Cambridge SoundWorks Home Theater System User Manual

Instructions for:

DeskTop Theater™ 5.1

Contents

Declaration Of Conformity ........................................................................ i

Safety Precautions .................................................................................... ii

Introduction ............................................................................................ 1

Inspecting For Damage ............................................................................. 2

Important Notes ....................................................................................... 2

Installation Sequence ............................................................................... 3

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

The Satellite Desktop Stands .................................................................... 6

The Center Channel Stands ....................................................................... 6

The Floor Stands ...................................................................................... 7

Mounting The Speakers ............................................................................ 7

Decoder Amplifier Placement .................................................................... 8

Making Connections ................................................................................. 8

Wiring Diagram ........................................................................................ 9

Decoder Amplifier Functions .................................................................... 9

Surround Reference ................................................................................ 11

Dolby Digital ...................................................................................... 11

Dolby Surround with Pro Logic ......................................................... 11

Creative Multi Speaker Surround ....................................................... 12

Audio Mode Selection ........................................................................ 12

Specifications ......................................................................................... 13

Important ............................................................................................... 13

Technical Support ................................................................................... 13

1-Year Limited Warranty ........................................................................ 15

Notice for the USA

FCC Part 15: This equipment has been tested
and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications.
However, this notice is not a guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try one or more
of the following measures:

❑ Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
❑ Increase the distance between the

equipment and receiver.

❑ Connect the equipment to an outlet on a

circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.

❑ Consult the dealer or an experienced

radio/ TV technician.

CAUTION: To comply with the limits for the
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules, this device must be installed with
computer equipment certified to comply with the
Class B limits.

Safety & Regulatory Information

The following sections contain notices for various countries:

All cables used to connect the computer and
peripherals must be shielded and grounded.
Operation with non- certified computers or non­shielded cables may result in interference to radio or
television reception.

Any changes or modifications not expressly approved
by the grantee of this device could void the user’s
authority to operate the device.

Modifications

Notice for Canada

This apparatus complies with the Class B limits for
radio interference as specified in the Canadian
Department of Communications Radio Interference
Regulations.

Cet appareil est conforme aux normes de CLASSE “B”
d’interference radio tel que spe’cifie’ par le Ministère
Canadien des Communications dans les règlements
d’interfèrence radio.

Declaration of Conformity

According to the FCC96 208 and ET95- 19

Name: Creative Labs Inc.

Address: 1901 McCarthy Boulevard

declares under its sole responsibility that
the product

Trade Name: Creative Labs/

Model Number: Desktop Theater 5.1,

has been tested according to the FCC /
CISPR22/85 requirement for Class B devices
and found compliant with the following
standards:

EMI/ EMC: ANSI C63.4 1992, FCC Part 15
Subpart B

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesirable operation.

Ce matériel est conforme à la section 15 des
régles FCC. Son fonctionnement est soumis
aux deux conditions suivantes:

1. Le matériel ne peut étre source
d’interférences et

2. Doit accepter toutes les interférences
reques, Y compris celles pouvant
provoquer un fonctionnement
indésirable.

Compliance Manager
Creative Labs, Inc.
August 20, 1998

Milpitas, CA. 95035

United States

Tel: [phone]

Cambridge SoundWorks

CSW3000

This product conforms to the following Council

Compliance

Directive:
❑ Directive 89/ 336/ EEC, 92/ 31/ EEC (EMC)

WARNING: To prevent fire
or shock hazard, do not
expose this appliance to
rain or moisture.

Important Notice

The serial number for the DeskTop Theater 5.1 is
located on the Decoder Amplifier. Please write this
number down and keep it in a secure area. This is
for your security.

i

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

READ INSTRUCTIONS - All safety and oper-

ating instructions should be read before the

DeskTop Theater 5.1

satellite system is operated.

RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS - The safety and

operating instructions should be retained
for future reference.

HEED WARNINGS - All warnings on the

subwoofer and in the operating instruc­tions should be adhered to.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS - All operating

and use instructions should be followed.

CLEANING - Unplug the Power Supply

Adapter from the wall outlet or other power
source before cleaning. Do not use liquid
cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp
cloth for cleaning.

ATTACHMENTS - Do not use attachments

not recommended by Cambridge
SoundWorks as they may cause hazards.

WATER AND MOISTURE - Do not use the

Decoder Amplifier near water—for ex­ample, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen
sink, or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or
near a swimming pool; and the like.

