Pioneer S-1EX User Manual

EX Speaker Series

S-1EX S-2EX S-7EX

S-W1EX

1975

TAD (Pioneer’s Technical Audio Device department) develops the TAD Pro Audio monitoring drivers. They are acknowledged as ‘‘best of the best’’ in the professional audio industry.

2005

The EX Series is born. A ﬂ agship model for Pioneer’s speaker systems around the world, this speaker collection uses many of the technical speciﬁ cations of the highly acclaimed TAD-M1. The EX Series showcases Pioneer’s knowledge and ability to create a premium speaker system with incredible design and astonishing sound quality.

The Evolution of Sublime Sound

1937

In the year of our foundation, Pioneer brings the A-8 dynamic speaker to the market. The clear vision we had then — to bring a new level of sound quality to a wider public — is still true today as we continue to aim ever higher.

1997

2000

Pioneer Electronics Technology established its speaker design group in California to create advanced speaker designs for the North America market.

Pioneer’s SDC (Speaker Design Center) is established in Paris in order to stay up-to-date with European trends and new technologies. A cosmopolitan team designs and develops Pioneer speakers based on the results of market research.

2003

2004

Derived from the legacy technology of TAD Pro Audio speakers, the TAD-M1 takes home audio reproduction to new levels. Considered to be one of the best speaker systems in the world, this speaker is recognized by audio purists for its remarkable clarity, detail, imaging and dynamics.

Pioneer initiates the EX project: to create a new high-end speaker system for worldwide markets.

Speaking of Excellence

Pioneer has been breaking the boundaries of ﬁ rst-class entertainment for decades. Through the years, we have grown, ﬂ ourished and changed with our customers and their aspirations, earning ourselves a top-ranked spot among the classics. It all began with the design and production of dynamic speakers. For this unique speaker collection, Pioneer has returned to its origins. The experience and expertise built up through the years culminates in the creation of our masterpiece, the EX Speaker Series. The superb, natural sound and accuracy of these premium speakers ensures that they are the absolute pinnacle of true sound quality. Designed by the world’s leading experts, skillfully crafted from the highest quality materials and passing rigorous sound testing with ease, the EX Series provides a superlative sound experience. Every step of the design process has been meticulously undertaken to ensure that the prestigious EX Series really does deserve its status. Turn the page, and embark on a journey to discover how this exquisite speaker collection came into existence.

Eight Steps to Excellence

Tweeter/Midrange Driver

Bass Driver

Perfect Time Alignment Design

Enclosure

Acoustic Balance Drive

Credentials

AIR Studios

Line-Up

Witness the Creation of Superior Audio

The ﬁ rst step in the painstaking development of Pioneer’s premium speaker series is the creation of an outstanding concentric tweeter/midrange speaker driver. Cutting-edge TAD technologies allow the driver to reproduce exceptionally accurate audio. Every element has been crafted using only the highest-quality materials, ensuring that all frequencies of this wide-range driver are always precise and laser-sharp, boasting extraordinary liveliness and delicacy. Add in the Neodymium magnet’s tremendous strength and the result is ﬂ uent and consistent sound at a superior level of true-to-life detail, ideal for DVD-Audio and SACD reproduction. Sit back, close your eyes and be swept up in a world of sonic perfection. Open your eyes and you’ll see that ideal sound is so much more than just a dream — it can be your reality.

TAD driver: CST-6001

*TAD (Technical Audio Devices)

TAD Speaker Design Coherent Source TransducerBeryllium Tweeter Diaphragm

Only the very best speaker components were considered for Pioneer’s new

audio masterpiece: the EX Series. So it’s no surprise that TAD (Technical Audio Devices) speaker engineering is incorporated into these reference-class drivers. They were crafted with extreme precision by TAD experts, and adhere to their rigorous standards. TAD professional studio monitoring loudspeakers are the ﬁ rst choice in recording studios across the globe. They have set a standard for audio excellence and reliability, as recognized by many world-famous performers and professional sound engineers. The legacy began 30 years ago, and now TAD speakers can be found wherever the highest sound quality is required: studio monitors, concert hall speakers, cinema audio systems and more.

tweeters ideal for reproducing the high frequencies of DVDAudio and SACD, up to 100 kHz. These revolutionary audio formats recreate sound as it actually exists in the real world, with all its original artistic qualities intact.

