YOur New subwOOfer
The “Watts” (W) rating indicated on the rear panel of your subwoofer is
the maximum AC power the unit will draw when producing its maximum
power output. However, the actual wattage draw will vary with the bass
content of the program material.
Although generally not required for typical music and movie program
material, if the bass content of your program material is very loud and
more continuous in nature, we recommend connecting subwoofers with
higher wattage ratings (i.e. 1500 W) to dedicated AC circuits.
POwer reQuireMeNTs
Break-In
Although your Paradigm
®
subwoofer will sound great “out of the carton” it
will sound even better when broken in. Allow it to operate for several hours
before you listen critically.
Cleaning
Do not use a strong or abrasive cleaner on your subwoofer. Clean it with
a damp soft cloth, but do not get it wet. Do not place wet objects, such as
drinking glasses or potted plants, on top of it. If allowed to soak in, even a
small amount of water may permanently damage the enclosure.
You are about to experience the powerful and extremely accurate deep
bass performance of Paradigm
®
subwoofers. These subwoofers offer incredible
output with low distortion, exceptional extension and superb definition. It
is important to note, however, that just as the amount of soft furnishings
has a decided impact on mid and high frequencies, those frequencies
below 150 Hz are dramatically affected by the room itself—its size,
shape, as well as the physical boundaries of the room. The extra care
you take in correctly positioning your subwoofer(s) will result in greater
listening enjoyment. Keep the following guidelines in mind when deciding
on best subwoofer placement:
• Concrete floors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing
wave problems and are less preferred.
• Rooms where height, width and length are similar should be avoided as
they can exhibit significant low-frequency standing wave problems. This
may result in reduced clarity. If no other room is possible, experiment
with subwoofer placement to minimize acoustic problems.
rOOM aCOusTiCs
subwOOfer PLaCeMeNT
To avoid personal injury, install subwoofer in a location
where any rear amplifier parts such as panels and/or
heatsinks, etc. cannot be accidentally touched.
Bass is less and less directional as it goes down in frequency. For best
sonic integration, locating your subwoofer between your front speakers or
beside one of them and close to the back wall will usually provide the best
bass performance. If this location is not possible your subwoofer may be
placed anywhere in the room without affecting the stereo image of your
front speakers or the soundstage of your multichannel speaker system.
Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b, on page 4, highlight how bass output is generally
affected by room placement. When seated in a typical listening area of
your room, placing the subwoofer inside the “shaded” areas will typically
result in bass performance as follows:
Fig. 1a
:
Corner placement provides the most bass, but sometimes at the
expense of accuracy.
Fig. 1b
:
A subwoofer placed near a wall usually provides a good balance of
quantity and accuracy.
Controls are provided to align your subwoofer’s output to the other speakers
in your system, see “Fine Tuning,” page 8.
Although a single Paradigm
®
subwoofer provides exceptional performance
and substantial output, the quality (and quantity) of bass can be further
improved with the use of two subwoofers (Fig. 2).
This allows you to
randomize the standing waves within your listening room so that bass will
be distributed in a more uniform manner. Two subwoofers also provide even
lower distortion, especially at high output levels.
See Dealer for connection instructions using multiple subwoofers.
The AdvANTAgeS oF USINg TWo SUBWooFeRS
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