PSB Speakers Platinum Series Speaker User Manual
Contents
1. SPEAKERS PSB Platinum Series manual S own er Congratulations on choosing PSB Platinum Series speakers Please take the time to read the instructions in this guide as they will help you enjoy the full potential of your loudspeakers in any stereo or multichannel home theater application Warranty Registration We recommend you take a few moments now to register your warranty preferably on line at psbspeakers com w Warranty html or via the enclosed registration form so that we will be able to serve you better in the future Unpacking The packing materials of your PSB Platinum Series speakers are designed to protect them from damage during shipping Retain the packaging in case the need arises to transport the speakers in the future Adjusting Rubber Levelers and Spikes Tower and Monitor Speakers Attach the supplied spikes or rubber levelers to the bottom of the speaker as gt o Rubber Wash A shown in the diagram at left On carpets Knurled Locknut ue x E position the speakers and adjust spikes to the desired height higher for thicker carpet and hand tighten the knurled locknuts Rubber Leveler Carpet Spike against the bottom of the cabinet Tower Base Optional PSB Platinum Stand not shown Adjusting Rubber Bumpers For Center Channel Models Attach supplied rubber bumpers to the bottom of the speaker as shown in the diagram For positioning of speakers2. Investment A For full year after year enjoyment from your speakers you should respect their limits Excessive volume levels can damage even the most bullet proof speakers especially over extended time periods B When listening to music or movies at very loud volume you shouldn t turn up bass or treble all the way or close thereto This sends tremendously increased disproportionate power into the speakers and may well damage them Some loudness compensation Loudness controls which boost both bass and treble can also be troublesome at high volume They are intended only for low volume listening C Finally you should be aware that when amplifiers and receivers are pushed to their limits to produce excessive volume levels they are driven into clipping and can do severe damage especially to tweeters Often the damage is done by underpowered amplifiers which may reach their limits very soon When such units begin to clip the audio waveform they may generate high frequency spikes of tremendous power More tweeters have probably been destroyed by this phenomenon than any other If using your speakers at loud levels listen carefully for any sign of harsh garbled midrange and diminishing intelligibility and turn the volume down right away if you detect it NEVER TURN UP THE VOLUME ALL THE WAY TO SEE HOW LOUD YOUR SYSTEM WILL PLAY 11 Cabinet Care Cabinets have varying materials and finishes
3. on top of a smaller surface ie top of TV cabinet locate the bumpers on the bottom such that they all touch and support the speaker on the smaller surface Bumpers across the rear of the cabinet can be left off to tilt the speaker slightly upward if located on a shelf below a screen Bumpers across the front can be left off to slightly tilt the speaker down if located above a screen Wall Mounting S2 Surrounds Attach supplied rubber bumpers to the lower rear panel of each speaker Refer to the supplied template instruction sheet to accurately and securely position the mounting hardware on the wall The middle of the three mounting screws should be screwed firmly into a wall stud The outer two screws should then use an appropriate dry wall mounting fastener If it is not possible to mount to a stud then proper drywall mounting anchors must be used There are simple expanding plastic sleeves commonly used for mounting fixtures to dry wall These are not adequate and must not be used Rather choose one of the wide expanding permanently captured style of wall anchors designed for mounting heavier loads to dry wall Note If you don t feel confident in such matters we strongly recommend that you have your dealer or a professional contractor assist you in the mounting of your surround speakers The installer is responsible for the correct selection and use of mounting hardware available through local hardware retailers that will ensure t
4. If the problem stays in the same speaker irrespective of the channel to which it s connected and after changing the connecting wire the speaker itself probably needs service D See your dealer if you require service PSB dealers are equipped to handle almost all problems If you have moved since your purchase the nearest authorized PSB dealer should be able to help you You may locate your nearest PSB authorized dealer on line at www psbspeakers com r list html Ifthe problem is not resolved please contact us providing the Model name Serial Number date of purchase dealer name and a full description of the problem We appreciate your purchase and hope this owner s guide helps you enjoy the exceptional satisfaction that PSB speaker systems have to offer We wish you many years of enjoyable listening 12 PSB Speakers 633 Granite Court Pickering Ontario LIW 3K1 CANADA www psbspeakers com 888 772 0000 North America 905 831 6555 International Fax 905 837 6357 SPEAKERS
