Cambridge SoundWorks Powered Subwoofer, Slave Subwoofer Instructions Manual

Contents

Safety Precautions ............................................................................ i, ii

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

Unpacking The Subwoofer .................................................................. 2

Audio And AC Power Connections ....................................................... 2

Connecting A Slave Subwoofer ............................................................ 4

Placement ............................................................................................ 5

The Subwoofer Level Control ............................................................... 6

Selecting Low-Pass Frequency ............................................................. 7

Advantages Of The Slave Subwoofer ................................................... 8

The Final Touch ................................................................................... 8

Installing Low Cut Filters .................................................................... 9

Cleaning The Cabinets ......................................................................... 9

Replacing The Fuse ........................................................................... 10

Difficulty? .......................................................................................... 10

Limited Warranty .............................................................................. 11

Powered Subwoofer

& Slave Subwoofer

by Henry Kloss

Instructions for:

i

The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user of the
presence of important operating and main­tenance (servicing) instructions in the lit­erature accompanying this product.

CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC

SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG
TO WIDE SLOT, INSERT FULLY.

ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES CHOCS

ELECTRIQUES, INTRODUIRE LA LAME LA PLUS
LARGE DE LA FICHE DANS LA BORNE
CORRESPONDANTE DE LA PRISE ET POUSSER
JUSQU’AU FOND.

WARNING:
TO PREVENT FIRE OR
SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE
TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The serial number for the subwoofer is located
on the subwoofer’s control panel. Please write
this number down and keep it in a secure area.
This is for your security.

IMPORTANT

The lightning flash with arrowhead, within
an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert
the user of the presence of uninsulated
“dangerous voltage” within a product’s en­closure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute the risk of electric shock to
persons.

SHOCK HAZARD

DO NOT OPEN

WARNING

TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE SUBWOOF­ER’S COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

AVIS

POUR EVITER TOUT RISQUE DE CHOC
ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS DEMONTER LE
COUVERCLE DU HAUT PARLEUR.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DES PIECES
INTERIEURES N’EST REQUIS.TOUT
SERVICE D’ENTRETIEN NE DOIT ETRE
EFFECTUE QUE PAR DU PERSONNEL
D’ENTRETIEN QUALIFIE.

READ AND HEED IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING

ON BACK OF SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE

ii

READ INSTRUCTIONS - All safety and op-

erating instructions should be read before
the

Powered Subwoofer

or

Slave

Subwoofer

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 subwoofer 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

subwoofer 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

Powered

Subwoofer

or

Slave Subwoofer

on an
unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table. The subwoofer 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. The sub­woofer should follow the manufacturer’s
instructions.

VENTILATION - Slots and openings in the

cabinet are provided for ventilation and to
ensure reliable operation of the subwoofer
and to prevent it from overheating, and
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
subwoofer should not be placed in a built­in installation such as a bookcase or rack
unless proper ventilation is.

HEAT - The subwoofer should be situated

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

POWER SOURCES - The subwoofer 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.

POLARIZATION - The subwoofer 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 - AC power

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 subwoofer.

LIGHTNING - For added protection for the

Powered Subwoofer

or the

Slave

Subwoofer

system during a lightning
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 subwoofer 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 subwoofer
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 sub­woofer.

SERVICING - Do not attempt to service the

subwoofer yourself as opening or remov­ing covers may expose you to dangerous
voltage or other hazards. Refer all servic­ing to qualified service personnel.

DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE - Unplug

the subwoofer 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 subwoofer 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 part. Unauthorized substitutions
may result in fire, electric shock, or other
hazards.

SAFETY CHECK - Upon completion of any

service or repairs to the

Powered

Subwoofer

or

Slave Subwoofer

, ask the
service technician to perform safety checks
to determine that the

Powered Subwoofer

or

Slave Subwoofer

is in proper operating

condition.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1

be dealing with a relatively unfami­liar range of sounds. These are
sounds more felt than heard, and
are encountered more often in the
well-equipped movie theater than
in the concert hall.

