Polk Audio PSW505 User Manual

OWNER’S

MANUAL

PSW505

POWERED SU BWOOFER

ENGLISH

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

READ BEFORE OPERATING EQUIPMENT

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 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 power-supply 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.WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, this apparatus should not be exposed to rain or moisture and objects filled with liquids, such as vases, should not be placed on this apparatus.

16.To completely disconnect this equipment from the mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the receptacle.

17.The main plug of the power supply cord shall remain readily operable.

WARNING: Listen Carefully

Polk Audio loudspeakers and subwoofers are capable of playing at extremely high volume levels, which could cause serious or permanent hearing damage. Polk Audio, Inc. accepts no liability for hearing loss, bodily injury or property damage resulting from the misuse of its products.

Keep these guidelines in mind and always use your own good judgment when controlling volume: You should limit prolonged exposure to volumes that exceed 85 decibels(dB).

For more about safe volume levels refer to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) guidelines at www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/noise/standards_more.html.

Product Disposal—

Certain international, national and/or local laws and/or regulations may apply regarding the disposal of this product. For further detailed information, please contact the retailer where you purchased this product or the Polk Audio Importer/Distributor in your country. A listing of Polk Audio Importer/Distributors can be found on the Polk Audio website www.polkaudio.com

or by contacting Polk Audio at: 5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215,

USA—Phone: [phone].

2	Polk Audio Customer Service 800-377-7655 (Outside USA & Canada: 410-358-3600)

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Caution: Subwoofers are heavy. Exercise caution when unpacking your subwoofer.

Please inspect your loudspeaker carefully. Notify your Polk dealer if you notice any damage or missing items. Keep the carton and packing material. It will do the best job of protecting your speaker if it needs to be transported.

Your system includes a detachable power cord that’s packaged separately from the cabinet. Insert female end into the receptacle on the amplifier plate and insert

the polarized AC plug into a wall outlet (or power strip) as per the safety instructions found on the inside cover of this manual. We do not recommend connecting the subwoofer’sAC power cord to your receiver’sswitched outlet.

PLACING YOUR SUBWOOFER IN A ROOM

Your PSW Series subwoofer is not magnetically shielded. Do not place near video monitors. (LCD, DLP and Plasma televisions are not affected by magnetism.) Allow at least 18" (45cm) of space between your subwoofer and any television, but if you do notice video distortion or discoloration, immediately move the subwoofer away from the TV.

Your PSW Series subwoofer offers many placement options: in an entertainment center, behind furniture, or next to a sofa or chair. You may place your subwoofer anywhere in the room, but you'll enjoy the best performance when it’s on the same side of the room as your system's front speakers (Figure 1). Placing your subwoofer near a wall or in

a corner will increase its loudness. When placing your subwoofer in the room, always place your subwoofer on its base feet side down (Figure 2). If you can at all avoid it, do not place your subwoofer next to an open door.

We do recommend placing your subwoofer in different locations within your room to learn what produces the best sound quality for your listening environment. For more information on subwoofer placement, go to www.polkaudio.com/education/ article.php?id=20.

OPTION #1—

Receivers that include a “Sub Out” feature—the most common hookup method with Dolby® Digital receivers.

•Connect a single RCA cable from the “SUB OUT” of your receiver to the LFE input of the subwoofer. This connecting method bypasses the subwoofer’s internal filter and relies on the filter built into your receiver. Make no other signal connections.

Do not use speaker wire to make the connection to the subwoofer.

•Connect all speakers directly to the receiver. When using method #1, adjust your receiver’s speaker configurations as follows: Set Front, Center and Surround speakers to “small.”

•Depending on your speakers’ bass output capabilities, set the crossover frequency on the receiver to 80Hz for tower and bookshelf speakers (speakers with a woofer 5 1/4" in diameter or larger) and 100-120Hz for satellite speakers.

