Martin Logan Abyss Owners manual
TM
A BYSS
user’s manual
TM
M ARTIN L OGAN
the loudspeaker technology company
®
CONTENTS
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installation in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
About the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Connections and Control Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Before Connecting the Abyss
2-Channel Mode
Multi-Channel Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2-Channel/Multi-Channel Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2-Channel Using Speaker Level Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2-Channel Mode With 2-Channel Output. . . . . . . . 10
Sub Out—Using Multiple Abysss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
AC Power Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Replacing the Fuse
Break-In
Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Listening Position
Ask Your Dealer
Enjoy Yourself
Installing Abyss in a Cabinet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Room Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Your Room
Terminology
Solid Footing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Home Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting. .18
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Specifications
Warranty and Registration
Service
Glossary of Audio Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
2 Contents
In accordance with the European Union WEEE (Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive effective
August 13, 2005, we would like to notify you that this
product may contain regulated materials which upon
disposal, according to the WEEE directive, require special reuse and recycling processing.
For this reason MartinLogan has arranged with our distributors in European Union member nations to collect
and recycle this product at no cost to you. To find your
local distributor please contact the dealer from whom you
purchased this product, email info@martinlogan.com or
visit the distributor locator at www.martinlogan.com.
Please note, only this product itself falls under the WEEE
directive. When disposing of packaging and other related shipping materials we encourage you to recycle these
items through the normal channels.
INSTALLATION IN BRIEF
We know that you are eager to hear your new Abyss subwoofer, so this section is provided to allow fast and easy
set
up. Once you have it operational, please take the time to
read, in depth, the rest of the information in this manual.
It will give you perspective on how to attain the greatest
possible performance from this most exacting woofer system.
If you experience any difficulties in setup or operation of
the Abyss, please refer to the Placement, Room Acoustics
and Connections and Control Settings sections.
Should you encounter a persistent problem that cannot
be resolved, please contact your authorized MartinLogan
dealer. They will provide you with the appropriate technical
analysis to alleviate the situation.
WARNING!
• Hazardous voltages exist inside—do not
remove cover.
• Refer servicing to a qualified technician.
• To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
expose this module to moisture.
• Unplug subwoofer should any abnormal
conditions occur.
• Use only with a grounded outlet.
Step 1: Unpacking
Remove your new Abyss subwoofer from its packing.
Step 2: Placement
Ideally, place the Abyss in a corner near the front of the
room. This is a good place to start. Please see the Placement
section (page 13) of this manual for more details.
Step 3: Signal Connection
Use the best cables you can. High quality cables, available
from your specialty dealer, are recommended and will
give you superior performance.
Attach your preamplifier/processor outputs through cables
to the signal input area located on the Abyss’s rear panel.
Please see the Connections and Control Settings section
(pages 6–12) of this manual for more details.
If you plan to connect your Abyss using speaker level (high
level) inputs, please refer to the 2-Channel Mode Using
Speaker Level Inputs section (page 9) of this manual for
more details.
Please note, when Abyss is set up in a down-firing configuration the grill cover can be used to cover the connections
and controls. The grill cover features a channel (on its
bottom side) through which cables can pass.
The lightning bolt flash with arrowhead symbol within
an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying the appliance.
Step 4: Power Connection (AC) (see warning)
Make sure the level knob is set at 0. Plug the Abyss
subwoofer into a wall outlet. Review the AC Power Connection
section (page 12) of this manual for more details.
Step 5: Setting the Controls
Set the level knob to a medium volume position (12 o'clock).
Set the power switch to ‘Auto’.
Step 6: Listen and Enjoy
Now, you may adjust your system and enjoy!
Installation in Brief 3
3
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have invested in one of the
world's premier subwoofers.
The MartinLogan Abyss represents the extension of an intensive, dedicated team research program directed toward
establishing a world class line of reference subwoofers
using leading-edge technology, without compromising
durability, reliability, craftsmanship or aesthetics.
The Abyss subwoofer uses a 10-inch high-excursion
aluminum element driver to achieve deep, tight, welldefined bass. A proprietary amplifier is used to drive the
output stage with precision and extremely high efficiency.
