet.

• Choose a room that has an irregular shape, non-parallel walls cut down on standing

waves.

• Place the speakers so that the woofer cones are at irregular distances to the floor, walls

and ceiling. This can be difficult. Use a tape to measure the distance from the center of the
woofer to the room boundaries. Move the woofers around till you have cut down on the
number of related distances. (You don’t want distances like 12 and 24”, but more like 12
and 22”). Use the distance from the woofer to the boundaries to increase or decrease bass
output. Sticking the speaker in the corner or close to walls will give more bass output than
putting the speaker out into the room. You can use this to get the best balance between
bass output and upper range output.

• Use absorbent materials to help smooth upper-range response and improve transient

response and clarity. Why? Let’s take the sound of a bell for example. First you will hear
the direct sound from the speaker. But some of that sound bounces from wall-to-wall,

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ceiling-to-floor, off furniture, etc. before it reaches your ears milliseconds later. Because
the time difference is short, you don’t hear an echo, but the sound of the bell is stretched
out from something like a “ding” to a “ddiiinngg”. Some speaker engineers have begun to
realize this and are addressing the problem in their latest designs. This is why we are now
seeing very directional designs. This controlled directionality increases the amount of direct
sound in proportion to reflected sound.

• Place speakers as far as possible from other furniture and room boundaries. Keeping the

mids and tweeters away from the floor is particularly important. For stereo use the
Sapphire III LEs are designed to sound best when the optional Atlantis or Sanus Systems
stands are used. These stands can be sand filled and are highly recommended. For center
channel video use the Sapphire III LE will ideally be positioned directly under or above the
video screen. When used above the screen it may be a good idea to tilt the Sapphire III
LE forward a few degrees in an attempt to maintain the relative angle of the sloped front to
the listener.

• Use padded furniture and drapery when possible to cut down on reflections. Furniture has

the added bonus of helping to break up standing wave patterns in the bass.

• Use a symmetrical placement of the speakers in the room. Of course the distance between

the speakers is also important. In general, the further back your listening position, the
farther apart should be your speakers.

In most rooms you will want the Sapphire III LEs placed between five and eight feet apart.
Experiment! Too much distance will smear the image and it will seem like there is a hole in the
middle. Too small a distance will compress the image. Experiment with facing the speakers
straight into the room or toed in slightly toward the listener. For video applications the left and
right speakers should be close to the edges of the screen.

Adding Subwoofers

Using subwoofers gives you some flexibility that you don’t have with an all in one system.
But it also requires some decisions.

• Choosing between the Quake, Titan & Titan II Powered Subs: All were

designed to mate perfectly with the Sapphire III LEs.

• The Quake, Titan & Titan II are self-powered subwoofers which makes them

an ideal add-on. Because the crossover frequency and output levels are
adjustable they can be easily integrated with the Sapphire III LEs in any
system. For the ultimate system two Titans can be used as true stereo
subwoofers. Call us at [phone] for help in deciding the best
subwoofer(s) for your needs.

• For the most coherent image the subwoofers should be relatively close to the

main speakers. Because of the electronic crossover in the Titan, the exact
placement is not as critical as with most subwoofers. In some rooms it is
possible to have the subwoofers as far as 15 feet from the satellites without ill
effects.

• Placing the subwoofers close to a wall will increase bass output. Moving the

subwoofers into a corner will increase bass output even further. Use the
placement to fine tune the amount of bass your system produces.

• If you take time you can usually find a way to get the main speakers away

from walls while optimizing the placement of the subwoofers for the best bass.

• Stereo subwoofers will usually yield the smoothest bass response when they

are placed asymmetrically in the room. A good way to start is with one in or
very near a room corner and the other subwoofer about 1/3 of the way along a
wall.

• Experiment with the phase of your subwoofers relative to your Sapphire III

LEs. Correct phase is dependent on the relative distances of the Sapphire III
LEs and Sub(s) to the listening position. Leave the Sapphire III LEs in their
normal phase, but try reversing the phase of the subwoofer(s). Use the phase
switch on the Quake, Titan and Titan II. The correct phase will sound the most
natural through the upper-bass range.

Remember, it’s what fits your room and sounds the best to you that counts. Position the
speakers to give you the sound you want.

Speaker Break-In ******Important!!!

