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Terminology

10     Room Acoustics

This is an area that requires both a little background to 

understand and some time and experimentation to attain 

the best performance from your system.

Your room is actually a component and an important part 

of your system. This component is a large variable and can  

dramatically add to or subtract from a great sonic experience.

All sound is composed of waves. Each frequency has its 

own wave size, with the lower, or bass frequencies literally 

encompassing from 10 feet to as much as 40 feet. Your 

room participates in this wave experience like a swim-

ming pool with waves reflecting and becoming enhanced 

depending on the size and shape of the room and the 

types of surfaces in the room.

Remember that your audio system can actually generate 

all of the information required to recreate a sonic event in 

time, space, and tonal balance. Acoustically, the role of 

an ideal room would be to neither delete nor contribute 

to that information. However, nearly every room does to 

some degree.

Standing Waves

Sound coming from a speaker bounces around in a room 

until a pattern emerges—this is called a standing wave. 

Typically, this is only a problem with frequencies below 

100Hz. When this happens different parts of your room  

experience either an excess or a lack of bass.

Some people believe that having a room without parallel 

walls will eliminate this effect. The truth is that non-parallel 

walls only generate different standing wave patterns than 

those that occur in rectangular rooms.

Usually, you can excite most of the standing waves in a 

room by putting the Dynamo 500 in a corner. Listening 

position determines which standing waves you will expe-

rience. For instance, if you sit in a corner you will hear 

most of the standing waves. This can be an overpowering 

experience. Sitting next to a wall can also intensify the lev-

els of the standing waves that are experienced.

Resonant Surfaces and Objects

All of the surfaces and objects in your room are subject to 

the frequencies generated by your system. Much like an 

instrument, they will vibrate and "carry on" in syncopation 

with the music, and may contribute in a negative way to the 

sound. Ringing, boominess, and even brightness can occur 

simply because surfaces and objects are "singing along" 

with your speakers.

Resonant Cavities

Small alcoves or closet type areas in your room can be 

chambers that create their own "standing waves" and can 

drum their own "one note" sounds.

r

oom

 a

CoustICs

Your Room

Summary of Contents for Dynamo 500

Page 1: ...tm Dy n a m o tm 500 u s e r s m a n u a l ...

Page 2: ...r us to do what we love Serial Numbers _______________ Record your serial numbers here for easy reference You will need this informa tion when filling out your warranty registration Dynamo 500 s serial number is located near the bottom of the backplate and on the shipping container ...

Page 3: ...troduction Installation in Brief 4 Introduction Installation in Brief About the Controls 5 Connections and Control Settings 6 Before Connecting the Dynamo 500 2 Channel Mode Multi Channel LFE Mode 7 AC Power Connection 8 Replacing the Fuse Break In Placement 9 Listening Position Ask Your Dealer Enjoy Yourself Installing in a Cabinet Room Acoustics 10 Your Room Terminology Home Theater 11 Frequentl...

Page 4: ... you have it operational please take the time to read in depth the rest of the informa tion in this manual It will give you perspective on how to attain the greatest possible performance from this most exacting subwoofer system If you experience any difficulties in setup or operation of the Dynamo 500 please refer to the Placement Room Acoustics and Connections and Control Settings sections Should...

Page 5: ...ht inputs the crossover switch should be set to Variable L R In so that the low pass filter is active Low Pass Filter Knob When the Dynamo 500 is connected in multi channel mode via its LFE input the low pass filter is not active and your processor handles the bass management When connected in 2 channel mode via its line level left right input the low pass filter is active As a general rule the lo...

Page 6: ...nd connecting the Dynamo 500 as recommended in Multi Channel LFE Mode on the next page Some modern receivers and processors allow users to route left and right channel low frequency information in addition to discrete LFE infor mation through the LFE output Signal Connection see figure 2 1 Connect the left and right outputs of your preamplifier to the left and right inputs of the Dynamo 500 using ...

