Velodyne Acoustics VA- 12 15X User Manual

"If you know subwoofers, you know about Velodyne."

"... it's safe to say that when it comes to woofin' done right,
Velodyne's bigger models are

n••• we

ju

stsat there marvelling at the

this jun

ior

varsity Velodyne. n

probably

sheer

the safest

power

bet

and

there is."

majesty

of

~1

21

5xn

-Corey Greenberg
/Febru

ary

Home Theater Technology

Off

Face
Model Tested: VA -1012X

"...Velodyn es VA-12 15X is a great subwoofer. It combines deep,
loud, high -quality output with a slickstyling, a fairly
flexibility, it's sure to

-Tom Nousaine

Video/O ctober1995

Model Tested: VA-1215X

: Comparison of five sub woofers

stand

tall

Velodyne

1070 Commercial St. Suite #101

San Jose, CA 95 112

~

Web Site:

E-mail: velo

408.436.7270 voice

408.436.7276 fax
http//

1995

next

to the very

Acousti

www.velodyne.com

dy

[e-mail]

cs, Inc.

best

small

of

cabinet, full

its

peer

s."

Owner's Manual

Velodyne

Audi

olVi

deo Su

bwo

ofer System

@

Printedon recycled paper.

Congratulation

s!

A~A

~

C a

utio

n

To redocethe riskof electricshock,00not rermve cover (or
se

rvicing

toqualified service personnel.

Th e lighting flash with arrowhead symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
'dangerousvoltage' withinthe prcducl's enclosurethatmay

of electricshockto

The exclamation point symbol is intended to alert the user to the preserce of important operating
rnalntsn

arc

1. Read Instructions - All safety and operating instructionsshouldbe readbeforethe subwoofer is operated.

2. Relain Inslructions - The safelyandoperatinginstructionsshouldbe retained for future reference.

3. HeedWarnings - Allwarningson ltle subwooler and in the operatinginstructions should be adhered to.

4. FollowInstructions - All operatingam use instructions should be followed.

5. Water am

kitellensink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, near a swimming

6. CartsandSlands - The subwooter should be usedonly witha cartorstandrecommended bythemanufacturer.

7. WallorCeilingMounting - The subwoofershouldbemounted toa wall orceilingonlyas recommended by the

manufacturer.

8. Ventilation - The subwoofer should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere wiltl its proper
ventilation.For
theventilalion openings;orplacedin am ill·ininslallationsuchas abookcase or cabinetthatmayimpedetheflow
of air ltIrough the ventilation opening>.

9. Hea

10_ PowerSources- The subwootershould beconnectedtoapowersupplyonlyollhetypedescnbed intheoperating

11_ Power-Cord Proteclion- Power-supplycordsshouldbe routedsothat ltIeyarenot likelyto be walkedonorpinched

12. "

13. Cleaning - The subwoofer should be deaned only as recom

14_ Nonuse Periods - The power cord of the subwoofer should be unplugged from the outlet wtlen left unused for a

15. Objectand Liquid Entry -

16. Damage Requirtng Service - The subwoofer should be serviced byqualified servicepersonnelwhen:

17_

t-

subwoorers that

instructions or as marked on the subwoorer.

by items placed upon or against them,payingparticularattention tocords at plugs, convenience receptades,and

the point at whidl ltl ey exit from Ule subwoofer.

ca

ution: To preventelectricalshock , match wideblade ot plug to wide slot,fullyinserted.' "Attention:pour eviler
leschocs electriques,inlroduirelame
iUsQu' au fo

long periodoftime.

enclosure.

a. Thepower·supply cordorplughas been damaged.
b. Objects have fallen or fiquid has been spilled into the subwoofer.
c. The subwoofer
d. Thesubwooler
e. TIle subwooler has

ServOng - The user sboud not atterr

instructions.

persons.

e (servicing)ins

rvIo

isture- Thesubwoofershouldnotbe usednearwater- for example,nearabathtub,washbowl,

The subwoofershould be situatedawaytromheatsourcessudl as radiators,heat registers,stoves,orother

rd

."

,-

Allother servicing shouldbe refened to qualifiedservice personnel.

tn.x::tions

exarrole,the subwoofershouldnotbe situatedonabed,sofa, rug.orsimilarsu rfacethai may block

prodoce heal.

ca

reshould be taken so thai objects do rot falla

has

been exposed to rain.

docsnotappeartooperatenormallyorexhibitsamarked change in performance.

been drcpped or damaged.

...

in the

Irte

rature accompanyingthe subwoofer.