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Allow at least 60 to 70 hours of playing time before your new ACI speakers will sound
their best. The adhesives and materials used in manufacturing must stretch and flex properly
before a speaker will sound its best. After break-in the bass will be tighter and go lower,
imaging and transparency will improve and the midrange and highs will sound smoother and
more natural.

Several suggestions for quicker break-in:

- Play the Sapphire III LEs at medium volume while away from home. A CD player on repeat
or FM radio works fine.

- Place the Sapphire III LEs grill-to-grill and reverse the polarity on ONE of the speakers.
Wiring them out-of-phase like this will cancel much of the sound and allow you to break them
in when the sound would otherwise be obtrusive.

Troubleshooting

Occasionally we get a call from someone who feels there is a problem with their ACI
speaker. At least a couple of times a year we will get a call or letter that goes something like
this: “Speaker not working properly, can’t get enough sound even with the volume turned way
up.” The problem may be different, but with this little information to go on it is almost
impossible to trouble shoot the problem “long distance”.

The following checklist may help:

1) Are all system hookups properly connected, not partial shorted wires, or reversed
connections, etc?

2) Did you try the rest of your system with other speakers to determine if the problem
exists with the speakers?

3) Please be realistic in your expectations. Our speakers offer excellent value but we
can’t beat the laws of physics. For instance, a medium sized speaker such as the

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Sapphire III LEs sounds excellent but will not play as loudly as a very large
speaker.

IF for any reason you aren’t satisfied with the sound you’re getting from your speakers we
want to know about it. Make sure the speakers have had adequate break-in time. Before you
call, write or email please try to narrow down the problem and eliminate other factors. If you
contact us we will need to know:

• The size of your room

• Where you have the speakers placed

• What other equipment is in your system

• Have you tried other speakers (which ones, and did they eliminate the problem)

• Any other specific symptoms or information you can provide

Our Customers are #1 with us, and we want you to be completely happy with your ACI
speakers!

The Company

Audio Concepts, Inc. (ACI), has been satisfying discerning music lovers since 1977.
Our goal has and always will be to provide exceptional product and service to music
enthusiasts around the world. Audio Concepts speakers are an expression of dedication to our
customers and their desire for accurate musical reproduction. We believe you must audition
speakers in your own home and in your own system. Please see the warranty statement for
details.

After listening, please fill out and return the warranty registration. This warranty
registration is important. It allows us to reach you in the event of future upgrades. The
comments you make on the warranty help us to continually improve our products and
customer service. Thank you!

Specifications and design are subject to change without notice due to our continuous research
and developement program.

Handcrafted with pride in the U.S.A.

Audio Concepts, Inc.

901 South 4th Street

La Crosse, WI 54601

Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

E-Mail: [e-mail] URL: http://www.audioc.com

All rights reserved Audio Concepts, Inc. 2001

Warranty Registration, Please Return

ACI div. Audio Concepts, Inc.

901 S. 4th Street, La Crosse, WI 54601

[e-mail] [phone]

Congratulations on becoming an ACI speaker owner. Completing this registration enables us to

contact you regarding future upgrades. Your information helps us provide the best possible products

and service. If you need additional room please continue on the back. You may also register your

product electronically at our web site. http://www.audioc.com

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

Main reasons you purchased from ACI: _________________________________________________________

Where did you first hear about ACI: ___________________________________________________________

System(s) purchased: _______________________________________________________________________

Date received: _____________________________ Invoice Number: _________________________________

Condition received in: ______________________________________________________________________

Comments or suggestions regarding our staff or service: ___________________________________________

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Other audio equipment used: _________________________________________________________________

Do you have a home-theater system? ___________________________________________________________

Do you plan to purchase other speakers within the next two years? _____ If so, what types of speakers are you
interested in purchasing, (Tower speakers, satellite speakers, subwoofers, wall speakers, outdoor speakers, home­theater speakers, etc.) __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

All speakers require at least 60-80 hours of playing time to sound their best. After your speakers have had time
to break-in and you've done some serious listening please tell us:

Features you like most about your ACI speakers: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Areas of performance or appearance you'd like to change: __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Other comments or suggestions: ______________________________________________________________

Will you recommend us to others? ________ (Over 1/2 of our customers were recommended to us by testimonials
on computer data bases or referrals from someone they know. We put the money we save on advertising into the
highest quality products at the lowest possible cost to you.) We would appreciate being able to use your comments
in future advertising. Please sign here to allow us that privilege.

Name: _________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Thank you for taking the time to complete and return this registration!