Genelec AOW312 User Manual

AOW312

Operating Manual

Genelec AOW312
Active On-Wall Loudspeaker

Genelec AOW312 Active On-Wall Loudspeaker

System

The Genelec AOW312 is a three-way active
loudspeaker designed for medium sized,
high quality home theater applications. This
system excels as side or rear channels when
mounted on-wall. It also offers minimum
intrusion into designed spaces while pro­viding high sound pressure levels required
when employing Genelec’s large three-way
systems for left, center, and right positions
and HTS6 series subwoofer in rooms greater
than 260 m3 / 9000 cu. ft.

De signe d a s an active l oudsp eaker
system, it contains multiple driver and power
amplifiers, active crossover filters and protec­tion circuitry.

The unique Directivity Control Waveguide™
(DCW™) technology developed by Genelec
provides extremely stable and accurate imag­ing and frequency balance even in difficult
acoustic environments. Furthermore, versa­tile and precise crossover controls allow for
accurate matching of the loudspeakers sys­tems to different room acoustic conditions.

The AOW312 is fixed to the wall via unique
mounting brackets which isolate and sus­pend the cabinet vertically. The brackets also
allow the cabinets to be mounted with a ±15
degree angle offset to the wall to facilitate
energy focus at desired listening locations.

All electronics are factory calibrated as

a single unit eliminating the effects of com­ponent tolerances and ensuring consistent
quality and long term reliability.

Low frequencies are reproduced by a 305
mm (12”) bass driver with a low frequency
extension to 35 Hz. The 130 mm (5”) mid­range cone and 25 mm (1”) HF driver are
loaded into the proprietary Directivity Con­trol Waveguide as found on the HT312 and
HT315 models.

The ampl ifier unit co ntains an a ctive
crossover, the ideal method for dividing an
input signal between the driver units, allow­ing the overall response of the system to be
optimized to an extent impossible with a pas­sive system. Variable input sensitivity as well
as XLR line level input connectors provide
easy connection and accurate level match­ing to the preamplifier or surround decoder.
The bass, midrange and treble amplifiers of
the AOW312 produce 180 W for the low fre­quency driver and 120 W each for the mid­range and HF drivers.

The amplifiers are designed to operate at
very low THD and IM distortion values and
are capable of driving the AOW312 to peak
output levels in excess of 124 dB SPL at 2 m
with music material.

Like all Genelec HT models, the AOW312
incorporates special circuitry for driver over­load and amplifier ther mal protection, as
well as an “Autostart” function for automatic

switching between “Standby” and “On” power
modes. A 12 V trigger or external switch or
relay type remote control also provides power
mode switching.

The 7U remote amplifier modules are sup­plied with 19” rack-mount metalwork and
Neutrik Speakon connectors are provided
to facilitate wiring and system connection at
customer facilities.

Installation

Once unpacked, place the loudspeaker in
its required listening position, taking note of
the line of the acoustical axis (see Figure 1).
Attach the mounting brackets to the wall with
suitable screws for carrying the loudspeak­er's weight of 43 kgs (95 lbs). The maximum
vertical tilt angle for the loudspeaker cabinet
is ±5 degrees.

The mounting brackets are pre-drilled for
cabinet alignment angles of -15°, 0° and
+15°. If necessary, you can drill new holes to
the brackets for exact loudspeaker alignment.
The rubber isolators provided must be placed
between the brackets and loudspeaker cabi­net. See Figures 3 and 4 for details.

It is recommended that the surroundings
of the loudspeaker are covered with about 10
cms (4") of rockwool or similar damping mate­rial. If the loudspeaker is covered with a cloth,
it must be acoustically transparent and a free
space of at least 2 cm (3/4") left between the

Figure 2. Ampli fier panel layout of the AOW312.

-1

-2

-3

-4dB

-5

-6
MUTE

SERIAL
NUMBER

WARNING

NEVEROPERATETHIS EQUIPMENTWITHOUTA PROPER
EARTHEDMAINS CONNECTION.

ITIS FORBIDDENTOUNDOANY SCREWSONTHIS EQUIPMENT.
SERVICINGANDADJUSTMENT MUSTONLYBE CARRIEDOUT
BYQUALIFIED SERVICEPERSONNEL.