5. Red From amp left SURROUND channel First S remove Red From amp right SURROUND channel gt First jumpers G Black From amp right REAR channel Black From amp right SURROUND channel amp Black From amp right REAR channel First remove jumpers Black From amp left REAR channel 10 Red From amp right REAR channel First remove jumpers Red From amp left REAR channel remove jumpers J i Red From amp right REAR channel Red From amp right SURROUND channel 6 1 7 1 System Utilizing Four 4 S2 Surrounds Surround Rear Black Red Black Red From amp From amp From amp From amp left SURROUND left SURROUND right SURROUND right SURROUND channel channel channel channel Black Red Black Red From amp From amp From amp From amp left REAR left REAR right REAR right REAR channel channel channel channel Recommended Power We recommend amplifiers and receivers rated from a range of 50 300 watts For playing at consistently room filling volume a minimum of 100 watts is usually a good idea Be wary of driving low powered amplifiers to their limits as under powering can cause permanent speaker damage Protecting Your
6. at the right toe in the right speaker height and a reasonably symmetrical distance from the speakers all tend to work together to deliver the best high frequency definition and imaging You in Relation to Room Boundaries Changing your own position with respect to a room s boundaries may also bring a big effect sometimes for a small change Getting further from the wall behind you may make sound more precise and localized Getting closer may make sound more mellow and integrated Coming too close to back wall side wall or especially a corner you may experience a major peak or cancellation of a certain band of frequencies It depends on factors we can t cover fully here but do get into on our web site Remember too with respect to your own positioning that it may or may not be easier to change your own seating location than to move your speakers As with so much else in life the one certain rule is that you shouldn t fix or worry about what isn t broken audibly in this case especially if it means moving heavy furniture As you consider the three relationships we have outlined the idea is to manipulate whatever variable is easiest and most productive for improving your listening experience Be sure to base your judgements on listening to a good variety of recordings of vocals and acoustic instruments soloists different movies and musical instruments to most easily recognize tonal balance shifts Po
7. es exceptional wiring and placement possibilities for achieving a diffuse soundstage For example the S2 Tri mode Surround Speaker Placement TSSP design allows for easy bipole or dipole wiring In addition it offers the possibility of using one pair of S2 for 6 1 7 1 systems by wiring the forward firing baffles for the side surround channels and the rear firing baffles for the rear center surrounds The illustrations below show several 6 1 7 1 speaker placement options utilizing two three or four S2 surrounds Your PSB audio video specialist will be able to recommend the best placement options for your particular needs and budget Note that as you move from Figure 1 through to Figure 3 power handling improves therefore the ability to produce wider dynamic range increases Also positioning additional S2 Surrounds allows for a more convincing enveloping surround soundfield Surround Rear Surround Rear Surround Rear amp Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 6 1 7 1 System using 6 1 7 1 System using 6 1 7 1 System using two S2 Surrounds three S2 Surrounds four S2 Surrounds Connections Important Always turn off your electronic equipment before connecting speakers Selecting Speaker Wire We recommend the following gauge of standard two conductor wire for the wiring distances specified if you prefer you can use heavier lower
