Talisman Designs SE Reference Tower owner manual Using your speakers

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discussed the extremely high level of quality control that must be exercised in the drivers, crossovers and enclosure to maintain the design standards. But the most important point is that the Talisman SE was designed by and for music lovers. You must hear the Talisman SE system reproduce your favorite music and or video soundtracks over a period of time to appreciate how fine these speakers are.

Using your speakers

Because of the size of the Talisman SE and its powered woofer section, there are several factors in setup that you should consider first.

∙The Talisman SE connects to your system just like any other speaker. Gold-plated binding posts are mounted on the rear channel for connection to your receiver or amplifier.

∙The power switch for the Talisman SE is on the rear amplifier panel. The Talisman SE amplifier draws very little power at idle and may be left on continuously. In fact, we recommend that the Talisman SE be left on rather than switched on and off.

∙Like virtually all speakers, the Talisman SE will yield the ultimate imaging and resolution when located out into the room. In some setups this might not be possible. If installing the Talisman SE near a wall allow at least 2-3" behind the speaker for adequate air circulation around the amplifier heat sink.

∙DO NOT install the Talisman SE in a position where the amplifier heat sink is in direct contact with any combustible material.

If the rest of your system does not work properly or is not correctly connected you will not get the best performance from your system. To eliminate problems we recommend the following:

1.Use the finest associated components you can afford. Turntables, cartridges, pre-amps, amplifiers (receivers), CD players, DVD players, SACD players and cables all have profound impact on the sound of your system. Accurate speakers let more detail through. You will hear more of the beauty of the music, but flaws in your system and or source material may be more obvious.

Any good audio system is made up of matched components. You wouldn’t use bargain recap tires on a new Porsche, and you shouldn’t use inferior components with a high quality speaker. Your Talisman SEs perform like speakers costing two to four times their price. Keep this in mind when selecting the rest of your system. Your Talisman SEs will work in systems with as little as 20 watts per channel. For maximum resolution and dynamic range we recommend high-quality amplification of 50 - 200 watts per channel.

2.Know your source material. People often blame their audio gear for poor recordings. A great number of popular recordings are of inferior sound quality. Unfortunately this applies to records, tapes, laser discs, DVDs and CDs. Commonly poor recordings are rolled off in the low bass, and harsh and constricted in the mids and highs. Good stereo image is rare. Many recordings are still done on 40-year-old studio monitor speakers that are grossly inaccurate. Consider that some producers still mix recordings to sound best on cheap table and car radios! This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these recordings, but you should try a few of the best audiophile recordings just to see how terrific your system can be when fed a good signal.

3.Work at getting the best placement of your speakers in their environment. It is not unusual to be able to get a 25 to 50 percent improvement in sound by careful placement of speakers and furniture. It may not be practical to go all out, but the more you can “tune” your room, the better your system will sound. Refer to the section on placement and room treatment.