DONOT EXPOSETOWATEROR MOISTURE.

THISEQUIPMENT ISCAPABLEOFPRODUCING SOUND
PRESSURELEVELS INEXCESSOF 85dBWHICHMAY CAUSE
PERMANENTHEARING DAMAGE.

ENSURETHATTHE CORRECTVOLTAGEIS SELECTEDBEFORE
CONNECTINGTOTHE MAINSSUPPLY.

ELECTRICSHOCK HAZARD!

MAINSINPUT
50/60 Hz
300Watts
115/230 V

ON

˜

PIN1= GROUND
PIN2= +INPUT
PIN3= -INPUT

MAINS
VOLTAGE
SELECTOR

2

3

20Hz 100Hz

20Hz 250Hz

-8

INPUTSENSITIVITY
REQUIREDFOR
100dBSPL@1m.
REFERTO
OPERATINGMANUAL
FORMAXIMUMSPL.

SIGNALINPUT

INPUTSENSITIVITY

-6

1

dBu

+6

+2

+4 -4

-2

0

BASS
TILT

BASS
ROLL-OFF

-2

-4dB

-6

-8

OFF ON

-2

-4dB

-6

-8

OFF ON

-2

0

-6

-4

ALLOFF

dB

-2

-8

-6

-4

0

dB

ALLOFF

CALPOSITION
ALLTONE CONTROLS:OFF
INPUTSENSITIVITY :-6dBu

20Hz 400Hz 3kHz 20kHz

FORA FLATFREEFIELDRESPONSE SETALL
TONECONTROLS TOOFF.

FORACCURATEOPERATION ONLYONE
SWITCHIN EACHTONECONTROL GROUP
SHOULDBE ONATATIME.

REFERTO THEOPERATINGMANUAL FOR
SUGGESTEDTONE CONTROLSETTINGS.

BASS
LEVEL

-1

-2

-3

-4dB

-5

-6
MUTE

OFF ON

0

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

-6

dB

BASS

TREBLE
LEVEL

MID
LEVEL

OFF ON

-1

-2

-3

-4dB

-5

-6
MUTE

OFF ON

TREBLEMID

LEVELCONTROLS

USINGTHE TONECONTROLS

MADEINFINLAND

www.genelec.com

MAGNETICALLYSHIELDED

GND

EXTERNAL
SWITCH
ORRELAY

12VDC
REMOTE

2

3

4

1

+

REMOTECTRL
AUTOSTART
POWERLED
STANDBYLED

REMOTE
CONTROL

OFF ON

DONOTUSE BOTH
REMOTECONTROL
TYPESATTHE
SAMETIME.

SWITCHTHEREMOTE
CONTROLDIPSWITCH
ONWHENUSING
REMOTECONTROL.

REMOTECONTROL
OVERRIDES
AUTOSTARTFUNCTION.

AUTOSTARTSETS
THEAMPLIFIERTO
STANDBYMODE
WHENTHERE
ISNOSIGNAL.

CONNECTOR

PINNO.

3 EXTERNALSWITCH
4 ORRELAY

REMOTECONTROL
TYPE

1 +
2 GND

12VDC REMOTE

PIN1HIGH: ON
PIN1LOW: STANDBY

AMPLIFIERMODE

CONTACTCLOSED:ON
CONTACTOPEN:STANDBY

HT312AACTIVE HOMETHEATERSYSTEM

ON

TREBLE,MIDRANGE

AND BASS LEVEL

SWITCHES

BASS TILT AND

ROLL-OFF

SWITCHES

INPUT

SENSITIVITY

ADJUSTMENT

SIGNAL INPUT

CONNECTOR

MAINS VOLTAGE

SELECTOR, MAINS

CONNECTOR
AND SWITCH

REMOTE CONTROL

AND INDICATOR LED

SWITCHES

REMOTE CONTROL

CONNECTORS

400 (15 3/4")

220 (8 21/32")

47 (1 27/32")

1652 (65 1/32")

1672 (65 13/32")

1500 (59 1/16")

1360 (53 17/32")

ACOUSTIC
AXIS

181 (7 1/8")

175 (6 7/8")

246 (9 11/16")

15

°

Figure 1. Cabin et dimensions of the AOW312. The aco ustic
axis is located at the indicated height on the centerli ne of the
loudspeaker cabinet.

front baffle and the cloth.The reflex port of
the loudspeaker cabinet is located on the left
side of the cabinet (see Figure 1). The airflow
from the port must not be obstructed, and a
free space of at least 5 cm (2") is required
before the port.