Page 7: ...aker beyond its rated frequency range This warning also applies to products from other manufacturers It is recommended to run center and effects type speakers in limited or narrow mode Some processors have an option to route the LFE channel to your main and or surround speakers We recommend that you do not use this option Recommended Control Settings see figure 5 1 Set the crossover switch to Bypa...

Page 8: ...to the subwoofer If you remove your Dynamo 500 subwoofer from the country of original sale be certain that AC power supplied in any subsequent location is suitable before connecting and oper ating the subwoofer Substantially impaired performance or severe damage may occur to the Dynamo 500 subwoofer if operation is attempted from an incorrect AC power source If the fuse in your Dynamo 500 should r...

Page 9: ...task of determining optimal subwoofer placement easier Enjoy Yourself The Dynamo 500 is a very refined subwoofer and will benefit from care in setup With the above placement tips in mind you will find over months of listening that small changes can result in measurable differences As you live with your subwoofer do not be afraid to experiment with positioning until you find the optimal relationshi...

Page 10: ...ve Typically this is only a problem with frequencies below 100Hz When this happens different parts of your room experience either an excess or a lack of bass Some people believe that having a room without parallel walls will eliminate this effect The truth is that non parallel walls only generate different standing wave patterns than those that occur in rectangular rooms Usually you can excite mos...

Page 11: ...nd descriptions will give you only a brief outline of the responsibilities and demands placed on each speaker Front Left and Front Right If these speakers will be the same two used for your stereo playback they should be of very high quality and able to play loudly over 102 dB and reproduce bass below 80 Hz Center Channel This is the most important speaker in a home theater system as almost all of...

Page 12: ...lding liquids Is there likely to be any interaction between my subwoofer and the television in my Audio Video system Yes The Dynamo 500 subwoofer doesn t use a shielded driver We recommend 3 feet between the Dynamo 500 subwoofer and video components that are susceptible to magnetic fields Will my electric bill go sky high by leaving my subwoofer plugged in all the time No The Dynamo 500 when the p...

Page 13: ... T 1 6A L 250V fuse T 0 8A L 250V if you are in a region using 230V If the problem persists contact your dealer Muddy Bass Check placement Try moving the subwoofer closer to the front and side walls Decrease the level Check your processor setup If the problem persists contact your dealer Hums or Unusual Sounds Turn the Dynamo 500 off unplug all signal inputs turn the Dynamo 500 back on and turn up...

Page 14: ...ceipt to MartinLogan within 30 days of purchase For your convenience MartinLogan also offers online warranty registration at www martinlogan com MartinLogan may not honor warranty service claims unless we have a completed Warranty Registration card on file If you did not receive a Certificate of Registration with your new Dynamo 500 subwoofer you cannot be assured of having received a new unit If ...

Page 15: ...15 Dimensional Drawings 15 Dimensional Drawings ...

Page 16: ... difference in decibels between two sounds is ten times the Base 10 logarithm of the ratio of their power levels DC Abbreviation for direct current Diffraction The breaking up of a sound wave caused by some type of mechanical interference such as a cabinet edge grill frame or other similar object Diaphragm A thin flexible membrane or cone that vibrates in response to electrical signals to produce ...

Page 17: ...e of the RMS sound pressure Resistance That property of a conductor by which it opposes the flow of electric current resulting in the generation of heat in the conducting material usually expressed in ohms Resistor A device used in a circuit to provide resistance Resonance The effect produced when the natural vibration frequency of a body is greatly amplified by reinforcing vibrations at the same ...

Page 18: ...speakers outside of the country of original sale voltage requirements vary by country Improper voltage can cause damage that will be potentially expensive to repair The Dynamo 500 is shipped to authorized MartinLogan distributors with the correct power supply for use in the country of intended sale A list of authorized distributors can be accessed at www martinlogan com or by emailing info martinl...

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