MK Sound MX350 MKII, MX250, MOVIE KX10, SB1250, SB12HG Operation Manual

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Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions thoroughly.

2. Keep these instructions in a safe place for future reference.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat source (radiator, heat register, stove, amplifier, etc.).

9. If your electrical outlet accepts a polarized or grounding-type plug, do not defeat the safety
purposeof the plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding­type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong is
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, especially at the plug and socket
ends, convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specified by the manufacturer.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all service to authorized service personnel. Service is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way: damage to power cord or plug, spilt liquid or foreign objects in the
apparatus, exposure to rain or moisture, abnormal function, dropping, etc.

15. Do not expose the apparatus to dripping or splashing. Do not place objects containing liquids
(vases, cups, bottles, cans, etc.) on or near the apparatus.

16. WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the apparatus to rain or
moisture.

17. There should always be easy access to the mains plug or electrical switch used to turn off the
apparatus.

18. WARNING: A Class I apparatus must be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective
earth connection.

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TA B LE OF CONT E NTS

1. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS................................................................................2

2. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................4

3. VOLTAGE SELECTOR & POWER CORD. ......................................................4

4. WHERE TO PLACE YOUR SUBWOOFER. .....................................................4

5. SUBWOOFER HOOK-UP ................................................................................6

WIRING WITH LINE-LEVEL INPUTS............................................................5

USING SPEAKER WIRE CONNECTIONS .................................................... 8

PLUGGING IN THE SUBWOOFER...............................................................9

6. Use OF THE “PHASE” CONTROL. ................................................................10

7. USE OF THE "BYPASS" SETTING................................................................ 11

8. USE OF THE "LOW-PASS FILTER" CONTROL ............................................ 11

9. USING MULTIPLE SUBWOOFERS...............................................................11

10. HOME THEATER USAGE ...........................................................................12

11. TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................................12

12. IF YOU NEED SERVICE..............................................................................14

13. SYSTEM SET-UP GUIDE. .........................................................................14

APPENDIX A: SPEAKER PLACEMENT DIAGRAMS........................................ 18

APPENDIX B: SPECIFICATIONS. ...................................................................19

DI A G R A MS

FIGURE 1 CONNECTING TO A COMPONENT’S SUBWOOFER OUTPUT ..........................................................7

FIGURE 2 CONNECTING TO A STEREO AMP OR PREAMP ................................................................................7

FIGURE 3 CONNECTING A SUBWOOFER USING SPEAKER WIRES.................................................................8

FIGURE 4 SURROUND SOUND SPEAKER PLACEMENT ...................................................................................18

FIGURE 5 SIDE-WALL MOUNTED SOURROUND SPEAKER PLACEMENT......................................................18

Please record the following information for your records:

Serial Number:

Date of Purchase:

Dealer Name:

Dealer Address:

City/State/Zip:

Country:

Invoice Number:

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2. INTRODUCTION

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just made perhaps the most exciting and dramatic addition that
you could possibly make to your audio system. The new dimension of deep, powerful bass
provided by your MK Sound powered subwoofer will positively thrill and excite you.

We encourage you to read this owner’s manual, as there is a great deal of information provided
here to help you get the best possible performance from your new subwoofer. This manual will
give you basic set-up instructions and a system overview followed by more detailed information.

If you still have questions about your subwoofer or your system installation after you have read
this manual, please contact your MK Sound dealer.

3. VOLTAGE SELECTOR AND POWER CORD

Adjacent to the AC power cord receptacle on the back of the subwoofer you will find a voltage
selector switch. This switch is pre-set at the factory for the proper local voltage, so there should
be no need to change the switch setting. For the USA and Canada, the voltage should be set for
115 Volts. For Europe, the UK and Asia, the correct voltage is 230 Volts. Always check to make
sure that your subwoofer is set to your country’s voltage. If you have questions about this, contact
your MK Sound dealer.

WARNING: This voltage selector switch must be set to the correct local voltage with the
proper fuse installed. Attempting to operate the subwoofer with the switch set to the
incorrect position or with an incorrect fuse may damage the subwoofer and there is also a
risk of fire. Any such damage is not covered by warranty.

DETACHABLE POWER CORD

Your new subwoofer is provided with a detachable power cord. ALWAYS attach the cord to the
subwoofer first, BEFORE plugging it into the AC wall socket.

4. WHERE TO PLACE YOUR SUBWOOFER

MK Sound subwoofers perform well in most room locations. With a properly tuned speaker
system, you should hear deep bass coming from the front of your system as if your satellites and
subwoofer were one big system rather than separate speakers.

