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 | Fathom 

f112 & f113

Page 20

Input Mode Switches:

Two switches are located on the rear panel to control unbalanced signal 

grounding and master/slave operation. 

“Grounded / Isolated” Switch

The “Grounded / Isolated” Input Mode switch affects only the unbalanced 

RCA inputs and is designed to facilitate a quiet, hum-free connection to your 

audio or home theater system. This feature is included to deal with the signal 

grounding issues often encountered in home theater systems when several 

components from different manufacturers are interconnected.  

The Fathom ships with this switch in the “Isolated” mode.  If, with all system 

components connected and turned on (but no source material playing), you hear 

a continuous low-frequency hum through your Fathom, flip this switch to the 

“Grounded” position and evaluate the difference in the noise level.  Use whichever 

switch position provides the least hum or noise.  

Master / Slave Switch

The Fathoms are designed to easily accommodate the implementation 

of multiple subwoofers in your home theater system through a master/slave 

connection chain. This method allows you to utilize the signal processing 

features of one Fathom to centrally control multiple Fathoms in the room. 

Master/Slave functionality also makes it possible for the A.R.O. system to 

optimize the response of a multiple subwoofer installation. 

The Fathom ships with this switch in the “Master” position. If you are using 

a single Fathom you will use the “Master” position and you need not concern 

yourself with this section any further.

If your installation incorporates two or more Fathoms, you will designate one 

Fathom as the “Master” and all others in the system as “Slave” subwoofers via 

the “Master/Slave” switch on the rear amplifier panel of each Fathom. LED’s on 

the front panel of the Fathom are provided to indicate whether the “Master” or 

“Slave” mode is selected for a given subwoofer.

From the Fathom operating in “Master” mode, the “Output to Slave” signal 

carries any signal processing selected on the Master Fathom (including the 

Master Level setting and A.R.O. processing) to further Fathoms operating in 

“Slave” mode. “Slave” subwoofer signal processing and level controls will be 

inoperable.  In this mode, the user does not have to worry about level, crossover, 

and other settings for the slave subwoofers.  

Technical Notes:

•  Selecting the “Slave” position defeats all user-definable signal processing and 

the master level control.  Because of this, there are some special situations in 

which you may want to operate a single Fathom in “Slave” mode. If you are 

utilizing outboard signal processing and level-matching controls, activating 

the “Slave” mode will prevent anyone from affecting system parameters with 

the manual controls on the Fathom. 

IMPORTANT

IMPORTANT:  PLEASE  NOTE  THAT  CHANGING  ANY  COMPONENT  IN 

THE OPTIMIZED SYSTEM (RECEIVER, AMPLIFIER, DVD PLAYER, CABLE OR 

SATELLITE  BOX,  ETC.)  COULD  ALTER  THE  SIGNAL  GROUNDING  SCHEME 

AND CAUSE HUM TO APPEAR IN YOUR PREVIOUSLY QUIET SYSTEM. IF YOU 

ADD OR CHANGE AN UPSTREAM COMPONENT IN YOUR HOME THEATER 

SYSTEM, YOU MAY NEED TO REVISIT THIS INPUT MODE SETTING ON THE 

FATHOM  SUBWOOFER  FOR  OPTIMUM  NOISE  PERFORMANCE.    CABLE  & 

SATELLITE BOXES ARE PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME IN THIS WAY.  

Summary of Contents for Fathom f112

Page 1: ...f112 f113 Owner s Manual...

Page 2: ...sources such as radiators heat registers stoves fireplaces or other devices which produce heat Do not place candles on top of or near the subwoofer 10 Power sources The subwoofer should only be connec...

Page 3: ...ve fallen or liquid has been spilled into the subwoofer c the subwoofer has been exposed to rain d the subwoofer does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance e the su...

Page 4: ...signal processing technologies specifically aimed at delivering exceptional low frequency performance Your Fathom combines these core disciplines within a compact beautifully crafted package to deliv...

Page 5: ...fiers employing patented feedback technology were created These advanced designs are capable of unclipped output voltages equivalent to 900 watts f110 1500 watts f112 and 2500 watts f113 of RMS power...

Page 6: ...g the strongest output with the fewest dips When the subwoofer is pulled away from a corner or wall the room modes are excited less which can alter the sound at your listening seat Be sure to experime...

Page 7: ...4 005 3 4 0 0 5 3 0 130 4 4 5 104 5 0 4 3FTVMUT JO XFBLFS VOFWFO CBTT QFSGPSNBODF 45 4 5 104 5 0 4 PTU BDDVSBUF CBTT QFSGPSNBODF 0 130 4 4 5 104 5 0 4 PSF JOUFOTF CVU MFTT BDDVSBUF CBTT QFSGPSNBODF 8...

Page 8: ...uate heat vents are included in any custom cabinet which encloses the Fathom A pair of 3 inch 7 5 cm diameter vents near the bottom of the cabinet and near the top of the cabinet will allow cool air t...

