impact 400 Owner s Manual

impact 400 Owner s Manual

Thank you choosing Amphion Impact 400 subwoofer. The Impact 500 is made to the highest standard and will provide you with years of listening pleasure when properly cared for. Follow these instructions to ensure that you get the maximum performance from your subwoofer. Safety Instructions impact 400 This product is designed and manufactured to meet strict quality and safety standards. However, you should be aware of the following installation and operation precautions: 1. You should read all the safety and operating instructions before operating this appliance. Retain this manual for future reference and adhere to all warnings mentioned here or on the appliance. 2. The presence of electricity near water can be dangerous. Do not use the appliance near water, for example next to kitchen sink, washbowl, bathtub, in a wet basement or a swimming pool area etc. 3. Take care that objects do not fall or liquid spilled into the enclosure through any openings. Liquid filled objects such as vases should not be placed on top or near the subwoofer. 4. We recommend a minimum distance of 50mm (2 inches) from the rear of the appliance (heat sink) to provide adequate ventilation. 5. Place the product away from naked flames or heat producing equipment such as radiators, stoves or other appliances (including other amplifiers) that produce heat. 6. The appliance has been designed for use in moderate climates. 7. Unplug the unit from the mains supply before cleaning. Do not use paint thinners or other chemical solvents for cleaning. 8. Power supply chords should be positioned so that they are not likely to be walked on or crushed by items placed upon or against them. 9. Ensure that the mains voltage selector is in proper position referring the voltage used in your country (115/230V). 10. Locate any outdoor antenna/aerial away from power lines. 11. If an abnormal smell or smoke is detected from the appliance, turn the power off immediately and unplug the unit from the wall outlet. Contact your dealer immediately. 12. You should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in this handbook. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel. 13. The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: a) the power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged b) objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into the appliance c) the appliance has been exposed to rain d) the appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance e) the appliance has been dropped or the enclosure damaged This product has been designed to meet the IEC 60065 international electrical safety standards.

Connections and subwoofer controls 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Mains voltage switch Power switch Fuse box *) Power cord socket Speakers out connection Speakers in connection Volume control 8. Indicator light (green=on, red=stand-by) 9. Auto-power-on switch **) 10. Low pass crossover adjustment 11. Subwoofer crossover adjustment by-pass switch 12. Phase switch 13. Line level input (RCA input) 14. Line level output (RCA output) *) Subwoofer fuse is housed in a fuse box which is located in the power cord housing. The fuse box can be opened by pulling it out place a small screwdriver to the slot which is inside the opening of power cord socket housing. Always replace the burned fuse with one of the same value. The correct values are also indicated in the subwoofer control panel. **) Subwoofer is equipped with auto power-on function, which switches on the power when the subwoofer detects an incoming signal. If no signal is detected in 10-15 minutes the subwoofer is switched off automatically. Auto power on is selected by placing the Auto-on switch to ON position. Liittimet ja säätimet

impact 400 Connecting your subwoofer Subwoofer can be connected to either a hi-fi or home theater system in various ways depending on usage and listening habits. NOTE! When connecting the subwoofer all the power must be turned off both from the subwoofer and the equipment to which the subwoofer is being connected to. 1. Moderate listening levels, best sound quality (Picture 1) When optimum sound quality especially with music is required the subwoofer will be collected as follows: Connect the speaker from the amplifier to the speakers (L and R). Use another pair of speaker wires to extend the wires from the speaker terminals to the subwoofer s LEVEL INPUT (L and R). Place INTERNAL X-OVER/DIRECT-switch to position internal x-over. This position does not limit the signal in any way, so it is possible that small main speakers with limited power handling can become strained with high listening levels. The possibility of this occuring is reduced when larger speakers are used. 2. High listening levels, good sound quality (Picture 2) When high listening levels are used the subwoofer should be connected as follows Connect the speaker from the amplifier to the subwoofer s LEVEL INPUT (L and R). Use another pair of speaker cables from the subwoofer s LEVEL INPUT (L and R) to the speaker s left and right terminals. Place the INTERNAL X-OVER/DIRECT switch to position internal x-over. 3. Connecting between the pre- and power amplifiers (Picture 3) In some systems it is possible to connect the subwoofer between pre- and power amplifiers, when the filtering of bass frequencies works better than when connected to speaker signal (connection method 2). The connection takes place as follows: Connect preamplifier out with RCA equipped interconnects to the subwoofer LINE LEVEL INPUT incoming connectors (L and R) and connect the subwoofer s LINE LEVEL OUTPUT outgoing connector RCA inter-connects Place INTERNAL X-OVER/DIRECT switch to position internal x-over 4. Connecting to home theater amplifiers LFE output (Picture 4) When the subwoofer is used with small satellite speakers in a home theater setup, one recommended way is to the connect the subwoofer to the surround amplifier s LFE output as follows: Connect an RCA-signal cable from the home theater amplifier s LFE output to the subwoofer s LINE LEVEL INPUT Place the INTERNAL X-OVER/DIRECT switch to the direct position In all scenarios also experiment by blocking the bass reflex tubes, which allows the speakers to integrate with the subwoofer in the best possible manner. This connection method filters out the lowest bass frequencies, so that the main speakers do not become strained.

