12
Standard Connection for Speakers with Two Input Teminals (Fig. 8a)
Leave the jumper bars attached and connect using either set of input terminals.
Your speakers’ binding posts can be used with spade, banana or pin connectors,
as well as with bare wire. Tighten the posts firmly by hand—do not over
tighten!
This section outlines other connection options.
DO NOT attempt to bi-wire or bi-amplify unless you have
removed the jumper bars.
Bi-wire Connection (Fig. 8b)
Bi-wiring can improve clarity and openness, with less grain and more solidity
to the bass. Two cables are required for each speaker that you bi-wire.
Bi-amp Connectio n (Fig. 8c)
Passive bi-amping offers a dramatic improvement in clarity, openness and
detail, with much better bass solidity and definition. The presentation of music
and movie soundtracks is simply more intelligible and transparent.
With passive bi-amping, the speaker’s internal passive crossovers remain
connected. An external electronic crossover is not required and cannot be
used (there is no direct electrical access to individual drive units). This saves
expense and setup difficulties. Passive bi-amping optimizes your speaker to
achieve the best possible high-end performance. To bi-amplify, two power
amplifiers are required. Connection can be either vertical or horizontal.
IMPORTANT!
When bi-amping, always use amplifiers with identical gain.
If uniform amplifier gain is not maintained the speaker-to-speaker balance
will be incorrect when vertically bi-amped, or the speaker system’s frequency
balance will be incorrect when horizontally bi-amped. To prevent problems
use identical amplifiers (Brand and Model) and in identical operating modes
(single channel or bridged).
Vertical Bi-amplification
dedicates one amplifier to each speaker. This
configuration provides complete channel separation, which optimizes your
system’s imaging ability. Connect your speakers to one amplifier at a time.
Horizontal Bi-amplification
dedicates one amplifier to your speakers’ mid/
low-frequency inputs and another to their high-frequency inputs. This con-
figuration can maintain better clarity when listening at loud levels—if low-
frequency demands cause amplifier clipping, distortion will still be kept away
from high-frequency drivers. Connect your speakers to one amplifier at a time.
Following the instructions in this Owner’s Manual, once you have your
speakers positioned in the room and have set speaker distances and
speaker level calibration with your Processor or A/V Receiver, it’s time for
a little fine tuning. Since Paradigm
®
Reference speakers are designed to
provide exceptional high-end performance in a variety of room settings, fine
tuning is simply a matter of making slight adjustments to their placement
in the room, if necessary.
Start with just the front speakers and listen to familiar music in stereo. The
soundstage will be both wide and deep, but this can be tuned to your personal
preference by adjusting the toe-in (the amount the speakers are turned
toward the listening area). More toe-in will increase image depth and
localization, less toe-in will increase image width. Adjust the toe-in in small
increments, listening each time, until you achieve the soundstage balance
you prefer.
Toe-in is not applicable to the other speakers in your system since their
position and sound distribution pattern is fixed.
Fine tuning for the center channel is simply a matter of making level adjust-
ments that may be required for any particular multichannel music or movie
program. If required, adjust Processor or A/V Receiver levels to ensure that
there is always a cohesive overall soundstage.
FINE TUNING
SOLUTION
PROBLEM
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
No Sound from One or
More Speakers
No Sound
Lack of Bass or
Dislocated Image
Make sure receiver, preamp or amplifier is plugged in and turned on. Check power outlet at the wall is working.
Are headphones plugged in, or is the system on Mute?
Re-check all connections.
Check your balance control or VC-150 Volume Control (if using).
Check that all power cords are properly plugged in and functioning.
Swap a non-working speaker with one that works to determine if the problem is with the speaker or something else (i.e. wiring, amplifier).
One or more speakers may be connected out of phase (their polarity is reversed).
Re-check to ensure that each speaker’s cable is connected with correct polarity: red (+) to red (+) and black (-) to black (-).