Each loudspeaker is delivered with two
Speakon cable connectors. There is one
Speakon output on the amplifier and two
Speakon cable inputs (one on each side) on
the cabinet. Use only one input at any time.
The inputs may not be used for daisy-chain­ing several loudspeakers or connecting two
amplifiers to a single loudspeaker.

Measure the required length of cable and
solder the connectors on it. Pins 1- and 1+
carry the signal for the tweeter, pins 2- and
2+ for the mid range driver and pins 3- and 3+
for the woofer. Pins 4- and 4+ are not used.
See Table 1 below for recommended cable
thicknesses. The whole cable should have
an outside diameter of 8 to 20 mm (5/16" to

Cable gauge Max. length

2,0 mm2 (14 AWG) 30 m (100 ft)

3,3 mm2 (12 AWG) 40 m (130 ft)

5,3 mm2 (10 AWG) 60 m (200 ft)

Table 1. Recommended cabl e thicknesses for
different leng ths of cable

Connections

Figure 3. AOW312 loudspeaker
cabinet top view.

13/16") to fit in the Speakon connector.

Alternatively, pre-terminated lengths of

cable are available from Genelec.

Be sure not to mix the amplifier/loudspeaker
pairs when installing multiple loudspeakers
at the same time. Each amplifier and loud­speaker delivered in the same box are marked
with the same identification number and cali­brated together for optimal performance.

Sufficient cooling for the amplifier must
be ensured. Leave at least ten centimeters
(4 inches) free space above and below the
amplifier to ensure cooling. The space adja­cent to the amplifier must either be ventilated
or sufficiently large to dissipate heat so that
the ambient temperature does not rise above
35 degrees Celsius (95°F).

There are no fans in the amplifier unit so
it may be mounted in the listening room near
the lodspeaker cabinet using a shor t cable.

Before connecting up, ensure that the mains
switch is off. Check that the mains voltage
selector is correctly set to your local voltage.
Audio input is made via a 10kOhm balanced
XLR connector, but unbalanced leads may be
used as long as pin 3 is grounded to pin 1 of
the XLR. Once connection has been made, the
loudspeakers are ready to be powered-up.

Setting the input sensitivity

Adjustment of the input sensitivity of each
loudspeaker can be made to match the

Figure 4. AOW312 loudspeaker
cabinet top view at 15° angle.

output of the decoder or other source, by use
of the input sensitivity control on the amplifier
panel. A small screwdriver is needed for the
adjustment. The manufacturer default set­ting for this control is -6 dBu (fully clockwise)
which gives an SPL of 100 dB @1m with a

-6 dBu input level. To get the full output level
from the AOW312 an input level of +10 dBu
is needed at this setting.

Autostart and remote control

The AOW312 is equipped with an “Autostart”
fun ction, which automatic ally turns the
amplifier to “standby” mode if an input signal
has not been detected for approximately
thirty minutes, and back to “on” mode when
the signal returns. The function can be
deactivated by tur ning the “AUTOSTART”
dip switch to “OFF”. A two-colour LED on
the amplifier panel indicates the ampli­fier status: green for “on” and yellow for
“standby”.