Also keep in mind that a
Cambridge SoundWorks Audio/
Video Consultant is only a toll-free
call away should you need advice
or assistance.

B

ass drums, organs, and
electronic synthesizers are
among the very few instru-

ments that produce extremely
low frequency sounds. As a result,
comparatively few home loudspeak­ers are designed to reproduce bass
below about 50 Hz.

Today, however, home loudspeak­ers are called upon to reproduce
more than music: in home theater
systems, they are called upon to
reproduce movie soundtracks. And
modern movie soundtracks contain
a lot of energy at very low frequen­cies—on sound effects. To do full
justice to these effects, as well as to
the musical low frequencies missed
by most speakers, the Cambridge
SoundWorks powered subwoofer
systems reproduce, at high power,
the lowest bass sounds the human
ear can detect.

You should keep in mind when
installing your system and investi­gating its capabilities that you will

Important – Please Read First

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]

2

3. If you purchased a Cambridge
SoundWorks Slave Subwoofer,
its accessory pack should
contain:

• One spare T3.15A, 250V fuse

• 25 feet of 16 gauge

speaker wire

• One wire stripper

• Four wire nuts

• Four square rubber feet

4. We suggest that you keep the
shipping carton and packing
materials in case you later
move, or have to ship your
subwoofer.

1. Upon unpacking your Powered
Subwoofer (or Slave Subwoofer),
please examine carefully for any
signs of shipping damage. If
there is any damage, do not
install or use the subwoofer.
Consult the store where you
purchased the subwoofer for
assistance. If purchased through
our mail order catalog service,
call Cambridge SoundWorks
at 1-877-937-4434.

2. If you purchased a Cambridge
SoundWorks Powered
Subwoofer, its accessory pack
should contain:

• One spare T3.15A, 250V fuse

• Four square rubber feet

Unpacking

Note: Make all connections with the
Powered Subwoofer switched off.

The Powered Subwoofer can be
connected to the main amplifier’s
speaker outputs, from stereo
preamp outputs or from a mono
subwoofer output.

Using the speaker outputs of
your main amplifier to drive the
Powered Subwoofer is usually the
best way to connect the Powered
Subwoofer, even if you have a
separate preamp or subwoofer
output (like the subwoofer output
on a Dolby Digital

®

(AC-3) system).

If you have large Left and Right
speakers and a Dolby Digital (AC-3)
system, please be sure to read the
note at the end of this section.

Connection Method One:

Connect directly to an amplifier or
receiver’s speaker output terminals
using conventional speaker wire
(Figure 1 on page 3). You can use
lightweight speaker wire (20-22
gauge) because this is a high im­pedance connection. The Powered
Subwoofer uses virtually none of
the amplifier or receiver’s output
power. Be sure to connect these
new speaker wires to the same

Audio And AC Power Connections

speaker outputs used by your main
speakers. Do not use any additional
speaker output terminals your
amplifier or receiver may have.

Alternatively, you may connect
the speaker wires between the
Powered Subwoofer and the input
terminals of your main speakers
instead of the amplifier or receiver’s
speaker output terminals.

Be sure the speaker wire connects
the positive (+) terminals of the
subwoofer to the positive (+)
terminals of the amplifier or re­ceiver (and similarly connects the
negative (–) terminals together). All
two-conductor speaker cable is
coded along one conductor by
lettering, a stripe or a raised bead

-or- the appearance of the two
conductors differs, usually one
copper and one silver. This allows
you to easily connect the proper
conductor to each terminal.

Connection Method Two: Connect
from a stereo preamp output to the
Powered Subwoofer’s Line Level
inputs. A suitable length of conven­tional stereo phono cable with RCA
plugs at each end is all you need if
your preamp has an unused stereo
preamp output.

3

nect the phono cable to the Right
channel line level input on the
Powered Subwoofer.
Note: You should connect the
Powered Subwoofer to your system
using either the line level inputs or
the speaker level inputs–but not
both sets of inputs.