The tweeter diaphragm is composed of Beryllium metal, which is extremely light and rigid. This has resulted in an ultrastrong tweeter diaphragm with perfectly solid piston performance. It precisely reproduces the audio signal; limited distortion or resonance is added to the audio performance. This pure and solid performing diaphragm makes Beryllium

To ensure that all sound — direct and reﬂ ected — arrives at the listening position with identical timbre, the EX Series employs TAD’s exclusive CST (Coherent Source Transducer) driver technology. The Beryllium tweeter is

mounted in the center of the magnesium midrange driver, allowing the sound directivity to be precisely controlled at all frequencies. The resulting aligned sound delivery is extremely smooth and coherent. Unlike conventional drivers, the problems with phase and off-axis frequency response have been totally eradicated.

Give Deeper Meaning to Sound

The next element to be developed is the EX Series’ meticulously designed bass driver. Also packed with TAD technology and ﬁ rst-class components, it guarantees superior sound performance, even at very low frequencies. The extremely rigid and solid cone structure creates more stable and uniform cone movement, as well as enhanced damping properties. Unnecessary reaction and resonance are signiﬁ cantly reduced by the specially designed basket frame. The ultra-strong Neodymium magnet and large voice coil let you effortlessly achieve a smooth response and a ﬂ uid in line transition to the higher frequency drivers. But a perfect listening experience is about more than the highest quality materials and technologies. It involves your own passions and beliefs, your reactions to the sounds that surround you. Pioneer’s EX Series ampliﬁ es those passions and provides the most exquisite platform from which to create a new world of special moments.

TAD driver: TL-0701

*TAD (Technical Audio Devices)

One-piece Cone and Center Cap

Conventional speaker cones have a separate center cap, to make it easier to attach the cone to the voice coil. However, this design weakens the cone’s mechanical integrity. The unique one-piece construction of the cone and

center cap that was created for the EX Series’ bass driver, combined with the improved rigidity of the aramid ﬁ ber structure, produces a much stiffer and more rigid construction. Unwanted cone resonances are pushed beyond the bass driver’s operating range, allowing the cone to accurately pass the coil movement on to the air and signiﬁ cantly improve the accuracy of sound reproduction.

65 mm Voice Coil

Typical bass drivers have relatively small voice coils, which at high power levels, mean reduced power handling ability and loss of efﬁ ciency. At a huge 65 mm, the voice

coil of the EX Series has considerably greater power handling capability, producing outstanding dynamics, even at high sound levels.

“Air-flow Designed” Basket Frame

The tweeter/midrange and bass drivers of the EX Series feature novel “air-ﬂ ow designed” basket frames and magnetic circuits that allow for unrestricted airﬂ ow behind the cone and around the voice coil. Even at very high power levels, it prevents sound distortion, offering simply pure and accurate sonic pleasure.

The Science of Sensation

In our eternal quest to offer you unrivalled sound perfection, we have taken innovative design further than ever before. In sound perception, every element must be considered. Even the slightest detail can make a world of difference. With an ideal system, all sounds produced by the loudspeakers arrive at the listeners’ ears simultaneously. If that doesn’t happen, the feeling of truly aligned performance is lost. The effect is even worse in multi-channel systems, where the impression of being immersed in the performance space disappears. Pioneer has developed the perfect answer: Perfect Time Alignment Design. This revolutionary 5-channel solution takes you as close to the sensation of sound perfection as you will ever get.

Coherent Source Transducer

When tweeters and midrange speaker drivers are mounted on a traditional ﬂ at bafﬂ e, the acoustic centers of the drivers are not aligned. The center of the midrange driver is positioned behind the bafﬂ e and the center of the tweeter is placed in the bafﬂ e’s plane. Some manufacturers try to resolve this problem with a stepped bafﬂ e, however this results in unacceptable diffraction and coloring of the sound. TAD cleverly opted to mount the tweeter in the center of the midrange cone, which not only optimizes sound propagation in all directions, but also guarantees time alignment of the drivers.

Slant Layout Enclosure

Enclosures have a backwards slant of eight degrees. This brings the speaker’s center gravity of the speaker directly over the center of the base of the speaker. This positioning ensures stability of the cabinet and freedom from the effects of speaker vibrations. In combination with the Precisions Curves, perfect time alignments of the drivers and at the listening position is guaranteed.

