Boston acoustics E100 User Manual

Reference

E100

Speakers

Altavoces
de referencia

Haut-parleurs
de référence

Altoparlanti
di riferimento

Referenz­lautsprecher

Front View

Boston E100 Series Dimension Sheet

For more information on the E Series or any Boston
product, please contact Boston Technical Support at

1.978.538.5000 or by email at: [e-mail]

Top View

Wall Bracket

EBR

73/64’’

1

/64’’

179mm

7

1

/4’’

185mm

4

102mm

9’’

229mm

72

1892mm

’’

–

2

–

Contents

Specifications . . . . . . . . . 5

Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

S

etup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Vertical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Wall Mounting . . . . . . . . 6

Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . .6

Wire Management . . . . . .6

P

lacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Staggering Distances . . . 7
The Ambience Tweeter . 8
Adding a Subwoofer . . . 8
Conventional Hookup . . .9

Bi-wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Bi-amping . . . . . . . . . . .10

Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Bass Management . . . . .11

Contact Information . . .11

Boston Acoustics

®

E Series Reference
Speakers

While the E Series is Boston

Acoustics’ flagship home speaker

ine, with each model combining

l

coustical performance of a truly

a
superior order with strikingly
handsome looks and a high
degree of application flexibility
that make them perfect for cus­tom installations. The top-of-the­line E1

00 is something special. It
is simply the smoothest loud­speaker ev
year history of Boston Acoustics.
Remarkably accurate, neutral, and
revealing, it will immediately take
its place among the very finest
high-end designs available today.
What is most unusual, and shared
by very few loudspeakers, is its
airy spaciousness, resulting from
the E100 cabinet’s slimness and
smoothly rounded corners, which
makes all playback utterly natu­ral, floating about the cabinets.

audio than superb sound. The
E100 uses construction tech­niques and materials that are not
just novel — resulting in a com­pact form factor — but elegant.
The fashionable appearance
means it’s the perfect solution
for stylish home theater applica­tions as well as music-only
rooms. The E100 design blends
attractively into decors both
modern and traditional, and
does so almost unobtrusively,
too, as it may be oriented either
vertically on its base, or even
horizontally as a center channel.

and more attention was paid to
detail in the development of the E
Series than in any previous Boston
A
started with the shape:
boxes
thin cabinets us
v
with the goal of creating audio

er produced in the 27-

Yet there is more to home

The design details tell the tale,

coustics products. The design

not plain

, the line is complex, curved,

ing an appealing

ariety of textures and materials,

–

3

–

bjects that are almost jewel-like.

o

eneath the dazzling finishes are

B
high-performance loudspeaker
technologies, cleverly deployed.
The E100 uses one each of our

orld-famous VR 1-inch alu-

w

inum-dome tweeter and the

m

ew, higher-output VR

n

weeter. Its woofers feature cast-

t
aluminum baskets, oversized
voice coils, and neodymium
magnets for greater power han-

ling, increased output, and

d

uperior reliability. All of these

s

100 drivers were developed

E
exclusively for this project at
Boston Acoustics’ leading-edge
transducer development facility

n Peabody, Massachusetts.

i

he story of the cabinet begins

T

ith a part of the speakers that

w

annot be seen: the 5mm-thick

c
extruded-aluminum enclosure.
Extruded aluminum is extremely
rigid, letting the speakers’ drivers

reate The Boston Sound® without

c

ompeting with energy coming

c
from the enclosure itself. Such an
enclosure also facilitates the E100’s
complex shape in a way that tradi­tional box designs could not. But
we did not rely exclusively on the
material properties of aluminum
to maximize enclosure stiffness.
Extensiv

e ribbing and internal
bracing increase cabinet rigidity to
the point of making it virtually
inert; spurious resonances and
vibrations that degrade the sound
of ordinary speakers are eliminat­ed. Furthermore, the loudspeaker
drivers ordinarily would be
mounted directly to the front of
the aluminum extrusion. However,
Boston’s engineers discovered that
using a dissimilar material would
isolate the drivers from the cabinet
even more, maximizing output
and minimizing coloration, and
attached a thick MDF baffle to the
front. The overall construction is
so special that we applied for a
trademark for it: StabiliTek™.

