Speakerlab S3, S4 Operating Manual

35+

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Manual

more sublime

of lhe

One

in comes

live

first time.

the

equipment

take up some

quality

that

maximum

CONTENTS

How to connect

1

is by

stereo

requires

performance.

when

But

no means

other

system

some

of

ioys

you

hook up a

you

have to do

foolproof.

going into

hobby,

like

is a delicate

knowledge and

your

up

speakers

the technological

new

speaker

system

it ri8ht. Stereo

Fools are advised to

politics. A high

precision

instrument

care to

age we

for

obtain

Howto

2

How to

How to use

4

Troubleshooting

5

Principles of

6

7

Speakerlab

place

adiust the

your

speakers

crossover controls

your

amplif

your

operation

speaker

kits

in the room

ier

speaker system

@SPEAKERLAB,

property

baris

Both

State

of Speakerlab,

ofinis

word

the

corporation-

INC,, 1978.

pubtication may be

,,Speakerlab"

They are

All rights

Inc., and

and the

registered

reserved.

is furnished

reproduced

distinctiv€ Speakerlab

Federally,

only

in any

Printed

for the

form

in thirty

in U.S.A.

purpose of heiping

without written

design-mark

individual

This

states, and

publication contains

ownersmake

permission ol

registered trademarks

are

in Canada'

Speakerlab,

proprietary.

proper use of

Inc'

of Speakerlab,

information

Speakerlab

lnc., a

is

which

producls. No

Washington

the

connect

How

How to connect

proper phasing.

Most soeaker

back.

the

common,

terminal.

throuqh

on thd

lf

vou

odtimurn

phase

Use the

common
(black,

they

they

positive

phased,

other----one

movinq

the overall

In zip-cord

ridge on the

conductor

''

'

conductor.

Ior ground

speakers

to

your

svstems

Cenerally

terminal

Connect

2-conductor

back of

have d stereo

with one

minus) terminal.

will then

will move

Your

sound that

another.

marked

(black,

minus)

move

outward

signal,

or- ou

augmenting

t-of-phase,

will be

inward-and

sound

one conductor

insulation,

itself,

Make

(common)

phased

correctlY.

your

speakers

one

and another

to

their terminals

have

terminal

is the

the terminals

wire to corresponding

amPIi{ier.

pair

of speakers,

you

connect

To do

conductor

terminal

Do this

in-phase.

moving

will have a diminishing

levet.

by tinning

or by a

it

ru le to use

a

and

this,

to connect

to the speaker

for both

What this

together

each olher.

speakers

outward

is marked by

colored

the marked

you will always

uP

amplifier

is the

positive, or

for each

it is importanl

both

up

{ollow the

in

will oppose each

(silver

thread along

with the

Iocated on

ground, or

speaker

terminals

cabinets

amplifer

the

common

woofers and

means

response

lmproperly

as the

other

effect

printing

color)

conductor

get

is that

on the

Youf

hot,

for

in

rule.

to a

is

on

a

or

the

your

sPeakers.

your

lf

use stranded

speakers

wire underneath

won't frav.

strands

g,oing

could sh"ort

your amp start

wedding.

speakers

some

On

terminal
doesn't

are

opposite

oi

bass

harmful

What

We recommend

copper

Oori't

smaller

We do

commonly

and stereo

used
resistdnce

The table

difierent

distance

You mav

long as each

goes

riake any

nected the same

con

way

phase.

and a

to the equipment.

kind of

wire

fooled the

Ue

the

nol recommend

for very

belorv

g,auges

rieaiured

use different

have

wire, twist

the screwhead

Be careful

from one

the amplifier.

olu t

popping

positive and

to

from the olher,

Out-of-phase

poorly

wire to

that

(zipcord)

wire- Ordinary

as speaker

sold

stores that

long runs

between

shorts

of

speaker

screw-type

strands

the

sure that

make

to

lerminal

A short

fuses

you may not be

which

difference

so

way. lf one

the speakers

operation

defined

use.

you

slereo

two-conductor

use

'16

No.
larger

lamp

22

No.

gauge or

the

wire by

ld know

shou

without

amplifier

the

the allowable

wire- The

one'rvay

lengths shorvn

from amplifier

wire sizes

large enough

has

terminals

before

that the

so

there

another

to

here can

flashbulbs

like

to tell

able

goes

to

long as

both speakers

is connected

may cause

image, but

No.