Low-pass filtering and phase control have been designed to
make integrating the Abyss subwoofer with MartinLogan
and non-MartinLogan products both seamless and simple.
The materials in your new Abyss subwoofer are of the
highest quality and will provide years of enduring enjoyment and deepening respect. The cabinetry is constructed
from the finest composite material for acoustical integrity
and is finished with an attractive custom coating.
This User's Manual will explain in detail the operation of
your Abyss subwoofer and the philosophy applied to its
design. A clear understanding will insure that you obtain
maximum performance and pleasure from this most exacting subwoofer.
4 Introduction
Level Knob
Setting the level too high will cause the bass to seem bloated and is the single most common cause of bad sounding
subwoofers. A rule of thumb is that the subwoofer should
not draw attention to itself, but should simply make the
systems low end seem more extended and accurate.
Low Pass Filter Knob
When the Abyss is connected in multi-channel mode (via
its LFE input), the low pass filter is not active and your processor handles the bass management. When connected
in 2-channel mode (via its speaker or line level left/right
input), the low-pass filter is active.
As a general rule the low pass filter should be set at the
option approximately equal to 70% of your speaker’s lowest
frequency response. Example: The MartinLogan Aeon i’s
lowest frequency response is 43Hz. 70% of 43Hz equals
30.1, so you should set the Abyss’s low pass filter to 30Hz.
Remember, this is a general rule. We advise that once you
try the recommended setting using the formula above, you
should try the surrounding settings to see which sounds best.
ABOUT THE CONTROLS
Red: Energy saving mode and safety mode. If the power
switch is set to ‘Auto’ this indicates the Abyss detects no
audio signal and has automatically switched into energy
saving mode. Setting the power switch to ‘Standby’ will
force the Abyss into this mode. This also indicates if the
Abyss’s temperature has exceeded nominal operating
range. The Abyss will resume normal play mode when the
temperature-sensor reports a safe operating temperature.
Green: Play mode. If the power switch is set to ‘Auto’ this
indicates the Abyss detects an audio signal and has automatically switched into play mode. Setting the power switch to
‘On’ will force the Abyss into this mode.
Phase Control Switch
The phase control is entirely dependent on the size and
configuration of your listening environment, the placement
of the unit, and your seating arrangement. Due to the way
bass sound waves develop in different rooms, there is no rule
of thumb for setting phase. For instance, if your room has
a peak at the subwoofer crossover area, you may wish to
set the phase so the actual acoustic outputs of the subwoofer
and main speakers are out of phase. Experiment, try different settings and be patient.
Auto/On/Standby Power Switch
The Auto/On/Standby switch controls Abyss’s energy saving
feature. When set to 'Auto', the Abyss will turn on when a
music signal is detected and off when there is none. The
'On' setting prevents the Abyss from entering energy saving mode. The 'Standby' setting forces the Abyss into energy
saving mode. While set to 'Standby’, the Abyss will not perform.
Status Light
The Abyss is equipped with a multi-color LED to indicate
the subwoofers current status. The following list explains the
meaning of the different colors:
No color: No power. The Abyss is not plugged in.
Figure 1. Abyss controls.
About the Controls 5
CONNECTIONS AND CONTROL SETTINGS
Before Connecting the Abyss
MartinLogan's engineering and design team developed the
Abyss for easy setup and system integration. Before
beginning to connect your Abyss, please review the
controls discussed in the last section. An understanding
of these will help speed you along as you connect and
integrate your Abyss with your system. All signal
connections are done at the signal input section on
the rear connections panel of the Abyss. Make certain that
all of your connections are tight.
WARNING! Turn your Abyss subwoofer to
standby before making or breaking any signal
connections!
2-Channel Mode
This setup is recommended if your Abyss will be used in a
2-channel system with main speakers playing full range.
When a signal is connected to the Abyss’s left/right inputs,
the Abyss’s internal low pass filter is active.
Signal Connection (see figure 2):
1 Connect the left and right outputs of your preamplifier
to the left and right inputs of the Abyss using quality
RCA interconnects. If your preamplifier only has one set
of outputs you may need to obtain Y adapters from your
dealer.
