Paradigm OM-577 Owner's Manual

OWNERS MANUAL OM-577

Paradigm Electronics Inc. In Canada: 205 Annagem Blvd., Mississauga, ON L5T 2V1 • In the U.S.: MPO Box 2410, Niagara Falls, NY 14302

PARADIGM®REFERENCE SUBWOOFERS

Thank you for choosing Paradigm®Reference subwoofers and congratulations! You
are about to experience the stunning difference that these state-of-the-art high-end subwoofers
will make in your music and home theater system.

Comprehensive R&D, leading-edge design, use of the finest materials and sophisticated
manufacturing and quality control techniques provide vastly superior performance for each
component part at every stage of design. Paradigm

®

Reference subwoofers will provide you

with stunning high-end sound and unparalleled listening pleasure for many years to come.
To achieve all of the exceptional sound that these subwoofers are capable of requires care in

installation and operation. Please take the time to read this manual in its entirety and follow all
instructions. If you have further questions, contact your Authorized Paradigm

®

Reference Dealer

or visit the Q&A page in the Tech Support section of our website at www.paradigm.com.

THE ULTIMATE IN HIGH-END SOUND FOR MUSIC AND HOME THEATER

™

Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . 2

Important Safety Instructions . . 3

Unpacking Instructions . . . . . . 4

Subwoofer Placement and

Connection (pictorial) . . . . . . . . 5

Your New Subwoofer . . . . . . . . 5

Power Requirements . . . . . . . . 5

Room Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Subwoofer Placement . . . . . . . 6

Subwoofer Connection . . . . . . . 7

Fine Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . 9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RECYCLING AND REUSE GUIDELINES FOR EUROPE

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 Paradigm Electronics Inc.
(manufacturers of Paradigm

®

speakers and Anthem®Electronics) 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 or go to our website at www.paradigm.com.

Please note that the product only falls under the WEEE directive. When disposing of packaging and other shipping
material we encourage you to recycle through the normal channels.

DIRECTIVES EUROPEENNES SUR LE RECYCLAGE ET LE TRAITEMENT DES DECHETS

Dans le respect de la directive WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) mise en place par les institutions
Européennes à compter du 13 Août 2005, nous souhaitons vous informer que ce produit peut contenir des matières
devant faire l’objet d’une procédure de recyclage ou de traitement approprié des déchets. Dans cette optique,
Paradigm Electronics Inc (fabricant des enceintes Paradigm

MD

et des électroniques AnthemMD) avec ses Distributeurs
agréés dans l’Union Européenne, ont mis en place une procédure de collecte et de retraitement gratuite. Pour en
savoir davantage sur cette procédure veuillez contacter votre revendeur, ou notre Distributeur dans votre pays (vous
en obtiendrez les coordonnées sur simple demande ou en consultant notre site internet www.paradigm.com).

Notez que seul le produit fini est concerné par cette directive et ses obligations. S’agissant de son emballage et
de ses accessoires de transport nous vous recommandons de les recycler selon les procédures mises en place par
votre commune ou votre département.

2

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.

The lightning 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 to persons.

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 product.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE, AND
OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT
BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS.

CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE
OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT.

CAUTION: FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION AGAINST RISK OF FIRE,
REPLACE THE FUSE ONLY WITH THE SAME AMPERAGE AND
VOLTAGE TYPE. REFER REPLACEMENT TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.

WARNING: UNIT MAY BECOME HOT. ALWAYS PROVIDE ADEQUATE
VENTILATION TO ALLOW FOR COOLING. DO NOT PLACE NEAR A
HEAT SOURCE, OR IN SPACES THAT CAN RESTRICT VENTILATION.

WARNING

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1) Read these instructions.

2) Keep these instructions.

3) Heed all warnings.

4) Follow all instructions.

5) Do not use this apparatus near water.

6) Clean only with dry a cloth.

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

8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.
A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly
at plugs, 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 or sold with the apparatus.
When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/
apparatus combination, to avoid injury from tip-over.

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

14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power­supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to
rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15) Use the mains plug to disconnect the apparatus from the mains or
”TO COMPLETELY DISCONNECT THIS APPARATUS FROM THE AC
MAINS, DISCONNECT THE POWER SUPPLY CORD PLUG FROM THE
AC RECEPTACLE.

16) “WARNING – TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC – SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE”

17) “DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO DRIPPING OR SPLASHING
AND ENSURE THAT NO OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS
VASES, ARE PLACED ON THE EQUIPMENT.”

18) “THE MAINS PLUG OF THE POWER SUPPLY CORD SHALL REMAIN
READILY OPERABLE.”

UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS DE DÉBALLAGE

4

Fig. 3a

Fig. 3b Fig. 4

BALANCED

XLR

BALANCED

XLR

BALANCED

XLR

SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT AND CONNECTION

(pictorial)

POSITIONNEMENT ET RACCORDEMENT DES CAISSONS

(illustrations)

Fig. 1a

Fig. 1b Fig. 2

5

Break-In

Although your Paradigm

®

Reference subwoofer will sound great “out of
the carton” it will sound even better when broken in. Allow it to operate
for several hours before you listen critically.

Cleaning

Paradigm®Reference subwoofers have a durable premium finish. To clean,
use a damp soft cloth. Do not use a strong or abrasive cleaner. Avoid
getting any part of the subwoofer system wet. Do not place wet objects
(drinking glasses, potted plants, etc.) on top of the subwoofer—if allowed
to soak in, even a small amount of water may permanently damage the
subwoofer enclosure.

YOUR NEW SUBWOOFER

The “Watts” (W) rating indicated on the rear panel is the typical power
your subwoofer will draw during normal use. However, when producing its
maximum power output, the actual wattage draw will vary with the bass
content of the program material-more if there is a lot of deep bass, less when
there is not as much bass. Although generally not required for typical music

and movie program material, if the bass content of your program material
is very loud and more continuous in nature, and if you play your system at
very high levels, we recommend connecting subwoofer models with higher
power ratings (i.e. over 1200 Watts RMS) to dedicated AC circuits.

POWER REQUIREMENTS

When using two subwoofers, placing one in the front of the room and the
other in the rear of the room (Fig. 2) usually provides the best bass
performance and sonic integration. Consult the “Fine Tuning” section of this
Owners Manual for more information on adjusting phase settings. If those
locations are not possible, or if you want to experiment with placement
options using two subwoofers, the following procedure will be a helpful
guide to achieving better bass performance. Refer to “Subwoofer Connection”

(see over)

then proceed as follows:

1. Temporarily turn all speakers off (either by turning your amplifier off or

disconnecting them).

2. Connect and place one subwoofer in the central area of your listening

room. Follow directions for connection, as outlined in the following section.

3. At a moderately loud level, play music or a video soundtrack with
extended bass that is repetitive or continuous.

4. Walk around your room and note where the bass sounds louder and where
it sounds quieter.

5. Place the first subwoofer within a louder bass area of your room; then
place the second subwoofer within a quieter bass area of your room.

6. Connect both subwoofers and switch all speakers back on; and switch
the amplifier on, or reconnect it.

7. Follow “Fine Tuning” instructions (page 8) to optimize your system's overall
bass performance.

(See your Dealer for connection instructions using two subwoofers.)

THE ADVANTAGES OF USING TWO SUBWOOFERS IN YOUR LISTENING ROOM

NOTE: The preceding is only a guideline. You may want to use a bass
test disc and SPL meter to more accurately determine the bass characteristics
of your listening room

(see your Dealer for more information)

. Remember that

room acoustics vary, which means that it may take some experimenting
with subwoofer placement to achieve the best subwoofer performance.

You are about to experience the astonishing bass performance of a state­of-the-art Paradigm

®

Reference subwoofer. These subwoofers incorporate
highly advanced patented technology and set all new standards for deep
bass extension, ultra-low distortion and sound power output and provide
unprecedented bass articulation and slam.

It is important to note that just as the amount of soft furnishings has a
decided impact on mid and high frequencies, those below 150 Hz are
dramatically affected by the room itself—its size, shape, as well as by
physical boundaries throughout the room. Experimenting with subwoofer
placement and control adjustments is the best way to achieve optimal bass

performance in any room. Keep in mind the following guidelines when
deciding on best subwoofer placement:

• Concrete floors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing wave
problems and are less preferred;

• Rooms where height, width and length are similar should be avoided as
they can exhibit significant low-frequency standing wave problems. This
may result in reduced clarity. If no other room is possible, experiment with
subwoofer placement to minimize acoustic problems.

ROOM ACOUSTICS

SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT

SAFETY PRECAUTION: Before proceeding with this section,
be sure to read and follow all safety precaution notices
at the beginning of this manual.

Bass is less and less directional as it goes down in frequency. For best
sonic integration, locating your subwoofer between your front speakers or
beside one of them and close to the back wall will usually provide the best
bass performance. If this location is not possible your subwoofer may be
placed anywhere in the room without affecting the stereo image of your
front speakers or the soundstage of your multi-channel speaker system.

Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b on page 5, highlight how bass output is generally affected
by room placement. When seated in a typical listening area of your room,
placing the subwoofer inside the “shaded” areas will typically result in bass
performance as follows:

Fig. 1a: Corner placement provides the most bass, but sometimes at the

expense of accuracy.

Fig. 1b

:

A subwoofer placed near a wall usually provides a good balance

of quantity and accuracy.
Controls are provided to align your subwoofer’s output to the other speakers

in your system, see “Fine Tuning,” page 8.

6