Precision Curve

In traditional speaker systems, several speaker drivers are aligned on a ﬂ at front bafﬂ e. Because the sounds from each driver reach the listener from different distances, this composition inevitably leads to a small degree of confusion in the overall sound. With Pioneer’s EX Series, a revolutionary bafﬂ e with a precise curved surface has been realized to solve this problem. This is the “precision curve.” By positioning the speaker drivers on a three-meter radius sphere centered on the listener, the time it takes for the sound to reach the listener’s ears from each of the drivers is precisely adjusted.

0RECISIONCURVE

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Solid, Strong, Superb

With the tweeter/midrange and bass drivers perfected, an equally ingenious enclosure must be created to provide them with a stable base. The EX Series’ cabinets are crafted from multiple layers of laminated MDF, ranging from a minimum of 30 mm up to a generous 100 mm, to ensure that they remain inert. Along with the curved bafﬂ e and radius edges, these enclosures help create an amazingly realistic stage with exceptional clarity and focus. For a striking appearance, these audiophile-quality speaker systems deserve a ﬁ tting ﬁ nish. The beautiful, trendy, dark wood gives a high-quality ﬁ nish to the EX Series, which is beﬁ ttingly called the “highest echelon.”

ABD

Vertical standing waves are a phenomenon that occurs in

nearly all speaker enclosures. Responsible for uneven,

boomy or sucked out bass response, vertical standing

waves generated inside tall ﬂ oor-standing cabinets are

extremely difﬁ cult to control. But not for Pioneer. We

have developed unique acoustic simulation technology,

ABD (Acoustic Balance Drive), which allows us

to calculate the inﬂ uence of the cabinet’s vertical

standing waves on the speaker frequency response,

taking into account bass drivers and port locations.

Using this software, the port and bass drivers of

the EX Series are placed in the best position

to cut this inﬂ uence to a minimum. This new

technology allows the ﬁ rst vertical standing

wave to be totally canceled and the inﬂ uence

of the second one to be signiﬁ cantly reduced.

The result is precise and dynamic bass with

no low midrange coloration.

Acoustic Balance Drive (ABD)

dB SPLdB SPL

100

10 100 1000 10000 10 100 1000 10000

General Floor-Standing Speaker Floor-Standing Speaker with ABD Technology

Axis Frequency Response

dB SPLdB SPL

100

Canceled Standing Wave

HzHz

Solid Credentials

The ﬂ agship EX Series has been created by a talented network of high-end audio specialists consisting of only the very best TAD and Pioneer engineers from around the world. They have each added their individual expertise to co-create this ﬁ rst-class model of audio excellence. In addition, Andrew Jones, chief engineer of the TAD-M1, acted as sound advisor to ensure the success of this ambitious project. Pioneer’s EX Series was conceived with the aim of creating true sound perfection to fulﬁ ll the desires of

Andrew Jones and the TAD-M1

used in the renowned TAD-M1 — widely considered to be one of the premier speaker systems available. You will certainly hear the difference when you listen to SACD and DVD-Audio discs. This superlative speaker collection reproduces today’s advanced reproduction formats with ﬂ awless precision.

audiophiles with the most discerning of taste. That’s why these premium speakers call not only on the expertise of TAD engineers but comprise many of the technical elements

Revolutionary Phase Control

Not only has the latest technology that we have explained above been used in the design of the EX Series, but the latest results of Pioneer’s unique research into audio sound reproduction are also being actively used. This is the revolutionary “phase control” technology.

“Phase control” technology is the concept of managing the time and phase response of the speakers, ampliﬁ ers and software to realize the dramatic high-quality sound during multi-channel sound reproduction. The most advanced concepts of phase control have been introduced to the EX Series. All the systems use the same CST and woofer drivers, which along with the crossover allows for perfect matching of the phase characteristics of all the speakers. Additionally SW1EX subwoofer has a low pass ﬁ lter (LPF) bypass function installed. In combination with the appropriate receiver, the phase response of the complete multi-channel system can be optimized for uncompromising surround sound reproduction.

