MK Sound V-1250THX User Manual
operation
manual
V -1250THX
Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation
10391 Jefferson Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232 USA
(310) 204-2854 FAX (310) 202-8782
Select powered subwoofer
®
www.mksound.com
© 1999 MILLER & KREISEL SOUND CORP.
THX
Manufactured under license from Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm and THX are registered trademarks of
Lucasfilm Ltd.
page 2V-1250THX subwoofer
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS................................................................................................ 3
2. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 4
3. WHERE TO PLACE YOUR SUBWOOFER..................................................................... 4
4. OPERATION WITH THX COMPONENTS ....................................................................... 5
CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER TO A THX CONTROLLER ............................................................5
TESTING THE SUBWOOFER (THX) ........................................................................................................... 7
5. CALIBRATING THE SUBWOOFER (THX) ..................................................................... 7
OPERATION OF THE "LOW PASS FILTER" AND "BASS LEVEL" SWITCHES.......................................... 7
SETTING SUBWOOFER LEVEL (THX) ....................................................................................................... 8
USING TWO SUBWOOFERS (THX)............................................................................................................ 8
6. OPERATION WITH A NON-THX CONTROLLER ........................................................... 8
OPERATION OF THE "LOW PASS FILTER" SWITCH ............................................................................... 8
OPERATION OF THE "BASS LEVEL" SWITCH .......................................................................................... 9
WIRING WITH A NON-THX PROCESSOR.................................................................................................. 9
USING THE SUBWOOFER WITH THE M&K HP-80 OR VF-80 HIGH-PASS FILTERS ............................11
TESTING THE SUBWOOFER (NON-THX)................................................................................................12
SETTING SUBWOOFER LEVEL (NON-THX) ............................................................................................12
USING TWO SUBWOOFERS (NON-THX) ................................................................................................12
7. SATELLITE/SUBWOOFER PHASING TEST................................................................ 13
8. TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................................... 14
IF YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE EXTERNAL FUSE...............................................................................15
9. IF YOU NEED SERVICE................................................................................................ 16
10. SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................................... 16
11. CABINET MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................ 16
WIRING DIAGRAMS
FIGURE 1 ONE SUBWOOFER TO A THX CONTROLLER ................................................... 6
FIGURE 2 TWO SUBWOOFERS TO A THX CONTROLLER ................................................ 6
FIGURE 3 ONE SUBWOOFER TO A SURROUND CONTROLLER (NON-THX).................. 9
FIGURE 4 TWO SUBWOOFERS TO A SURROUND CONTROLLER (NON-THX)............. 10
FIGURE 5 ONE SUBWOOFER TO AN AMP OR PREAMP (NON-THX) ............................. 10
FIGURE 6 TWO SUBWOOFERS TO AN AMP OR PREAMP (NON-THX) .......................... 11
V-1250THX subwoofer page 3
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
The lightning flash with arrowhead,
within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user of the presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock to
persons.
TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
CAUTION:
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR
BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
1. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. READ INSTRUCTIONS - All safety and operating instructions should be read before this product is operated.
1
2. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
3. HEED WARNINGS - All warnings on this product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
4. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS - All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5. ATTACHMENTS - Do not use attachments not recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.
6. WATER AND MOISTURE - Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink,
7. ACCESSORIES - Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall,
or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool; and the like.
causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with accessories recommended
by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturer's instructions
and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer.
8. POWER SOURCE - This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label.
If you are unsure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power company.
9. OVERLOADING - Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
10. LIQUID ENTRY - Never spill any liquid of any kind on the product.
11. SERVICING - Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers, including any over bottom or
side speaker drivers, may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all service to qualified service personnel.
12. DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE - Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified personnel
under the following conditions:
a. When the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
b. If liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into this product.
c. If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions. Adjust only controls that are
covered by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and
will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation.
d. If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.
e. When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance - this indicates a need for service.
13. REPLACEMENT PARTS - When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement
parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions
may result in risk of fire, electric shock, or other hazard.
14. SAFETY CHECK - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform
safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.
15. HEAT - This product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
page 4V-1250THX subwoofer
2. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! Your new M&K THX Select® subwoofer truly represents the state-of-the-art in
subwoofer performance. The new dimension of deep and powerful bass it provides will both thrill and
excite you.
We strongly 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.
If you have any questions about your subwoofer, please contact your M&K Home THX
or call the M&K factory directly at (310) 204-2854, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time. We will be
more than happy to help you with any question, no matter how simple or complex it may be.
For more details on the installation and calibration of your Home THX Audio system, please refer
to the THX Installation & Operation Manual.