A Note About Dolby Digital
(AC-3), Large Front Speakers
And Powered Subwoofers

While it is logical to connect the
Powered Subwoofer to the
“Subwoofer Output” or LFE (Low
Frequency Effects) output of a
Dolby Digital (AC-3) equipped
system, there are some instances
when bypassing this output can
result in better sound.

Most Dolby Digital (AC-3) decod­ers automatically remove the low
bass content from all the Main
speakers if the “Subwoofer Output”
switch is set to “On”. The Main
speaker “Large/Small” switches still
appear to function, but they are
actually locked in the “Small”
mode.

This automatic bass limiting is
unnecessary with large Main
speakers. You can effectively send
all low-bass and Low Frequency
Effects signals to both your Main

To connect between a stereo preamp
and a stereo power amp, combine a
suitable length stereo phono cable with
two “Y” adapters. Each adapter is one
RCA male plug to two RCA female jacks

(Figure 2). Some receivers and
integrated amplifiers have preamp
outputs and power amp inputs that
are accessible by removing jumpers
from the back panel.

Connection Method Three:

Connect from a subwoofer output
using a suitable length mono
phono cable with an RCA phono
plug at each end (Figure 3). Con-

R

L

R

MONO

L

LINE

LEVEL

INPUTS

SPEAKER

LEVEL INPUTS

+

R

L

R

MONO

L

LINE

LEVEL

INPUTS

SPEAKER

LEVEL INPUTS

+

R

L

R

MONO

L

LINE

LEVEL

INPUTS

SPEAKER

LEVEL INPUTS

+

Figure 1.

Using speaker wire

OUTPUTS

TO POWER AMP

L

R

To power amp

(Front amp in
surround system)

PREAMP

POWERED SUBWOOFER

Y-adapters

Figure 2.

Using “Y” adapters and phono cable

POWERED SUBWOOFER

SURROUND DECODER OR RECEIVER

OUTPUTS

L

R

FRONT

SURROUND

CENTER

SUBWOOFER

*

*

Labelled “Mono”
on some units.
Be sure the output
signal is full-range.

Figure 3.

Surround decoder or receiver with

subwoofer (mono) output

INTEGRATED AMP OR RECEIVER

LEFT

RIGHT

(FRONT)

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

To left (front) speaker To right (front) speaker

POWERED SUBWOOFER

4

Left and Right speakers and to your
subwoofer by turning the subwoofer
output “Off” and setting the Main
Left and Right speakers to “Large”.
This blends all the output of the
Low Frequency Effects channel with
the Main Left and Right speakers.
The Powered Subwoofer needs to be
connected with speaker wire to the
Main Left and Right speaker outputs
in this case.

AC Power, Etc.

After making the audio connec­tions, plug the power cord into any
convenient 120-Volt AC, 60 Hz
outlet and switch the subwoofer
“On”. Do not plug it into a switched
outlet on your amplifier or receiver,
as the Powered Subwoofer draws
sufficient current at high volume
levels to possibly damage the
switched outlet’s relay mechanism.

NOTE: If you connect the Powered
Subwoofer to your system using

speaker wires and hear a low-level
hum, turn off both the system and
the subwoofer and reverse the
latter’s AC plug in the outlet.
When you turn the system back
on, the hum should be gone.

The Powered Subwoofer has an
automatic “Power Off” circuit that
turns off power to the amplifier
circuit after it has been silent for over

Connecting A Slave Subwoofer

speaker output. Connect the
silver colored wire to the black
(negative) connector.

• Connect the opposite end of the
speaker wire to the Slave
Subwoofer input connector in a
similar fashion.

• The information about place­ment on pages 5 and 6 also
applies to the combination of a

Slave Subwoofer and Powered
Subwoofer. While it is often

convenient to place the two
units right next to each other
and treat them as one, they
will couple acoustically even
when they are placed several
feet apart.

