The Genelec 5040B is a very compact active
subwoofer designed to complement up to
five Genelec 6010A/B active loudspeak-
ers or a pair of the slightly bigger 8020’s or
8030’s. The 5040B extends the system’s bass
response down to 35 Hz and integrates per-
fectly with the 6010’s in any environment.
The playback level for the whole system is
conveniently controlled by the remote volume
control provided with the subwoofer.
Installation
Before connecting the audio signals, ensure
that all equipment is switched off.
The subwoofer is equipped with six RCA
signal inputs (FRONT L, FRONT R, CENTER,
REAR L, REAR R and LFE) and a 3.5 mm
stereo jack input. These allow connecting the
5040B to a variety of line level audio sources
with either 3.5 mm Jack or RCA type audio
connectors. Suitable sources are preampli-
fiers, computer sound cards, portable audio
players, “PRE OUT” connectors on a Home
Theater receiver, etc. Two separate sources
can be connected to the 3.5 mm Jack and the
FRONT L and R inputs at the same time, but
this may cause a slight increase of the noise
level.
As the 5040B contains its own amplifier, no
separate power amplifier is needed. Never con-
nect the 5040B to the loudspeaker outputs of a
power amplifier, integrated amplifier or receiver.
Connect the audio signal cables from your
source to the corresponding RCA connec-
tors. Next, connect the main loudspeakers
to the subwoofer with RCA cables from the
subwoofer’s FRONT L, FRONT R, CENTER,
REAR L and REAR R “OUT” connectors to
the signal inputs of the corresponding main
loudspeakers.
If you are using the 5040B with Genelec
8020 or 8030 active loudspeakers, the con-
necting cables must have a male XLR con-
nector at the loudspeaker end. See the loud-
speaker’s operating manual for the correct type
of cable. When using these loudspeakers with
the 5040B, the Bass Roll-Off switch on the
loudspeakers should be in position “OFF”
The 5040B has an integrated crossover
network for the five main channels which
directs the frequencies below 85 Hz to the
subwoofer and higher frequencies through
the output connectors to the main loudspeak-
ers. When using a surround sound processor,
select a loudspeaker setting “Large” for the
channels routed through the subwoofer.
The LFE channel of the preamplifier or
processor can be connected to the “LFE IN”
connector. The LFE channel on the 5040B can
reproduce signals up to 120 Hz.
Connect the volume control to the “SYSTEM
VOLUME CONTROL” connector. The volume
control adjusts the playback level of the
subwoofer and all loudspeakers connected to it.
Once all connections have been made, the
subwoofer and main loudspeakers are ready
to be powered up.
Positioning in the room
The placement of the subwoofer in the room
affects the overall frequency response and
sound level of the system dramatically, as at
low frequencies the effects of the room are
strong. Even a slight change in the location
of the subwoofer can cause a marked dif-
ference in the frequency balance and often
patient and methodical experimentation and
testing is needed to find the optimum place-
ment.
The placement will also affect the bass roll-
off rate and the phase difference between the
main loudspeakers and the subwoofer. These
effects can be compensated using the con-
trols in the subwoofer but we recommend that
at first you leave the switches untouched and
concentrate on finding the position where the
subwoofer gives the smoothest response,
and only then use the controls to fine-tune
the balance and phase alignment between
the subwoofer and the main loudspeakers.
Start by placing the subwoofer close to the
center of the front wall. We recommend a dis-
tance of less than 60 cm / 24” to the wall. This
position gives increased acoustic loading and
SPL due to the proximity of the front wall and
floor. Cancellations from the front wall and
floor are also avoided. Ideally the subwoofer
and main loudspeakers should be positioned
symmetrically and at an equal distance from
the listening position.
If the frequency balance is not quite right,
try moving the subwoofer to the left or right
along the wall so that different room modes
are excited at different levels. Positioning
the subwoofer close to a corner will boost
the bass level at lower frequencies and may
cause asymmetrical spatial imaging.
Although the 5040B is magnetically
shielded, it may cause colour distortion if
placed near to very sensitive CRT monitors
or computer displays.
ISS
TM
Autostart function
The signal sensing Autostart function of the
5040B powers it up when playback begins.
Automatic powering down of the subwoofer
happens one hour after the playback has end-
ed and the subwoofer goes to standby mode.
The power consumption in standby mode is
less than 0.5 watts. The subwoofer will auto-
matically and rapidly start once an input sig-
nal is detected from the source.
Setting the subwoofer level
The subwoofer level control is located on the
connector panel of the subwoofer. The factory
default setting is -6 dB (9 o’clock) from maxi-
mum position, which gives a good starting
point for level matching with 6010 loudspeak-
ers. When using the 5040B with Genelec
8020’s or 8030’s there will be a 10 dB differ-
ence in sensitivity between the subwoofer
and main loudspeakers which needs to be
addressed by lowering the loudspeakers’
gain by turning the volume control nob on the
loudspeaker’s front panel counterclockwise.
Setting the
Bass Roll-Off switches
The acoustic response of the subwoofer may
have to be matched to the characteristics of
the room and the positioning in which it will be
used. To adjust the subwoofer to match these
characteristics use the ‘’BASS ROLL-OFF’
control switches located on the connector
panel. When all Roll-Off switches are ‘OFF’, a
flat anechoic response is obtained.
Setting the phase control
The effect of incorrect phase alignment
between the main loudspeakers and the
subwoofer is a drop in the frequency
response of the whole system at the main
loudspeaker / subwoofer crossover fre-
quency. The phase difference between the
main loudspeakers and subwoofer at the lis-
tening position is dependent upon the posi-
tion of the subwoofer. To avoid phase differ-
ences between the left and right channels
General description
5040B Active Subwoofer