An additional design feature,
which is oriented more toward
style and flexibility than sound, is
its interchangeable GroovLock™
side panels. All models are avail­able with either high-gloss cherry
or satin ebony hardwood-veneer
side panels. A third option is
unfinished side panels, which can
be veneered, stained, painted, or
covered in cloth to match your
exact décor requirements.

The Boston Acoustics E100 is the
culmination of almost three
decades of extensive experience
dev

eloping superior loudspeakers,
and our proudest achiev
thank y

ou for your purchase, and

w

e are confident you will enjoy

y

our speakers for decades to come.

O™

H

ement. We

–

4

–

Your E100

Your new loudspeaker may be
oriented vertically or horizontally,
as left, right, center and/or sur-

ound channels, and is suited for

r

se on walls as well as its attractive

u

ase. Its woofers incorporate our

b

atented DCD™ technology with

p

1

deep (1

/

2”) voice coils for rugged

power handling, and the tweeters
feature Boston’s proprietary

MD™ (amplitude-modification

A

evice) for finer highs. The cabi-

d

et is slender with smooth edges

n
and corners, which makes for a
genuine, audible difference in the
spaciousness and clarity of play-

ack. Our MagnaGuard® magnet-

b

c shielding permits placement

i

ight beside television monitors.

r

Specifications Especificaciones Caractéristiques Specifiche tecniche Technische Daten

E100

Frequency Response (±2.5dB)
Recommended Amp Power
Nominal Impedance
Sensitivity (2.83v at 1m)
Woofer
Midrange

Tweeter – Front

Rear
Crossover Frequencies
Width
Height
Depth w/grille
Weight

35Hz–30kHz
75–400 watts
8 ohms
89 dB

1

Six 5

⁄4" (134mm) DCD design; neo magnet; 11⁄2” voice coil; vented

Dual 51⁄4 " (134mm) DCD design; neo magnet; 11⁄2” voice coil

1

3

⁄2" (89mm) DCD design; neo magnet

1" (25mm) VR

H.O.™aluminum dome with AMD

™

1" (25mm) VR with AMD, rear-facing (ambient), switchable

150Hz, 600Hz, 2.5kHz

71⁄4" (185mm)
77" (1951mm) on base
9" (229mm)
90 lbs (41kg)

*In keeping with our policy of continual product improvements, specifications are subject to change without notice. Please visit www.bostonacoustics.com for the latest specifications

oducts.

on this pr

Inspection

Your speakers were carefully
packed at the factory in protective
cartons, but be sure to examine
both the cartons and the contents
for signs of shipping damage. If
there is such evidence, don’t destroy
the cartons or any of the packing
material, and notify your dealer
immediately. In any case it’s a good
idea to save the cartons and packing
if you can, for doing so will be a
great help (to you, to us, and to
your dealer) should you ever need
to return a unit in the future. Also
please save this manual for future
reference, and with it your sales slip.

Setup

Multiple mounting options are
available for the E100.

–

5

–

Vertical

This side up
for vertical
p

lacement

This

side

upfor

horizontal

placement

P

lease refer to the documen­tation provided with the E100
base. Base installation entails
removal of the middle plate

[A] in the bottom rounded

endcap and attachment of the
base. Use the supplied hex
wrench [B](either accompany­ing this manual or attached to
the rear of the speaker).

[A] [C][B]

Wall mounting

For wall mounting, either hori-

zontally or vertically, sturdy brack-

[C] (EBR sold separately) are

ets
available; refer to the EBR bracket
documentation. You will need two
pairs of them. Also please note that
wall mounting is a two-person job.

Miscellaneous

All E series speakers come with
their grilles installed; we recommend
not removing any of the E100’s three
grilles. The Boston Acoustics logo on
the middle grille is rotatable, so you
may wish to turn it appropriately if
should you ever need to reorient
your speakers. Rotate the logo by
gently pulling it out (it’s spring­loaded) and turn it to the desired ori­entation. Be careful not to scratch the
grille with the bottom of the logo.

ire Management

W

Recessed channels on the cabi­net back let you dress the wiring
and conceal extra wire.