20 minutes. The Powered Subwoofer
rapidly activates as soon as a new
signal is present. This feature oper­ates when the switch labeled “Auto­off Setting” is in the “Auto” position.
Most home users will find this
setting to be appropriate.

The “manual “ position of the
“Auto-off Setting” switch keeps the
amplifier operating and drawing a
small current so long as the Power
switch is in the “On” position. This
setting is appropriate when the
Powered Subwoofer is used in pro­fessional sound studios.

AC Power Light

The light next to the Power
Switch glows in different colors to
reflect the operating status of the
amplifier. Green indicates the
Powered Subwoofer amplifier is
“On” and operating. Amber means
the Powered Subwoofer amplifier is
in “Standby” mode and will
power-up and operate as soon as a
signal is fed to it. Red indicates an
amplifier-fault condition. See page
10 if this occurs. The light goes
dark when the Power switch is in
the “Off” position. The Powered
Subwoofer amplifier is discon­nected from the AC line in this
condition.

The Slave Subwoofer connects to the
Powered Subwoofer with the sup­plied 25 foot 16-gauge speaker
cable (or any other high quality
heavyweight speaker cable).

• Using the supplied wire strippers,
remove

1

/2 inch of insulation from
the copper and silver colored
wires at each end of the speaker
wire. Twist each exposed lead’s
fine wire strands tightly together.

• Remove the cover from the
“SLAVE SUBWOOFER OUTPUT”
on the back of the Powered
Subwoofer. Connect the copper­colored wire at one end of the
speaker cable to the red (positive)
connector on the Slave Subwoofer

SLAVE SUBWOOFER

OUTPUT

Powered Subwoofer

Slave Subwoofer

5

system requires. It is also the rea­son why the subwoofer need not be
located particularly close to other
speakers or aimed directly at the
listeners. The Powered Subwoofer
should be positioned vertically
(stick-on feet are provided for
attachment once you have decided
on its final orientation). It can sit in
a variety of positions within the
listening room, although we don’t
recommend placing it behind listen­ers. Also, do not place the Powered
Subwoofer underneath furniture.
Make sure there is a clear air space

of at least 18 inches surrounding
the Powered Subwoofer. Don’t
place objects on the Powered
Subwoofer (such as clothing) that
could inadvertently drape down
the front or back of the unit,
restricting air flow or speaker
output. Similarly, do not conceal
the Powered Subwoofer behind
draperies or other similar material.

2. The maximum low-bass output of
the Powered Subwoofer is markedly
affected by its placement with
respect to adjacent room surfaces.
Start by placing the subwoofer on

Before connecting your Powered
Subwoofer, place it in your listening
room using the guidelines that
follow. Then make the connections.
Once your sound system is
operating with the Powered
Subwoofer, listen and experiment
further with placement before
making the installation permanent.

1. The ear cannot localize the very
low bass sounds reproduced by
the Powered Subwoofer. This is
why it is possible to use a single
powered subwoofer to reproduce
all the 25 to 40 Hz bass a sound

Placement

FIGURE 4: HOW ROOM PLACEMENT AFFECTS BASS RESPONSE

Left Satellite Right Satellite

Powered Subwoofer

SurroundSurround

Left Satellite Right Satellite

Powered Subwoofer

SurroundSurround

Left Satellite Right Satellite

Powered Subwoofer

SurroundSurround

B. MORE BASS

A. LEAST BASS

C. MOST BASS

the floor against the same wall
as your front speakers, prefer­ably close to a corner (Figure 4, B
or C). The strongest output will
be produced with the speaker on
the floor directly in the corner.
The least bass output will result
if the speaker is placed out in the
room, away from the walls (see
Figure 4, A).

3. Corner placement “confines” the
bass output to the listening
room, minimizing bass transfer
to other rooms.

4. The listening room’s construc­tion can have a marked effect
upon the very low frequencies
reproduced by the Powered
Subwoofer. Thin, relatively
flexible walls allow these fre­quencies to dissipate readily, as
do open doors, archways open­ing into other rooms, and even
open windows. In addition, the
larger the room, the greater the
demand for low-frequency
acoustic energy. Therefore, the
best type of room for bass repro­duction in a home theater would
be one moderate in size, solidly
constructed, with no openings to
other rooms.

