Definitive Mythos Gem XL Owner's Manual
™
Mythos GemXL
Satellite/Surround Speaker System
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Congratulations
Congratulations on your purchase of the Definitive
Technology Mythos Gem XL Satellite/Surround Speaker
System. This revolutionary loudspeaker utilizes state-of-theart components (homopolymer-coned bass-midrange drivers,
moving coil ferrofluid-cooled pure aluminum dome high
frequency radiators, uniphase crossover networks, etc.),
housed in a beautiful non-resonant polished aluminum
aircraft-grade cabinet in order to achieve the most lifelike
sound possible in your listening room for many years to come.
Your Mythos Gem XL is a unique speaker which may be used
as a high-performance rear or side surround matched with any
of our Mythos or any of our other fine speakers. In addition,
it is a superb front left and right satellite speaker which may
be combined with any of our subwoofers. Four Mythos Gem
XL speakers combined with a Mythos Three center channel
and a Definitive subwoofer make a fantastic, complete,
high-performance home theater 5.1 speaker system.
Each loudspeaker leaves our plant in perfect condition. Any visible or concealed
damage most likely occurred in handling after it left our plant and should be
reported at once to your Definitive dealer or the shipping company which delivered your loudspeaker.
Please Inspect For Shipping Damage
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It is critical for proper performance that both speakers (left and right) be connected in proper phase. Note that one terminal on each speaker (the +) is colored red and
the other (the -) is colored black. Please make certain that you connect the red (+)
terminal on each speaker to the red (+) terminal of its channel on your amplifier or
receiver, and the black (-) terminal to the black (-) terminal. It is essential that both
speakers be connected in the same way to the amplifier (in phase). If you experience
a great lack of bass, it is likely that one speaker is out of phase with the other.
Usually if distortion is heard when the speakers are being driven at
loud levels, it is caused by driving (turning up) the amplifier too loud and
not driving the speakers with more power than they can handle. Remember,
most amplifiers put out their full rated power well before the volume control
is turned all the way up! (Often, turning the dial half way up is actually full
power.) If your speakers distort when you play them loud, turn down the
amplifier or get a bigger one.
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The Mythos Gem XL is a tremendously versatile speaker which makes a perfect
left and right channel front satellite speaker (when used with a Definitive subwoofer)
as well as a superb rear or side surround speaker. We will describe the various
aspects of its use for both of these applications starting with the simplest instructions
first: for its use as a rear or side surround.
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SSiiddee SSuurrrroouunndd SSppeeaakkeer
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The Mythos Gem XL is designed to be extremely flexible in terms of their placement when used as surround speakers. They may be used on the side walls, rear
walls or in the rear corners of the listening room. When placed along the side walls
the speakers should normally be located adjacent to or behind the listening position.
The speakers may also be placed near the rear corners of the room or located on the
rear wall. If you have your couch or listening position near or against the rear wall,
we suggest rear wall placement of the Mythos Gem XL with them positioned on
either side of the couch and in from the side wall. High placement is preferred;
however, midwall or floor placement is certainly acceptable. Normally speakers
would be hung on the wall with the input connection plate up against the wall,
however, the Mythos Gem XL may also be placed on shelves or stands. Of course,
experimentation is encouraged to get the best performance in your particular room.
As a starting point, we suggest mounting the speakers on the side walls behind the
listening position about 3-6 feet off the floor and halfway between the listening
position and the rear wall.
When using Mythos Gem XL in Dolby EX and other 6.1 and 7.1 systems (which
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they are perfect for), one pair will normally be located on the side walls as described
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above and an additional 1 or 2 speakers will be located on the rear wall as described
IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: When the Mythos Gem XL is used as a
above.
rear or side surround speaker, the bass management of your receiver or decoder for
those channels should be set to “Small.”
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wwiitthh aa DDeefifinniittiivvee SSuub
When a pair of Mythos Gem XLs is used in conjunction with a Definitive sub,
they may be connected either directly to the left and right channel of your amplifier
or receiver, or to the left and right speaker level outputs on a Definitive sub (when
the Definitive sub is connected via the high-level speaker wire inputs to the left and
right channel speaker outputs on your receiver). Connecting the Mythos Gem XLs to
a Definitive Sub (which includes a built-in high-pass crossover for the Mythos Gem
XLs) will result in greater dynamic range (the system can be played louder without
overdriving the satellites) and is recommended for most installations, especially
when the system is being used for home theater. Because this is the most common
set-up, the following instructions relate to wiring the Mythos Gem XLs to a
Definitive sub.
Wiring 2 Mythos Gem XLs and 1 Definitive Sub for Stereo (2-Channel) Use
1) First, wire the red (+) terminal of the left channel speaker wire output of your
receiver or amplifier to the red (+) terminal of the left channel speaker wire (high
level) input of your Definitive Sub.
2) Next, wire the black (-) terminal of the left channel speaker wire output of your
receiver or amplifier to the black (-) terminal of the left channel speaker wire (high
level) input of the Definitive sub.
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3) Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for the right channel.
4) Wire the red (+) terminal of the left Mythos Gem XL to the left channel red (+)
speaker wire (high level) on the back of the Definitive sub.
5) Wire the black (-) terminal of the left Mythos Gem XL to the left channel black (-)
speaker wire (high level) on the back of the Definitive sub.
6) Repeat steps 4 & 5 for the right Mythos Gem XL.
7) Set the low frequency filter control on the back of the Definitive sub to approximately
2 o’clock. Please note that the exact frequency will depend on many factors including
specific positions of the speakers in the room, so you might experiment with a slightly
higher or lower setting to achieve ideal blending between the sub and the satellites for
your particular set-up. Listen to a wide variety of music to determine the correct setting
for this in your system.
8) Set the subwoofer level control so that it sounds properly balanced with the satellites.
Please note that the exact level depends on many factors including your room size, posi
tion of the speakers, etc. as well as your personal listening taste, so you might experiment with the subwoofer level while listening to a wide variety of music until you
achieve the ideal setting for your system.
9) If your receiver allows you to choose whether or not the main speakers are to receive
a full-range signal, choose full range (or “Large Left and Right Main Speakers”).
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