owners manual
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS -
READ CAREFULLY !
Caution: To prevent the risk of electrical shock, match wide blades of plug to wide slot, fully insert.
Read Instructions: All safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated.
Retain instructions: Safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
Heed Warnings: All warnings on the product & operation instructions should be adhered to.
Follow Instructions: All operating and use instructions should be followed.
Cleaning: Unplug the product from the wall before cleaning. Do not use aerosol or liquid cleaners, just a damp cloth.
Attachments: Do not use attachments not recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.
Water and moisture: Do not use this product near water.
Ventilation: Openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation and protect it from overheating so they must not be blocked or covered by placing the product on a bed, sofa or other similar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer's instructions have been adhered to.
Power Sources: This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply in your home, call your local power company.
Grounding or Polarization: This product may be equipped with a polarized alternating current line plug. This plug will fit the power outlet in only one way as a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug, try reversing it. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace your outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the plug.
Power Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the product.
Overloading: Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords, as this can result in a risk of electrical shock.
Object and Liquid Entry: Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that can result in a fire or electrical shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.
Servicing: Do not attempt to service this product yourself as openings or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel.
Heat: This product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Non-Use Periods: The power cord of the product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.
Damage Requiring Service: The product should be serviced by qualified personnel when:
A.The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
B.Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or
C.The product has been exposed to rain; or
D.The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or
E.Product has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.
F.If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions.
athena TECHNOLOGIES® is a registered trademark of Audio Products International Corp. “Dolby”, “Dolby Pro-Logic” and “Dolby Digital Surround” are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing. DTS is a Trademark of Digital Theater Systems Inc.
• INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of athena TECHNOLOGIES® speakers! Proprietary technology and high quality manufacturing will allow you to enjoy the most natural and accurate music reproduction for many years. The advice offered in this manual is aimed at helping you maximize and maintain peak performance, and therefore, your listening satisfaction. Please take the time to read all of the instructions contained in this manual to make certain your system is properly installed and functioning correctly.
•BREAK-IN PERIOD
We strongly advise that you resist the temptation to play the athena TECHNOLOGIES® speakers to their full capabilities or experiment with critical placement and listening until they have been properly broken in. This process should last approximately 50 to 100 hours of music playback. This can be easily be done by putting your compact disc player on Repeat mode, while playing a CD with a wide dynamic range at normal listening levels.
•athena TECHNOLOGIES® COMPANY BACKGROUND
athena TECHNOLOGIES® is the newest division of Audio Products International Corp., known throughout the industry as “API”. A Canadian company founded in 1975, The API factory is a modern 165,000 square foot research, development and manufacturing facility located in Toronto, Canada. API is one of the largest speaker manufacturers in the world, distributing products to over 60 countries worldwide. A talented research and development team utilizes advanced computer-based design and sophisticated measurement techniques in its ongoing quest for new and better acoustic technologies. This research is based upon the years of pioneering psycho-acoustic research developed in conjunction with the Canadian “National Research Council” (NRC), to create speakers that achieve high performance in typical home listening environments. Extensive research into every aspect of the speaker is analyzed and evaluated before the design stage begins, a concept that we refer to as a holistic design approach. This method guarantees that the finest components and materials are made and tested with sophisticated manufacturing and quality control techniques to ensure exceptional performance that is superior to speakers costing several times their price.
•AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS
The athena TECHNOLOGIES® Point 5 Speaker series was designed to be extremely efficient and therefore very undemanding of the connected amplifier. The entire series is designed to be 8 ohm compatible allowing playback on almost any amplifier or receiver on the market. Most amplifiers with a power rating of 20-100 watts per channel will efficiently drive athena TECHNOLOGIES® S.5 and
C.5 speakers. If more than one pair of speakers are being used on the same amplifier channel, (an additional pair of speakers for another room, for example) check with the amplifier manufacturer to confirm that the amplifier can handle loads under 8 ohms.
Warning: If an amplifier is over-driven, the resulting distortion is actually many times greater than its rated power. Over-driven amplifier distortion is called “Clipping”, easily identified by its fuzzy, distorted sound, and can damage any speaker. The volume control of most amplifiers and receivers is a logarithmic type, which means that full power may be reached with the volume control set at as little as the halfway point. Operating the loudness, treble, or bass controls increases power output well beyond rated levels. The warranty on your speakers is therefore void if the voice coils are burned or damaged as a result of overpowering or clipping.