Iapluslargede lafichedans Iabornecorresooooante

ot

10 service thesLtlwoofer beyond what is descriJedin the operating

.

back)

.No user-serviceablepartsinside.Refer

be of sufficient magnitude toccnstitule a risk

pool or the like.

mero

ed by ltIe manufacturer.

~

de

la prtseetpousser

rd

liquidsare not spilledonto the

ard

Congratulations on your purchase of a Velodyne VA-1215XII sub­woofer system. This system represents the state of the art in
accurate low frequency reproduction. Read and follow the instruc-

·tions below to insure safe and proper system operation.

Warning!

To

prevent

ai

n or moisture. To avoid electrica l shock, do not open sp

r
enclosure
equipment itself. There are no u

ef

er

r

Prior

fire or shock ha

oramp chassis

zar

d, do not expose this equipm

cov

er.Please observe all warnings on the

ser

all

service questions to your auth

to

installation

ent
eak

serviceable parts inside. Please

ori

zed

Velod

yne

dealer.

Please unpack the system carefully. Remove all staples used to
seal the carton as they can scratch the cabinet. Please save the
carton and all packaging materials for future use. Record the serial
number in the space provided on the warranty card for future
reference.

Product Featur

es

& Controls

• 12" forward firing woofer with 2" voice coil & 55 oz. magnet

• 15" downward firing passive radiator

• Built-in 250 watt (RMS) power amplifier

• Adjustable (40 to 120hz) low-pass crossover with bypass option

• Selectable (80 or 100hz) high-pass crossover

• Line-level inputs

• Speaker-level inputs

& outputs

& outputs with 5 way binding post connec-

tions

• Signal sensing auto turn on/off with bypass option

• Variable volume control

• Variable phase control (0 to 180 degrees)

• Two position audio/video listening selection switch (+3dB, video)

• Response, 22 hz to 120 hz, +/- 3dB

• Detachable power cord (available on some versions)

• Magnetically shielded for video use

• Dual staggered low-pass crossover; 12dB/octave initial, 24dB/
octave ultimate

to

er

• Gain compression circuit to protect woofer from over
excursion

• Input overload protection

• Thermalpowersensingto protectwoofer's voice coil fromburnout

• Power on LED (green)

You should set the crossover frequency to obtain a smooth and
seamless transition from the subwoofer to the main speakers in
yoursystem.
frequencyoutput,you may wishtochoose a highe
as 100-120hz) than you would with larger speakers which have
greater low frequency output. With largerspeakers , you mightstart
with this control set lower, such as 80hz.

Ifyour mainspeakers aresmallerunits withlimited low

rf

requency (such

Installation

Your new VA-1215XII subwoofer system provides for a number of
installation options. Read all the installation information below in
order to determine which installationoptionis best for your system.
Remem
power

Inputs
Your new VA-1215XII subwoofer is equipped with both speaker­level and line-level inputs. Use the LINE-IN jacks when connecting
your subwoofer to a pre-amp, signal processor, or line-level cross­over. The FROM AMPLIFIERjacks connectdirectly to the speaker
outputs of a integrated amplifier or receiver. Your amplifier section
will notice no additional loading effects when you use these inputs
because of their high impedance.

Note

00 not
neou

Volume
Thiscontrolallows youtobalancethe output from the subwooferto
the main speakers in your system. This control should be set to

achieve similar volume

subwoofer.

Low-pass

Both sets of inputs sum the left and right channels togetherand the

resulting signal is passed through anadjustable low-passcrossover
before being amplified. The crossover control allows you to adjust
the upper limit of the subwoofer's frequency response from 40 to
120 hz. The subwoofer's'response will begin rolling off above the
frequency you set this control to.

ber

turned off

use

sly.

control

crossover

to pe

rform

.

both LINE-IN

all installation

and

FROM

level from both the main speakers and

procedures

AMPLIFIER

with

system

inputs simuue-

A bypass switch is also provided if you wish to use an external
crossover.
mend that you use the one provided within the unit for optimum

performance.

Phase
This control allows you the ability to compensate for having the
subwoofer in a different location than the main speakers. Ideally,
you will
position the same time as the sound from the main speakers.
However, ifthe distanc e from thelisteningpositiontothesubwoofer
and the distance from listening position tothe mainspeakersdiffers,
the sound from each will reach your ears at

This control allowsthe signal to be delayed upto 180 degreesso the
output of the subwoofer will blend in to that of your main speakers
without any cancellation.

Vid

eo/Audio switch
Many
soundtracks. This switch sets the VA-1215XIIfor an additional3dB
of output when in video mode.

