Krell LAT, LAT-1 Owners manual

OWNER’S REFERENCE

LAT

THE LAT SERIES

LOSSLESS ACOUSTIC

TRANSDUCERS

The LAT Series
Lossless Acoustic Transducers
Owner’s Reference, v03.0

Krell Industries, Inc.
45 Connair Road
Orange, CT 06477-3650 USA

TEL [phone]
FAX [phone]
E-MAIL [e-mail]
WEBSITE http://www.krellonline.com

This product complies with the EMC directive (89/336/ EEC) and the low-voltage directive
(73/23/EEC).

This product is manufactured in the United States of America. Krell®is a registered trademark of Krell Industries, Inc., and is restricted for use by
Krell Industries, Inc., its subsidiaries, and authorized agents. Krell CAST

™

, Krell Current Mode™, Krell HEAT™, and LAT™ are trademarks of Krell

Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and tradenames are registered to their respective companies.

© 2001 by Krell Industries, Inc. All rights reserved P/N 305139

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iii

Contents

List of Illustrations, page iv

Foreword, page v

A Letter from Dan D’Agostino, page 1

SECTION ONE: About Krell, page 2

The Krell Legacy, Ensuring Maximum Performance,
and Definition of Terms

SECTION TWO: Unpacking and Placement, page 7

Opening the LAT–1 and the LAT–C Shipping Crate
Opening the LAT–2 Shipping Box

SECTION THREE: Anatomy of a Loudspeaker, page 14

Features and Benefits of the LAT Design

SECTION FOUR: Connecting a LAT Series Loudspeaker to Your System, page 22

SECTION FIVE: Krell HEAT: Home Theater Technology, page 23

WARRANTY, page 25

RETURN AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE, page 27

iv

List of Illustrations

Figure 1, page 11

Two-Channel LAT Placement Scenario

Figure 2, page 14

LAT–1 Front Panel and Grill

Figure 3, page 15

LAT–1 Back and Side Panels

Figure 4, page 16

LAT–C Front Panel and Grill

Figure 5, page 17

LAT–C Pivot Mechanism, Leg Assembly, and Crossovers

Figure 6, page 18

LAT–2 Front Panel and Grill

Figure 7, page 19

LAT–2 Back and Side Panels

Figure 8, page 24

A Krell HEAT (Home Theater) System Placement Scenario

v

Foreword

The design and manufacture of loudspeakers is a new venture for Krell, but the
reasons for making them are not new at all.

For more than two decades, Krell components have been the choice of discerning
audiophiles all over the world. Krell customers care deeply about music, and they
demand the most lifelike music reproduction possible. Krell Industries, Inc., was
founded and exists to meet the expectations of those listeners.

Loudspeakers are an integral link in an audio system. With the right loudspeakers,
you hear music with its original definition, precision, and clarity. Krell’s lossless
technology combines the benefits of enclosure design, materials selection, and
electronics design and configuration to ensure that you hear music exactly as it
was recorded— nothing more, nothing less.

With the Lossless Acoustic Transducer (LAT), Krell has achieved its goal: a loud­speaker that is uniquely capable of delivering music with the same confidence and
accuracy as Krell’s other legendary components.

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A Letter from Dan D’Agostino

Dear Audio Enthusiast,
Thank you for your purchase of the Lossless Acoustic Transducer.
For more than thirty years I have been designing audio components for audiophiles

who share my passion for music and its reproduction. The Lossless Acoustic
Transducer (LAT) and the LAT Series of loudspeakers are the result of my ongoing
quest to design a complete audio system.

Krell’s newest line of audio components (compact disc players, preamplifiers, and
power amplifiers) features Current Audio Signal Transmission technology (CAST).
With the advent of CAST—for the very first time— a discrete, all-Krell signal chain
is a reality. With CAST-equipped components you can hear how an unbroken,
current signal path impacts music reproduction. Reference quality playback has
always been my dream. CAST has made this dream a reality.

When I looked for, but could not find, a loudspeaker that offered the impact,
immediacy, and resolution of CAST components, I decided to build one myself.
The first Krell loudspeaker, the LAT–1, uses the best of acoustical engineering, elec­trical engineering, and materials science to enhance music reproduction.

