Cambridge Soundworks Center Surround 3 User Manual

Instructions for:

The Center/

Surround III

Speaker

by Henry Kloss

Contents

Important—Please Read First ......................................... 1

Unpacking And Checking For Shipping Damage ............ 2

Connecting The System .................................................. 2

Home Theater Applications ............................................ 3

Home Theater Electronic Choices ................................... 3

Finalizing Your Installation ........................................... 4

Difficulty? ....................................................................... 4

10-Year Limited Warranty .............................................. 5

Important – Please Read First

hank you for purchasing the
Center/Surround III speaker
by Henry Kloss. The Center/
Surround III has been

T

designed for home theater center
and surround use.

The Center/Surround III is an
ultra-compact, two-way acoustic
suspension speaker. Its mid-range
and treble tonal characteristics are
similar to the other speakers in our
line. Due to its compact size, the
Center/Surround III’s useful
response will be somewhat limited
in bass output. This should not
hamper its performance as a center
channel or surround channel
speaker in a home theater system,
since these applications require a
limited bass output. In addition, the
Center/Surround III has been
designed with an 8 ohm imped­ance, which will make it compatible
with all surround receivers.

Cambridge SoundWorks

1-877-YES-HIFI

(1-877-937-4434)

24 hours a day,

every day

In Canada: 1-800-987-9104

Outside US or Canada:

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

www.cambridgesoundworks.com

E-mail:

[e-mail]

1

Unpacking And
Checking For
Shipping Damage

Examine the unit carefully for
signs of shipping damage. If there is
any damage, do not discard the

shipping carton, and do not install or
use the speaker. Consult the store

where you purchased the speaker or
call Cambridge SoundWorks at
1-877-YES-HIFI for assistance. It’s a
good idea to save the shipping carton
and its inserts in case you have to
ship your speaker.

A

Ridge or stripe on insulation

1"

1/2"

Connecting The System

1. We recommend 18 gauge wire (or
regular electrical “zip” cord) to
connect your Center/Surround III
loudspeaker to your amplifier or
receiver. For runs of more than 50
feet, we recommend the next size
larger wire,16 gauge or heavier
wire.

2. Strip about half an inch of
insulation off the ends of each
speaker wire to expose the two
conductors (as shown in A, below).
Twist the wire strands tightly (as
shown in B, below).

3. Be sure that no individual strands
of wire short across terminal pairs
on the speakers or on your amplifier
or receiver (as shown in C, below).

4. To connect the Center/Surround III
satellites, push down on the
spring-loaded terminal tabs to
expose the connector holes (as
shown in D, right). Insert the bare
wire into the holes and release
the connectors.

5. It’s important that you connect
both speakers identically.
Connect the amplifier’s red
terminal to the speaker’s “+”
terminal, and the black terminal
to the speaker’s “–” terminal.
Look for the ribbed insulation
on one lead of the wire – or for
different colored wire strands
after you strip off the insulation
– as a means of telling the two
leads apart. While reversing the
connections on one speaker will
do no damage, it will be “out of
phase” with the other, which
can diminish the stereo or
surround effect and the
speakers’ bass output.

D

B

C

2

Home Theater Applications

The Center/Surround III has been
designed for center channel and
surround channel use in Dolby
Surround
systems. It is not intended for use
as main left and right speakers due
to its limited bass output.

the Center/Surround III to your
receiver and place it directly above
or below the television. The Center/
Surround III is magnetically
shielded and will not affect
the picture.

Center/Surround III slightly behind
the listening area and about 18
inches from the ceiling. Do not be
concerned if this placement is not
practical, since any rear placement
to the left and right of the listening
area will provide strong
directional effects.

built-in test-signal generator called a
“noise sequencer” for balancing
channels. When you activate the
sequencer, it sends a test signal called
“pink noise” briefly to each channel in

®

and Dolby Digital

For center channel use, connect

For surround use, mount the

Dolby Pro Logic receivers provide a

®

succession, repeating the sequence for
as long as you need. Simply adjust the
unit’s appropriate channel balancing
controls so that each channel plays at
equal loudness. Once you’ve adjusted
your system this way, it will reproduce
Dolby Surround or Dolby Digital
program material with the exact
balance originally intended.

Contrary to common belief, “rear”
speakers in a surround sound system
should be placed to the side of the
listening area, not behind it. Movie
soundtrack effects sound best when
surround speakers are above ear level.