impact 400 Picture 1 AMPLIFIER Picture 2 AMPLIFIER 4 pcs male/male RCA-cable Picture 3 PREAMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER FRONT FRONT male/male RCA-cable CENTER Picture 4 AMPLIFIER REAR REAR

impact 400 Subwoofer positioning All speakers - subwoofers included - require proper positioning to provide maximum performance. Improperly placed and adjusted speakers will degrade the sound quality, therefore reducing listening pleasure. In many cases perfect placement may not be possible and finding the most suitable position for your environment will probably require some experimentation. Please try different locations during the setup process to find out what works best in your listening room. Reversed location search In same cases it is easier to find the ideal location by positioning the subwoofer in the listening place and moving around the room at floor level. Locate the places where the bass reproduction throughout the all lower frequencies is most even. The stability of stereo image and matters relating to room aesthetics and interior decoration also often dictates the placement of the subwoofer. Please note that when using this method the subwoofer should be located in a position around 1 meter from the floor. General guidelines for subwoofer placement Place the subwoofer along the same wall as the main speakers. Normally the best possible position is somewhere between the main speakers. Do not place the subwoofer in the centre point of the back wall as this is the minimum point of the lowest standing wave. This leads to a dip in the systems frequency response in the middle of the bass area and results in a reduction of these frequencies. Usually the best place is found behind the centre point of the wall and the other main speaker, slightly away from the back wall. If there is no space between the speakers, it is possible to locate the subwoofer outside the main speakers but this may lead to a slight reduction in the stereo image and bass possibly being localised to the subwoofer. Finding the best location by listening The best location for the subwoofer can be located by listening and experimenting with different locations. Special low frequency information test records - which may make this easier - are also available. Listen to a recording containing low frequencies and move the subwoofer around until you find a position where the reproduction of various frequencies are as balanced as possible. Having someone to help move around the subwoofer will make it easier to compare different locations. It is possible that there are more than one places which generate an even frequency response. Stereo imaging and interior decorative issues will help to choose between those places which have an even response. Adjusting the subwoofer The Subwoofer can be adjusted to match the main speakers by the controls on the back panel. Depending on the size and sensitivity of the main speakers, the subwoofer s crossover and level are adjusted via LOW-PASS CROSSOVER and VOLUME controls. It is also possible to reverse the phase of the sub by the PHASE switch. Various factors, such as main speakers, room acoustics and listening preferences affect the settings and therefore a rule of thumb exists. It s best to experiment to find the best settings for your own listening environment. Crossover frequency (LOW-PASS CROSSOVER) The first task is to find the correct crossover frequency. The acoustical properties of a room and standing waves affect the bass response and also the required crossover settings. Therefore the best result can be only achieved by listening. Using a test disc helps evaluate the point in the crossover where bass response starts to dip. Finding the correct phase (PHASE) The next step is to adjust the phase of the subwoofer. The correct phasing depends on the position of the subwoofer in relation to the main speakers. The goal is to ensure that the main speakers and subwoofer are in the same phase at the crossover frequency. The correct setting will be achieved by testing both settings, phase 0 and phase 180. Listen to either a test signal or music based around the

impact 400 crossover frequency and listen to the subwoofer in both phase settings. The setting is correct when the bass response sounds more powerful and natural. With incorrect phase the bass response the is more vague and reduced. Sound level (VOLUME) The final stage of the set up process is finding the right volume level to the subwoofer. At the correct volume setting the subwoofer will form an integral part of a complete loudspeaker system. If the volume is too high the reproduction will be heavy and mask lower frequencies. This will also lead to a situation where the subwoofer can be localized and creates a separate sound source. Filtering Filtering incorporates Amphion proprietary CSC technology (Cumulative Stage Coupling), where the steepness of filtering increases gradually when frequency increases. This ensures that the phase changes are as linear as possible and group delay is minimized. At rejection band (>150Hz) the 5th order filtering is used (30dB/oktave) which leads to effective filtering of upper frequencies and solid stereo imaging. Filter can be by-passed by x-over/ direct- switch when connecting subwoofer to the LFE channel of the home theatre amplifier.

Technical specifications amplifier Class-D RMS 500W output T.H.D. --- <1% Line voltage 115/230 vac switchable Anti-clipping circuit Over load protection circuit Phase control switch --- 0-180 Auto-on switch Auto turn-on level --- 3 mv Time to stand-by --- 10-15 min Volume control, range --- >70dB Variable crossover control, adjust range --- 30-100 Hz X-over/direct switch Line level input (R,L), max. sensitivity --- 80mV Line level output (R,L) Speaker level input (R,L), max sensitivity --- 2V Speaker level output Twin color LED indicator for signal ON/OFF Power switch Fuse T5AL 250V for 230V input or T9AL 250V for 115V input Bass-unit Long stroke high power 10 unit with nomex- cone General Frequency range: 3dB: 19Hz Measurements: 350 x 350 x 387 mm Warranty: General: 5 years parts and labour Amplifier module: 12 months from the date of purchase Amphion Loudspeakers Ltd. P.O.Box 6 70821 Kuopio Finland www.amphion.fi