User manual ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY 272 PBM INSTRUCTION MANUAL

[. . . ] Instruction Manual Model 272 PBM THX THX Select Certified High Performance Powered Subwoofer ® Atlantic Technology® I NNOVATIVE H OME T HEATER 343 Vanderbilt Avenue Norwood, MA 02062 (781) 762-6300 www. atlantictechnology. com Model 272 PBM THX MODEL 272 PBM THX Atlantic Technology® High Performance THX Select Certified Powered Subwoofer Congratulations on your purchase of an Atlantic Technology 272 PBM THX powered subwoofer. A well designed subwoofer, properly integrated into your system will enhance your listening pleasure dramatically by providing the bass foundation upon which most music and special effects are built. The 272 PBM THX is capable of delivering very high output levels and wide dynamic range. When properly placed it will provide smooth in-room bass response down to approximately 20Hz, with a peak SPL of over 105dB (2000 cubic foot space). [. . . ] The signal that comes out of the Thruput jacks is identical to the input signal. High Level Connection Alternately, you may use the high level (speaker) inputs. We recommend that you connect your new 272 PBM THX Powered Subwoofer(s) using high quality wire of 16 gauge or larger. There are many respected manufacturers in the audio industry that specialize in speaker wire and interconnect cables suitable for your new system. Please consult your audio/video specialist for more specific information. High level Thruput If desired, you can run a high level stereo signal through the 272 PBM THX and out to another unit. This way you can add an additional subwoofer with minimal additional wiring. The signal that comes out of the Thruput jacks is identical to the input signal. You can connect to the High level inputs by using a variety of connectors, or by removing 1/2" of insulation from each wire end, twisting the strands of wire together, placing the wire through one of the post holes and screwing down the nut tightly. It's important to observe polarity while making speaker connections: red (+) terminals on the amplifier to red (+) on the speaker, black (-) on the amplifier to black (-) on the speaker. Look carefully at the wires you are using and note that one of the wires in each pair will be marked by either the conductor color, printing on the wire jacket, a ridge on one side of the wire jacket, or a thread intertwined with the wire strands. Then play something with lots of good bass (preferably music), and walk around the room, listening to the subwoofer's response. When you locate an area that has ample amounts of well defined bass you've found a good potential place to locate the sub. Figure 3: Typical arrangement for a single subwoofer in a home theater. System Set Up When setting up a complete home theater we strongly recommend that Less Bass you use a Sound Pressure Level meter. Radio Shack® has a good one that is More Bass very affordably priced (approximately $40). To use this meter, turn on your system, put the Processor/Receiver in the Test Mode and set its main volume control to 0dB. Sit in the prime listening position, set the SPL meter to the 70dB scale, Slow Response, and C Weighting. Now, holding the meter pointed up and in front of you, let the system cycle its test tone from speaker to speaker and set every speaker to 75dB using the individual level settings in the Processor/Receiver. As tempting as it may be to set the subwoofer and/or surround speakers higher than 75dB, try them properly set and see if you can acclimate to these levels. Try watching several different movies and keep in mind that the goal is to have a system that sounds like you're actually "in the movie. " Start here When using the latest discrete digital electronics which include internal level controls for all channels, we recommend setting the subwoofer's front mounted Level Control to its THX/Fixed position and using the Processor/Receiver's built-in subwoofer level control. Should you have difficulty achieving the correct subwoofer volume this way or should your Processor/Receiver not have a subwoofer level control, you can use the 272 PBM's front mounted level control to make this adjustment. If you decide not to use an SPL meter try to set all the speaker levels the same using the Test Tones. Of course, this will be much more difficult without the meter, especially for the subwoofer. [. . . ] Since there is so much variation in the industry regarding phase, and no standards have been established, a switch that will reverse the phase of the subwoofer is provided on the amplifier panel. (For example, you can use the mono switch on an FM tuner or preamp, or use a Y-connector on the outputs of one of your source components to get a mono signal. ) Experiment with the position of the phase switch to get the most extended bass. In particular, there will be a smoother more integrated transition between the satellites and the subwoofer when they are properly phased. 10 Model 272 PBM THX Atlantic Technology® A Word About Bass, Center Channel Modes, and System Set Up Many surround processors and receivers feature a "Wide" and "Normal" mode for the center channel speaker. Atlantic Technology recommends that the center channel be operated in the "Normal" mode when using a powered subwoofer. [. . . ]