8. esent Keep in mind then that very small changes in positioning of the speakers or you may produce major or subtle changes C Distances of speakers from the walls can make great differences in the number strength and particular frequencies of secondary reflections changing frequency balance sonic spaciousness and definition Most listeners prefer their speakers at least a few inches from all walls but the choice is yours to determine by listening You in Relation to the Speakers Where you sit in relation to your speakers obviously makes a difference too The proportions of the particular triangle formed by your speakers and you matter You may need to send more power to the more distant speaker to compensate if you get much further from one speaker than the other The overall distances involved also matter As you get further from the speakers more sound reflected from your room s surfaces in contrast to the sound coming directly from the speakers reaches your ears and the original spatial relationships in a recording are changed as your room takes over Sometimes the result is a mellower more integrated sound Other times its a more strident or annoyingly echoey or other quality Once again the particular dimensions of your room play a part And depending on what seems more realistic and or enjoyable to your ears you may choose to sit at a great distance or have close up near field sound Keep in mind th
9. gauge wire Under 25 ft 7 5 m 16 gauge 1 3 mm You may wish to audition and compare the performance of 25 50 ft 15 m 14 gauge 1 6 mm some of the specialty audio interconnects and speaker cable Over 50 ft 30 m 12 gauge 2 0 mm available from your dealer Conventional Wiring Connect speakers identically to your amplifier or receiver on each channel Red amp receiver terminal to Red speaker terminal Black to Black This will ensure that the diaphragms of the speakers on both channels move forward and backward together in phase rather than in opposition out of phase In phase connection provides maximum clarity and bass while out of phase connection results in frequency cancellations and produces thinner and less distinct sound with less bass vague vocal quality and no solid center image To help ensure the proper connection the two separate conducting wires in a standard two conductor speaker cable are coded in one way or another to be distinguishable from each other The jacket of one wire may be ribbed or marked with signs or one wire under the insulation may be a different color from the other Use this wire coding together with the amp receiver and speaker color coding to be sure you are connecting the same wire of a given pair to a like coded terminal at both ends of your connection Assure all wiring terminals are tightened firmly but be careful not to overtighten and damage the connect
10. he proper and safe wall mounting of the speakers Speaker Placement Maximizing Your Enjoyment Proper loudspeaker placement is an essential ingredient to getting the best sound from your high performance stereo multi channel audio or home theater system The goal is to reproduce faithfully the audio soundtrack the movie director or music producer created without calling any attention to the speakers themselves Fortunately it is a straightforward process that just takes some care and patience Should you have a large room and the possibility to arrange the room as you wish or if you are designing a room for home entertainment refer to the diagrams shown here for ideal speaker placement In this arrangement all speakers All distances are equal except the subwoofer are placed the same All distances distance from the listener In most cases you ll 9 fe a are equal need to adapt your speaker placement to a given room that s less than ideal Here are a few 5 1 surround speaker placement 6 1 7 1 surround speaker placement speaker placement basics to keep in mind as you get started A You will generally get the best imaging and other spatial qualities if your front left right speakers and your usual seating position form an almost equilateral triangle with the speakers not quite as far apart from each other as they are from you If you must sit cl
11. including wood veneers and painted cast anodized aluminum parts They should be treated as you would any fine furniture with similar finishes Dust lightly with a soft cloth avoiding abrasives If necessary wipe carefully with a cloth slightly dampened with glass cleaner to remove heavy soil Grilles and Ports A lint brush does a good job of cleaning grilles Grilles can be taken off and vacuumed if you prefer If need be you can use a lint brush to clean ports Avoid touching speaker diaphragms Particularly pushing in the aluminum dome of the tweeter will cause permanent damage In Case of Problems A Lower volume if a speaker begins to sound distorted or seems to be missing certain frequencies to check first to see whether playing at somewhat lower volume seems to clear up the problem As we noted under Recommended Power it can be especially important to turn down the volume right away if you have pushed a low powered amplifier or receiver past its comfortable limits B Isolate the problem to the electronics or the speakers and if the speakers to specific speakers Interchange the speaker wire connections on your amplifier or recetver between channels so that the left speaker is connected to the right channel or vice versa If the problem shifts to the other speaker the problem is not in the speaker but in the electronics C Another component or very often a cable or connection problem between components may be at fault
