leema-acoustics Xero User Manual

Leema Acoustics Xero

Miniature Monitor

User Manual

Section

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Topic

Introduction

Connection Options Glossary

Single Cable

Bi-wiring

Bi-amping

Positioning

Product Care

Running In

Connection Instructions

Cables

Specifications

Declaration Of Conformity

The ‘Wheelie bin’ label

RoHS

Cleaning

Product Guarantee

Where to get help

Page

4

5

5
5
5

6

7

7

8

8

9
9
9
9
9

10

10

3

Table of Contents

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of a Leema Xero loudspeaker system.

The Leema range of products have been painstakingly designed and
developed in the United Kingdom to offer genuine state-of-the-art
performance.

Partnered with suitable equipment, Leema loudspeakers and subwoofers
will provide audio performance far beyond that of their competitors and will
equal or better the performance of products costing many times their
purchase price.

A notable feature of all Leema loudspeakers, is the unusually precise
imaging, having a panorama and depth rarely heard at any price. The total
lack of ‘hot seat’ type imaging also means that many people can enjoy the
music simultaneously.

Don’t just take our word for it, try listening to a well recorded piece at
extreme listening positions...

Loudspeaker purchasers should read and follow this instruction manual,
paying particular attention to the Connection, Positioning and Product Care
sections. This manual has been written to enable you to achieve the very
best performance and maximum listening pleasure from your investment.

Your new Leema loudspeakers require running-in before performing to their
design brief. Please see section 4 for details.

We wish you many years of surprising listening... Move Your World!

With best regards

The Leema Team.

VERY IMPORTANT

Before connecting your new Leema speakers to your system, please ensure
that your amplifier is switched off and unplugged from the mains supply for
safety.

4

Connection Options Glossary

Single cable

This is the simplest and most common wiring option. A single loudspeaker
cable, having two conductors, is run from the amplifier to each speaker.

Xeros are fitted with bi-wire terminals. Leave the links in place and connect
the positive wire (marked '+' or coloured red ) to the red post of the bottom
pair of loudspeaker terminals, labeled woofer. The negative wire ( marked '-'
or coloured black) is then connected to the black post of the lower pair of
loudspeaker terminals. In this scenario the Woofer and Tweeter sections of
the crossover network are connected together via the links.

Bi-wire

Bi-wiring is an increasingly popular and affordable system upgrade. This
entails the use of two separate runs of speaker cable from the amplifier to
each speaker, one run for the woofer and one for the tweeter.

If bi-wiring, connect one cable (as in single cabling
above) to the woofer terminals, then connect the
second cable to the tweeter connections in the same
way.

The links should be removed and stored safely for
possible later use. It is crucial that the cable polarities
are carefully observed to ensure correct system
performance.

If considering bi-wiring as an easy upgrade, bear in
mind that, as a rule, you will get better performance
from a single run of high quality cable than bi-wiring

with two runs of lesser quality.

Bi-amping

The most expensive option and therefore the least popular, is bi-amping.
Separate amplifiers are used for the woofer and the tweeter. If using this
method, run separate cables from each amplifier and connect to the
speakers as in bi-wiring. It is vital that the links are removed otherwise
permanent damage will occur to the amplifiers.

5

Positioning

The influence of a room's acoustics on the performance of a loudspeaker
system are unpredictable at best and catastrophic at worst, however there
are a few simple guidelines to help achieve the optimum position in your
room. Stand mounted Leema speakers should be supported with the
tweeters at ear height or a little below when seated. The speakers should be
toed in slightly, so that the baffle faces are perpendicular to the main
listening position (figure 1).

The loudspeakers and the listener should form an equilateral triangle. The
distance between the left and right speakers should approximately equal
the distance from the listener. The speakers may be closer together than
this if necessary, but should not be further apart, as this will create a hole in
the middle of the image.

Due to their compact dimensions and rear ported design, Leema Xeros may
be used on sturdy wall brackets, however, for the best performance and
positioning flexibility, good quality 70 cm high stands are highly
recommended. Like all compact speakers, bass performance can be
enhanced by careful sighting close to a rear wall, though imaging and
midrange clarity can be degraded if too close. Leema recommend a
minimum distance of 100mm, which will be necessary for electrical
connections in any case.

Cor ner pla cem ent is
guarant eed to cause
u n w a n t e d f r e q u e n c y
response characteristics
and booming in the upper
bass, together with image
smear and a lack of focus. In the
same way, placing speakers near
hard shiny surfaces, such as marble
fireplaces or mirrors, should be
a v o i d e d . I t i s w e l l w o r t h
experimenting with positioning,
moving the speakers a little at a time
to find the optimum position. Any
d is s a t i sf a c t ion w i t h i m a g i ng
performance can be rectified with a
little care in speaker placement! Small
moves can make a big difference in image quality. Speaker placement is the
most cost effective system tweak yet,… it's free!

6

60°

60°

60°

Product Care

Running In

Like a car, the mechanical and electrical components of a loudspeaker
require a running in period before they perform at their best. The moving
parts of the drive units loosen up enormously over the first few hours of use
and continue to improve for quite some time, typically until 40 to 70 hours of
use.