I have taken care at every turn to ensure that every part of a LAT loudspeaker—the
drivers, the crossover, and the aluminum enclosure—has been designed to trans­mit the whole music program to you; nothing is added or subtracted.

The LAT Series signals a new era at Krell Industries, in which every component
in the system is a Krell component. I designed the LAT loudspeakers to reproduce
all the power and grace that a Krell system can deliver. A Krell system composed
of LAT loudspeakers with my other Krell components provides the most thrilling,
lifelike playback I have heard yet. Thank you for your appreciation of my art.

Sincerely,

Daniel D’Agostino
Chief Executive Officer

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SECTIONONE

About Krell

This section describes the Krell Legacy, Krell’s innovative loudspeaker design and
technology, and defines key terms used in this reference.

The Krell Legacy

“I design every Krell component to set the standard

for workmanship, style, and performance.”

Dan D’Agostino

High-end audio is a demanding pursuit— an ongoing quest for excellence in
music reproduction that drives equipment manufacturers to strive for the absolute
in design and performance. With a keen understanding of this passionate drive,
Krell Industries, Inc., was founded in 1980.

Over the past two decades, Krell has earned a distinguished reputation for engineer­ing innovation and product excellence. The company’s history is replete with product
introductions that have deeply impacted the high-end audio industry. The most
discriminating audiophiles and product reviewers have consistently recognized Krell
components for standard-setting performance.

The Lossless Acoustic Transducer (LAT) represents the next era at Krell Industries
—the era of loudspeaker design and manufacture — which will join the ongoing
legacy of Krell amplifiers. For two decades, Krell C.E.O. Dan D’Agostino has
built amplifiers legendary for their ability to deliver optimum performance for any
loudspeaker. This experience has yielded invaluable insights about the nature of
loudspeaker design, which Krell has characteristically incorporated into the LAT
Series.

The LAT Series of Loudspeakers

The LAT –1, a reference-caliber loudspeaker, employs an all-aluminum enclosure
that remains sonically inert, with a baffle that absorbs vibrations and houses custom­made drivers, and a robust, high-power crossover— a loudspeaker capable of
handling the legendary power of Krell amplifiers, while maintaining pinpoint
accuracy and resolution.

continued

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The LAT–C, the first high performance center channel, is manufactured with all
of the crossover, enclosure, and driver technologies of the LAT–1. Designed to be
operated as a full-range loudspeaker, the LAT–C center channel loudspeaker
perfectly complements the LAT–1. Together, these loudspeakers form the most
extraordinary home theater loudspeaker system available.

The magnetic shielding and horizontal driver array of the LAT–C allows for ease of
installation above or below a video screen. In addition, multiple locator positions in
the stand assembly allow for the optimal on-axis setup of the loudspeaker for
almost all scenarios.

The LAT–2 is a vented two-way loudspeaker designed for a two-channel system
demanding high quality performance in a small space. This loudspeaker is also
the perfect complement to the LAT–1 and LAT–C loudspeakers in a home theater
system. Crossover, enclosure, and driver technologies used in the LAT–1 have been
applied to the design of the LAT–2.

Unparalleled Sonic Performance

From the first Krell product—the KSA–100—to the present, Dan D’Agostino has
continually “pushed the envelope” of performance in his search for greater amplifier
power, and now, loudspeaker response. His exploration of technologies, driven by
his never-ending quest to elevate the standard of excellence, has resulted in break­through audio designs. Over the years, the Krell line of power amplifiers, including
benchmark products such as the KRS–100, KRS–200, and the Audio Standard
models, has established a legacy of unparalleled sonic performance. The LAT
Series brings the Krell level of performance to the loudspeaker.

Dan D’Agostino remains committed to the development of new designs and
technologies. And the Krell legacy will continue to evolve with products that deliver
innovative engineering, perfection in build quality, and outstanding audio performance.

