MK Sound B-1500 Speaker User Manual
Contents
1. amplifier Make sure that the wires do not touch each other when you are making the switch As a safety measure we suggest that you turn the amplifier off before making the switch Now listen to the same musical passage as you did earlier concentrating on the mid bass region If you hear less bass the original connection or switch position was correct If you hear more bass the new connection or switch is correct You need to perform this test because when Main speakers are located separate from a Subwoofer each speaker is at a different distance from your ear In some cases the difference will be just enough so that the output from the Subwoofer arrives out of phase with the output of the Satellites When this happens that critical mid bass is actually cancelled You should re do this test any time you move your speakers If you want to experiment further move the Main speakers either towards or away from your listening position making changes in small increments This will focus the system s sound to its optimum When you hear the best combination of stereo image localization and maximum impact and output in the mid bass you have the ideal location 7 SPEAKER DAMAGE amp HOW TO AVOID IT An important factor to consider with any loudspeaker system is the potential for speaker damage Even though your M amp K Speakers have extremely high power handling ability especially for Main speakers they still can be damaged by relatively low2. calibration test set the levels so that all channels measure the same level WHENEVER POSSIBLE DO NOT CALIBRATE LEVELS BY EAR Using a meter is an inexpensive way to be certain that your system is calibrated properly TIMBRE MATCHING One of the most important factors in achieving excellent Home Theatre performance is timbre matching On film soundtracks specific sounds are often moved from left to right or from front to back in the room When the speakers reproducing these sounds have dissimilar characteristics there will be an audible discontinuity when the sound shifts from one speaker to another Timbre matched speakers have very similar tonal characteristics and sound which come from three critical elements similar or identical drivers similar or identical crossovers and similar or identical frequency response In full M amp K systems these elements have been addressed You can be assured that the system can achieve the full potential of Home Theatre sound When you have a Home Theatre system speaker placement becomes extremely important as you will be balancing four or five or more speakers rather than two The following guidelines are for a five channel Pro Logic or 5 1 channel Dolby Digital AC 3 system but if you do not have a Center channel the instructions for the other four channels still apply CENTER CHANNEL The Center channel speaker in any multichannel system is the most important speaker in the system This speaker ofte
3. improves imaging When using a Center channel speaker you have extra flexibility in placing the left and right speakers as the Center channel speaker will tie most dialog and effects directly to the screen SURROUND CHANNELS Surround speakers can be installed in a wide variety of locations but in some rooms their installation can be quite a challenge to install If you have any questions please don t hesitate to contact your M amp K dealer or the M amp K factory We will be happy to discuss your system with you We recommend placement of the surround speakers on the side walls of the room two to three feet above the listeners heads either directly adjacent to the listening position or behind it You can aim the speakers to fire towards each other across the listening area or you can aim them to fire towards the back wall at an angle The surround speakers should not be in front of the main listening position if possible If you mount the surrounds on the side wall behind the listening position they can be aimed towards each other or angled towards the back wall or the side wall surface directly behind them By reflecting sound behind the listening position you may increase the sense of envelopment in the sound If you want or need to mount speakers on the back wall of the room there are several options You can aim them so that they fire towards each other so they fire along the back wall you can aim them towards the front wa