ACCESSORIES - Do not place the

Theater 5.1

stable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table.
The Decoder Amplifier may fall, causing
serious injury to a child or adult, and
serious damage to the product. Use only
with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table
recommended by Cambridge Sound­Works, or sold with the product. Any mount­ing of the satellites or subwoofer should
follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and

amplified subwoofer/

DeskTop

Decoder Amplifier on an un-

should use a mounting accessory recom­mended by Cambridge SoundWorks.

VENTILATION - Slots and openings in the

Decoder Amplifier are provided for venti­lation and to ensure reliable operation of
the Decoder Amplifier and to prevent it
from overheating. These openings must
not be blocked or covered. The openings
should never be blocked by placing the
product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other simi­lar surface. The Decoder Amplifier should
not be placed in a built-in installation such
as a bookcase or rack unless proper ven­tilation is provided or Cambridge
SoundWorks’ instructions have been ad­hered to.

HEAT - The Decoder Amplifier should be

situated away from heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, and other
products (including amplifiers) that pro­duce heat.

POWER SOURCES - The Decoder Amplifier

should be operated only from the type of
power source indicated on the marking
label. If you are not sure of the type of
power supply to your home, consult your
product dealer or local power company.
For products intended to operate from
battery power, or other sources, refer to
the operating instructions.

POLARIZATION - The power supply may be

equipped with a polarized alternating-cur­rent line plug (a plug having one blade
wider than the other). This plug will fit into
the power outlet only one way. This is a
safety feature. If you are unable to insert

the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing
the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit,
contact your electrician to replace your
obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety
purpose of the polarized plug.

POWER-CORD PROTECTION - Power sup-

ply cords should be routed so that they are
not likely to be walked on or pinched by
items placed upon or against them, paying
particular attention to cords at plugs, con­venience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the Decoder Amplifier.

LIGHTNING - For added protection for the

DeskTop Theater 5.1

ning storm, or when it is left unattended
and unused for long periods of time, un­plug it from the wall outlet. This will prevent
damage to the Decoder Amplifier due to
lightning and power-line surges.

OVERLOADING - Do not overload wall out-

lets, extension cords, or integral conve­nience receptacles as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.

OBJECT AND LIQUID ENTRY - Never push

objects of any kind into the Decoder Am­plifier through openings as they may touch
dangerous voltage points or short out parts
that could result in a fire or electric shock.
Never spill liquid of any kind on the speak­ers or the Decoder Amplifier.

SERVICING - Do not attempt to service the

any part of the
self as opening or removing covers may
expose you to dangerous voltage or other
hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified
service personnel.

system during a light-

DeskTop Theater 5.1

your-

DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE - Unplug

the power supply from the wall outlet or
other power source and refer servicing to
qualified service personnel under the fol­lowing conditions:
a) When the power supply cord or plug is
damaged.
b) If liquid has been spilled, or objects
have fallen into the subwoofer.
c) If the Decoder Amplifier has been ex­posed to rain or water.
d) If the subwoofer does not operate nor­mally by following the operating instruc­tions; or exhibits a distinct change in per­formance.
e) If the product has been dropped or
damaged in any way.

REPLACEMENT PARTS - When replace-

ment parts are required, be sure the ser­vice technician has used replacement
parts specified by Cambridge SoundWorks
or have the same characteristics as the
original parts. Unauthorized substitutions
may result in fire, electric shock, or other
hazards.

SAFETY CHECK - Upon completion of any

service or repairs to the

5.1

system, ask the service technician to

perform safety checks to determine that

DeskTop Theater 5.1

the
proper operating condition.

WALL OR CEILING MOUNTING - The

DeskTop Theater 5.1

mounted to a wall or ceiling only as rec­ommended by Cambridge SoundWorks.

DeskTop Theater

system is in

satellites should be

ii

Introduction

hank you for purchasing
DeskTop Theater 5.1 by
Cambridge SoundWorks.

T

DeskTop Theater 5.1 lets you
experience the full potential of
Dolby Digital
from your computer. It makes the
most of your computer DVD player,
processing both Dolby Digital and
Dolby Surround
material. It will decode the Dolby
Surround cut-scenes in many of
today’s best CD-based action
games, and it’s ready for the new
era of DVD-based games.

DeskTop Theater 5.1 offers
discrete four-channel support for
Microsoft
other derivatives.

Also included is Creative Multi
Speaker Surround, which lets you
hear all of your favorite stereo
program material with a new and
exciting three-dimensional quality.

