Teresonic Magnus Monitor Speakers User Manual

Magus© monitor speakers

User Guide

(Magus: “magical” in Latin)

 Teresonic

1215 Fiddlers Green • San Jose,

95125 California, USA

Phone [phone] • www.teresonic.com

Teres

: rounded, polished, smooth, fine, elegant in Latin

Table of Contents

C H A P T E R 1

INTRODUCTION 1

New life for your music yet perfectly

natural 1

Big performance even at 4 Watts per

channel 2

Exceptionally detailed and clean sound 2

Designed & handcrafted to endure the test

of time 3

C H A P T E R 2

UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS 4

Contents 4

C H A P T E R 3

INSTALLATION AND WIRING 5

Wiring 5

Installation of Lowther drivers (optional) 5

Installation and operation 6

Important! Break-in period 7

C H A P T E R 5

ROOM ACOUSTICS 11

Improve the sound stage & image depth 11

Getting fast, tight, realistic bass 12

Improve musical detail 12

Improve sound dispersion in the room 13

C H A P T E R 6

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 14

Magus technical specifications 14

Magus Stand technical specifications 15

C H A P T E R 7

WARRANTY AND SERVICE 16

In the unlikely event of a problem 16

Warranty Statement 17

Final Instructions 18

C H A P T E R 4

FINE TUNING 8

Speaker Placement 8

Positioning (Toe-In) 9

Room acoustics and corner treatment 9

Adjusting the reflector Plate 10

Taking Care of Your Speakers 10

D E S I G N C U S T O M I Z A T I O N

Chapter

T

Introduction

Congratulations on purchasing Magus – one of the finest monitor loudspeakers ever made.
We hope that magic of Magus will reveal the best of your music collection and provide
many listening pleasures for years to come. It’s all about music after all.

eresonic Magus monitor speakers are designed to produce the most natural sound of exceptional
clarity and levels of detail, neutrality and stereo imaging that are beyond anything else in their category.
That is accomplished using unique and very advanced acoustic design, the finest components and

materials available, and by avoiding every unnecessary component or gimmick that can introduce
sound coloration, interference or distortion – leading to musical reality of a concert hall or a jazz club
transferred to your listening room.

New life for your music yet perfectly natural

Every sound source in nature is “punctual” radiating sound waves around them – whether it’s a violin, a
trumpet, or a human voice. Teresonic speakers follow that basic design rule of the Nature. Conventional multi­driver designs are based on the idea that it’s fine to divide up the frequency range to be reproduced by using a
crossover to assign parts of the frequency range to different drivers. This introduces multiple interfering sound
sources (speaker drivers in the cabinet) which lead to complex and unpredictable cancellations and
reinforcements between sound waves – leading to sound coloration, and distortion. In addition, musical
instruments or human voices reproduced by multiple sources, each source (driver) with its own location,
timing and resonances, creates lack of “coherence”.

This lack of coherence in multi-way speakers creates a problem for the human ear as it tries to identify the
stream of musical data and send it to the brain to compose many elements into a perceptual whole that we
experience as music. While the human brain is incredibly capable, the parts that do not fit well alert the brain
that there is something wrong – and this can cause listening fatigue. This is often an issue, even with high-end
multi-way systems.

Teresonic single-driver design using full range, very high-efficiency drivers, provides natural sound with a
wealth of detail, coherence, exceptional dynamic range and a sense of musical “aliveness” that you seldom hear
elsewhere.

1

D E S I G N C U S T O M I Z A T I O N

The challenge is to make speakers that we can call transcendental - something that breaks boundaries and
creates emotion, but keeps the sound natural and intact, as it was in the concert hall or a recording studio.
Teresonic speakers operate legendary Lowther full-range speakers without crossovers. Conventional designs
put a crossover in the mid-range to split the signal between the bass driver and the tweeter. This is exactly the
range where human hearing is most sensitive. These crossovers introduce phase and balance changes that
cause deterioration in coherency, transparency and imaging. Even worse, most speakers go from a cone driver
for the bass to a tweeter with totally different sonic characteristics, such as a dome or ribbon tweeter.

The ability of the Teresonic speakers to speak across the full frequency spectrum with one voice, and with such
speed and lack of coloration, makes them seem all the more electrostatic. In the end, however, Teresonic
speakers will play much louder than all except the largest electrostatic speakers. They are so fast that you can
hit them with hard transients and they not only do not flinch, they start and stop on a dime and deliver the full
frequency and dynamic range of the signal. It is actually kind of hard to truly convey the full abilities of these
speakers.

Big performance even at 4 Watts per channel

Traditional monitors are usually rated at 86-88 db and require at least 20 Watts of power. The ultra-high 98 db
efficiency of Magus speakers enables low power amplifiers, or high power amplifiers operated at low power
levels, to achieve realistic sound levels in most – not just the smallest - rooms. The Teresonic will sound
outstanding and play plenty loudly with an 8 wpc 300B-based tube stereo amplifier, as well as a 25 wpc 845­based tube amplifier, or any other SET designs. They also sound excellent when powered by a set of the push­pull monoblocs that are rated at 100 wpc. With Teresonic speakers even sonic gems such as 3 wpc 2A3-based
amplifiers will deliver big performance. If 1 watt is good for 98 db, then 4 watts are good for a peak output of
about 104 db and 8 watts of about 107 db at one meter distance - and with the lowest distortion you have ever
heard in a loudspeaker.