4. powered amplifiers While very few M amp K Speakers are actually returned for service the vast majority of those returned are not for manufacturing defects Instead they are returned because they have been overdriven almost always because the amplifier or receiver used was driven into clipping distortion This damage is considered abuse and is not necessarily covered under warranty This clipping distortion occurs when the demands of the music are greater than the amplifier s available power It can occur at 20 watts with a small amplifier or at 400 watts with a large amplifier When this happens the amplifier s output waveform which should look like a smooth arc is clipped off exhibiting a flat top instead of the arc This clipped waveform contains multiples of the original amplified frequencies sometimes at higher levels than the original signal itself For tweeters this can be very damaging as this distortion is well above the audible range where you are unable to hear it and where the tweeter is most vulnerable to damage When an amplifier clips it generates a high level of high frequency energy much higher than normal program material which passes through the crossover to the tweeter This energy can overheat the tweeter in a matter of seconds and destroy it When this happens the sound becomes harsh and grating and a break up is often audible in the bass frequencies It will become uncomfortable to listen to especially
5. S uussennnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnn 4 FIGURE 3 SURROUND SPEAKER ON SIDE WALLS uunesssnnnnsennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 6 FIGURE 4 SURROUND SPEAKERS ON THE REAR WALL unsssnnnsssnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 6 FIGURE 5 USING SURROUND SPEAKER ON SIDE AND REAR WALLG 000 6 Please record the following information for your records Serial Number Date of Purchase Dealer Name Dealer Address City State Zip Country Invoice Number 1 INTRODUCTION Congratulations Your new M amp K speaker system will give you years of unmatched enjoyment and excitement while listening to your favorite musical and audio video sources We encourage you to read this owner s manual as there is a great deal of information provided here to help you achieve the best possible performance If you have any questions about your speaker system please contact your M amp K dealer or call the M amp K factory directly at 818 701 7010 from 8 30 AM to 5 00 PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday You may also send us an e mail to support mksound com We will be happy to help you with any question you may have 2 SPEAKER HOOK UP The sound quality that you get from your speakers can be affected by the type of speaker wire that you use to connect them While it is possible to use speaker wire as thin as 22 gauge to hook your speakers up wire of less than 16 gauge will compromise their sound quality We strongly recommen
6. d using the heaviest gauge wire possible Your special M amp K 5 way binding post input ter minals will directly accept wire as heavy as 4 gauge For wire runs of up to 20 feet 16 gauge wire is acceptable For runs up to 30 feet you should use a minimum of 14 gauge For up to 40 feet use a minimum of 12 gauge and over 40 feet should use 10 gauge There are a very wide variety of premium speaker cables available from a number of specialist manufacturers We do not endorse any specific brand of premium cable but we do recommend the highest quality cable that fits your budget Beware though with cables expensive is not always better If you have any questions contact your M amp K dealer for advice WIRING FIGURE 1 The Positive lead from your amplifier or receiver should be connected to the RED INPUT terminal and the Negative lead from your amplifier or receiver should be connected to the BLACK INPUT terminal See Figure 1 3 OPTIMIZING SPEAKER PLACEMENT SE SPEAKERS Your speakers can be installed in a wide variety of locations They can be placed on stands shelves or bookcases or permanently mounted using brackets Your speakers have threaded mounting hardware permanently mounted into the cabinet on the speaker s back baffle These allow you to mount the speakers in a wide variety of locations and to orient them for the best possible sound There is a four hole pattern using inserts threaded f
7. eaker This is recommended when the system has no subwoofer The vented box configuration generally gives the most satisfying bass when the speaker is being used as a full range configuration When you are not using a subwoofer the plug should be removed The M amp K Backfire Port system is most effective when the output of the port couples to a room surface such as the back wall You will hear the greatest bass output from your speakers when they are located close to the wall Feel free to experiment for the best sound SEALED BOX Plug inserted in port If you are using a subwoofer with your B 1600 or B 1500 speakers operate them as sealed boxes This will give you the best transition of sound between the satellite speaker and the subwoofer If you are using a high pass filter BMC MINI you must operate the speaker as a sealed box in order for the filter to operate optimally 5 HOME THEATRE USAGE LEVEL MATCHING The factor most critical to achieving excellent Home Theatre performance is level matching the three front and two surround channels This is even more important than timbre matching We strongly recommend that you purchase a Radio Shack Sound Level Meter get the analog meter not the digital version and use it to measure the output of the speakers when playing the test tones generated by your processor or receiver Set the meter to the C weighting scale and the SLOW setting Using your amplifier or receiver s internal noise