Recommended Control Settings (see figure 3):
1
Set the low-pass filter switch to the closest option equal
70% of your loudspeakers lowest frequency response.
2 While playing music with bass content, turn the level con-
trol up until the music has deep extended bass, being
careful to avoid levels that become overwhelming.
3 Try the phase control in different settings until the best
blending is obtained. If you are using the Abyss to augment other MartinLogan products, we suggest you start
with the phase set at 90°.
Figure 2. Signal connection for 2-channel mode.
to
6 Connections and Control Settings
Figure 3. Control settings for 2-channel mode.
Multi-Channel Mode
This setup is recommended if your Abyss will be used in a
dedicated home theater or multi-channel system. When a
signal is connected to the Abyss’s LFE input, Abyss’s internal low pass filter is not active. By following this setup, you will
allow your processor to handle most of the bass management.
Signal Connection (see figure 4):
1 Connect the LFE/0.1 subwoofer output of the processor to
the LFE input of the Abyss using a quality RCA interconnect.
WARNING!
Based on the performance of most processors,
it is recommended that MartinLogan center and
effects type speakers (i.e. Cinema i, Theater i and
Script i) not be run in large, wide or full range mode.
Doing so may potentially damage the speaker if
the processor attempts to drive the speaker beyond
its rated frequency range. This warning also
applies to products from other manufacturers.
It is recommended to run center and effects type
speakers in limited or narrow mode.
Some processors have an option to route the 0.1
channel to your main and/or surround speakers.
We recommend that you do not use this option.
Recommended Control Settings (see figure 5):
1 Use the bass management section of your processor‘s
speaker level setup option to set the subwoofer level at
an appropriate level. Follow the instructions in your processor manual to fine-tune the subwoofer level.
2 If your processor offers the option to setup crossovers for a
subwoofer, we recommend that you start with the following
settings—Crossover: 70Hz, High-Pass: 12dB, and LowPass: 24dB. The optimal setting for these options may
vary depending on your room and listening preferences.
3 Adjust the phase control until ideal blending is obtained.
If you hear no discernible difference leave the phase at 0°.
4 Follow the instructions in your processor manual to
fine-tune the subwoofer level.
Figure 4. Signal connection for multi-channel mode.
Figure 5. Control settings for multi-channel mode.
Connections and Control Settings 7
2-Channel/Multi-Channel Mode
Using an A/V processor and the Abyss’s low pass filters.
This setup is recommended if your Abyss will be used in
both 2-channel mode and as a LFE (0.1) channel in a
multi-channel mode. By following this setup, you will
allow your processor to handle most of the bass management while running in multi-channel mode, and relinquish
control of the low pass filter to the Abyss when running in
a 2-channel mode.
Signal Connection (see figure 6):
1 Connect the left and right outputs of your preamplifier to
the left and right inputs of the Abyss using quality RCA
interconnects. If your preamplifier only has one set of
outputs you need to obtain Y adapters from your dealer.
2 Connect the LFE/0.1 output of the processor to the LFE
input of the subwoofer using quality RCA interconnects.
Recommended Control Settings (see figure 7):
1 Set your front speakers for wide, large or full mode in your
processor. Set the center and effects type speakers in
limited or narrow mode (see the warning on page 7).
Figure 6. Signal connection for 2-channel/multi-channel mode.
2
Set the low-pass filter switch to the closest option equal
70% of your loudspeakers lowest frequency response.
3 While playing music with bass content, turn the level control
up until the music has deep bass that is not overwhelming.
4 Try the phase control in different settings until the best
blending is obtained. If you are augmenting MartinLogan
loudspeakers, we suggest you start with the phase set
at 90°.
5 Use the bass management section of your processor’s
speaker level setup option to set the subwoofer level
at an appropriate level. Follow the instructions in your
processor’s manual to fine-tune the subwoofer level.
6 If your processor offers the option to setup crossovers for a
subwoofer, we recommend that you start with the following
settings—Crossover: 70Hz, High-Pass: 12dB, and LowPass: 24dB. The optimal setting for these options may vary
depending on your room and listening preferences.
8 Connections and Control Settings
to
Figure 7. Control Settings for 2-channel/multi-channel mode.
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