Wilson Audio WATCH Dog User Manual
Wilson Audio® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Cub®, WATT/Puppy®, MAXX®, Alexandria®, and X-1/Grand SLAMM® are registered trade-
marks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
WATCH Center™, WATCH Surround™, and WATCH Dog™ 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 2.0. 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 express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc., is
prohibited. No material contained herein may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electr
mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
onic or
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Table Of Contents
Section 1.0 - WATCH Dog Introduction.............................. 9
Design Considerations ...................................................... 9
Applications ....................................................................10
Enclosure Materials Technology ........................................10
Adhesives ......................................................................11
Depth of Design ..............................................................11
Section 1.1 - WATCH Package ........................................ 11
WATCH Center ................................................................11
WATCH Surround ............................................................12
Conclusion ......................................................................13
Section 2.0 - Room Reflections ........................................17
Slap-Echo ......................................................................17
Standing Waves ..............................................................18
Comb Filter Effect............................................................19
Section 3.0 - Resonance ................................................ 21
Structural Resonance...................................................... 21
Air Volume Resonance .................................................... 21
Section 4.0 - Initial Setup................................................ 27
System Setup .............................................................. 27
Zone of Neutrality .......................................................... 27
Section 4.1 - Choosing a Listening Position......................30
Home Theater ................................................................30
Speaker Placement vs. Listening Position - Main Speakers 30
Center Channel ..............................................................31
Speaker Orientation ........................................................32
Surround Channel............................................................32
WATCH Dog Subwoofer ..................................................32
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Table of Contents - Continued
Section 4.2 - WATCH Dog Setup in a Music System..........33
Section 4.3 - Initial Setup Summary..................................34
Section 5.0 - WATCH Dog Setup .................................... 39
Preparation .................................................................... 39
Uncrating the WATCH Dog ............................................ 39
Section 5.1 - Connecting the WATCH Dog - Home Theater 40
Connection with a Surround Processor ............................ 40
Section 5.2 - Connecting the Dog -Two-Channel System ..41
Bypassing the High Pass Filter ...................................... 41
Utilizing the High Pass Filter ............................................ 42
Section 6.0 - Control Panel Setup and Final Tuning ..........49
Preparation .................................................................... 49
Section 6.1 - Notes From David A. Wilson on
Using the Test CD ..........................................................50
Subwoofer Placement ......................................................50
Filtering of LF to the L & R Speakers ................................50
Initial Placement of the L & R Speakers ............................51
Introduction of the WATCH Dog into Your System ..............54
To EQ or Not to EQ..........................................................57
Section 6.2 - Break-in Period ..........................................59
Section 7.0 - WATCH Dog Spikes ....................................63
Assembly ........................................................................................63
Section 8.0 - WATCH Dog 12 Volt Triggers........................67
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Table of Contents - Continued
Section 9.0 - Care of the Finish ........................................73
Care of Your WATCH Dog ................................................73
Section 10.0 - WATCH Dog Specifications ........................79
Section 11.0 - Warranty Information ................................79
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Watch Dog® Introduction
Section 1.0 - WATCH Dog Introduction
The WATCH (Wilson Audio Theater Comes Home) Dog powered subwoofer is
the culmination of over twenty years of experience at Wilson Audio in building high
output, ultra-low distortion woofer and subwoofer products. It was designed to further
extend and enhance the bottom octave performance of music and theater systems
without compromising speed, tonal accuracy or phase coherency. The WATCH Dog
will seamlessly and coherently integrate with any loudspeaker, whether you are augmenting a two-channel system or as the LFE channel in a surround system.
Like other WATCH products, along with music system applications, the WATCH
Dog was designed to take advantage of today’s multi-channel formats. The unique
tune-ability of the WATCH Dog via its comprehensive control panel allows the WATCH
Dog to be optimized for both music and multi-channel applications, even within the
same system. The control panel’s adjustments allow critical setup, ensuring the best
possible performance in a wide range of rooms and with a variety of speakers.
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, so
many blockbuster hits have been mixed, composed, or recorded using Wilson Audio
loudspeakers.
Design Considerations
Your WATCH Dog powered subwoofer has been designed to augment and
extend the bottom octave performance of Wilson Audio loudspeakers. This was a difficult task because of the inherent speed, phase coherency, and dynamics typical of
Wilson speakers. Wilson Audio loudspeakers have set the standard for performance in
a wide variety of two-channel audio and multi-channel home theater applications. The
WATCH Dog powered subwoofer ensures the most seamless integration with your
Wilson Audio loudspeakers. The WATCH Dog system is the only powered sub
designed specifically to match the inherent quality of the Sophia, WATT/Puppy, MAXX,
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and, in many instances, the Alexandria X-2. To accomplish this task, David Wilson and
his engineering department used a state of the art subwoofer driver, sophisticated
electronic crossovers, adjustable phase control, equalization controls, and amplifier
section, as well as sophisticated enclosure materials.