8. ed in shipping or by accident If you have any questions about the warranty please contact M amp K 9 IF YOU NEED SERVICE OR SET UP ASSISTANCE Contact your dealer or M amp K with a complete description of the problem Please have the unit s model and serial numbers found on the back of the cabinet date of purchase and your dealer s name You can call M amp K between 8 30 AM and 5 00 PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday at 818 701 7010 or send an e mail to service mksound com If you call outside these hours leave a message and we will return your call promptly DO NOT RETURN YOUR SPEAKERS TO THE FACTORY FOR SERVICE WITHOUT OBTAINING PRIOR AUTHORIZATION 10 CABINET MAINTENANCE Treat the cabinet as you would any piece of fine furniture Its painted finish does not require any special maintenance regular dusting with a lint free cloth and periodic cleaning is all that is required Do not use any solvent based cleaners as they may damage the cabinet surface 11 SPECIFICATIONS B 1600 IMPEDANCE 4 ohms MINIMUM POWER RECOMMENDED POWER MAXIMUM POWER FREQUENCY RESPONSE 10 watts RMS amplifiers with between 25 and 200 watts RMS or more 200 watts RMS unclipped peaks 30 Hz 20 Khz 2dB MAGNETICALLY SHIELDED Yes DIMENSIONS H x W x D 11 5 8 x 7 1 2 x 10 1 4 WEIGHT 12 Lbs B 1500 IMPEDANCE 4 ohms MINIMUM POWER RECOMMENDED POWER MAXIMUM POWER FREQUENCY RESPONSE 10 watts RMS amplifiers with b
9. etween 25 and 200 watts RMS or more 200 watts RMS unclipped peaks 35 Hz 20 kHz 2dB MAGNETICALLY SHIELDED Yes DIMENSIONS H x W x D 9 29 32 x 6 1 4 x 9 1 4 WEIGHT 9 Lbs 9 10 2003 revi B1600 B1500 manual PN 7 0047 pt qrk
10. hannel speaker move the speakers closer together or farther apart in small increments until you hear the sharpest and most cohesive image especially in the phantom center You may also want to angle or toe in the speakers slightly This often improves the sharpness of the stereo image reduces room colorations and provides a wider seating area The angled front baffles of your speakers also provide this benefit Line X Y should equal line A B Line A B appears longer in this diagram due to an optical illusion 4 M amp K BACKFIRE PORT SYSTEM rear of cabinet On the back panel of the speaker is the M amp K Backfire Port Inside its plastic tube is a plug that can be easily removed or inserted DO NOT THROW THIS PLUG AWAY This plug can be used to adjust the performance of the speaker to fit your system needs or personal preferences When the plug is inserted into the speaker cabinet the plug seals the speaker port making ita SEALED BOX speaker When the plug is removed from the speaker cabinet the port is open making it a VENTED BOX speaker When the speaker is used as a vented box speaker the 1500 and 1600 operate as FULL RANGE speaker Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each mode with recommended applications Feel free to experiment with both configurations to see which one you prefer FULL RANGE VENTED BOX UNPLUG AND PLAY Plug removed from port Removing the plug increases the bass output of the sp
11. he Center speaker is as close as possible to the screen The Left and Right front channel speakers in a Home Theatre system should be placed the same as the left and right speakers in a stereo setup Some listeners however may prefer to reduce the distance between the left and right speakers to bring the size of the acoustic image closer to the size of the screen image For example with a 25 direct view television you would want the speakers closer together than you would with a 100 projector One recommendation is to separate the speakers by 1 5 times the diagonal screen size another is to place the left and right speakers to create a 45 degree angle with the main listening position There is a great deal of latitude in this area as it is one of personal preference especially if you will listen to music without video It is also preferred that the speakers be equidistant from the listening position Equidistant usually means that when the center speaker is on top of the television the left and right speakers will sit in front of the set they will be farther from the wall behind the TV than the center speaker Ideally the speakers should be at the same height as the screen but it is much more important that all three speakers be at as close to each other s height as possible If the center is much higher or lower than the other speakers the effect can be distracting Angling or toeing in the speakers to aim at the listening position often