THIS OWNER'S MANUAL HAS TWO SETS OF SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS.
ONE SET IS FOR USING THE SUBWOOFER WITH A THX CONTROLLER.
THE OTHER SET IS FOR USE WITH NON-THX PROCESSORS.
To operate it with a THX controller, see Section 4 on Page 5.
To use it with a non-THX controller, see Section 6 on Page 8.
Audio dealer,
3. WHERE TO PLACE YOUR SUBWOOFER
M&K Subwoofers perform well in most room locations. Unless your ear is a foot or two away from
the Subwoofer, you will hear the deep bass coming exclusively from your Satellite (or main) speakers.
There is no need to place your Subwoofer in-between the Satellite speakers.
For the best performance, we recommend that your subwoofer be placed against a wall,
preferably in a corner.
The ideal place for the subwoofer is the corner with the best structural strength. If the corners are
roughly equal in construction, use the corner nearest the listening position. If the listening position is
in the front half of the room, place the subwoofer in a front corner. If the listening position is in the back
of the room, place the subwoofer in a back corner.
Feel free to experiment with the orientation of the subwoofer cabinet. Sometimes the best sound
results from aiming the subwoofer's front driver directly into the wall (1" to 2" from the wall itself).
If possible, avoid corners near doorways or openings.
Another option to find the best location for the subwoofer is to place the subwoofer at the listening
position and walk around the room. Stand in and near each corner. The location where you hear the
tightest bass with the most impact is probably the best location in the room for the subwoofer.
If you are using multiple subwoofers, place them in the same location. Stacking is best, but you can
also put them side by side.
Alternately, you can put multiple subwoofers in different locations. This is appropriate when you
have limited choices in locating the subwoofer and none of the available locations work well. Try to
place multiple subwoofers at equal distances from the listening position to avoid phase cancellation.
V-1250THX subwoofer page 5
Ultimately, the amount and quality of bass you get in your room are dependent on the room itself.
Low frequency bass sounds are affected most by the size of the room and the method of construction
used to build it. All rooms are different when it comes to reproducing bass, and in any given room, bass
quantity and quality changes when the Subwoofer is moved from one location to another.
A simple rule to remember is that you get more bass when you move the Subwoofer towards any
wall or corner. Moving it away from a wall or corner gives you less bass. Remember that the floor also
loads the Subwoofer, and that maximum bass is found with the woofer on the floor in a corner.
In some rooms, a corner location may excite resonance modes, resulting in a muddy or boomy
sound. In these rooms, a more central location along a wall, away from the corner, may give better
results. If you experiment, try to find a spot where no bass notes seem to overpower others and the
overall sound is powerful and clean. The goal is to achieve a smooth sound quality, with the entire bass
spectrum equally prominent. In most rooms this is directly in a corner, not the center of the room.
Because the Subwoofer generates a great deal of energy, its output may vibrate objects close to it.
If you hear such vibration, you may need to damp the vibration of nearby objects.
One Subwoofer is sufficient in a stereo system because of the nature of human hearing. The earbrain hearing system is unable to locate the direction of bass sounds below approximately 100 - 150
Hz. The direction of low frequency sounds (drums, basses, etc.) is determined by the higher frequency
overtones and harmonics that are reproduced by the Satellite speakers.
All M&K Powered Subwoofers have exceptionally sharp (36 dB/octave) low-pass filters to remove
the midbass and midrange frequencies unwanted in a Subwoofer. This makes your M&K Subwoofer
truly
non-directional.
M&K THX Subwoofers are magnetically shielded. This allows you great freedom and flexibility
in locating the subwoofer. Even if it is close to your television set, it will not interfere with the picture.
No matter where you put the 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.
1. Leave clearance around the Subwoofer's heatsink. Do not cover it with drapes.
2. Do not place the Subwoofer near baseboard heaters or forced air heating outlets.
3. Do not use the Subwoofer outdoors or in a humid environment.
DO NOT PLUG THE SUBWOOFER INTO AN AC OUTLET
UNTIL ALL SYSTEM WIRING IS COMPLETE
4. OPERA TION WITH THX COMPONENTS
CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER TO A THX CONTROLLER
The "INPUT" RCA terminals on the subwoofer connect it to the outputs of your THX controller. All
of the input connections and controls for the subwoofer are located on its large metal backplate, which
can be found on the back panel of the subwoofer cabinet.
To connect the subwoofer, run a shielded RCA - RCA interconnect cable from the SUBWOOFER
OUTPUT jack on your THX controller to the "LEFT/MONO" "INPUT" jack on the subwoofer's backplate.
See Figure 1 on Page 6.
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