®

multichannel sound

®

program

®

DirectSound®3D and its

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

Inspecting For
Damage

Examine each unit carefully for signs of
shipping damage. If there is any damage,
do not install the system. Consult the
store where you purchased the system or
call the appropriate Creative Technology,
Ltd. support group at the number listed at
the end of this publication. Save the
shipping carton and inserts in case you
have to transport the system later.

All the items shown in the illustration
should be included. If anything is
missing, notify the retailer.

Important Notes

These instructions assume you have
a DVD player with a SPDIF output
jack. This jack should provide the
Dolby Digital (AC-3) compressed data
stream (for example, the Creative
Labs PC-DVD Encore). These
instructions also assume your sound
card supports processing of
DirectSound
rear two-channel minijack line
outputs (like Creative Labs Sound
Blaster PCI 64, PCI 128 or Sound
Blaster Live!). Conventional 2-

®

3D, including front and

channel sound cards such as Sound
Blaster 16 or the Sound Blaster
AWE series can also be used with
DeskTop Theater 5.1, but these
cards will not provide rear channel
output when playing games using
DirectSound

One pair of satellites has cables
that are 3 meters (9 feet) long. The
other pair has cables that are 4
meters (12 feet) long. Typically, the
two satellites with the longer cables
will be used on the surround
channels, but the satellites are
otherwise identical. If you need
extra cable length for the front

®

3D or its derivatives.

channel satellites, use the pair with
the longer cables instead.

One satellite of each pair has a
white plug. The other satellite has a
red plug. Use a satellite with a white
plug in the Left Front and Left
Surround positions. Use a satellite
with a red plug in the Right Front
and Right Surround positions.

The Subwoofer and Center
Channel speakers both have black
plugs on their cables to help
distinguish them from the smaller
satellites.

All the speakers are magnetically
shielded, including the subwoofer.

2

1. Read all of the instructions
before installing the
speaker system.

2. Using the placement instructions
as a guide, position the satellites,
the center channel speaker and
subwoofer around your com­puter. Install the Desktop Stands
and Floor Stands as appropriate.

3. Connect the satellite speakers,
center channel speaker, and
subwoofer to the back of the
Decoder Amplifier. Be sure to
connect the subwoofer’s black
plug to the LFE output jack and
the center channel speaker’s
black plug to the C output jack.

4. Connect the SPDIF output of your
digital program source to the
Decoder Amplifier. Connect the
stereo output of your sound card
(line out) to the LINE IN of the
Decoder Amplifier. If present,
connect the rear stereo output of
your sound card to the REAR IN
input of the Decoder Amplifier.

5. Verify the Decoder Amplifier’s
power switch is in the “off”
position. Connect the power
supply adapter to the
Decoder Amplifier.

6. Turn on the power. Set the
Volume Control to approximately
“10 o’clock”. Press the Speaker
Test button. Use the test sound to
verify that each speaker is
operating properly. Then adjust
the position of each loudspeaker
so each can be heard clearly.
Finally, adjust the Center,
Subwoofer and Surround level
controls for balanced output
between the speakers. Press
the Test mode button again,
if necessary.

7. You may wish to experiment with
speaker placement briefly before
concealing the connecting cables
and making the installation
more permanent.

8. The unit is ready for you to enjoy.
Refer to the Quick Reference
guide for information about
settings for specific program
sources like DVD, CDs, Video CD
and games.

Speaker PlacementInstallation Sequence

The Front Satellites. The front
satellites play stereo music, the off­screen sounds of video playback
and the front channels of four
channel games.

These satellites should be placed
to the sides of your monitor (see
Diagram A). Be sure to have a clear
line of sight from your listening
position to these satellites. The
satellites intended for front
placement have 3 meters (9 feet)
of cable.

Install the satellite’s Desktop
Stands when using them on the
desktop. Be sure to apply the self­adhesive feet to the Desktop Stands.
The feet prevent movement on the
desktop.

The satellites may also be hung on
the wall behind the monitor using the
screw and wall anchors provided (see
“Mounting The Speakers”, page 7).

If you wish to save desktop space,
use the hook and loop fasteners to
attach the satellite speakers to the
sides of the computer monitor
(see Diagram B).

The Center Channel Speaker. The
center channel speaker provides the
on-screen dialog and sounds in
Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or
Creative Multi Speaker Surround
modes. It should be placed as close to
the center of your computer monitor
as possible.

A

B

3