Placement:
Home Theater

For a home theater, you will want
to have the left and right front
speaker flank your TV. They may be
right next to it, for a neat appear­ance and tightly imaged and
focused sound, or spread out from
it a bit, for wider stereo separation.
If they’re right next to the screen,
experiment with angling them out­ward a bit, to increase the width of
the soundstage. Also refer to the
later subsection on usage of the rear
(ambience) tweeter.

–

6

–

A center channel unit can go

M

E

N

U

/

E

N

T

E

R

I

N

P

U

T

S

E

L

E

C

T

D

O

W

N

U

P

L

E

F

T

/

-

R

I

G

H

T

/

+

/

E

X

I

T

V

O

L

U

M

E

P

O

W

E

R

/

S

T

A

N

D

B

Y

M

E

N

U

/

E

N

T

E

R

I

N

P

U

T

S

E

L

E

C

T

D

O

W

N

U

P

L

E

F

T

/

-

R

I

G

H

T

/

+

/

E

X

I

T

V

O

L

U

M

E

P

O

W

E

R

/S

T

A

N

D

B

Y

above or below the TV, using

ptional E pillows as needed.

o

s surrounds in a 5.1 system,

A

A] the speakers should go out to

[

he side of and slightly above the

t
main seating area. They also can
be positioned slightly ahead of or
slightly behind the center seats. If

ossible, it’s best not to put them

p

ehind the main seating area in a

b

.1 setup. The 6.1 and 7.1 sur-

5

ound configurations, however,

r
call for an additional speaker

[B]

(6.1) or pair of speakers (7.1)
behind the couch shown in the

.1 room above.

5

Placement: Music

For a music-only system, whether
2-channel stereo or surround, the
same guidelines apply, although
you can have more leeway with the
front stereo arrangement. The front
speakers can form up to an equilat­eral triangle with your main seats,
or somewhat narrower than that,
depending on your taste in imaging
and soundstage width.

Staggering distances
for smoother sound

Whether video or music play­back, for smoothest and most
natural tonal balance in the lower
midrange, try to ensure that the
distances from the E100 center
woofer to the front wall, side wall,
and floor are not the same.
Indeed, if you can do so, make
them rather different — stagger
them. But as you get used to your
new system, always feel free to
experiment.

In locating your speakers you
also will want to pay attention to
any nearby lighting fixtures and
similar objects that may vibrate
when you are enjoying high listen­ing levels.

[A] [B]

–

7

–

The Ambience
Tweeter

hether to turn off the rear

W

weeter is essentially a matter of

t
taste. It is shipped set to its on
position, so you will immediately
experience the E100’s gratifyingly

pacious and natural treble play-

s

ack when you fire up your new

b

oudspeakers.

l

f, however, your room is unusu-

I
ally bright or hard-sounding (lots
of bare surfaces, like wood or tile
floors, windows and mirrors or

ther glass, etc.), or you simply

o

refer a drier sound and a tighter

p
image, then feel free to experiment
with turning the rear tweeter off.

Similarly if you wall-mount your
E100s. The ambience tweeter will
be “splashing” against a nearby
hard surface
find this rebalancing (a bit of siz­zle
wall is hard) to your liking, or you
may not.

You also will want to experiment
with it on and off according to pro­gram material —- movies vs music,
orchestral (or choral or chamber
music, or jazz) vs pop and rock,
and so on.

You will find that the difference
in airiness and detail is subtle but
real, and further sets the E100
apart from most other modern
high-end loudspeaker designs.

, and you may well

, perhaps, assuming the front

Adding a Subwoofer

The E100 can handle a large
amount of power, including low
frequencies. Your receiver or ampli­fier will probably distort before
your speakers will. And this power­handling capability extends all the
way down to below 39Hz.