6

Obviously, not all rooms in a
normal home meet all these
criteria. If you have the option,
set up your home theater in the
room that comes closest. While
listening, shut the room’s doors
and windows (if practical). It can
make a surprising difference.
And if your listening room is
very large and/or opens out into
another room, it may be
desirable to add our optional,
passive Slave Subwoofer for
satisfactory high-level perfor­mance (see pages 3 and 5).
Note: Do not place the sub­woofer in shelving that houses a
phono turntable. Strong bass
from the speaker, including the
turntable’s own rumble, could be
picked up by the turntable, fed
back out the speaker again,
picked up by the turntable yet
again, and so on. This condition,
known as acoustic feedback, will
muddy the sound or set up a
loud, low-frequency rumbling.

levels. In contrast, much of the
music on audio CDs should not
sound any different with the Pow-
ered Subwoofer properly adjusted.
Indeed, if the subwoofer does add
“boomy” or “thumpy” quality to
your music, you may have the
subwoofer level control set too high.
Note: Always adjust the level con­trol first. Fine-tune the low-pass
filter setting once you have arrived
at a satisfying overall Level Control
setting.

It may take several listening
sessions using different films and
musical sources to arrive at the
single best setting for the Level
Control. The Subwoofer Level Con­trol is intended to be set once and
then left alone. Once you have
decided on a setting, use the Bass
tone control on your main electron­ics to compensate for the inevitable
small differences in bass output
between different recordings. If you
experience any difficulty, don’t
hesitate to consult your store or call
a Cambridge SoundWorks Audio/
Video Consultant at 1-877-YES-HIFI.

The Subwoofer Level Control adjusts
how loudly the Powered Subwoofer
plays. Start with it set midway (5),
then adjust upward or downward
depending on what you discover
during your listening tests.

Remember the Powered Subwoofer
reproduces bass that is below most
frequencies of musical interest, so it
is important to adjust its output
level with material that contains
strong, deep bass signals. It’s easiest
to adjust the Subwoofer Level Control
when listening to the right film
soundtracks (HiFi video cassette,
Laser Disc, or Digital Video Discs).
Action or adventure film
soundtracks generally have the
deepest bass signals. Try effects
such as the Empire State Building
exploding in Independence Day or
other more recent films with explo­sions or similar sound effects.

With the Powered Subwoofer
properly adjusted, these film and
video sound effects should literally
be room-shaking at high playback

The Subwoofer Level Control

7

Level signal inputs of the Powered
Subwoofer. The following guidelines
will help you choose the best set­ting. The differences between each
setting can be subtle, so don’t be
surprised if you can’t hear the
difference. You have found a good
setting if this is the case.

• 55 Hz or 80 Hz: For use with any

of the following Cambridge
SoundWorks speakers–

New Ensemble

®

, New Ensemble II,

New Ensemble III, Tower™, Tower
II, Tower III, Model Six™. Also, any

other truly wide-range speaker
system. Which position to choose
(55 Hz or 80 Hz) is best decided
by listening.
Note for Ensemble owners: The
Powered Subwoofer is intended to
supplement, not replace the
separate subwoofers supplied with
these systems. Do not disconnect
your Ensemble woofers when

You can fine-tune the blend
between your main speaker system
and the Powered Subwoofer by
adjusting the four-position switch
labeled “Low-Pass Frequency.” The
optimum filter setting enables the
subwoofer to “take over” the task of
reproducing very low bass
seamlessly from your main speakers.

The Low-Pass Frequency selector
behaves the same whether you are
using the Speaker Level or Line

Selecting Low-Pass Frequency

LOW PASS

FREQUENCY (Hz)

55

80

100

140

(FROM LFE
OUTPUT)

using the Powered Subwoofer.