Home Theater
Electronic Choices

Dolby Pro Logic:

Set the surround mode on your
receiver to Dolby Pro Logic when
viewing program material encoded
with “Dolby Surround
the “NORMAL” center channel
mode on your processor.

If the program you are viewing
does not specifically state it was
encoded for Dolby Surround, or if
you are listening to conventional
stereo recordings, be sure to switch
your amplifier or receiver to a
surround setting that does not use
Dolby Pro Logic processing or
switch the surround processing off.

Dolby Digital:

Use the following speaker size
setting (refer to the processor’s
user guide): The Center/Surround III
should only be used on the center
or surround channels, with a
“SMALL” size setting.

®

”. Choose

3

Finalizing Your Installation

The Center/Surround III satellites
can be placed on a shelf, a man­tel, or anywhere convenient.
When placing the speakers on a
surface be sure to apply the four
small dome-shaped feet on the
bottom of each satellite. The feet
protect the supporting surface and
compensate for uneven or slick
conditions. If you ever need to
remove a foot, gently slide the
edge of a knife under one side
and slowly peel it off. If you
attempt to “pop” it off, you may
damage the speaker’s finish.

The satellites may be hung
directly on a wall. Apply the
dome-shaped feet to the back of
the satellite to insure a more
secure installation. Screw a No.10
screw into the wall so the head
protrudes about

3

/8". Plastic an-

chors may be needed to secure the
screws in particularly hard or soft
materials. If so, drill the appropriate
size holes in the wall and tap in the
anchors until they are flush with the
surface. The exposed screw head can
then fit into the keyhole slot on the
rear of the Center/Surround III satel­lite. If necessary, adjust the space
between the screw head and the wall
for the best fit.

Swivel brackets are also available
for hanging the speakers and direct­ing their sound towards the listening
area. Use the threaded socket to
attach these to the speakers.
Ceiling brackets are available from
Cambridge SoundWorks and can be
used for hanging speakers where
there are no convenient locations for
wall mounting.

Difficulty?

If you suspect there’s a problem
with your Center/Surround III
speaker, contact the store where
you purchased it, or call a Cambridge
SoundWorks Audio/Video Consult­ant. If together you agree that there
is something wrong with your
Center/Surround III speaker,
you should return it to the store
where you bought it. Or, if you
bought directly from Cambridge
SoundWorks, we will supply
you with a Return Authorization
Number. Please do not return the
Center/Surround III speaker, or
any of its parts, to the factory
without prior authorization.

4

10-Year Limited Warranty

To the original purchaser, Cam­bridge SoundWorks, Inc. will
warrant the Center/Surround III
speaker to be free of defects in
material and workmanship for a
period of ten (10) years from date of
purchase. With respect to defects,
Cambridge SoundWorks will, at its
option, replace the product or repair
the defect in the product with no
charge to the original purchaser for
parts or labor.

This warranty does not extend to
any defect, malfunction or failure
caused by misuse, abuse, accident,
faulty hookup, defective associated
equipment or use of the speaker
with equipment for which it is not
intended.

This warranty is valid only when
the speaker is returned to an
authorized store where it was
purchased. Or, if you bought directly
from Cambridge SoundWorks, call

for a Return Authorization Number
for the unit and return it to the
accompanying address, freight
prepaid, together with a copy of the
original sales slip to establish
warranty status. If you have any
questions regarding the location of
an authorized service facility in your
area, please contact Cambridge
SoundWorks.

This is the sole and express
warranty. This warranty is in lieu of
all other warranties, expressed or
implied, of merchantability, fitness
for purpose or otherwise. In no
event shall Cambridge SoundWorks
be liable for incidental or conse­quential damages or have any
liability with respect to defects other
than the obligations set forth above.

To ensure warranty coverage it is
incumbent upon the original
purchaser to inform Cambridge
SoundWorks or any of its

authorized service agencies of the
defect within the warranty period. The
only acceptable method of establishing
warranty status is a copy of the
original proof of purchase indicating
customers name and purchase date.

For warranty information contact:

Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc.

311 Needham St.

Newton, MA 02464

1-877-YES-HIFI

(1-877-937-4434)

www.cambridgesoundworks.com

email:

[e-mail]

® Cambridge SoundWorks is a registered trademark of Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc.
® Dolby, Pro Logic, Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation

5

311 Needham Street, Newton MA 02464

1-877-937-4434 Fax: [phone]

www.cambridgesoundworks.com

Email: [e-mail]

P81-1230 0400

A Company