One proven way to find the best location for your subwoofer is to first place the subwoofer at the
listening position. Run music with good bass content through it and then go over to the area
where you believe the final subwoofer placement will be. Listen to how the room reacts to deep
bass being played. As you walk around that area, you should find places where the bass sounds
deep and well defined and places where the bass sounds weak and less well defined. The place
where you hear the tightest bass with the most impact is probably the best location for your
subwoofer.

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We recommend that you place your subwoofer as close to a solid wall as possible. Avoid placing
your subwoofer farther than a few inches away from any wall surface as the reflected sound from
the wall will interfere with the direct sound coming /from the subwoofer and create phase
anomalies that will be destructive to good bass performance. Also try to avoid corners that are
near doorways or openings.

Sometimes the best sound results from aiming the subwoofer’s drivers directly into the wall (1” to
2” away from the wall itself.)

If you are using multiple subwoofers, sometimes putting them in the same location provides the
best solution. Stacking them is also a possible solution or you could place them side-by-side.

Alternatively, when using multiple subwoofers, you could try placing them in different locations.
This may be appropriate when you have limited choices for placement and none of the available
locations seem to work well. Try to place your subwoofers at equal distances from the listening
position to avoid phase problems.

Ultimately, the amount and quality of deep bass you get in your room are dependent on the room
itself. Low frequency sounds are affected most by the size of the room and construction used to
build it. All rooms are different when it comes to reproducing bass, and in any given room, bass
quality and quantity change when the subwoofer is moved from one location to another.

In some rooms, a corner location may excite resonance modes resulting in a muddy or boomy
sound. In this situation, a more central location along a wall, away from a corner may give better
results. It’s a good idea to experiment with your subwoofer location or locations. Try to find a
placement or placements that provide an overall sound that is powerful and well defined
throughout the audio bandwidth, where no one bass note or notes overpower others.

Because the subwoofer generates so much sonic energy, its output may cause objects in and
around the listening room to vibrate. If this occurs in your room, you may need to damp the
vibration of these objects.

One subwoofer is usually sufficient in a two-channel stereo system for the same reason that one
subwoofer works well with multi-channel systems. Our ear-brain hearing physiology is unable to
locate the direction of low frequencies below approximately 80 Hz. The directionality of low
frequency sounds (bass drums, bass instruments, etc.) is determined by the higher frequency
overtones and harmonics that are reproduced by the satellite speakers.

Some people believe that we can determine directionality from frequencies down to 60 Hz. In any
case, MK Sound satellite speakers are tuned to crossover to an MK Sound subwoofer at 80 Hz.
This is also the Dolby Laboratory and THX specification.

Your MK Sound subwoofer is magnetically shielded to eliminate adverse effects when a
subwoofer is placed next to a conventional CRT (cathode ray tube) television or computer. While
the new plasma and LCD screens should be immune to magnetic interference, some of the older
plasma screens experienced gausing (green shadows appearing on the screen) when a magnetic
source was placed next to it.

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No matter where you place your subwoofer, you must allow room for ventilation of its heatsink
and backplate. The subwoofer’s power amplifier is mounted on the backplate and it generates
heat. Please observe the following:

1. Leave adequate clearance around the subwoofer’s heatsink. Do not cover it with
drapes or close it up in an unventilated cabinet.

2. Do not place the subwoofer near baseboard heaters or forced air heating outlets.

3. Do not use your subwoofer outdoors or in an overly humid environment.

4. Do not plug the subwoofer into an AC outlet until all system wiring is complete.

5. SUBWOOFER HOOK-UP

Some MK Sound subwoofers come with speaker wire connections as well as line-level phono
(sometimes referred to as RCA) connectors. Some models are fitted with line-level phono and
XLR connectors, but no speaker wire terminals. If your receiver or processor has a line-level
subwoofer output (sometimes labeled “Sub”, “Sub Out”, “SW” or “LFE”) with XLR or phono
connectors, use it. This is the preferred connection for your MK Sound subwoofer.

NOTE: You cannot use the “Tape Out” connectors on the rear of your
receiver/processor to connect to the line input connectors of your subwoofer,
because these outputs have a fixed output level that does not change when you
adjust the system volume control.

WIRING YOUR SUBWOOFER USING THE LINE-LEVEL INPUTS

The line-level XLR or phono inputs on the back panel of your subwoofer allow you to directly
connect your subwoofer to corresponding preamp-level outputs on components such as surround
sound receivers and processors that have pre-amp outputs.

Simply run a shielded interconnect cable with male phono plugs at each end or a balanced
interconnect cable with a female XLR plug on one end and a male XLR plug on the other, from
the pre-amp output of your receiver or processor to your subwoofer. If your subwoofer has left
and right inputs, it is not necessary to connect both. One cable connected to the left input is
sufficient.

This will give you better quality performance from your subwoofer than using the speaker inputs,
because the pre-amp output bypasses the amplifier stage of your receiver or processor.