The Mark of Excellence

The EX Series has undergone rigorous acoustic testing at AIR Studios in London, one of the world’s leading recording studios, and therefore meets its strict studio replay standards. Some of the most talented AIR Studios sound engineers contributed an unquestionable amount of know-how to ﬁ ne-tune the EX Series. So they can replicate a professional studio sound environment in your home, with ideally controlled acoustics. Sir George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer and an Academy Award-nominated composer, founded AIR Studios in 1969. AIR Studios is now a state-of-the-art recording complex with matchless facilities for ﬁ lm scoring, rock, pop, classical and orchestral work, video game sound design, post-production and live events.

This “phase control” trademark is attached to products designed for phase characteristic matching recording to reproduction, based on the phase control technology concept developed by the Pioneer Corporation.

AIR Studios and the AIR Studios logo are registered trademarks of AIR Studios, Inc.

S-1EX Floorstander S-2EX Compact Monitor

S-1EX

(Speakers are sold separately)

Features

• 1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium tweeter / 5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium midrange

• CST driver

• 7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid / Carbon composite shell woofer

• Large Neodymium magnet

• Magnetically shielded-design

• Aerodynamic frame and magnetic circuits

• Perfect time-alignment design

• Precision curve

• Round enclosure

• Slant-layout enclosure

• ABD technology

• Phase-control design

• Unleaded solder

• 3-way speaker system

Speciﬁ cations

Frequency Range: 28 - 100,000 Hz Nominal Impedance: 6 Ω Maximum Power (Input): 200 W Dimensions (W x H x D): 16-5/8 x 50-1/2 x 24 in. 422 x 1283 x 609 mm Weight: 145 lbs. 8oz.

66.0 kg Accessory: Grille, 4 Spikes

S-2EX

(Speakers are sold separately)

Features

• 1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium tweeter / 5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium midrange

• CST driver

• 7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid / Carbon composite shell woofer

• Large Neodymium magnet

• Magnetically shielded-design

• Aerodynamic frame and magnetic circuits

• Perfect time-alignment design

• Precision curve

• Round enclosure

• Phase-control design

• Unleaded solder

• 3-way speaker system

Speciﬁ cations

Frequency Range: 34 - 100,000 Hz Nominal Impedance: 6 Ω Maximum Power (Input): 200 W Dimensions (W x H x D): 11-7/16 x 22-1/4 x 16-3/4 in. 291 x 565 x 425 mm Weight: 61 lbs. 12oz.

28.0 kg

Accessory: Grille, 4 Spikes

1414

Angle view

Front view

Angle view

(Shown with option speaker stand CP-2EX)

Front view

1515

S-7EX Center Channel

(Shown with option speaker stand CP-7EX)

S-7EX

Features

• 1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium tweeter / 5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium midrange

• CST driver

• 7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid / Carbon composite shell woofer

• Large Neodymium magnet

• Magnetically shielded-design

• Aerodynamic frame and magnetic circuits

• Perfect time-alignment design

• Precision curve

• Round enclosure

• Vertical twin method

• Phase-control design

• Unleaded solder

• 3-way speaker system

Speciﬁ cations

Frequency Range: 34 - 100,000 Hz Nominal Impedance: 6 Ω Maximum Power (Input): 200 W Dimensions (W x H x D): 32-5/16 x 11-7/16 x 16-3/4 in. 820 x 291 x 425 mm Weight: 86 lbs.

39.0 kg Accessory: Grille, 4 Spikes, Base for Center Speaker

S-W1EX Powered Subwoofer

S-W1EX

Features

• Silent mount technology structure, to prevent unnecessary vibrations.

• Large 12 in. (30 cm) diametre woofer driver

• Large 12 in. (30 cm) diametre passive radiator

• Phase-control design

• Solid round enclosure

• Unleaded solder

Speciﬁ cations

Frequency Range: 24 - 4,000 Hz (Set to BYPASS) Power output (RMS): 250 W / 4 Ω (100Hz) Dimensions (W x H x D): 16-15/16 x 18-14/16 x 16-15/16 in. 430 x 480 x 430 mm Weight: 75 lbs. 14 oz.

34.5 kg Accessory: 4 Bases, 4 Spikes, Power Supply cord, Ground cord

PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.