Higher power solid-state amplifiers will benefit from operating on low power levels where the distortions are
lowest – or almost non-existent. Despite manufacturers “paper specifications” even the finest high-end
amplifiers will introduce some sound distortions and colorations when played at high power levels. This is
driven by laws of physics and various components’ characteristics that vary at different load levels. Higher the
load, more stress on the component, more difficult for designer to get perfect results – even harder at the high
end. The simple solution is to operate at lower power levels and enjoy your music unspoiled, as it was created
in its natural environment, and still have the big performance sound of concert hall.

Exceptionally detailed and clean sound

The unique Magus design, the result of some 20 years of research and experimentation, and Lowther’s speed
and accuracy are key for Teresonic speakers’ extremely clean and accurate midrange, the widest range of sound
audible to our ears, with tight low frequencies. It is also the simplest, purest, most uncolored approach to
design a system which allows the speaker drivers to operate in "free air," duplicating the motion of sound
waves emanating from both sides of a musical instrument in live performance.

The full-range, single-driver, no-crossover Magus design is the outstanding example of detailed and crystal clear
sound already established in Teresonic Ingenium and Integrum series, combined with a flair for reproducing

2

D E S I G N C U S T O M I Z A T I O N

every type of music from rock to opera, jazz through folk. They have quite a punchy low end for their size.
Drums and percussion are reproduced with stunning weight and clarity. Notice precise duration and fine
separation between tones compared to overlapping and ‘lingering’ tones reproduced by most of traditional
multi-driver designs – regardless of their size or price range. You will find Magus speakers amazing – very
neutral, yet extremely clear and articulate.

Designed & handcrafted to endure the test of time

Form follows function and our enclosures are very attractive, sculpture-like shapes – a welcome addition to
any room. Any way you consider them – as a piece of art that sounds great or great sounding speakers in an
eye pleasing package, Magus monitors are built entirely by hand to highest standards using the finest materials
available. High gloss finish, applied in several layers of highest-quality Italian varnish, enhances the natural
wood veneer and superb craftsmanship that one may expect from the finest cabinet makers and in speakers
costing thousands more.

Designed like the finest music instrument, such as violin or cello, Magus’ elegant cabinet is specially shaped and
wall damped, ensuring that its internal structure resonates, vibrates and breathes at low frequencies as do fine
musical instruments. Special internal wall-damping and the port tune frequency has been adjusted accordingly
for optimal bass performance. The Magus cabinet may look deceptively simple but requires careful
handcrafting, with unique oval shapes and several critically damped and acoustically tuned compartments
(chambers), partitions and screens brought together by the skillful hands of our cabinetmakers.

True high end speakers such as Teresonic, need top quality drive units. We use the top of the line DX-series of
legendary Lowther drivers, considered the Rolls-Royce of the speaker industry, that are hand-made by
Lowther-Voigt Ltd in England. They incorporate extremely powerful magnets and ultra-light paper cones,
leading to extraordinary efficiency, transient response, and low distortion. They are possessed of a stunning
sense of aliveness and vitality, and have a degree of sonic invisibility that is both seductive and addictive.

Many high-end speakers on the market will use standard wiring inside the box between drivers and connectors
in the back of the box. Not so with Teresonic speakers. They are equipped with the worlds best WBT
connectors and the same high-end Clarison cables inside the box that are offered to connect to your amplifier.
Matching speaker cables and wiring inside the box is also important to maintain the same sonic character in the
entire audio chain – from your amplifier to the speaker and the drive-unit.

3

Unpacking Instructions

Chapter

Y

Important! Before you start unpacking, inspect the outer carton for any signs of shipping
damage. If you see or suspect that there is damage, inform the seller as soon as possible.

our Teresonic Magus speakers were shipped in heavy duty carton boxes and Styrofoam molds for

safe transportation. If the shipping carton looks intact, proceed with unpacking starting at “OPEN

THIS SIDE” and removing the Styrofoam cover. It is recommended that you save the boxes and

other packing material such as cotton bags that are protecting the fine lacquer on your speakers for

possible future use.

At this time, please fill out the warranty card on the internet (www.teresonic.com/warranty), putting both
serial numbers and the date of purchase on the card. The serial numbers are on the rear of the speakers
below the input terminals and on your invoice.

Contents

The shipping box contains the following items: 1)One pair of Magus loudspeakers, 2)One pair of removable
grilles, 3)The owner’s manual, and 4)Three adjustable spikes and floor discs. If you purchased Teresonic’s
Clarison speaker cables they can be found in the same box. A dedicated stand is available for your Magus

speakers and it’s highly recommended to use only such stands to assure speaker stability and optimal
operation. The Magus stands are provided in a separate box.

It is extremely important that the Magus loudspeakers are correctly fitted with the provided spikes to
ensure speaker stability and proper functioning. In order to function properly Magus speakers
be equipped with spikes to allow proper air flow from the port at the bottom. If speakers are used on
stands, spikes should be mounted on base of the stand. Remember to tighten the locknut well once
you have adjusted the height of the three spikes. It is also important to use the provided floor discs
underneath the spikes in order to ensure that there is no damage to the surface. This is especially
important for hardwood and many other surfaces.

For optimal results use Teresonic “zero interference” Clarison speaker cables to connect the
loudspeakers with your amplifier. The same ultra-high quality Clarison cables are used inside the
speaker cabinet to connect speaker terminals in the back of the speaker to the speaker driver. Using
the same cables will ensure the
coloration or distortions.

same character

of the sound and the best overall sonic quality without

must

4