Bowers & Wilkins ASW 2500 owner manual Warnings, Introduction, Unpacking, A tour of the subwoofer

WARNINGS:

CAUTION: 120V versions of the product are supplied with a power cord equipped with a polarised plug. To prevent electric shock, match wide blade of plug to wide slot, fully insert.

Ensure the plug is fully inserted into the wall outlet or extension cord receptacle to prevent blade or pin exposure.

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture.

Observe all warnings on the equipment itself.

To avoid electrical shock, do not open the enclosure or remove the amplifier from the rear panel. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer all service questions to an authorised B&W dealer.

Ensure that the voltage indicated on the amplifier panel matches that of the power supply.

The mains fuse holder is located on the back panel of the amplifier module. Replacement fuse must be of the same type and rating as supplied and marked on the product.

The product does not require earthing (grounding).

Ensure the product is adequately ventilated. Do not prevent air from circulating round the rear amplifier panel. Do not obscure or block the openings in the panel. Do not use the product in a rack, bookcase, cabinet or cupboard unless the volume behind the product is adequately ventilated to the room space.

Check that there are no cables under the carpet that may be damaged by the spike feet.

Do not walk the product on the spike feet as this may cause them to become detached from the cabinet and cause damage.

Take care not to impale yourself with the spike feet when moving the product.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the B&W ASW™2500 Active Subwoofer.

Since its foundation in 1966, the continuing philosophy of B&W has been the quest for perfect sound reproduction. Inspired by the company’s founder, the late John Bowers, this quest has entailed not only high investment in audio technology and innovation but also an abiding appreciation of music and the demands of film sound to ensure that the technology is put to maximum effect.

The ASW™2500 has been designed for Home Theatre installations and to augment the bass performance of full-range speakers in 2-channel audio use. Adding the subwoofer to your system not only extends the bass to lower frequencies, it improves the midrange clarity by reducing the low-frequency demands on your existing speakers.

Please read through this manual fully before

using the subwoofer. All sound installations require some planning and experimentation if you are to get the best out of the products used and this manual will guide you in this process.

As the subwoofer is connected to the electricity power supply, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the safety instructions and heed all warnings.

Keep this manual in a safe place for future reference.

B&W loudspeakers are distributed to over 60 countries worldwide and we maintain an international network of carefully chosen and dedicated distributors. If you have a problem, which your dealer cannot resolve, our distributors will be more than willing to assist you.

Unpacking

(figure 1)

The easiest way to unpack the subwoofer and avoid damage is as follows:

•Open the carton flaps right back and invert the carton and contents.

•Lift the carton away from the product.

We recommend that you retain the packaging for future use.

In addition to this manual, the carton should contain:

1 Subwoofer

1 Accessory pack containing:

4 Rubber feet

4 Spike feet

4 Lock nuts

1 International warranty document

A tour of the subwoofer

(figure 2)

1LINK OUT sockets

2LINE OUT sockets

3LINE IN sockets

4VOLUME control

5LOW-PASS FREQUENCY control

6PHASE switch

7LOW-PASS FILTER defeat switch

8EQualisation switch

9POWER On/Auto/Standby switch

10Power/Standby indicator

11Ventilation holes

12Power input socket

13Power isolator switch (230V versions only)

14Fuse holder

Positioning the subwoofer

Because the subwoofer produces only low- frequency sounds, positioning is less critical in some respects compared to full-range speakers. Directional information is much less precise and you have more choice where to place the speakers to good effect. This said, best results are obtained if the subwoofer is placed between the satellite speakers or in the vicinity of one of them. If you use two subwoofers, it is best to put one near each satellite speaker.

Placing the subwoofer behind the listeners, even in surround sound installations, generally gives inferior imaging, but may be an acceptable compromise if domestic considerations dictate.

As with all speakers, the proximity of room boundaries affects the sound. Bass is generally increased as more surfaces come into close proximity with the speakers. Unlike full-range speakers, however, you can always restore the correct overall system balance by adjusting the volume level of the subwoofer. The more boost you get from the room, the less hard the speaker has to work; but there is a down side. Corner positions often excite more low-frequency room resonances, making the bass more uneven with frequency. There is no substitute for experiment as all rooms behave differently, so try the subwoofer in a variety of positions before making a final decision. A piece of music with a bass line ascending or descending the musical scale is useful for assessing the smoothness of the bass response. Listen for exaggerated or quiet notes. Having a separate subwoofer does enable you to optimise for room resonances independently from siting the satellite speakers for best imaging.

If the subwoofer is to be used in a confined space (eg in custom furniture), the space must be ventilated to allow sufficient air to circulate and cool the unit. Ask your dealer for advice.

The subwoofer is supplied with four spike feet. The spikes pierce through carpet pile, giving a firm support directly to the floor surface without crushing the pile.

If the unit is to be placed on a vulnerable surface, such as a wooden floor, either place a protective disc under each spike or fit the four rubber feet in place of the spikes.

When fitting either the rubber feet or the spike feet, first screw the lock nuts fully onto the thread and then screw the feet fully onto the threaded inserts in the base of the cabinet. If the unit rocks, loosen the relevant two opposing feet until the support is firm, then re-tighten the lock nuts to the inserts.

Electrical connections

Disconnect all sound system equipment from the power supply until the signal connections have been made and checked. This avoids the risk of damage whilst connections are made or broken.

The function of the subwoofer is to receive signals from the amplification chain and, where

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