Applications
One of Wilson Audio’s most important criteria in speaker development is that a
speaker meets the accuracy and dynamic demands of studio monitoring, analytical
hardware and software evaluation, and of course, critical music and theater soundtrack listening. The WATCH Dog has been designed to deliver all of the speed, dynamics, and musical accuracy to satisfy even the most demanding music lovers.
The ultra long-throw, twelve inch driver is powered by a high current amplifier
designed specifically for the WATCH Dog by Richard Marsh. A unique control center
adds the flexibility and tune-ability that truly redefines powered subwoofer performance.
The WATCH Dog has been engineered to take full advantage of today’s multichannel surround formats, including the latest AC-3 (Dolby Digital) and DTS (Digital
Theater Systems) formats.
It will provide years of satisfaction whether listening to two-channel audio,
multi-channel audio, or to the latest movie sound track.
Enclosure Materials
Only the very best in materials are used in the WATCH Dog enclosure. The
enclosure of the WATCH Dog uses the same proprietary techniques that have been
very successfully utilized in the Alexandria X-2, MAXX, Sophia, and the WATT/PUPPY
systems. The enclosure is made from a non-resonant composite material which is
then highly cross-braced to further reduce cabinet resonance. In the most critical
areas, the WATCH Dog uses our proprietary “X” material, a very dense, strong composite originally developed for the X-1 Grand SLAMM®.
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Watch Dog Introduction - continued
Adhesives
The engineers at Wilson have performed extensive research on the adhesives
used to construct our enclosures. Other speaker manufacturers often overlook this
critical variable. Wilson has found that the adhesives used to construct enclosures are
crucial to the proper performance and longevity of a loudspeaker. Some of the important factors considered when selecting an adhesive are: correct modulus of elasticity,
coefficient of thermal expansion, and natural frequency response.
A highly cross-linked, thermoset adhesive is used for the construction of the
enclosure. It was also chosen for its excellent bond strength, solvent resistance, hardness, and optimum vibrational characteristics.
Depth of Design
The combination of experience, engineering depth, and precision manufacturing
using the best in composite materials and adhesive technology, provided to us by the
leaders in their industries, allows us to design enclosures with unmatched performance. The WATCH system has been designed to eliminate vibration and cabinet signa-
ture while maintaining an internal acoustical integrity that is simply without equal.
Section 1.1 - WATCH Package
WATCH Center
Specifically designed to excel at center
channel functions, WATCH Center is extremely
dynamic with high sensitivity and robost power
handling. Unlike most center channels, it provides listeners not only with optimal on-axis
response, but also smooth, linear, off-axis performance. This is, in part, a result of Wilson
PDC™ (Phase Delay Correction) technology first
developed for the WAMM® and X-1 Grand
Figure 1
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SLAMM systems and later applied to the rest of the Wilson Line. PDC allows for optimal tuning of a loudspeaker for various listening distances and heights and gives listeners much greater control over their sound.
The WATCH Center 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’s 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 reaching
45Hz, this speaker will take your surround
sound to new heights. Unlike most surround speakers, WATCH Surround is more
than a noisemaker. It brings accuracy,
dynamics, and emotion to your theater, and
with its gorgeous Mirrorgloss™ finish, it
looks right at home on your wall.
The greatest challenge for any wallmount loudspeaker is accounting for the
deleterious interaction with the wall and
Figure 2
ceiling, as well as degradation caused by
the mount itself. This causes frequency nonlinearities -accentuating some frequencies
and effectively masking others. WATCH Surround minimizes wall/ceiling resonant
interactions through its advanced mounting system. Using state of the art materials
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Watch Dog Introduction - continued
technology first developed for the X-1 Grand SLAMM, WATCH Surround provides
stunning results.
The Surround is mounted to its bracket by strategically located spikes, 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.
CONCLUSION
Finally, a subwoofer designed and manufactured with the same commitment to
excellence that has characterized all products from Wilson Audio. The WATCH Dog
combines Olympian structural, design, and finish considerations with superior sonic
quality. It is this approach that distinguishes Wilson Audio products. As a part of a
truly high-end multi-channel system, or in a music system, the WATCH products offer
unparalleled performance, quality of build, and longevity. Wilson Audio delivers a product that maintains the strictest structural tolerances, durability, and reliability. You will
have consistent, repeatable performance, unaffected by the climatic conditions, anywhere in the world. The WATCH Dog, as well as the other WATCH products, will provide an experience with film or music only obtainable through Wilson products.