The amplifier mode can also be switched
by a remote control unit connected to the
respective inputs on the amplifier. Two pairs
of connectors are provided, 1 and 2 for a
12 V DC type remote control, and 3 and 4 for
an external switch or relay type control. Do
not connect two remote controls to the loud­speaker at the same time. Activate the func­tion by turning the "REMOTE CONTROL" dip
switch on the amplifier panel to "ON". Note

Figure5: The cur ves above show the effect of the ‘bass’, ‘mid’ and

AUDIO PRECISION AOW312 ANEC vs 04 AUG 06

80

85

90

80

85

90

80

85

90

LEVEL(dBr)

20 100 1k 10k 20k

FREQ(Hz)

BASS TILT

BASS LEVEL

TREBLE LEVEL

BASS ROLL-OFF

MIDRANGE LEVEL

AUDIO PRECISION AOW312 ANEC vs 04 AUG 06

60

65

70

75

80

80

85

85

90

90

95

95

100

100

LEVEL(dBr)

20 100 1k 10k 20k

FREQ(Hz)

0

15

30
45

‘treble’ level con trols, and the ‘bass til t’ and ‘bass roll-off ’ controls
on the free field response of the AOW312, measured at 2 m.

Figure 6: The upper curve group shows the horizontal directivity
character istics o f the AOW312 in its ver tical configuration
measured at 2 m. The lower cur ve is a 1/6 octave power
response measurement, derived from 144 individual directivity
measurements.

that the remote control function overrides the
“autostart” dip switch function.

Setting the tone controls

The acoustic response of the system should
be adjusted to match the acoustic environ­ment. The adjustment is done by setting the
five tone control switch groups ‘bass tilt’, ‘bass
roll-off’, ‘bass level’, ‘mid level’ and ‘treble
level’ on the amplifier panel. The manufactur­er’s default settings for these controls are ‘All
Off’ to give a flat anechoic response. Figure 5
above shows the effect of the controls on the
anechoic response. Always start adjustment
by setting all switches to the ‘OFF’ position.
Then set only one switch per group to the ‘ON’
position to select the response curve required.
If more than one switch is set to ‘ON’ (within
one switch group) the attenuation value is no
longer accurate.

Maintenance

No user ser viceable parts are to be found
within the loudspeaker cabinet or the ampli­fier unit. Any maintenance or repair should
only be undertaken by qualified service per­sonnel. Ensure that if fuse replacement is
required, only fuses of the same voltage and
current rating are used. Remember to dis­connect the power supply by removal of the
mains cable, before fuse replacement.

Although the AOW312 loudspeaker has been
designed in accordance with international
safety standards, to ensure safe operation
and to maintain the instrument under safe

Safety considerations

operating conditions, the following warnings
and cautions must be observed:

1. Servicing and adjustment must only
be performed by qualified service
personnel. The amplifier must not be
opened.

2. Do not use the loudspeaker with an
unearthed mains cable or unearthed
mains connection as this may lead to
personal injury.

3. This loudspeaker is capable of
producing sound pressure levels in
excess of 85 dB, which may cause
permanent hearing damage.

4. A free flow of air around the amplifier is
necessary to maintain sufficient cooling.
Do not obstruct airflow around the
amplifier

5. To prevent fire or electric shock, do not
expose the unit to water or moisture. Do
not place any objects filled with liquid,
such as vases on or near the
loudspeaker or the amplifier.

6. Note that the amplifier is not completely
disconnected from the AC mains
service unless the mains cable
is removed from the amplifier or the
mains outlet.

Guarantee

This product is supplied with a two year guar­antee against manufacturing faults or defects
that might alter its performance. Refer to sup­plier for full sales and guarantee terms.

EC Declaration of Conformity

This is to certi fy that the Genele c AOW312 Acti ve On-Wall
Loudspeake r con forms to the following stan dards :

Safety :
EN / IEC 60065:1998 6th Edition
EMC:
EN 55020 : 2002 + A1 : 2003
EN 55013: (2001)
EN 61000-3-2 (2000)
EN 61000-3-3 (1995)

The product herewith complies with the requirements of The
Low Voltag e Dir ective 73/23 /EEC, EMC Direc tive 8 9/336 /
EEC and 93/68/EEC

Signed:
Ilpo Mar tikai nen
Position: Chairman of th e Boa rd
Date: 14-Aug ust-2 006

-1-2-3

-4dB-5-6
MUTE

SERIAL

NUMBER

WARNING

NEVEROPERATETHIS EQUIPMENTWITHOUTA PROPER

EARTHEDMAINS CONNECTION.