• 100 Hz: For use with smaller
bookshelf sized speaker systems
with less low-bass reach. Use this
setting with the Cambridge
SoundWorks Model Seventeen™
and Ensemble IV.

• 140 Hz: Use this setting with
small main speakers.

Special note about line-level
subwoofer outputs

Many receivers and all Dolby
Digital (AC-3) processors feature
dedicated subwoofer outputs. Some
of these outputs are full-frequency
bandwidth. Others deliver a signal
which is “Bass Only”. These two
types of subwoofer outputs should
be treated differently. Check your
amplifier’s specification list to
determine which type you have.

Most of the subwoofer outputs on
receivers (stereo or Dolby Surround

®

with Pro Logic) deliver a full fre-

quency range signal, the same
signal that is fed to the main
speakers. Customers using this type
of subwoofer output should set the
Low-Pass frequency as described in
the procedure above.

The second type of subwoofer
output sends a “Bass Only” signal
to the Powered Subwoofer. The most
common example is the Low Fre­quency Effects (LFE) channel of a
Dolby Digital (AC-3) equipped
system. Set the Low-Pass frequency
to 140 (from LFE output) with this
type of subwoofer output. Try a
lower frequency setting only if there
is too much bass output on non­Dolby Digital (AC-3) program
material.

It is possible to improve the
performance of your main speakers
by the use of optional Low-Cut
Filters (see page 9).

8

Advantages Of The Slave Subwoofer

Our “in the speaker line” Low­Cut Filters optimize the perfor­mance your system at higher
output levels by keeping the low
frequencies best left to the
subwoofer out of the main front
speakers. This eases the burden
on the front speakers and ampli­fier, letting them play more
cleanly at higher levels, a major
potential benefit of having a
subwoofer in the first place.

• Our inexpensive Low-Cut Filters
are ideal for use with Cambridge
SoundWorks’ Model Seventeen,
Model Six and Ambiance

®

speakers, and other convention­al systems of reasonably wide
range. Connect these filters
between your main speakers
and your amplifier. The filters
begin to block bass signals to
your main speakers below
about 140 Hz, so that below
100 Hz, almost no bass signals
reach your main speakers.

The Final Touch

If your listening space is very large
or if you wish the strongest low­bass output possible, it may be
necessary to add our optional,
passive Slave Subwoofer. The Slave
Subwoofer consists of an acoustic
suspension bass driver like that of
the Powered Subwoofer, housed in
an identical cabinet and powered
by the amplifier within the
Powered Subwoofer. Because of the
acoustic coupling between the two
bass drivers, and because together
they present a load enabling the
amplifier to deliver higher power,
the combination system has
approximately three times the total
acoustic output of a Powered
Subwoofer alone. If you think you
may need the Slave Subwoofer,
consult your store or an Audio/
Video Consultant at any Cambridge
SoundWorks store or call
1-877-YES-HIFI.

Note: The Powered Subwoofer and
Slave Subwoofer are a matched

system. Under no circumstances
should any speaker other than a
Slave Subwoofer be connected to
the “Slave Subwoofer Output” on
the Powered Subwoofer. Using the
Slave Subwoofer Output to drive
any other speaker can result in
damage to the Powered Subwoofer
and the resultant damage is not
covered under the terms of the
Powered Subwoofer warranty.

9

If more than dusting is needed,
the finish on either subwoofer can
be cleaned with a window or vinyl
cleaning product. Avoid spraying
the cleaner directly on the speaker
grille to prevent damage to the
grille or the speaker.

Cleaning The CabinetsInstalling Low-Cut Filters

• The filters can go at either end
of the speaker wires of the Left
and Right Main speakers. You
can, for example, connect one
filter’s INPUT FROM AMP leads
to speaker outputs on your
receiver or amplifier, then
connect the speaker wire to the
filter’s OUTPUT TO SPEAKER
leads with the wire nuts
supplied. Or, you can attach a
filter right to the back of a
speaker. Connect the filter’s
OUTPUT TO SPEAKER leads to
your speaker’s input terminals.

