Thiel Audio Products SS3, SW1, SS4 User Manual
THIE L
®
SmartSub
Subwoofers
SW1 SS2 SS3 SS4
Owner Information
Thank you for purchasing a THIEL SmartSub® system. It has been engineered to provide a very high
level of performance and also incorporates innovative (patent pending) concepts in its design to solve the
several special problems subwoofer systems usually exhibit. Consequently, it performs at a very high level
with a wide variety of speakers and room locations.
You are welcome to contact our Customer Service department with any questions or for help in setting
up this system. Our contact information is:
Tel: 859-254-9427 Fax: 859-254-0075 E-mail:ser vice@thielaudio.com
Contents
Caution............................................................................................................................................................... 3
Product Features................................................................................................................................................4
System Configurations ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Crossover Use ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Do you require a crossover? .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Processor Bass Management ............................................................................................................................................ 8
THIEL Passive Crossovers ................................................................................................................................................ 8
THIEL SmartSub Integrator................................................................................................................................................ 8
Subwoofer Placement ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Setting up the Subwoofer................................................................................................................................. 10
Hookup............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Setting the Surround Processor ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Control Settings................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Pilot light........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Auto shutdown ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Feet ...................................................................................................................................................................................11
Setup and Adjustment Flow Chart.................................................................................................................... 12
Fuse Replacement ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Specifications ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Warranty...........................................................................................................................................................14
Caution
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Product Features
THIEL SmartSubs are very high performance, innovative
subwoofer systems that provides exceptionally deep,
uniform, dynamic and low distortion bass reproduction. In
addition, they provide near-ideal performance with any room
placement and when used with any type of main loudspeaker.
These performance abilities are the result of new (patents
pending) technology developed to overcome the
major problems that subwoofers typically exhibit:
poor integration with the main speakers and altered
response due to nearby walls.
These subwoofers can be used as stand-alone
units, with a THIEL passive crossover or with the
SmartSub Integrator, depending on your
requirements. Here is a brief description of some of
the unusual performance features these subwoofer
systems provide.
Very High Output, Very Low Distortion Woofers
All SmartSub models use very high output, very low
distortion drivers that utilize aluminum diaphragms,
heavy cast chassis and THIEL’s short coil/long gap,
copper stabilized motor systems powered by 10 lb
magnets in structures with a total weight of 20 lbs.
The short coil/long gap design results in very low
distortion levels that are only one-tenth that of typical
drivers with the same excursion rating. This magnet system’s
very long magnetic gap, along with the very high excursion
suspension, allows each driver to move a very large amount
of air – much more than most drivers their size – in order to
effortlessly reproduce even demanding sources at high
volume levels.
The SS2 uses two 10", the SS3 two 12" and the SS4 two 15"
drivers.
10" version of the SmartSub drivers
1000 Watt Amplifier
The SS2, SS3 and SS4 are powered by a Class D, switchingmode 1000 watt RMS amplifier. The amplifier’s very high
power ensures that the woofers can provide all the output they
are capable of without power compression or limiting.
1000 watt amplifier
used in the SS2, SS3 and SS4
Since switching amplifiers are very high efficiency, about
92% in this case, very high power and currents can be
delivered without large heat sinks, fans or additional power
supply capacity for large amounts of waste heat. This type of
amplifier is ideal for subwoofer applications since the
amplifier does not have to deliver significant power at high
frequencies.
Placement Correction
Placement controls
(patent pending) match
the unit’s performance
to its environment,
whether away from
walls, in a corner or
anything in-between.
These controls correct
for both the general
increase in level and for
the partial cancellation
of certain frequencies
caused by a nearby wall.
By providing correction
of these effects for both
the side and rear walls,
SmartSubs provide
accurately balanced,
uniform response with
virtually any room
placement.
4
Temperature Correction
These SmartSub models contain unique circuitry (patent
pending) that corrects for compression distortion due to
heating of the drivers’ voice coils. Without this correction
subwoofer output levels could decrease by as much as 5 dB
and the response altered at times of high demand. The
correction allows the subwoofer to provide more accurate,
uncompressed and dynamic reproduction.
Accurate Matching to Main Speakers
Rather than providing generic built-in crossover controls
that can rarely achieve high quality blending of the
subwoofer with main speakers, the SmartSub can be used
when needed with a separate unit, either a dedicated passive
crossover or the universal SmartSub Integrator.
The passive crossovers provide perfectly blended
augmentation of the main speakers, allowing the
combination to provide very accurate reproduction of the
entire sonic spectrum, to below the audible range.
Heat sensor on voice coil
A thermistor is mounted to the woofer’s voice coil so that
the amplifier can continuously measure the voice coil’s
temperature. Knowing this, circuitry automatically adjusts
both frequency response and level of the signal to accurately
compensate for all effects of temperature on performance.
This compensation ensures that the subwoofer’s response
and sensitivity don’t change with temperature.
Protection from overheating
An automatic shutdown feature is included that protects
the drivers from excessive heat produced by input levels that
are excessively high. By knowing the temperature of the
voice coil at all times, a shutdown is automatically executed
if temperatures ever reach levels that could cause damage.
The unit continues to monitor the temperature and is
automatically restarted when the temperature falls to a safe
level.
Passive Crossover
The SmartSub Integrator provides unprecedented ability
to perfectly match any main speakers and provide total
system performance that is as well integrated and balanced as
a full range speaker. This superior performance is achieved by
innovative circuitry (patents pending) that automatically
calculates the ideal subwoofer response to perfectly match
the characteristics of the main speakers. Therefore, instead
of the usual crossover controls that tell the subwoofer how to
perform, the SmartSub Integrator has settings for the
characteristics of the main speakers you are matching, the
configuration of your system and the performance you
desire. This information is then used to automatically
calculate and implement the ideal subwoofer response. In
addition, the unit enables the total system to operate in
either augment or crossover system mode and can control up
to 16 subwoofer units in either mono or stereo configuration.
SmartSub Integrator
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