However, many modern movies
today, and certain kinds of musical
program material, contain signifi­cant amounts of signal below
35Hz, whether from film-track
explosions or from drum, organ,
and synthesizer. Assuming you reg­ularly play such movies and music,
you will want to add a subwoofer.
Boston Acoustics has several mod­els available, the best solution
depending on your room size and
taste in program material. We even
offer in-wall/in-ceiling as well as in­floor designs for lo
heard but not seen. (Both require

w bass that’

s

–

8

–

professional installation.) To dis-

RL RR

FRONT A

LL

SURROUNDFRONT B CENTER

cover which options work best for

our situation, please consult your

y

ealer.

d

Conventional
Hookup

WARNING: To prevent electrical
shock, always switch off the amplifi­er or receiver when making connec-

ions to the speaker.

t

ith any speaker system it’s

W

mportant that each speaker chan-

i
nel be wired the same way to your
receiver or amplifier, red speaker
terminal to red amp terminal and

lack to black, + to + and – to – .

b

his ensures that the units are

T

riven with the same polarity (in

d

phase”). Inconsistent connec-

“
tions will result in a poor sound­stage image or weak bass.

For the connection to your

eceiver or amp, use 16-gauge

r

ire. For short runs (less than 10-

w
15’), 18-gauge is acceptable, and
for longer runs (more than 25’),
14-gauge wire is preferable but a
bit harder to find. “Audiophile”
cable from your dealer is fine, too.

All speaker wire has one con
ductor side coded to make con­sistent hookups easier; usually
it’

s a thin ridge, ribbing, stripe or
bead running the length of the
wire, or sometimes the wire itself
is different colors, for example
one side silvered and the other
plain copper. Our 24K-gold-plate
(to prevent corrosion) speaker
connectors are what are called
five-way binding

posts, for sev­eral means of fastening.
Banana plugs are easiest and
simplest, but spade lugs or
pins are acceptable, as is bare
wire if you avoid frays and
strands, make the connection
tight, and check it regularly

In all cases, split the vinyl
insulation in the middle of the
cable and strip

1

⁄2” (12mm) off

the ends of each of the dual
strands, exposing the two wire
conductors. Twist the wire
and, with the receiver or

-

.

e Wir

Bar

Cable pelado

Fil nu

e

Filo nudo

Blanker Dr

aht

Wiring

Cableado

Câblage

Cablaggio

Kabelanschluss

Turn Clockwise to Tighten

Para apretar, gire en el sentido

de las manecillas del reloj

ourner dans le sens hor

T

pour serrer

Girare in senso orario per serrare

Im Uhrzeigersinn festdrehen

e

air

–

9

–

amplifier turned off, make the

R

LRR

F

RONT A

L

L

S

URROUNDFRONT B CENTER

RL

RL

connection to your connector
of choice or simply insert the
wire into the hole and tighten,
as shown. Leave the jumper
plate where it is.

Bi-wiring

Bi-wiring means running a dou­ble set of wire from your amplifier

r receiver speaker output to each

o

series cabinet, connecting to the

E

oofer(s) and tweeter separately.

w
The jumper plates must be
removed; see figure below.

Bi-wiring increases power
transfer and potentially decreases
i

ntermodulation of different fre­quencies. Any improvements are
subtle. If you bi-wire, use the
same type and length of wire for
all connections, and again main­tain + to + (red) and – to –
(black).

1) Loosen all four terminals
and remove the jumper straps.

2) Connect the wires from the
amplifier’s speaker output ter­minals to the sets of terminals
on the back of each speaker as
shown.

Bi-amping

Bi-amplification entails separate
amplifiers for the woofer(s) and
tweeter and can enhance the
dynamic performance and the ease
of the sound from your system.
Splitting the load lets each amplifi­er work less hard, increasing the
power available to each driver.

If you bi-amp, use the same type
and length of wire for all connec-

, maintaining + to + (red) and

tions
– to – (black).

Loosen all four terminals and

1)
remove the jumper straps.

