Rear Panel Connections and Controls continued

Gain Control Knobs for Channels 1–5

The Gain control knobs should be left at the 12 o’clock Normal setting for most applications.

When a Gain control knob is set to Normal the gain for that channel is 29. This is the THX Ultra2 Reference level where 1V input = 28.28V output. 28.28V driving an 8 speaker = 100 watts. If you are unsure where to set the Gain control knobs it is best to start with them in the Normal position and only change them if needed as described below.

When to Set the Gain Control Knobs Above or Below Normal

You can increase loudness by turning the Gain control knobs clockwise if your system will not play loud enough with the Gain control knobs set at Normal. This could be the case if your 5125 v.2 is driven from the pre-out jacks on many AV receivers. We recommend advancing the gain as little as possible past Normal. As you increase gain settings you increase the chance of hearing a “hiss” sound from your speakers. You also run the risk of damaging your speakers (not to mention your hearing) if the volume level is too high.

The primary reason to reduce the gain would be if your speaker efficiency is extremely high and your listening position is close to your speakers. Reducing the gain would reduce audible “hiss” from your speakers.

Don’t worry about setting the 5125 v.2 Gain control to exactly the same levels for all channels because you can always balance the speaker volume using the speaker level calibration in your home theater AV receiver or processor’s setup menu. We recommend re-calibrating your AV receiver or processor’s speaker levels after adjusting the 5125 v.2 gain controls.

7.1 Channel Speaker Connections

If you plan to use your 5125 v.2 in a 7.1 system you will need to use a two channel power amplifier for the two additional speakers. You have two hookup options which depend on the quality of the separate two channel power amplifier. We recommend using the better amplifier for the left and right front speakers because their sonic contribution to your listening is more significant than the surround back channel speakers.

It also assures the best results when you’re listening to pure stereo.

•If the 5125 v.2 is more powerful than the two channel amplifier, we recommend the preceding 5.1 channel connections for the 5125 v.2. Use the two channel amplifier for the surround back channels.

For example, if your two channel amplifier is the Parasound Model 275 v.2 rated at

75 watts/channel, use the 275 v.2 for the surround back channels and your 5125 v.2 for the other five channels.

•If the two channel amplifier is of high quality, with at least the same power rating as the

5125 v.2, we recommend that you use the two channel amplifier for the front left and right channels, and the following connections for the 5125 v.2

For example, you might prefer a Parasound Model 2125 v.2 to drive your left and right speakers, and use your 5125 v.2 for the other five channels. Even with the same 125w/channel power rating, the 2125 v.2 has a performance edge over the 5125 v.2, with superior channel separation and lower channel-channel crosstalk.