Never sit down and critically evaluate your new speakers until they have
been run for at least fifty hours. They will simply be incapable of performing
at their best until this time has elapsed. Leema loudspeakers are designed
using drivers that are fully run in, so that the finished products will improve
and settle in to their correct tuning over a period of time. Also, tweeters will
often sound harsh until some time has passed.

Never use your speakers with an amplifier that is under powered and
straining to fulfill your volume requirements. Contrary to popular belief, an
under powered amplifier that is providing a distorted signal to a
loudspeaker, is much more likely to damage a drive unit than a high powered
amplifier delivering the same or even higher volumes, cleanly.
An under powered amplifier will not correctly control and brake the motion
of the loudspeaker cones at their forward and backward limits of excursion,
allowing the cones to rely on their mechanical limits to stop, resulting in
physical damage and unpleasant distortion.

Grilles are provided for domestic appearance and protection, but we
recommend they are removed for critical listening, since all grilles affect the
sound quality of a loudspeaker system to a large degree. Leema products
are designed to give their optimum performance without grilles.

It is well worth occasionally removing the cables from the binding posts and
re-fitting them to ensure continued good connection. Vibration, from the
speaker itself, will eventually loosen the binding posts. Also, if not using
banana plugs, the copper strands of the cable will tarnish and yield a high
resistance connection.

Leema recommend the use of soldered high-quality gold-plated banana
plugs, which undoubtably achieve the best connection.

7

Connection Instructions

Cables

Never underestimate the importance of good quality loudspeaker cables.
Bell wire or lighting flex just won’t do. As a starting point, a good quality
oxygen-free muti-strand is a good choice. For those who wish to extract the
last ounce of performance, Leema's own LynX single or bi-wire speaker
cables provide the ultimate in system synergy. Using only the finest oxygen
free cables and premium connectors, LynX cables are the equal of any in the
industry at a fraction of the price.

Unlike cheaper cables, speaker LynX have 315 strands of high-purity copper
and are fitted with soldered gold-plated banana plugs. As with Leema
crossovers, LynX are soldered with lead-free silver-loaded solder, giving a
superior joint with no chance of degradation over time due to precious metal
migration.

Leema do not recommend any cable which uses only silver in it’s
construction. This type of conductor will often result in harsh treble
performance. Silver plating over copper is acceptable however.

Carefully double check all connections before reconnecting your amplifier to
the mains supply and powering up your system. It is terribly easy to make a
mistake in your haste to enjoy your new Leema loudspeakers.

The rear panels of Leema loudspeakers feature two pairs of high quality
binding posts and gold plated links. These may be used to connect bare wire
or 4mm Banana plug terminated speaker leads. The crossover network
inside each speaker is split in to two separate circuits, one circuit for the
bass driver (woofer) and one for the treble unit (tweeter).

There are several options for connection, banana plug terminations may be
simply pushed in to the socket on the rear of the posts. If using bare wires,
carefully strip about 1cm of conductor and carefully insert it in to the hole
revealed by unscrewing the binding post heads. Gently screw down the
head until finger tight. Do not use excessive force to tighten the posts since
this can cause multi-strand cables to fray and, in extreme cases, bridge
across the binding posts which could seriously damage your amplifier!

Double check all the connections before re-applying power to your amplifier
and playing music for the first time through your new Leema speakers.

8

9

Specifications

Frequency Response +/- 3dB: 58Hz-20KHz
Group Delay maximum: 12mS @ 58.5Hz
SPL IEC 268-5 (pair): Long-term 106dB, Short term>112dB
Sensitivity (1W/1M): 85dB
Recommended Amplifier Power: 50-200 watts RMS into 8 ohms
Nominal Load Impedance: 6 ohms
Size (h)x(w)x(d) in mm: 254 x 156 x 238
Shipping Weight (pair): 12Kg

specifications subject to change without notice

Declaration of Conformity

We hereby declare that this product is in conformity with all relevant
standards under EEC directives.

The Wheelie Bin label

This product is marked with the wheelie bin label. At the end of it’s life, it
should not be disposed off with domestic waste. It should be taken to a
recycling centre so that it’s materials may be re-used.

RoHS

This product fully conforms with the RoHS directive. No harmful metals
including lead are used in the construction.

Cleaning

Light occasional dusting is the only cleaning required, though the drive units
themselves and in particular the tweeter, should only be touched in extreme
cases when a photographic 'puffer' brush may be used.

10

Product Guarantee

All Leema products are manufactured to the highest standards and a 3-year
guarantee covers any defect in manufacture.

This guarantee does not cover damage to drive units through overdriving.

Being a natural material, veneer colour will change with time and exposure
to light and UV rays. Locating speakers near windows where sunlight will fall
on the veneer will result in uneven colour aging.

Due to continuous product development, Leema Acoustics reserve the right
to alter product specifications without notice.

Where To Get Help

Leema Electro Acoustics Limited
Unit K
Henfaes Lane
Welshpool
Powys
SY21 7BE
UK

Tel/Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.leema-acoustics.com

Leema Electro Acoustics Limited

Unit K, Henfaes Lane, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 7BE, UK

Tel/Fax: [phone] email: [e-mail] Web: www.leema-acoustics.com