GoldenEar Aon Series User Manual

™

Aon Series

Ultra-High Performance Bookshelf Monitor

Owner’s Manual

Aon Series Owner’s Manual

Congratulations!

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing GoldenEar Technology’s® Aon speakers! You are about to hear
the spectacular difference these very special speakers will make in your music and/or home theater system!

Our engineers’ many years of experience in developing loudspeakers has led to this extraordinary product. In order
to ensure that you experience maximum performance, please take a moment to fully read this owner’s manual and
familiarize yourself with the unique installation, assembly and set-up procedures for your Aon speakers.

Please visit our website at www.GoldenEar.com for more information on the technology behind your new speaker
system. If you have additional questions, contact your Authorized GoldenEar Technology

®

Dealer or visit the

Q&A page in the Tech Support section of our website.

Your New GoldenEar Speakers

GoldenEar Aon speakers are designed to fi t beautifully in a wide variety of applications. Their compact dimen-
sions allow for easy installation in many locations within your home. To get the best performance possible and
for a product that lasts a lifetime, we strongly recommend that you follow the placement and setup guidelines
provided in this manual.

Cleaning

Do not use a strong or abrasive cleaner on your new speakers. Clean them only with a damp cloth, but do not
get them wet. Do not set wet objects on top of the speakers as they may damage the enclosure.

Wall Mounting

IMPORTANT: GoldenEar does NOT supply the
hardware for mounting speakers to the wall.

Your speakers have an optional keyhole hanger to facilitate mounting on a wall. If you are wall mounting
speakers, take extra care in installation and the use of safety straps as a secondary restraint is recommended.
We suggest wall mounting installation be performed by a qualifi ed contractor or your authorized GoldenEar
dealer.

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Preventing Speaker Damage

USE AN APPROPRIATE AMPLIFIER. At high volumes a very powerful amplifi er can overdrive your

speakers and damage them. And if the amplifi er is not powerful enough, it can produce distortion
that can easily damage your speaker. (Consult your dealer for assistance.)

DON’T BE FOOLED BY YOUR RECEIVER’S VOLUME CONTROL. It only adjusts how loud, it is not an

indication of power output. If your speakers begin to sound harsh or grating or if you hear other forms
of distortion, turn down the volume immediately!

PROPER SETUP IS THE KEY. Please Note: Avoid use of tone controls and loudness controls as they will

demand even more power from an amplifi er.

GoldenEar Technology Aon speakers are effi cient and can be driven to loud listening levels with moderate
amplifi er power. They are also able to handle the output of very powerful amplifi ers. To prevent damage to your
speakers, please read all of the following guidelines before hooking them up.

Amplifi er Distortion — #1 Threat to your New Speakers!

Amplifi er distortion is the principal cause of speaker damage. When listening at loud levels your amplifi er may run
out of clean power. It will then begin to produce speaker-damaging distorted power. This will damage any brand
of speaker very quickly! More powerful amplifi ers are actually safer – For example: A 40 Watt/channel amplifi er
will have substantial distortion above 40 Watts. If driven to 50 Watts, this amplifi er will deliver speaker-damaging
distorted power! But a 100 Watt/channel amplifi er will have very low distortion below 100 Watts. Therefore, when
the speaker requires 50 Watts, this more powerful amplifi er will deliver clean power and speaker damage is less
likely to occur. (See your GoldenEar Technology dealer for amplifi er recommendations.)

Volume Setting

Do not be fooled by the Volume setting of your receiver/preamplifi er. It only adjusts listening level — it is not
a “power-output” dial. The amount of amplifi er power actually used at a given Volume setting depends solely
on the nature of the source material you are listening to (at a given Volume setting a quiet section of music will
use less amplifi er power than a loud section). With typical material, the rated output power of many receivers/
amplifi ers is often reached when the Volume is set to around -10dB, or between the “11” and “1 o’clock”
settings with an analog control (with bass/ treble and loudness controls not used — otherwise rated power may be

reached at even lower Volume settings). Remember, all amplifi ers produce distortion when operated beyond their

rated output power. The resulting distortion will damage all speakers! If you listen at loud levels, be careful to listen
for the point of audible distortion — if the speakers begin to sound distressed, turn the Volume down or your speak­ers and/or amplifi er(s) will be damaged! This type of damage constitutes abuse and is not covered by the warranty.
If louder volumes are desired, consider a more powerful amplifi er.

There is Actually a Limit!

Even with these safer, more powerful amplifi ers, there is a point at which you could have more power than the
speaker can handle. At that point you will overpower the speaker and damage it. At loud levels do not increase
bass/treble controls from zero and ensure that all loudness/contour/bass EQ buttons are off (otherwise rated
output power will be reached at even lower volume control settings).

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Aon Series Owner’s Manual

The Right Amount of Power

A power-range rating is given in the specifi cations as a guide to indicate the approximate minimum and
maximum power input of your GoldenEar Aon speakers. Amplifi ers that meet or even exceed the speaker’s
power-range rating are recommended as their greater power reserves provide better sound. But always use
the speakers within their power-range rating to prevent damage — that is, keep listening levels below the point
of obvious audible distortion.

Unpacking your Aon Loudspeakers

Please Inspect for Shipping Damage

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 GoldenEar Technology Dealer and/or the
delivery company that delivered your loudspeaker. Please unpack your system carefully.

Save all cartons and packing materials in case you move or need to ship your system. Record the serial number
found on the back of the Aon loudspeaker here:

_________________________________________________________________________

(Serial Number)

Please go to http://www.goldenear.com/support/registrationandwarranty and use the serial number(s) above to
complete your warranty registration.

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