Klipsch P-39F Finalizing the Assembly, Final Adjustments, Fitting Spikes, Dressing the Cables

Finalizing the Assembly Final Adjustments

Fitting Spikes

The loudspeakers are supplied with a set of long spikes and a set of short spikes. All are adjustable and fit in the same way. Spike seats with felt bases are supplied for use where spikes are inappropriate; e.g., on stone, hardwood or marble floors. The spikes may be fitted with sets of short spikes, sets of long spikes or as a combination of two short spikes at the front and two spikes at the rear to assist with imaging, (Refer to the next page)

Method: Run the textured collar halfway down the threaded shaft away from the spike point. Insert the shaft into the plinth and screw in tight. Now run the collar up to the plinth and lock it finger tight. Repeat for all four spikes.

Collar

Shaft

Spike

Spike Seat

The P-39F has a phenomenal frequency response and superb dynamics, so playing large orchestral or rock music will be an awesome experience, but may not necessarily be the best guide in setting up the speakers. Your listening tests should be performed with a wide range of music, including unaccompanied vocal and solo instrumental recordings with as little processing on the source as possible. A natural solo cello recording will reveal much about the bass characteristics of your room and positioning. The best position will yield smooth, extended bass without boom or smear.

The loudspeakers are “handed” - the recommended position is with the bass ports facing outward. The ports distribute a lot of air at high bass volumes, so if the speakers appear to boom even slightly re-positioning them with the ports facing inward may help significantly.

Stridency in the upper section caused by underdamped rooms can be compensated for by hanging drapes or pictures on the walls to dampen reverberant walls; increasing the amount of soft furnishings will also help to eliminate high frequency “ringing”.

Hint: If you feel that you may have to move the speakers around a lot before you get them exactly right, it is advisable to start out with the spikes resting in their spike seats. This will allow you to easily slide the speakers on a hard floor surface. After finalizing the speaker position, you can then mark the position of the feet and remove the spike seats.

Caution: Regardless which size spike is used make sure the textured collar is threaded on the spike. Failure to do so could result in damage to the plinth.

Dressing the Cables

If there are more than one cable to each loudspeaker, gather them and lay them side by side. Make sure you have identification on all the cables. Ensure the cables are connected the same way round with no loose or faulty con- nections. Leave a small amount of slack and then bring the cables out between the spikes. It may be helpful to tape bi- or tri- wired sets side by side to the underside of the plinth to stop them from interfering with the spikes.

Standing the Loudspeakers Upright

With the help of an assistant, lift the speakers into the vertical position. The feet must be secure, as there will be a large amount of pressure on the two spikes that come into first contact with the floor.

Remove the top packing piece and the protective bag from the loudspeaker. Be careful to avoid touching any of the drivers.

You should now level the loudspeaker. If the floor is not perfectly level, you will find that one spike is off the ground. Starting with this spike and with the help of a spirit level, you should now adjust the spikes so the speak- ers do not wobble and are not at an angle. Try to get the speakers to the same height if at all possible.

Room resonances are often structural. In such circumstances, good placement will minimize but not eliminate these resonances.

Apparent height is critical. The speakers have controlled directivity. In the P- 39F, phase response anomalies are kept to vanishingly low levels by reducing the distance between the midrange and tweeter horns to the abso- lute minimum; nevertheless, if you are in the wrong seat, it may happen that the sound stage is not perfectly integrated. One remedy is to tilt the speaker slightly (if necessary by using a combination of long and short spikes) to aim the midrange driver at the listener’s ear to yield best driver integration. Take your time with this —the effects on some music may be small and quite startling on others.

Phase

Phase is not a matter of preference. Out-of-phase effects manifest themselves as poorly defined bass, poor stereo with very vague localization of instruments and voice, and generally fuzzy, ill-defined sound. A single- wired out-of-phase system is easy to detect; a tri-amped system with one element connected out of phase can be nearly impossible to track down. If you find that there are problems with the system that no amount of experimentation can cure, check all the loudspeaker and amplifier wiring carefully. If you have connected your speakers strictly in accordance with this manual, no phase problems will arise.

Conclusion

All the advice above will help you get the most out of these superb loudspeakers, but in the final analysis you should do what your ears tell you is right — you are, after all, the final arbiter of your system.

Happy listening!

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Final Connections

Now, connect the loudspeakers to the amplifier/s using the diagrams on pages 8-11 to help you.

You are now ready to enjoy your music!

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