Positioning the subwoofer
Because the subwoofer produces only low- frequency sounds, positioning is less critical in some respects compared to
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
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
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.
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 necessary for
The subwoofer will input and output line- level signals via the RCA Phono sockets located on the back panel.
Use the following table to select the correct wiring method for your installation:
Application: Home Theatre
The subwoofer may be used with any decoder that has a
•Decoder with one or more subwoofers
– fig. 3
Application: 2-channel audio
Separate pre- & power amplifiers:
aOne or more subwoofers with output combined into a single mono signal – fig. 4
bTwo subwoofers with separate left and right signal – fig. 5
The subwoofer is not suitable for use with
Using more than one subwoofer
Using more than one unit in a single installation can improve performance in the following ways:
•Maintain stereo separation to the lowest frequencies.
•Cope with larger listening rooms.
•Enable greater maximum sound output
– often useful for effectively reproducing special effects in Home Theatre applications.
•Smooth out the effects of low- frequency room resonances.
If you are using two subwoofers for
Double-check the connections
Before auditioning the sound quality of your new installation and
to discover something has been wrongly connected. Make sure that:
•The phasing is correct – there should be no positive to negative connections to the satellite speakers. If something is out of phase you may get a fuzzy sound with an imprecise and floating image, a lack of bass or a combination of the two.
•There are no left to right
Switching on and off
We recommend that you switch the subwoofer on before any power amplifiers receiving signals from the subwoofer. Similarly, when switching off, switch the subwoofer off last.
The MODE standby/auto/on switch (4) does not isolate the amplifier completely from the power supply. It maintains a
The switch (4) operates as follows:
On:
With the switch in this position, the amplifier remains permanently on, and the light (1) glows green.
Auto:
On first switching the subwoofer to Auto, the amplifier becomes fully active and the light (1) glows green. After a period of about 5 minutes without an input signal, the amplifier automatically reverts to standby mode, and the light glows red. When an input signal is detected, the amplifier automatically becomes fully active and the light glows green.
Standby:
In this position, the amplifier is in permanent standby, and the light glows red.
If the subwoofer is to be out of use for an extended period of time, we recommend you isolate it from the power supply, either by using the POWER switch (11) or by removing the plug from the power socket.
Setting the controls
There are 5 controls to consider:
•The VOLUME control (2)
•The
•The PHASE switch (7)
•The
•The EQ (equalisation) switch (5)
The optimum settings depend on the other equipment used with the subwoofer. If using more than one subwoofer, ensure the controls on each one are set the same.
Use with home theatre decoders
The B&W ASW Active Subwoofer is not a THX® licensed component, but may be used with a THX® controller if desired.
•Set the decoder VOLUME control to
4