Sauge

cord

Sauge

number,

is No.18zipcord.

wire,

mail order

r. lt can

bette

interposing

speaker.

and

run

for each

wire

you

and

placing the

strands

no

are

which

make

at a

which

ground; it

in

the

will be out

weak

not

is

stranded

18

8auge.

lhe

which

outfits

n ot be

excessive

are

for

the

lengths

to speaker-

speaker,

for itself'

so

'

is

I

push-button

Speakerlab

tie back. Push

connecting

Vour

ironL of the

terminal

the

to

vour

connects

common

connected

speakers

in the bunon

terminal.

grip the

will

plus,

red,

amplifier

the black,

to

amplifier

in this

have

into lhe

wire

Release

wire. The

positive, or

receiver.

or

minus,

terminal.

manner

and

hole

red terminal

4 or 8 ohm

will be

insert the

the

The black

negative'

A

in-phase.

lerminals

bare end

which opens

button and

connects

terminal

terminal

pair

Sround

speakers

of

on

o[

in the

the

on

or

MAXIMUM

OFWIRE

FROM

TO SPEAKER

up
up to

Up

*We

gauge

AMPLIFIER

18 teet

to

30 feet

48 feet

to

recommend

number)

TENGTH

the-larger

of the two.

GAUGE

OF

FOR4OHM

SPEAKER

*No.

18

or

*No.

16 or

*No.

14

or

diameter

i

COPPER

20

tNo.

18

*No.

16

wire

WIRE:

FORsOHM

SPEAKER

No.20

18or20

-16

18

or

(the

smaller

How

place

to

your

speakers

in

the room.

Speaker

your

Best stereo is

Iistener form

speakers approximalely

the

when

imaginary

placement

system

listener.

and the

Best four channel

the soeakers

square with the listener in

affects

frequency

obtained

a trianele with

are

both the stereo imaging

response.

when

the two

the distance between

equal to their

placed

operation is

Q,

(!

TOO NEAR

Not many homes, however,

Architects who

psychoanalysts

than

having to

both stereo speakers will be within

experiment.

close toqether

indistinguishable. Four-channel

placed
behind

ln
say

idea
seem like the musicians

sides

reproduce

m usic which makes

to

The frequency

affected by how

floor,

and floor.

of mystery with

but

are

somewhere to

you.

properly

a

arranged system you

"that sound is coming

of stereo is not

along opposite wallJof

a sense

listen

to.

and also by the materials

Mostwriters

they are more

quite predictable.

\_/

TOO FAR

allow an ideal

design

with

acoustics in mind

with common

In

a reasonable

that the stereo

your

left

and

out of that speaker."

make

to

of depth and spaciousness

it m uch more realistic

response

close they are

treat these

the magical name

properly

the Seattle

got in a fight

the ro6m. The idea is

of the speakers

placed

which

called "wall

soeakers and

distance from

obtained

al the

corners of an

the center.

,a>

/\

RIGHT

IUST

setup.

are rarer

sense. You
earshot and not

channels are

speakers

right,

need not

and

to the walls

cover the walls

effects as some kind

"room

acoustics" and

end up

compromise

will

before

Symphony

and

acoustics,"

and

be able to

The

chose up

in

pleasant

will

and

the

,$

so

be

tb

the

be

of

some

corner placement,

listeners)

Frequency response

with

the speaker in

UPPER-speaker
free-space response

kHz.
MIDDLE-speaker

LOWER-speaker
placement
pronounced

indicates

reflections

.

the direct radiation.

below

'150

Hz

and reflected

not

seem to iniure

speaker in

disregards

phenomenon

extends

dip at

that the bass-strengthening

are delayed

150

Hz,

due to interference

but disrupts the measurement

sound. These interference

a corner; probably

the delayed sound-a

little

need

the bass

so try it if necessary.

measurements

different

up off

on

locations,

floor

is about

floor

away from walls.

on floor in

the bass to

Hz

800

about 2.5 milliseconds

The

delay makes no difference

effects

the audible performance

studied or understood.

boost

of the Speakerlab 1

away from walls.

dB from

:t3

a corner.

about 50 Hz. The

in the

between the direct

because

furnished

The 51's

Hz-17

90

Corner
picture

third

corner

lrom

about

effects do

of a

the ear

psychoacoustic

by

Nearby

surfaces reflect low frequencies,

speaker in a corner which gives

surfaces will
speaker
surfaces such as rugs,
absorb high frequencies
surfaces

wood

the treble-

Speakerlab

or tile floors reflect high frequencies

designed.for

floor

or on a shelf, because these

common
room, especially if raised

Iess bass. Placine

exaggerate the 6ass. Some kinds

boost the bass. You

sound

such as closed windows,

like

speakers

placement

locations

them

a big

drapes, upholstery

(except

used.

if you place

one

and cut the

the corner horns)

against a wall,

in

Out

off the

in

a corner

can make a little

treble, while hard

painted

the middle

floor,

on the

of speakers

placing

so

three adiacent

it right.

and

either on the

are the most

Soft

people

walls,

and

and boost

are

of the

they will have

floor

will

(and

a

Surfaces near

surfaces

transducers

same acoustic laws

built

lf you

speakers,

The

compensated for

midrange

your

head

have the

close to the speakers.

you

were

born with are

(or

bought).

have a

experiment.

effects of hard

as the transmitting

choice of

_several

"

or soft surfaces will

to some extent when

and tweeter level controls.

same effect as

transducers

places

i-

do

The receiving

subiect to the

you

to put your

be

you

set the