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In Your Room
Note: The following section presents conceptual and practical information
on room acoustics. These concepts for two-channel audio become even more
important when dealing with multi-channel audio or home theater. The presence
of two or more speakers in a room only increases the amount of setup difficulties and speaker interactions. Careful study of the room acoustics principles
herein, followed by evaluating your own room configuration, will result in a
marked improvement in the performance of your multi-channel system.
Section 2.0 - Room Reflections
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 reverberates back and forth until it is finally dissipated
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 stereo 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 cue.
Nonparallel walls do not support slap echo, but rather allow the sound to dif-
fuse.
Slap echo is a common acoustical problem in typical domestic listening rooms
because most of these rooms have walls of a hard, reflective nature, occasionally
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interrupted by curtains or drapes. Slap echo can be controlled entirely by the application of absorptive materials to hard surfaces, such as:
• 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 “duller,” much heavier in the bass,
less “bright and alive,” and “quieter.” These changes usually make the room more
pleasant for conversation, but sometimes render it too dull in the high frequencies to
be musically involving. Diffusers, on the other hand, tend not to change the high frequency tonal balance characteristic of the room, but make the sound more “open.” 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
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 different
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 - low frequency standing waves
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In Your Room - Continued
• Sound staging - low frequency 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 ineffectively
controlled by absorbent materials such as Sonex. Moving speakers 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 affected by standing wave problems. Fortunately, minor low frequency standing waves are sometimes well controlled by positioning tube traps in the corners of
the room. Very serious low frequency accentuation usually requires a customdesigned bass trap system.
Low frequency standing waves can be particularly troublesome in rooms constructed of concrete or brick. These materials trap the bass in the room, unless it is
allowed to leak out of the room through large window and door areas.
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 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 dimensions 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 frequencies where the direct and
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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 regular octave-spaced
intervals.
The subjective effect of comb filter effects (such as is shown in Figure 3) is as
follows:
• Added roughness to the sound
• Reduction of harmonic richness
• Smearing of lateral sound stage image focus and placement
Comb filter effects are usually caused by side wall reflections. They are best
controlled by very careful speaker placement and by the placement of Sonex or air
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Figure 3
In Your Room - Continued
duct panels applied to that part of the wall where the reflection occurs.
Section 3.0 - 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 resonances 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 louder 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 layers of sheet rock or bookshelves to flimsy
walls, there is little that can be done to eliminate wall resonances.
Air Volume Resonance
The volume of air in a room will also resonate at a frequency determined by the
boundary location and size of the room. Larger rooms will r
cy than will smaller rooms. Air volume resonances, wall panel resonances, and low frequency standing waves combine to form a low frequency coloration in the sound. At
esonate at a lower frequen-
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its worst, the result is a grossly exaggerated fullness which tends to obscure detail
and distort the natural tonal balance of the speaker system. Occasionally, however, a
small-amplitude resonance can add a desirable warmth to the sound - an addition
some listeners prefer. Tube traps, manufactured by the ASC corporation, have been
found to be effective in reducing some low frequency room colorations. Custom
designed and constructed bass traps, such as perforated Helmholtz resonators, provide the greatest degree of low frequency control.
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232627
Initial Setup
Section 4.0 - Initial Setup
We strongly recommend that a trained and certified Wilson Audio dealer assist
you in your home with the set up and placement of your WATCH Dog subwoofer. They
are well versed in Wilson Audio Setup Procedure (WASP) and the methods best used
with our products to provide you with the most satisfying results. In this section you
will find the necessary tools and information in the event dealer assistance is not available.
If you have not read the previous section on room acoustics, we recommend
that you do so now. It will provide you with valuable information for determining the
overall best speaker placements and listening position. This section contains information on how to fully evaluate the acoustical qualities of your existing room in the proper placement of your WATCH Dog as well as the placement of other speakers in your
listening environment.
System Setup
We recommend that you setup your multi-channel system as follows:
• Perform an acoustical analysis of your existing room.
• Find and mark the zones of neutrality for each of the speakers in
• Follow the setup procedures outlined in Section 5 and your left
• Perform the final system setup and fine tuning steps outlined in
Zone of Neutrality
The zone of neutrality is a location in your room where the speakers will sound
the WATCH system (more specific details are found below).
and right channel owner’s manual.
Sections 5 and 6.
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