Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble 4HT User Manual

Instructions for:

Ensemble® IV &

Ensemble IV

Home Theater

Speaker Systems

by Henry Kloss

Contents

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

Unpacking The System ............................................................................. 2

Installing And Connecting The Speakers .................................................. 3

Speaker Placement ................................................................................... 3

Wiring Diagram ........................................................................................ 6

Preparing Speaker Wires .......................................................................... 7

Making Connections ................................................................................. 7

Configuring Your Surround Sound Electronics......................................... 8

Optimizing The Sound Of Your System .................................................... 8

About Amplifier Power ........................................................................... 10

Finalizing Your Installation ................................................................... 11

10-Year Limited Warranty ...................................................................... 12

Difficulty? ............................................................................................... 12

7

Important – Please Read First

hank you for choosing an
Ensemble IV speaker system.
The basic model comes with

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two satellites for regular

stereo reproduction, while the
Ensemble IV Home Theater (HT)
comes with five satellites for
reproducing the left, right, center,
and surround channels of a home
theater surround system. The two
models are otherwise identical.

Like all speaker systems, the
sound of either Ensemble IV is very
much influenced by its placement
in the listening room. Unlike
conventional models, however,
Ensemble IV systems consist of
several compact units that can be
placed where they sound best
without intruding on your living
space. There is no need to sacrifice
sound quality to decor, or vice­versa.

If you place your Ensemble IV
system in the listening room
casually, it will sound at least as
good as conventional speakers.
However, to achieve even better

sound, we urge you to experiment
with placement at some length, a
process aided by the instructions
that follow.

If you have any questions or
problems, please consult the store
where you purchased the system,
or call a Cambridge SoundWorks
Audio/Video Consultant toll-free.

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 The System

As you unpack Ensemble IV, please
examine each speaker 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 system. Consult

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

All the items shown should be
included; inform your store or
Cambridge SoundWorks if anything
is missing.

Ensemble IV (white model similar)

Satellites (2)

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Ensemble IV Home Theater also includes…

Center & Surround Satellites (3)

Subwoofer

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Additional feet
(3 strips of 4)

5 screws and
wall anchors

The white version of this system includes one black satellite for use as the center channel.

2

Installing And Connecting The Speakers

All satellites are functionally
similar. The single black satellite in
the white Ensemble IV Home Theater
is intended for use on or above the TV
monitor as the center channel speaker.

First decide where to place
Ensemble IV’s speaker units in your
listening room. The section “Speaker
Placement” which follows gives you
practical guidelines.

A

Cambridge
SoundWorks

Once you have determined the
likely placement for the satellites
and subwoofer, consult page 6.
The “Wiring Diagram” shows how
to interconnect the speaker units
and your amplifier.

Prepare each length of speaker
wire according to the section on
page 7. Leave an extra three or four
feet of length on each individual
length of wire. This extra length lets

B

Cambridge

SoundWorks

45°

you experiment with placement.
Then make the connections as
instructed on page 7.

If possible, listen to the com­plete system before you make the
installation permanent. You may
find small changes in the satellite
positions improve the sound. The
satellite and subwoofer may be
safely moved while playing if
sufficient slack is left in the
speaker wires.

Cambridge

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Cambridge
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Speaker
Placement

The left and right satellites
(both models)

• For stereo music listening, try
to place the satellites to form an
equal-sided triangle with your
favorite listening position (A).
Because the room’s surfaces tend
to integrate the sound before it
reaches you, perfectly symmetri­cal placement is not necessary.

• In a home theater installation, try
to place the satellites so that they

form a 45° angle with your

preferred seat (B), which takes
best advantage of how movie
soundtracks are mixed. The
satellites are magnetically
shielded, so they can be placed
close to the TV. The subwoofer is
not magnetically shielded,
however, and must be at least 18
inches from the set to prevent
picture distortion.

• Have a clear line of sight to each
satellite. This insures that higher
frequencies are not blocked.

• For music listening, if the
satellites are across the room
from the listening area, their
height is usually not critical; they

3

can be placed at eye level on the
wall, up near the ceiling, or most
anywhere in between. If they are
close to the listening area—and in
any home theater system—it is
best to have them at or near
ear level.

• If you put the satellites in
bookshelves or in a wall system,
place them with their front
surfaces flush with the front of the
shelves; you can then surround
them with books, CDs, tapes, etc.
(See diagram below).

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phonies

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• Take advantage of the satellites’
small size and consider locations
where regular speakers wouldn’t
fit, such as window sills or a
mantelpiece.

• The satellites can also be wall
mounted as described on page 11.
Use No.10 screws and anchors.
However, don’t mount them
permanently until you’ve had a
chance to experiment with
placement and are sure of their
final location.

SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE

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Flush with edge of shelf

C

The Center/Surround IV
satellites (Ensemble IV
HT only)

Arrange the three remaining
Center/Surround IV satellites for
center and surround channel
reproduction using the guidelines
that follow.

• See Diagram C. Place the center

channel’s satellite directly on

top of the TV or directly below

it. This satellite’s primary func-

tion is to blend the sound of

spoken dialog or special effects

with what you see on-screen.

• Place the left, center and right

satellites close to the “ear level”

of the listeners.

• If possible, mount the surround
or rear satellites on either side
of your listening position, not
directly behind it. Each satellite
has a convenient “keyhole” to
allow for easy wall mounting.
Ideally, the satellites should be
placed two to three feet above
the listeners.

Placing the surround speakers

directly behind the listeners (like
the inner pair in Diagram D) will

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