Connect the wires from the

2)
dedicated woofer amplifier’s
speaker output terminals to
the bottom set of terminals
on the back of each speaker,

wn.

as sho

3) Repeat for the tweeter:
Connect the wires from its
amplifier’s speaker output ter­minals to the top set of termi­nals on the back of each
speaker, as shown.

–

10

–

Acoustics

f you like a bright, lively

I

ound, keep the front wall of your

s
listening room bare, and the
other wails and the floor, too.
While this will also enlarge the

onic image, making it the most

s

pacious, it may be also a little

s

oud and “ringy.” Conversely,

l

ugs, drapes, bookcases, and wall

r
hangings produce drier and
tighter (‘’dead’’ in the good sense)
sonics and imaging, which many

ritical listeners find more satis-

c

actory. A room with a mix of sur-

f

aces often works best (and is

f
most pleasant to live and con­verse in): hard ceiling and carpet­ed floor, or bare floor and
acoustically treated ceiling.

Speakers placed out in the
room may sound slightly lean.
Locating them right up against

he wall will warm up the bal-

t

nce, increasing the lower

a
midrange and bass. You can fine­tune bass and treble tonal bal­ances with your receiver or
processor’s tone or equalization
controls, which you should
absolutely feel free to experiment
with.

Refer also to the earlier section
on usage of the rear ambience
tweeter.

Bass Management

When you use your E Series
loudspeakers with a surround­sound processor and subwoofer,
set the bass management control
to “small”. Consult your surround
receiver or processor manual for
instructions on the changing of
bass management settings.

If Service Seems
Necessary

First, contact the dealer from
whom you purchased the speakers.
If that is not possible, write to:

Boston Acoustics, Inc.

00 Jubilee Driv

3
Peabody, MA 01960 USA

If it is necessary to return y
speaker to the factory, contact
Boston Acoustics for an RA#.

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

e

our

–

11

–

T

his symbol found on the product indicates that the product must not be disposed of with household waste. Instead, it may be placed in

a separate collection facility for electronic waste or returned to a retailer when purchasing similarproduct. The producer paid to recycle
this product. Doing this contributes to reuse and recycling, minimizes adverse effects on the environment and human health and avoids
any fines for incorrect disposal.

Este símbolo que encuentra en el producto, indica que este producto no debe ser desechado en el cesto de basura doméstica. En su
lugar, deberá ser depositado en forma separada y en depósitos destinados a esta clase de desechos electrónicos o devueltos a su
proveedor con el que regularmente adquiere productos similares. El fabricante pagará por el reciclado de este producto. Haciendo esto
contribuimos al rehúso y reciclado minimizando de esta forma los efectos adversos al medio ambiente, a la salud de las personas y
previniendo el incorrecto desecho.

Ce symbole une fois sur le produit indique que celui-ci ne doit pas être jeté avec les déchets ménagers. Au contraire, il doit être placé
dans un lieu séparé collectant les déchets électroniques, ou retourné au lieu de vente lorsque vous achetez un produit similaire. Le fabri­cant finance le recyclage de ce produit. Ainsi, en incitant à la réutilisation ou au recyclage, les effets négatifs sur l’environement et la
santé publique sont minimisés, et tout risque de poursuite du client pour non-respect de la législation sur les déchets est évité.

Il simbolo sul prodotto indica che il prodotto stesso non può essere smaltito gettandolo semplicemente fra i rifiuti domestici. Esso deve
essere smaltito in una struttura abilitata alla raccolta di apparati elettronici oppure, se viene sostituito da un altro apparecchio similare,
deve essere consegnato al negoziante presso cui si effettua il nuovo acquisto. Il costruttore ha già pagato per il riciclo di questo prodotto.
Seguendo queste raccomandazioni contribuirete a recuperare e riciclare, minimizzando l’impatto nocivo dei rifiuti sulla natura e sulla
salute pubblica. Eviterete inoltre il rischio di essere multati per una incorretta procedura di smaltimento.