12. kers the room and you 1 2 The Speakers in Relation to Room Boundaries The position of your speakers with respect to the walls floor and ceiling of your listening room will often affect their sound in major ways A The closer you place speakers to the boundary surfaces of your room the greater the proportion of bass in their overall sound This is due to the enclosing focusing effects of nearby surfaces on longer wavelength lower frequencies Positioning the speakers near the intersection of two surfaces wall and wall wall and floor or wall and ceiling will produce more apparent bass than placement near a single surface The greatest proportion of bass is delivered by placement near three intersecting surfaces in a room corner near the floor or ceiling where the convergence of the two walls and the floor ceiling produces an amplifying effect that is a bit like that of a megaphone And the least bass comes from placing a speaker away from all boundaries Your own tastes should decide what proportion of bass response seems right in your room B The combination of the three dimensions of your room generally will produce at least three points in the room where the frequency response you experience related to a given position of either the speaker or you will either greatly increase or almost disappear The most obvious effects are on low frequencies but mid frequency effects while usually subtler are also often pr
13. m a particular spot How much you prefer SYS A these localized effects vs overall sonic depth ES N and diffusion is up to your listening Bipole 5 1 System Dipole 5 1 System preferences If you are listening to multi channel music from DVD Audio or SACD you may want the maximum localization of instr uments However for most home theater applications a diffuse soundfield might be preferred You can locate and aim your surround speakers to produce the effects you prefer whether precisely pinpointed or pleasantly diffused For example you may choose to position monitors behind your listening position on stands at ear height as shown in the diagram at right and experiment with speaker positioning relation to the listener to obtain the level of direct versus diffuse sound that you prefer Most people find it best to mount dedicated surround speakers like our S2 Surrounds on the side walls slightly behind the prime listening position and two feet above ear height when seated this typically places the bottom of the speaker about 5 feet above the floor The surround speakers can also be mounted at ceiling level or on floor stands if this is preferred but remember to follow the wiring requirements outlined in Surround Speaker Connections below Also for those adding a rear center channel for 6 1 and 7 1 systems the S2 offers several rear center surround solutions The S2 Surround with both dual crossovers and speaker inputs provid
14. ors Amplifier Output Right Left Speaker Connector Options Y 13mm Hex Nut Movable Washer Jumper Strap Bare Wire Connection Banana Plug Connection Spade Plug Connection Loosen 1 2 13mm hex nut Insert banana plug into the top Loosen hex nut and lift Insert wire through hole and of the hex nut Ensure the hex moveable washer to expose the tighten nut Takes wire sizes up nuts are tightened top of the jumper strap A to 8 gauge 1 4 6mm or 5 16 8mm spade will fit on the narrower section of the post Lower the washer and tighten the hex nut Bi Wiring and Bi Amping Options All PSB Platinum Series speakers can be bi wired separate cables to the separated woofers and midrange tweeters from the same amplifier and bi amped separate amplifiers With single cable inputs the jumper straps must be in place and both sets of terminals tightened firmly Before bi wiring or bi amping ALWAYS remove the metal jumper straps that connect the two sets of Bi Wire Connections binding posts on the speaker Loosen Y2 First First 13mm hex nuts and lift remove remove moveable washers to jumpers Se jumpers remove the jumper strap With bi amp hookup you must use either identical amplifiers or amplifiers adjusted to Amplifier have the same voltage gain Consult your PSB dealer or o