Page 9: ...oom at diagonally opposite corners of the room or at the center points of opposing walls as shown at right Experimentation with subwoofer and listener placement is recommended to achieve the best resu...

Page 10: ...ge listening area can be achieved using four subwoofers placing one at the midpoint of each of the four walls although using two or three subwoofers can be almost as good Experimentation with subwoofe...

Page 11: ...lastic bag and place in the carton 11 Tilt the subwoofer forward toward its grille to remove the rear split foam insert first Then tilt the subwoofer in the opposite direction towards its amplifier pa...

Page 12: ...front control panel of a Fathom subwoofer The f112 and f113 have identical layouts A R O page 14 15 Power page 14 Input Mode page 15 Level Mode page 15 Master Level page 16 Lights page 16 LP Filter p...

Page 13: ...The labeled Figure below depicts the rear panel of a Fathom subwoofer The f112 and f113 have identical layouts Balanced Inputs page 18 Unbalanced Inputs page 19 IEC Style AC Connector page 21 Output t...

Page 14: ...on the input cable the Fathom may not turn off as desired If this happens remove the Y cable adaptor or look for the noise source in the upstream components Automatic Room Optimization A R O A powerf...

Page 15: ...e will not start unless the supplied JL Audio test microphone is plugged into the Fathom subwoofer Once the calibration routine is complete the green light in the center of the Calibrate button will l...

Page 16: ...signal path 12 dB sets the roll off slope of the low pass filter to a 12 dB per octave slope Butterworth alignment 24 dB sets the roll off slope of the low pass filter to a 24 dB per octave slope Lin...

Page 17: ...itch is immediate it compliments the operation of the Phase control and cannot be replaced by it When placing your Fathom in the room experiment with the Polarity switch before adjusting the Phase con...

Page 18: ...r processors Separate left and right input jacks are provided for systems without a dedicated mono subwoofer connection This typically applies to two channel audio equipment Appropriate balanced cable...

Page 19: ...el receivers and preamplifier processors Separate left and right RCA type input jacks are provided for systems without a dedicated mono subwoofer connection This typically applies to two channel audio...

Page 20: ...h this section any further If your installation incorporates two or more Fathoms you will designate one Fathom as the Master and all others in the system as Slave subwoofers via the Master Slave switc...

Page 21: ...Slave signal carries any signal processing selected on the Master Fathom including the Master Level setting and A R O processing to further Fathoms operating in Slave mode From Fathoms operating in S...

Page 22: ...RCA type connector Balanced connections provide superior noise rejection and ensure proper grounding between components If your receiver or processor has balanced outputs we highly recommend that you...

Page 23: ...ssor has balanced outputs we highly recommend that you use them to connect to the Fathom designated as the master In the connection diagram at left balanced connections are shown as solid lines unbala...

Page 24: ...comfortable running your main speakers full range you can split your preamplifier s output signals using appropriate Y connectors in place of the active crossover shown in the diagram Two connection...

Page 25: ...Two connection types are available for connecting the Fathoms to your two channel audio system balanced XLR or 1 4 inch TRS connector and unbalanced RCA type connector Balanced connections provide su...

Page 26: ...he speaker setup menu properly set all speaker distances to the primary listening seat including the subwoofer s distance Use a tape measure to determine these distances time coherence is important If...

Page 27: ...it connected directly to your receiver or preamp processor is indicating Master on its Input Mode lights and that all other units are indicating Slave on their Input Mode lights If not you will need t...

Page 28: ...ons on pages 15 16 of this manual 2 Polarity and Phase Adjustment It is often helpful to have a second person operating these controls so that you can easily hear the changes from the primary listenin...

Page 29: ...e Remove the calibration microphone from its protective pouch and connect its cable to the mini XLR jack on the Fathom s front control panel NOTE A R O Calibration is only possible when the included J...

Page 30: ...controls to their previously determined settings before the A R O calibration run and re tweak the subwoofer output level as described in Step 1 Level Setting on page 28 Since the A R O will smooth th...

Page 31: ...until these artifacts disappear Will my electric bill be high if I leave the Fathom in Auto mode When in Auto mode the Fathom amplifier is only powered up when a significant signal is detected on the...

Page 32: ...lity automotive wax and a microfiber cloth both available wherever automotive detailing supplies are sold We recommend Meguiar s NXT Tech Wax and Meguiar s Microfiber Detailing cloths Never use a poli...

Page 33: ...Verify the position of the ELF Trim knob Hums or other unusual noises from your Fathom 1 See Input Mode discussion on page 20 of this manual especially if any upstream components cables etc have recen...

Page 34: ...Fathom f112 f113 Page 34...

Page 35: ...nd no warranties whether express or implied shall apply to this product thereafter Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties therefore these exclusions may not apply to you This warra...

Page 36: ...jack Input Modes Master or Slave Level Modes Reference fixed gain or Variable from full mute to 15dB over reference gain Power Modes Off On or Automatic Signal Sensing Light Modes Off On or Dim Low P...

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