ITISFORBIDDEN TOUNDOANY SCREWSONTHIS EQUIPMENT.

SERVICINGANDADJUSTMENT MUSTONLYBE CARRIEDOUT

BYQUALIFIEDSERVICE PERSONNEL.

DONOTEXPOSE TOWATEROR MOISTURE.

THISEQUIPMENTIS CAPABLEOF PRODUCINGSOUND

PRESSURELEVELSIN EXCESSOF 85dBWHICHMAY CAUSE

PERMANENTHEARINGDAMAGE.

ENSURETHATTHECORRECT VOLTAGEIS SELECTEDBEFORE

CONNECTINGTOTHEMAI NSSUPPLY.

ELECTRICS HOCKHAZARD!

MAINSINPUT

50/60Hz

300Watts

115/230V

ON

˜

PIN1=GROUND

PIN2=+ INPUT

PIN3= -INPUT

MAINS

VOLTAGE

SELECTOR

2

3

20Hz 100Hz

20Hz 250Hz

GENELECR

-8

INPUTSENSITIVITY

REQUIREDFOR

100dBSPL@1m.

REFERTO

OPERATINGMANUAL

FORMAXIMUMSPL.

SIGNALINPUT

INPUTSENSITIVITY

-6

1

dBu

+6

+2

+4 -4

-2

0

BASS

TILT

BASS

ROLL-OFF

-2

-4dB-6-8

OFF ON

-2

-4dB-6-8

OFF ON

-20-6

-4

ALLOFF

dB

-2-8-6

-4

0

dB

ALLOFF

CALPOSITION

ALLTONECONTROLS :OFF

INPUTSENSITIVITY :-6dBu

20Hz 400Hz 3kHz 20kHz

FORA FLATFREE FIELDRESPONSESETALL

TONECONTR OLSTOOFF.

FORACCURATE OPERATIONONLYONE

SWITCHIN EACHT ONECONTROLGROUP

SHOULDBE ONAT ATIME.

REFERTO THEOPER ATINGMANUALFOR

SUGGESTEDT ONECONTROLSETTINGS.

BASS

LEVEL

-1-2-3

-4dB-5-6
MUTE

OFF ON

0

-1-2-3-4-5-6dB

BASS

TREBLE

LEVEL

MID

LEVEL

OFF ON

-1-2-3

-4dB-5-6
MUTE

OFF ON

TREBLEMID

LEVELCONTROLS

USINGTHE TONECONTROLS

MADEINFINLAND

www.genelec.com

MAGNETICALLYSHIELDED

GND

EXTERNAL

SWITCH

ORRELAY

12VDC

REMOTE

234

1

+

REMOTECTRL

AUTOSTART
POWERLED

STANDBYLED

REMOTE

CONTROL

OFF ON

DONOTUSEBOTH

REMOTECONTROL

TYPESATTHE

SAMETIME.

SWITCHTHEREMOTE

CONTROLDIPSWITCH

ONWHENUSING

REMOTECONTROL.

REMOTECONTROL

OVERRIDES

AUTOSTARTFUNCTION.

AUTOSTARTSETS

THEAMPLIFIERTO

STANDBYMODE

WHENTHERE

ISNOSIGNAL.

CONNECTOR

PINNO.

3 EXTERNALSWITCH

4 ORRELAY

REMOTECONTROL

TYPE

1 +

2 GND

12VDCREMOTE

PIN1HIGH:ON

PIN1LOW:STANDBY

AMPLIFIERMODE

CONTACTCLOSED:ON

CONTACTOPEN:STANDBY

HT312AACTIVEHOME THEATERSYSTEM

ON

103 (4 1/16")

483 (19")

90 (3 7/32")

257 (10 1/8")

310 12 7/32")

55 (2 5/32")

83 (3 1/4")

85 (3 11/32")

Figure 7: Dimensions of the AOW312 amplifier unit

Figure 8: AOW312 ampl ifier unit

Figure 9: Wall mount bracket

Figure 10: AOW312 lou dspeaker cabinet

AOW312 Operating Manual

system spec ific ations

aoW312

Lower cut-off frequ ency, -3 dB
Upper cut-off fr equency, -3 dB
Free field frequency r esponse
of system