Dieses Symbol, welches sich auf dem Produkt befindet, zeigt an, daß das Produkt nicht mit dem Hausmüll entsorgt werden darf.
Stattdessen sollte es in einen separaten Sammelbehälter für elektronische Geräte, oder zu einem Einzelhändler zurückgebracht werden,
bei welchem man ähnliches Produkt kauft. Der Hersteller übernimmt in diesem Fall die Kosten der Beseitigung. Diese vorgehensweise
trägt zur Wiederverwendung und zur Wiederverwertung bei, setzt schädliche Wirkungen auf das Klima und die menschliche Gesundheit
herab und vermeidet mögliche Geldstrafen für falsche Entsorgung.

Symbolen som återfinns på produkten betyder att varan inte får kastas med hushållsavfall. Vid kassering måste produkten överlämnas till
de faciliteter som din kommun erbjuder för återvinning av hemelektronik eller till den återförsäljare där produkten inhandlats. Producenten
har betalat för denna återvinningshantering. Genom att följa dessa regler bidrar du som konsument till en effektiv återvinning och min­imerar negativa effekter på miljön och vår hälsa samt undviker böter för oriktig hantering av miljöfarligt avfall.

Ce symbole une fois sur le produit indique que celui-ci ne doit pas être jeté avec les déchets ménagers. Au contraire, il doit être placé
dans un lieu séparé collectant les déchets électroniques, ou retourné au lieu de vente lorsque vous achetez un produit similaire.Le fabri­cant finance le recyclage de ce produit.

Ainsi, en incitant à la réutilisation ou au recyclage, les ef

fets négatifs sur l’environement et la

santé publique sont minimisés, et tout risque de poursuite du client pour non-respect de la législation sur les déchets est évité.

e trademarks of Boston Acoustics, Inc., Boston, Boston Acoustics, the Boston Acoustics logo,

d y VR son marcas comerciales registradas de Boston Acoustics, Inc. Las especificaciones están

to por patentes expedidas o pendientes. © 2006 Boston Acoustics, Inc.

ce de Boston Acoustics, Inc., Boston, Boston Acoustics, le logo

d e VR sono mar

–

12

–

ques de commer

chi depositati di Boston Acoustics, Inc. Le specifiche tecniche sono soggette a modifica

142-002358-0

300 Jubilee Drive
Peabody, MA 01960 USA

978.538.5000
bostonacoustics.com

AMD, DCD, Gr
Deep Channel, MagnaGuar
Covered by patents issued or pending. © 2006 Boston Acoustics, Inc.

AMD, DCD, GroovLock, StabiliTek y VRH.O. son marcas comerciales de Boston Acoustics, Inc., Boston, Boston Acoustics, el logotipo de
Boston Acoustics, Deep Channel, MagnaGuar
sujetas a cambio sin pr

AMD, DCD, Gr
Boston Acoustics, Deep Channel, MagnaGuard et VR sont des marques déposées de Boston Acoustics, Inc. Les caractéristiques sont sujettes à
modifications sans avis préalable. Couvert par des brevets attribués ou en instance.
© 2006 Boston Acoustics, Inc.

AMD, DCD, GroovLock, StabiliTek e VRH.O. sono marchi di fabbrica di Boston Acoustics, Inc., Boston, Boston Acoustics, il logo Boston
Acoustics, Deep Channel, MagnaGuar
senza preavviso. Coperto da brevetti rilasciati o in corso di approvazione.
© 2006 Boston Acoustics, Inc.

AMD, DCD, Gr
Logo, Deep Channel, MagnaGuard und VR sind eingetragene Warenzeichen von Boston Acoustics, Inc. Technische Daten können jederzeit
ohne vorherige Ankündigung geändert werden. Durch bestehende oder beantragte
Patente geschützt. © 2006 Boston Acoustics, Inc.

oovLock, StabiliT

oovLock, StabiliT

oovLock, StabiliTek und VRH.O. sind Warenzeichen von Boston Acoustics, Inc., Boston, Boston Acoustics, das Boston Acoustics

ek and VRH.O. ar

d and VR are registered trademarks of Boston Acoustics, Inc. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

evio aviso. Cubier

ek et VRH.O. sont des mar