(SECTION ONE: About Krell continued)

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Ensuring Maximum Performance

The function of the LAT Series of loudspeakers is to repro­duce the full spectrum of the music program with absolute
fidelity, and to deliver its full emotional impact without col­oration — an exact reproduction of the audio amplifier’s
output signal.

The Krell Lossless Acoustic Transducer (LAT) is the latest innovation in a long
line of Krell components. The innovative technologies and design of the LAT Series
of loudspeakers includes sophisticated crossover networks, a precisely machined
enclosure, and drivers designed to efficiently transmit power while negating
distortions.

Innovative Loudspeaker Technology and Design

Crossover

The LAT–1 and LAT–C crossovers feature robust construction that divides the
circuit among three discrete circuit cards—one each for the woofer, midrange,
and tweeter networks. The LAT–2 loudspeaker has a two-way crossover design,
with the woofer and tweeter together on a single circuit board. Each printed circuit
board for a LAT loudspeaker is fashioned of 1/8-inch fiberglass with 4-ounce copper
traces for superior current flow. Air core inductors and banks of potted WIMA
capacitors ensure tight tolerances and high linearity during high power levels.

Enclosure

Continuing in the tradition of the Master Reference Subwoofer, a LAT Series
loudspeaker enclosure is constructed entirely of aluminum. “Aluminum is the best
material for the job,” C.E.O. Dan D’Agostino explains. “Other than concrete and
lead, which are not practical choices, aluminum is the only material that possesses
the ideal combination of structural rigidity and resonance damping characteristics.
Within the audio passband, our cabinets are sonically inert—something you cannot
say about any wood or wood derivative.”

Krell’s knowledge of aluminum extrusion technology has yielded an enclosure that is
as purposeful as it is beautiful. Computer-optimized geometry eliminates standing
wave interference. Rear-firing, tuned ports on the LAT–1 are precision machined. A
substantive aluminum baffle, rear plates, bottom, and top comprise an enclosure

continued

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that is immune to vibration. Articulating spikes allow the LAT–1 to be precisely leveled
for the most accurate imaging and reduced vibration. A special sub-enclosure in
the LAT–1 and LAT–C houses the drivers for the midrange and the tweeter. This
computer-modeled, welded aluminum case effectively isolates the midrange and
tweeter from the main enclosure while providing an ideal operating environment for
the midrange drivers.

The LAT–C enclosure is fashioned out of solid aluminum billet and extrusion,
creating an operating environment for the drivers that is free of induced vibrations.
The loudspeaker has a special advantage in the crucial midrange frequencies: it
is optimized for center channel data reproduction, or dialogue, the single most
important job of a center channel speaker. The LAT– C maintains the voice match­ing necessary to recreate seamless multi-channel front staging. Heard through the
LAT–C, dialogue is natural sounding and clearly distinguishable from the rest of the
audio program.

The LAT–2 construction is based on the same engineering principles that distinguish
the LAT–1. The all-aluminum enclosure features wall thickness ranging from 0.75 to

1.0 inch. The curvature of the cabinets is designed to absolutely minimize the effects
of internal standing waves and external high-frequency diffraction. The vented cabinet
of the LAT–2 features two rear bass ports. Resembling the LAT–1 ports in design, the
LAT–2 ports are precisely dimensioned, flared, and positioned with respect to the
woofer to eliminate turbulence while providing the correct acoustical loading.

Drivers

The LAT–1 and the LAT–C tweeters have a dual concentric design, with very low
ultrasonic resonance and a response beyond 50 kHz. The segmented cones of the
midrange driver reduce self-induced resonance. This midrange driver also features
a cast magnesium frame with low profile spars in a radial design that reduces
reflections. An asymmetrical spider lowers distortion. The woofers, custom made
for Krell and matched specifically to the enclosure, are operated without attenuation
for maximum system efficiency and power transmission.

The LAT–2 tweeter is identical to the LAT–1 tweeter, and the 7-inch (18 cm) mid-bass
driver features the same multifaceted cone construction and proprietary suspension
design as the midrange drivers in the LAT–1. This advanced driver design simultane­ously ensures extraordinary bass reproduction and outstanding midrange accuracy.