Maximum shor t term sine wave acoust ic output
on axis in half space, averaged from 100 Hz to
3 kHz

Maximum long ter m RMS acoustic ou tput in same
conditions with IEC-weighted noise ( limited by
driver unit prote ction circuit)

Maximum peak acou stic output per pai r above
console with musi c material

Self generated no ise level in free field @ 2 m
on axis

Harmonic dist ortion at 95 d B SPL at 1m on axis : fre q. <100 Hz <1%

Drivers
Bass
Midrange
Treble

Weight
Loudspeaker
Amplifier

Loudspeaker dimens ions
Height
Width
Depth

Amplifier dimensi ons
Height
Width
Depth

<35 Hz
>22 kHz
37 Hz - 21 kHz ( ±2.5 dB)

@ 1 m >116 dB SP L

@ 1 m >107 dB SP L

@ 2 m >123 dB

<15 dB (A weighte d)

freq. >100 Hz <0.5%

305 mm (12") con e
130 mm (5") cone
25 mm (1") metal dome

43 kg (95 lb)
8 kg (18 lb)

1500 mm (59 1/16 ")
400 mm (15 3/4")
175 mm (6 7/8")

310 mm (12 7/32" )
483 mm (19")
106 mm (4 3/16") *

*Note that the c able connectors requi re
additional >100 mm (4") space behin d the
amplifier

amplifier s ecti on

aoW312

Bass amplifier sh ort term ou tput power 180 W (4 Ohm load)

Midrange amplifier short term output power with
an 8 Ohm load

Treble amplifier short ter m output power with an
8 Ohm load

120 W

120 W

Long term out put power is limited by driver
unit protection circuitry.

Slew rate 80V/µs

Amplifier system distortion at nominal output
THD
SMPTE-IM
CCIF-IM
DIM 100

Signal to Noise ratio, referred to full outpu t
Bass
Midrange
Treble

<0.05%
<0.05%
<0.05%
<0.05%

>100 dB
>100 dB
>100 dB

Mains voltage 100/200V or 115/ 230V

Voltage operating range nominal ±10%

Power consumption
Idle
Full output

50 W
300 W

crossover sect ion

aoW312

Input connector XLR female pin 1 gnd

Input impedance 10 kOhm

Input level for 100 dB SPL
output @1m

Input level for maximum shor t term output variable from +22 t o +10 dBu for 116 dB

Subsonic filter 18 dB/octave

Ultrasonic filter 12 dB/octave above 25 kHz

Crossover frequency
Bass/Mid
Mid/Treble

Crossover acoustical slopes 18 - 24 dB/octave

Crossover level control opera ting range in 1
dB steps
Bass
Mid
Treble

Bass roll-off co ntrol in 2 dB steps from 0 to -8 dB @35 Hz

Bass tilt contro l in 2 dB steps from 0 to -8 dB @80 Hz

pin 2 +
pin 3 -

variable from +6 to -6 dBu

SPL @1m

below 35 Hz

420 Hz

3.2 kHz

from 0 to -6 dB
from 0 to -6 dB
from 0 to -6 dB

The 'CAL' positi on is with all tone controls
set to 'off' and input sensitivity control to
maximum.

Genelec Docu ment D0075R001 Copyrig ht Genelec Oy 8.2006. All data subject to change without prior notic e

Inter national e nquiries:

Genele c, Olvitie 5

FIN-74 100, Iisal mi, Finlan d

Phone [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email genele [e-mail]

In the U.S. please c ontact:

Genele c, Inc., 7 Tech Cir cle

Natick, MA 01760 , USA

Phone [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email genele [e-mail]

In Chi na please contact:

Beijin g Genelec Audio Co. Ltd.

Jianwa i SOHO, Tower 12, R oom 2306

39 Eas t 3rd Ring Road

Chaoyang District

Beijin g 100022, China

Phone [phone], Fax [phone]

www.genelec.com

In Sweden ple ase contact

Genelec Sveri ge

Ellipsvägen 10 B

P.O. Box 5521, S-14 1 05 Huddinge

Phone [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email info@gen elec.com