Aut

o turn on switch
The auto turn on switch allows the user to bypass the auto turn on
function ifdesired. Whenset inthe"auto"modewithmain power on,
the VA-1215XII will turn itself on when an input signal is present.
no signal is present,afterseveral minutes theunitwill shut itself off.

When set in the "on"mode, the auto turn on/off function isbypassed
and the unit will be on whenever the main power switch is on.

High pass
This switch selects the frequency for the high pass crossover. This
crossover is functional on both line and speaker-level outputs.
Smaller speakers with limited low frequency output may prefer the

If you are not using an external crossover, we recom-

adjustment

have the sound from the subwoofer reach the listening

ad

ltterent time.

listeners prefer an "emphasized" low end on movie

If

crossov

er

swi

tch

ccatiaued.. . .

higher 100hz setting which will reduce the low frequencies sent to
them. Larger speakers with greater low frequency output may be
able to handle the 80hz selling without strain.

Power

The master power switch is located on the right halfof the unit. This

rocker styleswitchis the mainon/off for the unit. This switch should

be set to position 1 for on (up), 0 for off (down).
Det

Allows for easy replacement should the original be damaged.

switch

achable power

cor

d (available on some versions)

Line-level connection

Figure 1 shows connection to a pre-amplifier's main outputs and
returning them to your amplifier inputs .

W~e

n

installed in this fashion, your satellite speakers will be
crossed over at 80/1OOhz which removes the lower bass from your
amplifier and speakers, enabling them to do a better job reproduc­ing high frequencies. By utilizing this method, you will have a bi­amplified system, gaining improved power and headroom for your
syste m.

~

A word
The Velodyne subwoofer is designed to operate using the full range
audio signal for input when using the built-in crossover. Some
surround sound processors/receivers, including the Dolby
tem with there .1 channel outputs, have a "subwoofer out" jack that
is already crossed overand designedto be used witha conventional
amplifier and speaker.Combining bothanexternalcrossover and the
one internal to the subwoofermay result in low output and increased
noise. In these cases, to optimize your subwoofer performance you

should bypass the intern al cross over in your
To bypass the crossover within the subwoofer , simply locate the

switch marked "normal/bypass" on the back panel of the subwoofer
and set to the "bypass" position. This will eliminate the internal
crossover function.

Note
If not using an external crossover, you should use the built-in
crossover for optimal performance.

Subw

about

subwoofer

oofer o

outputs

ut

from

Velodyne subwoofer.

AN

AC3

sys-

Processor

/

"

~~

"'Co....-

. _ ....

J

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F'OH

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PRE-AMP

MAIN OUTPUTS
RIGHT

<f

Figure 1: Installation using line-level (line in) inputs

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LEFT

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MAIN
RIGHT

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TELLITE

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AMPLIFIER

INPUTS

LEFT

SPEAKERS

Velodyn e

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MAIN OUTPUTS
RIGHT LEFT

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From the low pass output of your signal processor Install into right or
left RCA line in connector in the back of the subwoofer or use a "Y!'
connectoradapter into both right and left RCA line inconnectors inthe
back of the subwoofer.

Speaker-lev

Figure 2 shows an easy way to connect your VA-1215XII subwoofer
directly to your receiver or integrated amplifier.

When connected in this fashion, your satellite speakers will be
crossed over at 80/1
speakers thus, enabling them to do a better job reproducing high
frequencies.

You may also connect your satellites directly to your receiver or
amplifier along with the subwoofer if you wish to bypass the internal
high-pass crossover.

el

connectio

OOh

z, which removes the lower bass from your

continued. .

Figure 2: Installation using speaker-level (from amplifier) inputs

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INTEGR ATE D AMP I RECEIVER

Cau ti

on

Toav

oid
polarity when making a/l connections.
black (negative) toblack.Be
that there

.'oGr&:t.

_A"

~:

G'==~

G.

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•• 0

[~~

L.-

L-..,

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MA IN O UTPUTS
(

sp

eak er -l ev

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damage toyourmain amplifier,be sure tomaintain correct

are

no loose strands or frayed wires.

__

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r

n!r

®

el)

~~

SA T E L LI T E

sur

e that a/l connections are tight,

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II

10_

.......

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Red

~

~~

SPEAKERS

(positive) to red,

Velodyne

~Ei=r

;t

I - ,,- I

--=-_C;:~.

@

.,

11

0

;

ft

:'"

~

and
and

Interconn ect cables

When installingyour VA-1215XIIusingthe line-levelinputs/outputs ,
you should use standard shielded phono cables. Always keep the
lines as short as practical to minimize noise.

system conditions often dictate otherwise. See y
in placement.

When using a pair of VA-1215XII subwoofers in
preferable to place each subwoofer adjacent to the satellite of the
same channel.

Keep in mind that frequency response and output level can be
drastically influenced by placement depending on the acoustic
properties of the listening room.Typically theVA-1215XII will sound
louder when placed next to a wall or in a corner.

Caution!

The VA
not place the cabinet next to sources of heat such as furnace
registers, radiators, etc. The p

ser

ies

subwoof

ers

hav

e amplifiers built into the cabinet. 0 0
ower

cord should be routed in such

a way that it will not be walked.on, pinch ed, or compressed in

way.

Regardless ofwhere youinstallyourVA-1215XII subwoofer,it must
remain in an upright positi on (passive radiator facing downward).
Using, shipping , or otherwise storing the VA-1215XII subwoofer in
any other position for an extended period of time may result in
damage to the unit not covered by warranty.

The VA-1215XII Subwoofer is magnetically shielded to reduce
magnetic emission from its cabinet to increase the number of
possible locations available for placement. However, this shiel ding
may not be adequate for all installations.Certaintypes of televisions
are particularly sens itive to stray magnetic fields. If your television
produces distorted colors after installation of your VA-1215XII .
subwoofer, simply increase the distance between your television
and the VA-1215XII until normal color and operation is returned.

our

dealerfor help

ster

eo, it is

any

Whe

f)..us

ing the speaker-level inputs/outputs, use the same quality

speaker cable to your subwoofer as you run to your satellites.

Placement

The VA-1215XII operates at very low freq
rily non-directional. While it is recommended that the subwoofer be
placed on the same plane as the satellite speakers, room and

uen

cies which are prima-

Care 0

Do not useanyharshdetergentsorchemicals to clean the cabinet.
Abrasives,detergents, or cleaning solutions may damage the finish
on the cabinet. We recommend using a damp cloth to clean the
cabinet.

Duringnormalconditions.the VA-1215XII subwoof

ou

r subwoofe

ermay

be lett on

continued. . .

continu

signal-sensing turn on/off that will aut
when a sign
sev

If you plan to leave the VA-1215XII unused for an extended period

of time, we recommendthat you turnofftheunit bythe master

switch on the rear panel.

ously without

eral mi

nut

any

problems. The unit is equ ipped with a

oma

tically turn on the unit

al is present at the inputs and turn off the unit after

es when there is no lon

ger

any signal at the inputs.

power

SPECIFICATIONS

Cabinet (inc!. legs) 18" x 19-1/8" x 20" (W,H,O)
Frequency Response
High Pass Crossover
Low Pass Crossover

VA-1215XII

22hz - 120hz
80hz or 100hz
40hz - 120hz

+/- 3 dB

(6 dB/octave)

(6 dB/octave,

Troub leshooting & Service

Before

check

assist you.

1. Verify unit is plugged in and power outlet used is active .

2. Is power switch on?

3. Is auto turn on/off set properly?

4. Is unit receiVing an input signal from your source?

5. Have all controls on subwoofer (volume, crossover, phase,

6.

Ifthe protectioncircuitry is active, the unit may cycle on and off until

operating para meters return to normal. Under more serious condi-

tions , the unit may shut off completely. Normal operation will return
upon
on again to reset the unit.

The fo) lowing conditions require service by a qualified technician :

1. The power cord has become

2.

3.

4. S

seeking

all systems . Following is a simple troubleshooting guide to

etc.) been properly set?

If unit has been running at high levels, one of the protection

circuits may be engaged.

Has the built-in amplifier overheated?
Has

coo

The

unit does not app
marked change in performance.
The

unit has been exposed to water.

om

e part of the cabinet or circuitry is physically damaged.

service for

the speaker's voice-coil started to heat up?

ling,but you maybe requiredto turn the poweroff and then

your

VA-1215XII subwoofer, please re-

dama

ged.

ear

to operate normally or exhibits a

24 dB ultimate)

Amplifier

Woofer

Magnet
Voice Coil
Passive Radiator
Inputs
Outputs
Warranty
Weight

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

AlB, 250 watts, 500 walts

Class

peak
12" forward firing
55 oz.
2"
15" downward firing
Line-level
Line-level

One year (parts
67 Ibs. (approx.)

& speaker-level
& speaker-level

& labor)

FOR YOUR RECORDS. . .
DATE PURCHASED _
DEALER _

SERIAL # _

'NOTE: Please complete and return your warranty card within ten (10) days.

Thank you for purchasing a Velodyne!