Contents you should find in the box
Please read this manual carefully before setting up or at-
tempting to listen to your new loudspeakers.
Unpacking Instructions
Each inner box contains one each of Soliloquy 6.5i floorstanding loudspeakers with
one separately packaged cloth grill and 4 spikes with set screws. Once the speakers are set-up in their final position, you may wish to install the grilles for a finished decorator look. Or, leave them off for slightly more transparent high frequency performance.
For best sonic results, the tweeter in each Model 6.5i remains unprotected and
protrudes slightly from the front baffle. Before you lift the speakers out to un-
wrap them from their plastic bags, be sure to check where the tweeters
are situated. Do not touch them during handling to prevent damage!
Each speaker is outfitted with a solid steel plinth and threaded outriggers for the
enclosed custom spikes. These holes have been carefully pre-checked at the factory to assure flawless threading.
On the back of each speaker are two pairs of custom 5-way binding post terminals
for bare wire, spade, pin, Deltron or banana connection. You’ll also see two metal
jumper straps that connect the two positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. With
the straps in place, only a standard single-wire speaker cable is necessary for
hookup.
If you wish to experiment with bi-wiring (two pairs of cable per speaker, usually
tied or stacked together at the amplifier or run to two amps or amp channels for
passive bi-amping) these jumpers need to be removed. Depending on cable quality, bi-wiring can improve the overall speaker performance by isolating the tweeter
from the electromotive force (EMF) generated by the woofer’s larger motion and
magnet.
Before you proceed, inspect your box to insure it contains all items in good condition. If anything is missing, call your dealer for assistance right away.
Otherwise, carefully unpack the speakers. They are heavier than their size suggests. That’s because each cabinet panel and all internal braces are a solid 1-inch
thick! Store the boxes (including all inserts and bags) in a safe place. You’ll need
them should you ever require service at our factory. If you move into a new house
or apartment, using this original packaging during transport is the safest way to
move your speakers.
Setup, placement and voicing
A speaker’s exact position in a room significantly impacts its final performance.
That’s because it’s at the loudspeaker where the otherwise purely electrical signal
passing through the preceding chain of system components is converted into mechanical energy — the pushing and retracting of the loudspeaker drivers.
Once the signal leaves the controlled environment of theamplifier, it suddenly interacts with the uncontrolled environment of the room.
To assure that speakers performance remains reasonably uncolored and unaffected by the room (and its natural boundaries of walls, floor, ceiling, windows and
furnishings), careful placement is necessary.
Loudspeaker room interaction occurs in the following four main areas:
• reflection;
• absorption;
• diffusion;
• and resonance.
Smooth hard surfaces reflect sound (glass, stone, tiles, mirrors); soft plush surfaces absorb it (carpet, pillows, overstuffed chairs and couches); and irregularly
shaped hard surfaces scatter it (partially opened blinds, indoor trees).
Most rooms exhibit a natural combination of these qualities. Too little absorptive
materials and a room turns excessively “live” or “bright” (an empty bathroom; a
church with lengthy reverb or hall echo). Too much absorption and a room becomes acoustically “dead” or “dull” (the equivalent of an anechoic chamber
wherein all reflections are strategically killed for loudspeaker measurements untainted by room interaction).
.To tune the final tonal balance, experiment with various degrees of toe-in (placing
the speakers at a slight angle facing the listener. This will serve to anchor the front
soundstage.
Remember this is not a test. Optimum positioning will always depend on where it
sounds best to you. Also remember that the overall performance is only as good
as the weakest component in the system.
Soliloquy offers a white paper document on the topic of properly placing
your loudspeakers.
Please feel free to contact your dealer or Soliloquy directly to receive your
free copy.