15. oser to one speaker than the other use the Balance control on your electronics or the individual level controls on home theater channels to give the more distant speaker a balancing boost in volume B Our tower speakers are designed for optimal listening from the seated to standing position For our monitors we offer accessory speaker stands to achieve the right height if you are not using existing shelves or furniture C The best high frequency dispersion producing the widest sweet spot in which you and others can sit and enjoy optimum high frequency definition will result when your main speaker enclosures are positioned vertically rather than horizontally If you are placing your monitors horizontally the speakers will still perform very well but the seating area where you will enjoy optimum sound will become narrower We suggest you position the tweeters to the outside away from the center line You may prefer to tilt the speakers towards ear level using the adjustable levelers D If you sit equally distant from both speakers angling the speakers inward toeing them in about 5 to 10 degrees usually produces the best convergence of high frequencies where you listen Different listening positions may require different toe in E Surround speaker placement is covered in Section 4 Beyond these basics experiment with positioning for optimum performance Please read the placement guidelines that follow They are about the spea
16. sitioning Surround Speakers We are often asked about what kind of surround speakers are best dipole bipole or monopole direct radiator Placement room acoustics and other factors affect the sonic realism of movies and multi channel audio at least as much as the radiating characteristics of a speaker Therefore we do not make specific recommendations but rather suggest you discuss the best solution for your particular needs with your authorized PSB audio video specialty retailer or visit our Web site Bipole speakers in phase or direct radiating surrounds placed slightly BEHIND the listening position can offer an exceptionally convincing diffuse soundfield without calling any attention to the surround speakers themselves It should be noted that in the alternative dipole surround configuration the two baffles of each surround speaker are out of phase with each other creating a null or dead zone of sound in the area along the 90 degree axis of the speaker DIPOLE SURROUNDS MUST BE PLACED ON THE SIDE WALLS DIRECTLY BESIDE THE LISTENING POSITION The effect is lost as soon as you move outside the null All PSB Platinum Series speakers are timbre matched have similar tonal characteristics for easy mix and match home theater system flexibility and ultimate performance Most surround sound is meant more to create greater depth and overall gt ambience than to localize effects as coming fro
17. tem utilizing two 2 S2 surrounds 4 6 1 7 1 system utilizing three 3 S2 surrounds 5 6 1 7 1 system utilizing four 4 S2 surrounds Bipole or direct radiating surround mode Black Red From amp From amp left SURROUND left SURROUND channel channel Black From amp right SURROUND channel Dipole surround mode Red From amp right SURROUND channel Black From amp right SURROUND channel First E gt First remove remove jumpers RS jumpers 7 Wire Jumpers Black Red From amp From amp left SURROUND left SURROUND channel channel First Red From amp right SURROUND channel First remove m jumpers L remove jumpers P Replace gold plated jumpers with supplied wire jumpers and connect crisscrossed as shown 6 1 7 1 System Utilizing Two 2 S2 Surrounds Surround Rear Black From amp left REAR channel First G remove ni jumpers Eb S Black From amp left SURROUND channel Red From amp left REAR channel Black From amp right SURROUND channel amp First remove jumpers Red From amp left SURROUND channel 6 1 7 1 System Utilizing Three 3 S2 Surrounds Surround Rear Black From amp left SURROUND amp channel
18. ur Web site for further information Bi Amp Connections First First First remove remove remove jumpers VA jumpers jumpers re Left Amplifier Right Amplifier i Left Right Left Rear Tweeter Enabled Disabled For T8 Tower The PSB Platinum T8 Tower has a second rear facing tweeter that can be enabled or disabled at the Enabled user s preference The primary purpose of the second tweeter is to provide added ambiance more of the air and overall spaciousness and a sense of envelopment present in a recorded or live venue and in many cases some useful added musicality of the sound of instruments We think most listeners will prefer to leave the tweeter enabled for normal listening But because the tweeter faces backwards and depends on the nearest wall to diffuse its sound there may be instances in which spatial localization imaging of musical instruments is not as precise as when you are using the single forward facing tweeter For any First remove jumpers Disabled such case you might encounter we would suggest disabling the tweeter to see if you prefer the single tweeter for this particular use Speaker Connection Options For S2 Surrounds The captioned illustrations below show the following multi channeled configurations 1 Bipole or direct radiating surround mode 2 Dipole surround mode 3 6 1 7 1 sys
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