12. ll of the room or you can angle them so they fire toward the side walls Symmetrical arrangements work best The speakers should be a minimum of a few feet away from the nearest listener Ideally the surround speakers should not call attention to themselves as separate sources of sound If the surrounds must be located close to the listeners aiming them at the room walls or even the ceiling can help to reduce any directional effect As described above this can produce a desirable result even in rooms where the surround speakers are an adequate distance from the listeners heads If the surrounds cannot be placed on a wall try placement on tables or the floor to the sides of the main listening position firing up towards the ceiling This can work very well in environments that do not allow permanent attachment of speakers to the walls Some listeners prefer to use multiple pairs of surround speakers While this is not necessary it can provide a broader and deeper surround effect with better coverage in very large rooms When using multiple pairs of surround speakers a symmetrical installation pattern works best For example if you are using two pairs of surround speakers one pair could be mounted on the back wall of the room mounted equidistant from the back corners with the other pair mounted on the side walls of the room equidistant from the same back corners 6 MAIN SPEAKER SUBWOOFER PHASING TEST Left Surround Left Su
13. n produces more output than the left and right speakers combined This speaker should be of the highest possible quality and as similar as possible in response and radiation pattern to the left and right speakers Three identical speakers are best unless the center channel is designed to work with a set of left and right speakers It is also important to have as much amplifier power as possible for the Center channel As a minimum the three front channels should be identical in power output but it is better if the Center channel has more If you have less power in the Center channel this will be the limiting factor in the total output capability of the system when watching and listening to video sources The Center channel speaker should be located as close as physically possible to the television or projection screen preferably just above or below the screen If that is not possible then just to the left or the right of the screen may be acceptable M amp K s Phase Focused crossover will always give you smooth and even coverage throughout the room If the television is not in the center of the room or not centered between the Left and Right speakers the Center channel speak er should still be as close as possible to the screen even if it is outside the left and right speakers such as a TV located in a corner of the room outside the stereo spread of the left and right speakers Good results can be achieved in unusual configurations when t
14. or 1 4 20 hardware 1 4 inch in diameter and 20 threads per inch on the B 1600 and a single 3 8 threaded insert on the B 1500 These mounting patterns accommodate M amp K speaker stands and mounting brackets AMPLIFIER OR RECEIVER The sound quality produced by your speakers can be significantly enhanced by careful attention to their placement While we understand that you may not redesign your room to accommodate your speakers coming as close as possible to the ideal placement will give you much better sound You can orient the B 1500 and B 1600 either horizontally or vertically Ideally the tweeter should be at the same height from the floor as your ears when you are sitting in your main listening position If you have the speakers mounted above or below this height they sound their best when you angle the speakers so that the tweeters are aimed at your ears when you are in the main listening position ROOM LOCATION There are two considerations regarding room location of your 1500 or 1600 speakers When you are operating your speakers as Full Range Vented Box speakers taking advantage of the M amp K Backfire Port system you will hear maximum bass and low frequencies when the speakers are located within a few inches of a wall or the back of a cabinet See Section 4 below for more details When you are operating your speakers as Sealed Box speakers it is not necessary to locate them near a wall In fact you will probably find tha
15. rround 1 FIGURE 3 Left Right Surround FIGURE 4 Left 8 E SE Right SIS WW PS Left Right Surround Surround FIGURE 5 Listener Right Surround 1 Left Surround 2 Right Surround 2 In any system using a subwoofer separate from Main speakers a phasing test must be performed to insure good bass blending This test insures optimum sound in the critical bass frequencies where your Subwoofer and Main speakers overlap Play a familiar CD DVD LP or tape with steady consistent bass content through your system Listen carefully to the mid bass region of 75 125 Hz This is the part of the spectrum where electric or string basses and drums predominate Then reverse the phase of either the subwoofer or BOTH Main speakers If your Subwoofer has a PHASE switch on its back panel move it either from to or vice versa If your Subwoofer does not have a PHASE switch it takes a bit more work You will have to change the Positive and Negative speaker inputs on the back of BOTH Main speakers You can do this at the back of both Main speakers or at the Subwoofer s TO SPEAKERS terminals but never at both locations The lead that was on the Positive terminal should be switched to the Negative terminal and vice versa When switching speaker wires take care to protect your