P.O. Box 1540, Long Beach, California 90810

TO CONTACT US:

For Dealer Referrals or Product Information

1(800) PIONEER

For Service Companies or Customer Service

1(800) 421-1404

PIONEER ELECTRONICS OF CANADA, INC.

300 Allstate Parkway, Markham, ON, L3R 0P2

Phone: 1-877-283-5901

Our customer service representatives do not have access to information regarding dealer credit or sales information.

Disclaimer: Features and speciﬁ cations of the products described or illustrated in this catalogue are correct at the time of printing but could change as production changes might occur. This catalogue may contain typographical errors and the colors of the depicted products may deviate slightly from reality. Consult your Pioneer dealer to ensure that actual features and speciﬁ cations match your requirements. This catalogue may contain references to products that may or will not be available in your country.

For more information, call or write to:

Technical Specifications

Specifications

Enclosure:

Speakers (Tweeter):

Speakers (Midrange):

Speakers (Bass):

Frequency Range: 28 — 100,000 Hz 34 — 100,000 Hz 34 — 100,000 Hz

Sensitivity (2.83 V/1 m): 89.5 dB SPL 86.5 dB SPL 89.5 dB SPL — — —

Nominal Impedance: 6 Ω 6 Ω 6 Ω ———

Maximum Power (Input) : 200 W 200 W 200 W — — —

Power output (RMS) : — — — 250W / 4 Ω (100 Hz) — —

Cross-over Frequencies :

Dimensions (W x H x D):

Weight:

Power Requirements /

Consumption

Finishes:

Grille:

S-1EX

3-way vented box system

Front-vented bass reﬂ ex

Floor-standing type

Concentric driver:

1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium dome

Concentric driver:

5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium cone

7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid cone (x2)

400 Hz

2 kHz

16-5/8 x 50-1/2 x 24 in.

422 x 1283 x 609 mm

145 lbs. 8 oz.

66.0 kg

— — — 120 V, 60 Hz / 56 W, 90 VA — —

Cabinet: Real wood veneer

Dark Teak wood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Black cloth

S-2EX

3-way vented box system

Front-vented bass reﬂ ex

Bookshelf type

Concentric driver:

1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium dome

Concentric driver:

5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium cone

7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid cone

400 Hz

2 kHz

11-7/16 x 22-1/4 x 16-3/4 in.

291 x 565 x 425 mm

61 lbs. 12 oz.

28.0 kg

Cabinet: Real wood veneer

Dark Teak wood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Black cloth

S-7EX

3-way vented box system

Front-vented bass reﬂ ex

Center speaker type

Concentric driver:

1-3/8 in. (3.5 cm) Beryllium dome

Concentric driver:

5-1/2 in. (14 cm) Magnesium cone

7-1/16 in. (18 cm) Aramid cone (x2)

400 Hz

2 kHz

32-5/16 x 11-7/16 x 16-3/4 in.

820 x 291 x 425 mm

86 lbs.

39.0 kg

Cabinet: Real wood veneer

Dark Teak wood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Black cloth

S-W1EX

Powered subwoofer

Passive radiator

Floor-standing type

12 in. (30 cm) Aramid cone +

12 in. (30 cm) Aramid cone

passive radiator

25 — 4,000 Hz

(Set to BYPASS)

50 — 150 Hz

(Continuously variable)

16-15/16 x 18-14/16 x 16-15/16 in.

430 x 480 x 430 mm

75 lbs. 14 oz.

34.5 kg

Cabinet: MDF with Real

wood veneer

Dark Teak wood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Black cloth

CP-2EX

Speaker stand for S-2EX

——

—

——

15-3/4 x 23-3/4 x 20-3/16 in.

400 x 604 x 513 mm

(without decoupling spikes)

39 lbs. 4 oz.

17.8 kg

Stand: Black Plywood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Decoupling Spikes: Silver

CP-7EX

Speaker stand for S-7EX

—

19-5/8 x 12-3/16 x 16-1/4 in.

498 x 310 x 412 mm

(without decoupling spikes)

30 lbs. 14 oz.

14.0 kg

Stand: Black Plywood

(satin ﬁ nish)

Decoupling Spikes: Silver

2139E 06 EX SPEAKER SERIES 20,000-SOHBI 12-05 Printed in Japan

Pioneer S-1EX User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual