Wilson Audio WATCH Center User Manual
WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
Wilson Audio® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Cub®, Sophia®, WATT/Puppy®, MAXX®, X-1/Grand SLAMM®, WAMM®, and Alexandria® are
registered trademarks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
WATCH Center™, WATCH Surround™, WATCH Dog™, and Duette™ are trademarks of Wilson
Audio Specialties, Inc.
This manual was produced by the Wilson Audio Engineering Department in cooperation with
Sales and Marketing. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Current
Revision 3.0. If you are in need of a more recent manual, please contact your dealer.
The information in this manual is the sole property of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, without the expr
ohibited. No material contained her
pr
mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
ein may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electr
ess written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc., is
onic or
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TABLE OF C ONTENTS
Section 1 - WATCH Introduction .....................................11
Section 1.1- Applications ..............................................11
Design Considerations ..............................................12
Section 1.2 WATCH Package ..........................................13
WATCH Center ........................................................13
WATCH Surround ....................................................14
WATCH Dog ............................................................15
Conclusion ..............................................................15
Section 2 - In Your Room ...............................................21
Slap Echo ..............................................................21
Standing Waves ......................................................23
Comb Filter Effect ....................................................25
Section 2.1 - Resonance ................................................27
Structural Resonance................................................27
Air Volume Resonance ..............................................28
Section 3 - Inital System Setup ......................................33
System Setup Procedure ..........................................33
Room Shapes ..........................................................34
Zone of Neutrality ....................................................36
Section 3.1 - Choosing a Listening Position....................38
Speaker Placement vs. Listening Position ....................38
Speaker Orientation ..................................................39
Center Channel ........................................................39
Surround Channel ....................................................41
WATCH Dog ............................................................42
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
Section 3.2 - Initial Setup Summary................................42
Section 4 - WATCH Center Channel Setup .......................47
Setup Procedure ......................................................48
Center Channel Spike Assembly ................................48
Section 4.1 - Measured Listening Position ......................50
Room Setup ............................................................50
Center Channel Configurations ..................................51
Section 4.2 - Center Channel on Floor ............................53
Section 4.3- Center Channel on Stand ............................54
Section 4.4 - Center Channel on Custom Stand or Shelf ..56
Section 4.5 -Center Channel Mounted to Ceiling ............59
Custom Made Mounting Bracket Requirements ............59
Mounting Center Channel above Television ..................62
Setup ....................................................................63
Section 4.6 - Center Channel Final Setup........................65
Phase Delay Correction (PDC) - Stand or Floor Mounted65
PDC - Ceiling or Other Custom Location......................66
Speaker Cables........................................................68
Spade Lugs ............................................................68
Connection of the Center to the Power Amplifier ..........69
Center Channel Setup Completed ..............................70
Section 5 - Final System Tuning and Voicing ...................75
Section 5.1 - Left and Right Channels ............................76
Determining Front to Back Distance ............................76
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TABLE OF C ONTENTS
Determining Side to Side Distance ..............................77
Section 5.2 -Integrating the WATCH System....................78
Integrating the WATCH Center....................................79
Image Height ..........................................................80
Center Rotation........................................................80
Resetting the PDC....................................................81
Integrating the Surround Channels..............................82
Integrating the WATCH Dog ......................................83
Section 6.0 - Care of the Finish .....................................87
Removing Protective Film ..........................................87
Dusting the WATCH Center ........................................88
Section 6.1 - Care of the Grilles ....................................89
Section 6.2 - Break-in Period ........................................89
Section 6.3 - Enclosure Technology ................................90
Adhesive ................................................................90
Depth of Design ......................................................91
Section 7 - Troubleshooting ...........................................95
Section 8 -Center Channel Specifications .....................101
Specifications ........................................................101
Dimensions ............................................................101
Section 9 -Geometric Alignment Table ..........................107
Section 9.1 - Center on Floor - No Spacers ................109
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
Section 9.2 - Center on Floor - One Spacer ..................110
Section 9.3 -Center on Floor - Two Spacers ..................111
Section 9.4- Center on Stand - Spike and Nut Only ......112
Section 9.5 -Center on Stand - Spike, Nut, and Diode....113
Section 10 - Warranty Information ................................117
Limited Warranty ....................................................117
Remedy ................................................................118
Warranty Limited to Original Purchaser ......................119
Demonstration Equipment ........................................119
Miscellaneous ........................................................120
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TABLE OF C ONTENTS
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
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S ECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
Section 1 - WATCH Introduction
If your passion is home theater, and you have sought the full sensory experi-
ence created as your eyes absorb the vision and your skin awakens to the power of
the sound, Wilson Audio has your answer. Introducing WATCH.
While all Wilson speakers are designed to take full advantage of today’s pop-
ular multi-channel formats, WATCH is the first Wilson system designed from the
ground up to excel specifically at home theater performance. Best of all, it comes
in a package as small or as large as you desire.
The fact is, you haven’t truly experienced home theater until you’ve felt the
impact, power, and passion of a film score the way the director intended it, and no
company will deliver this passion like Wilson Audio. That’s why in the past
decade, more blockbuster hits have been mixed, composed, or recorded using
Wilson Audio than any other loudspeaker.
Section 1.1- Applications
For more than 20 years, Wilson Audio loudspeakers have set the standard
for performance in a wide variety of two-channel audio and multichannel home
theater applications. The WATCH (Wilson Audio Theater Come Home) surround
system was designed to offer a more compact and versatile home theater option for
those with limited space. Purchasing a surround system design by Wilson Audio
insures the very best possible integration with your Wilson Audio stereo loud-
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
speakers. The Watch system is designed to integrate with the Sophia,
WATT/Puppy, MAXX and, in many instances, the Alexandria.
Using structural enclosure, speaker driver, and geometric time alignment
technologies developed for the WATT/Puppy, MAXX, and the X-1 Grand SLAMM,
the WATCH system is truly the thoroughbred of its class and is well-suited to
carry on the heritage of Wilson Audio speakers.
One of David Wilson’s most important criteria in speaker development is
that a speaker meets the accuracy and dynamic demands of studio monitoring, ana-
lytical hardware and software evaluation, and, of course, critical music and theater
sound track listening. Therefore, the WATCH has been designed to deliver all of
the speed, dynamics, and musical accuracy to satisfy even the most demanding of
music lovers. The WATCH system will provide years of satisfaction whether listen-
ing to two-channel audio, multi-channel audio, or today’s latest movie sound track
technology.
The WATCH has also been engineered to take full advantage of today’s
multi-channel surround formats, especially the latest AC-3 (Dolby Digital), THX,
and DTS (Digital Theater Systems) formats. The WATCH will provide the speed,
dynamic impact, and realism you have come to expect in a high-performance home
theater system.
Design Considerations
Your WATCH system has been designed to perform all of the specific func-
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S ECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
tions of a high-performance home theater system. This was a difficult task because
of the many interactions that occur in a home theater environment. Because the
WATCH system was designed in-house and voiced with a variety of Wilson speak-
ers, you can be sure that the driver blend will be excellent whether your system
includes Sophias or Alexandrias. To accomplish this task, David Wilson and his
engineering department used some extraordinary material and enclosure tech-
niques.
Section 1.2 WATCH Package
WATCH Center
Specifically designed to excel at center channel functions, WATCH Center is
extremely dynamic with high sensitivity and strong power handling. Unlike most
center channels, it provides listeners not only with optimal on-axis response, but
also smooth, linear, off-axis response. This is
in part a result of Wilson PDC™ (phase delay
correction), a technology first developed for
Wilson’s WAMM® and X-1 Grand SLAMM
systems, and later applied to the rest of the
Wilson Line. PDC allows for optimal tuning
of a loudspeaker for various listening dis-
tances and heights and gives listeners much
TCH Center
greater control over their sound.
Figur
e 1 - W
A
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
The WATCH Center Channel was designed from the ground up as a center
channel. It is not merely a standard speaker that was tipped onto its side. The
Center Channel was voiced and optimized to truly represent dialogue for movies as
well as music and vocals when used in a multi-channel audio setup.
Of course, WATCH Center lives up to Wilson high standards of cutting edge
design, superior build quality, and stunning sonic performance. WATCH Center is
shielded and is available with a matching stand.
WATCH Surround
WATCH Surround is a perfect example of performance disproportionate to
size. With strong power handling capacity and low end frequency response reach-
ing 45Hz, this speaker will take your surround sound to new heights. Unlike most
surround speakers, WATCH Surround is more than a noisemaker. It brings accu-
racy, dynamics, and emotion to your theater. With it’s gorgeous Mirrorgloss™ fin-
ish, it looks right at home on your wall.
WATCH Surround also minimizes wall/ceiling resonant interactions through
its advanced mounting system. Perhaps the greatest challenge for a mounted
speaker, these interactions cause coloration of sound; accentuating some frequen-
cies and effectively masking others. Using state-of-the-art materials technology
first developed for the X-1 Grand SLAMM, WATCH Surround provides stunning
results.
The Surround wall mounting bracket allows the Surround to be spiked to the
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S ECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
bracket, further reducing wall interaction and resonance. The Surround can also be
rotated towards the listening position,
offering improved integration with the
front speakers and better imaging.
WATCH Dog
The WATCH Dog has been
designed to integrate well with any of the
Wilson Audio loudspeakers you chose for
your multi-channel system. The bass is
clean, powerful, and uncolored. It offers
speed, dynamics, and clarity that are
often talked about with a subwoofer, but
rarely realized in the design. If you are
looking for that extra bass extension, the WATCH Dog is the only solution to give
you truly high-end audio bass without compromise.
Figure 2 - WATCH Surr
ound
Conclusion
Finally, a home theater, designed from the ground up as multi-channel, that
is truly high-end. Combine the structural and design considerations with the supe-
rior sonic quality and finish, and you find what makes Wilson Audio the leader in
the industry. Wilson Audio delivers a product that maintains the strictest struc-
tural tolerances, durability, and reliability. You will have consistent, repeatable
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
performance, unaffected by climatic conditions, anywhere in the world. You are
about to experience multi-channel audio/home theater like you never thought pos-
sible.
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S ECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
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S ECTION 2 - IN Y OUR R OOM
Note: The following section contains general information on room acoustics
and loudspeaker/room interaction. The concepts outlined below are equally
relevant when dealing with multi-channel audio or home theater. The careful
application of these concepts, as you evaluate the acoustical characteristics of
your own room configuration, will allow you to optimize the performance of
your WATCH Center Channel.
Section 2 - In Your Room
There are three commonly encountered room reflection problems, slap
echo, standing waves, and comb filter effects.
Slap Echo
Probably the most obnoxious form of reflection is called “slap echo.” In slap
echo, primarily mid-range and high frequency sounds reflect off of two parallel
hard surfaces. The sound literally bounces back and forth until it is finally dissi-
pated over time. You can test for slap echo in any room by clapping your hands
sharply in the middle of the room and listening for the characteristic sound of the
echo in the mid-range. Slap echo destroys the sound quality of a playback system
primarily in two ways:
• Adding harshness to the upper mid-range and treble through energy
time storage.
• Destroying the delicate phase relationships which help to establish
sound stage and image localization clues.
Nonparallel walls do not support slap echo, but, rather, allow the sound to
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
diffuse.
Slap echo is a common acoustical problem in the typical domestic listening
room because most of these rooms have walls of a hard, reflective nature, usually
being only occasionally interrupted by curtains or furniture. Slap echo can be con-
trolled entirely by the application of absorptive materials to hard surfaces, such as:
• Illbruck Sonex®
• Airduct board
• Cork panels
• Large ceiling to floor drapes
• Carpeting to wall surfaces
In many domestic listening environments, heavy, stuffed furnishings are
the primary structural control to slap echo. Unfortunately, their effectiveness is
not predictable. Diffusers are sometimes also used to very good subjective effect,
particularly in quite large rooms. Sound absorbent materials, such as described
above, will alter the tonal characteristic of the room by making it sound “deader,”
much heavier in bass tonal balance, less “bright and alive,” and “quieter.” These
changes usually make the room more pleasant for conversation, but sometimes ren-
der it too dull in the high frequencies to be musically involving. Diffusers, on the
other hand, tend to not change the high frequency tonal balance characteristic of
the room. Used properly, they can increase transparency. Used incorrectly, how
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S ECTION 2 - IN Y OUR R OOM
ever, diffusers can rob the system of bass richness and add significant midrange
colorations. A combination of absorptive and diffusive treatments is usually the
best approach.
Standing Waves
Another type of reflection phenomenon is standing waves. Standing waves
cause the unnatural boosting of certain frequencies, typically in the bass, at certain
F IGURE 3 - COMMON ROOM R EFLECTION P ROBLEMS
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
discreet locations in the room. A room generating severe standing waves will tend
to make a loudspeaker sound one way when placed in one location and entirely dif-
ferent when placed in another. The effects of standing waves on a loudspeaker’s
performance are primarily as follows:
• Tonal balance - bass too heavy
• Low-level detail - masked by long reverberation time LF standing
waves
• Sound staging - LF component of image shifted
Standing waves are more difficult to correct than slap echo because they
tend to occur at lower frequencies, whose wave lengths are long enough to be inef-
fectively controlled by absorbent materials such as Illbruck Sonex®. Moving speak-
ers about slightly in the room is, for most people, their only control over standing
waves. Sometimes a change of placement as little as one inch can dramatically
alter the tonal balance of a system because of standing wave problems.
Fortunately, minor low frequency standing waves are sometimes well controlled by
positioning ASC Tube Traps™ in the corners of the room. Very serious low fre-
quency accentuation usually requires a custom-designed bass trap system.
Low frequency standing waves can be particularly troublesome in rooms
constructed of concrete or brick. This rigid and massive construction method
traps the bass in the room unless it is allowed to leak out of the room through
large window and door areas.
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S ECTION 2 - IN Y OUR R OOM
In general, placement of the speaker in a corner will excite the maximal
number of standing waves in a room and is to be avoided for most direct radiator,
full-range loudspeaker systems. Some benefit is achieved by placing the stereo pair
of loudspeakers very slightly asymmetrically in the listening room so that the
standing waves caused by the distance between one speaker and its adjacent walls
and floors are not the same as the standing wave frequencies excited by the dimen-
sions in the other channel.
Comb Filter Effect
A special type of standing wave, noticeable primarily in the midrange and
lower high frequencies, is the so-called “comb filter effect.”
Acoustical comb filtering occurs when sound from a single source, such as a
loudspeaker, is directed toward a microphone or listener at a distance. The first
sound to reach the microphone will be the direct sound, followed by delayed
reflected sound. At certain frequencies cancellation occurs because the reflected
sound lags in phase relative to the direct sound. This cancellation is most apparent
where the two are 180 degrees out of phase. There is augmentation at other fre-
quencies where the direct and the reflected sounds arrive in phase. Because it is a
function of wave length, the comb filter effect will notch out portions of the audio
spectrum at regularly spaced intervals.
The subjective effect of comb filter effects, (such as is shown in Figure 4), is
as follows:
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
F IGURE 4 - COMB FILTER E FFECT
• Added roughness to the sound
• Reduction of harmonic richness
• Smearing of lateral sound stage image focus and placement
Comb filter effects are often caused by side wall reflections. They are best
controlled by very careful speaker placement and by the judicious placement of
Illbruck Sonex® or air duct panels applied to that part of the wall where the reflec-
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S ECTION 2 - IN Y OUR R OOM
tion occurs.
Section 2.1 - Resonance
Resonance in listening rooms is generally caused by two sources:
• The structures within the listening room
• The volume of the air itself in the listening room
Structural Resonance
Structural resonances are familiar to most people as buzzes and rattles, but
this type of resonance usually only occurs at extremely high volume levels and is
usually masked by the music. In many wood frame rooms, the most common type
of structural resonance problem is “booming” of walls and floors. You can test for
these very easily by tapping the wall with the heel of your hand or stomping on the
floor. If it is a wooden floor, this is done to detect the primary spectral center of
the resonance. To give you an idea of what the perfect wall would sound like,
imagine rapping your hand against the side of a mountain. Structural wall reso-
nances generally occur in the low to mid-bass frequencies and add tonal balance
fullness to any system played in that room. They, too, are more prominent at loud-
er levels, but their contribution to the sound of the speaker is more progressive.
Rattling windows, picture frames, lamp shades, etc., can generally be silenced with
small pieces of caulk or with blocks of felt. Short of actually adding additional lay-
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WATCH CENTER C HANNEL O WNER’ S M ANUAL
ers of sheet rock or book shelves to flimsy walls, however, there is little that can be
done to eliminate wall resonances.
Air Volume Resonance
The physical dimensions and volume of air in a room will also support
standing wave modes and resonances at a frequencies determined by the size of the
room. Larger rooms will resonate at a lower frequency and have more complex
(better) modal distributions than will smaller rooms. Air volume resonances, wall
panel resonances, and low frequency standing waves, together, combine to form a
low frequency coloration in the sound. At its worst, it is a grossly exaggerated full-
ness, which tends to obscure detail and distort the natural tonal balance of the
speaker system. Occasionally, however, there is just enough resonance to give a lit-
tle added warmth to the sound, an addition some listeners prefer. Careful place-
ment of loudspeakers in the room can dramatically reduce the speakers’ destructive
interaction with low frequency modes. ASC Tube Traps™ have been found to be
effective in reducing some of these low frequency room colorations. Custom
designed and constructed bass traps, such as perforated Helmholtz resonators, pro-
vide the greatest degree of low frequency control.
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S ECTION 2 - IN Y OUR R OOM
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