16. t the sonic imagining of the speakers improves as you move the speakers away from room surfaces You will also find that the imaging improves when the speakers are away from room surfaces when operating them as Full Range Vented Boxes In either case please feel free to experiment to find the best sound in your room SEPARATION BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT SPEAKERS FIGURE 2 Here is a formula for achieving the ideal left to right stereo imaging Think of a triangle formed by the locations of the Left and Right speakers and your listening position Ideally the subtended angle formed should be between 45 and 50 degrees Roughly this means that the Left and Right e2212122 2 2 _____ __ __5S speakers should be separated by about the same distance X that you are sitting back from the speakers In other words if S the distance from your listening position to the point directly between the speakers is 10 feet place the speakers so their aie centers are 10 feet apart See Figure 2 I I I I I On Figure 2 the length of line A B should be about the same as the length of line X Y They may not seem to be l d Aim the speakers the same in this diagram due to an optical illusion i at the primary listener I I I I I I l Try to follow the formula as close as you can You can fine tune the placement by listening to a source with an image such as a vocalist centered between the speakers When listening in stereo no Center C
17. tea y V a Y u Y We d Be eg y ia amp u H ei amp a Pm hn operation manual B 1600 B 1500 ME Mek SOUND Miller amp Kreisel Sound Inc 9351 Deering Avenue Chatsworth CA 91311 5858 USA 818 701 7010 fax 818 701 0369 www mksound com 2003 Miller amp Kreisel Sound Inc TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION E 3 2 SPEAKER HOOK UP amp USAGE 4 000000 nn 0 En anne a 3 WIRING sn Tan 3 3 OPTIMIZING SPEAKER PLACEMENT unnuusssssnnsennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnen 3 4 M amp K BACKFIRE PORT SYSTEM unssanannnenn anna nn ann nn 4 5 lei ITM 5 CENTER CHANNEL 0a aaa rennen 5 SURROUND CHANNEL eu an En 6 6 SPEAKER SUBWOOFER PHASING TEST uussserennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 6 7 SPEAKER DAMAGE amp HOW TO AVOID IT uuusssnnsnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 7 8 M amp K 10 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY uusssssnnnsennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 7 9 IF YOU NEED SERVICE OR SET UP ASSISTANCE nuursssnnnnnnnnnnnnrnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 7 10 CABINET MAINT ENANG Ee vscieniccstnssdennnactssstsnaruninananindaiuientanetinwdednbigsnenanaeuscenbonseincunundad 8 Tis SPECIFICATIONS wc senienas nerna aien aneemia ae ee EEE AAAren Enn 8 DIAGRAMS FIGURE T SPEAKER WIRIN Gissiisiisnisicsnsnctentsmnasenatenmausissnisasinmisnnnnimnneinnnnnadivaabinnnnbinksensan 3 FIGURE 2 SEPARATION BETWEEN LEFT amp RIGHT SPEAKER
18. when compared to a slightly lower volume level When you are listening at high volume levels be aware of the onset of clipping distortion and turn the volume down slightly if the sound takes on the character described above When tone controls or equalizers are used to boost frequencies the problem occurs much more rapidly Even a small boost of low or high frequencies can easily double the power requirement and lead to amplifier clipping at moderate levels Therefore you should use your tone controls judiciously avoiding extreme boosts of the bass and treble controls especially when you are listening at high volume levels The best way to avoid speaker damage is to use common sense Use moderate boosts of tone controls or equalizers at the very most Listen carefully for any harshness and break up especially at high volume levels and turn down the volume when needed If you cannot get enough volume you may need to consider a higher powered amplifier If you have any questions about this please contact M amp K and we will be happy to discuss it with you further 8 M amp K 10 YEAR WARRANTY All M amp K Satellite speakers carry a ten year limited parts and labor warranty This warranty is transferable to new owners up to ten years from the date of original purchase It does not cover abuse misuse repairs by unauthorized service stations speakers with out M amp K serial numbers speakers not sold by authorized M amp K dealers and those damag
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