• As with all speaker connections,
be sure to maintain consistency
with respect to the + and —
terminals on the receiver and
those on the speakers, including
the Powered Subwoofer. The
connecting wires on the filters
are coded by the use of one
copper-colored conductor and
one silver.

10

Difficulty?

60 Hz
120V
330W

FUSE:
T3.15A

250V

IMPORTANT: Turn off and unplug the
subwoofer before changing the fuse.

60 Hz

120V

330W

FUSE:
T3.15A

250V

Replacing The Fuse

A fuse protects the amplifier inside
the Powered Subwoofer. If the fuse
blows, it is safe to substitute the
spare T3.15A, 250V fuse supplied
with the speaker. If the second
fuse blows, or the Power light
glows red, do not attempt to re­place the fuse another time. Return
the subwoofer to your store’s
Authorized Repair Center. If you
purchased the speaker directly
from Cambridge SoundWorks, call
1-877-YES-HIFI for advice.

There are no other fuses or user­replaceable parts within the
Powered Subwoofer.

Do Not substitute a fuse of a
different rating.

3.) Replace with T3.15A, 250v fuse.

4.) Invert the fuse holder and insert
it into its receptacle.

1.) Use a small flat screwdriver as a
lever to remove the fuse holder in
the AC cord receptacle

2.) Invert the fuse holder and remove
the blown fuse.

If you suspect a problem with your
subwoofer, contact the store where
it was purchased. If a problem is
confirmed, you will need to return
the speaker to that store or its
Authorized Service Center.

If you purchased the speakers
through our mail order catalog, by
phone or via our website, call
1-877-YES-HIFI. An Audio/Video
Consultant will help you track
down the problem, which could be
in some other component in your
system. If together you agree that
there is something wrong with the
subwoofer, you will be supplied
with a Return Authorization
Number. Please do not return the
subwoofer to the factory without
prior authorization.

® Dolby, Pro Logic and Dolby Digital (AC-3) are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
™ Tower, Model Six and Model Seventeen are trademarks of Cambridge SoundWorks, Incorporated
® Ensemble, Ambiance and Cambridge SoundWorks are registered trademarks of Cambridge SoundWorks, Incorporated

Powered Subwoofer

To the original purchaser,
Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. will
warrant the Powered Subwoofer to
be free of defects in material and
workmanship for a period of two
(2) 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. During the
period from three (3) years
through ten (10) years, Cambridge
SoundWorks will, at its option,
repair or replace the defective
product for a cost to the original
purchaser of no more than $50.00
for parts and labor.

Slave Subwoofer

To the original purchaser, Cam­bridge SoundWorks, Inc. will
warrant the Slave Subwoofer 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.

These warranties do not extend
to any defect, malfunction or
failure caused by misuse, abuse,
accident, faulty hook-up, defective
associated equipment or use of the
speaker with equipment for which
it is not intended, such as con­necting any speaker other than a

Slave Subwoofer to the Powered
Subwoofer’s “Slave Subwoofer

Output.”

Each of these two warranties is
the sole and express warranty of
the product named in its title, and
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 herein.

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

11

copy of the original proof of
purchase indicating customers
name and date of purchase.

Upon notification by the pur­chaser and reaching agreement
with the purchaser that there is a
defect, Cambridge SoundWorks
will issue a Return Authorization
Number for the product. The
purchaser will return the product
to the address below, freight
prepaid by the purchaser. The
product shall have the Return
Authorization Number clearly
marked on the outside of the
package. The package must
include a copy of the original
proof of purchase. Please do not
return either the Powered
Subwoofer or the Slave Subwoofer
to Cambridge SoundWorks with­out prior authorization from
Cambridge SoundWorks.

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]

Limited Warranty

311 Needham Street, Newton MA 02464

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

www.cambridgesoundworks.com

Email: [e-mail]

P81-1010 0400 A Company