Receiver Settings:

•Front, Center, and Surrounds = “SMALL”

•Subwoofer = “ON,” or “YES,” or “PRESENT”

Consult your receiver’s owner’s manual for speaker configuration.

	Figure 1	18" - 24"
		(46cm - 61cm)
		Figure 1

AMPLIFIER

Figure 2

	FRONT	RECEIVER			FRONT
	CHANNEL				CHANNEL
			FRONT
			-	+
			RCA CABLE
			LINE IN
			(FILTERED)
			L
		(UNFILTERED)	R
		SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT
		+ LEFT –		– RIGHT +
		+ LEFT –		– RIGHT +
		SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT
		SUBWOOFER

Option 1

CONNECTING THE SUBWOOFER TO THE SYSTEM—HOOKUP OPTIONS Important Note: Use only one of these options.

Never combine hookup options.

Customer Service Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday,9AM-5:30PM EST

[e-mail]

3

Option 2

Dolby Digital Speaker Set Up Settings

Front Speakers = Large

Center Speaker = Small

Rear Surround Speakers = Small

Subwoofer = No

FRONT	POWER AMPLIFIER			FRONT
CHANNEL				CHANNEL
	L R	+	- +
	-

PRE-AMP OR PROCESSOR

Y CABLES

RCA CABLES

LINE IN

(FILTERED)

LFE IN

L

R

(UNFILTERED)

SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT

+ LEFT – – RIGHT +

+ LEFT

RIGHT +

SUBWOOFER

Option 3

OPTION #2—

Two channel or Dolby® Pro Logic receiver with no “Sub Out.”

If you elect to use the speaker level inputs, use two-conductor 16 gauge or thicker speaker wires. See your Polk dealer for wire recommendations.

Note that one of the speaker input terminals on the rear of the speaker is marked red (+) and the other black (-). Make certain that you connect the wire from the red

(+) terminal of your receiver to the red (+) terminal on your speaker, and the wire from the black (-) terminal of the receiver to the black (-) terminal on your speaker. Speaker wire has some indication (such as color coding, ribbing, or writing) on one of the two conductors to help maintain consistency. If your subwoofer doesn't seem to produce much bass, it is most likely that one of the speaker wires is connected backwards. Double check all connections for correct polarity.

Strip 1/2" (12mm) of insulation from each of the two conductors on both ends to expose the bare wire. Twist the exposed wire of each conductor to form two un-frayed strands.

Note: Do not use the line or LFE input in this configuration.

•Connect the left and right front speaker outputs of your receiver to the speaker level inputs of the powered subwoofer using speaker wire.

•Then, connect the left and right front speakers using speaker wire from the speaker level outputs from the powered subwoofer.

•Connect the Center Channel Speaker directly to the center channel output from your receiver.

•Connect the Rear Surround Satellites directly to the rear or surround channel outputs from your receiver.

Receiver Settings:

•Front speakers = LARGE

•Subwoofer = “OFF” or “NO”

•Center and Surrounds= SMALL

Loosen hex nut.

Insert speaker wire through hole.

To use Banana Plugs (US only):

Unscrew the binding post lug nuts completelyto expose the binding post plugs (plastic plugs inserted into the binding posts). Carefully pry out the binding post plugs to expose banana plug holes. Screw the lug nuts back on the binding posts and insert banana plugs. (This is for US owners only.)

Tighten hex nut.	Do not insert insulated
	section of speaker wire.

Figure 3

OPTION #3—

Receivers with full-range (unfiltered) Left and Right “Pre Out” jacks (this is the least commonly used hookup).

•Connect the left and right preamp output from your receiver to the left and right LINE LEVEL input of the subwoofer. Do not use speaker wires.

•When using method #3, it is necessary to adjust the settings on your receiver as follows:

Receiver Settings:

•Front speakers = LARGE

•Subwoofer = “OFF” or “NO”

4	Polk Audio Customer Service 800-377-7655 (Outside USA & Canada: 410-358-3600)