Environmental Information; Positioning The Subwoofer - Bowers & Wilkins 800 Serie Manual Del Usuario

As the subwoofer is connected to the electricity power
supply, it is important that you familiarise yourself with
the safety instructions and heed all warnings.
Keep this manual in a safe place for future reference.
B&W products are distributed to over 60 countries
worldwide and we maintain an international network of
carefully chosen and dedicated distributors. If you
have a problem, which your dealer cannot resolve, our
distributors will be more than willing to assist you.

Environmental Information

All B&W products are designed to comply
with international directives on the
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment and the
disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE). These symbols indicate compliance and that
the products must be appropriately recycled or
processed in accordance with these directives. Consult
your local waste disposal authority for guidance.
Unpacking
(figure 1)
The easiest way to unpack the subwoofer and avoid
damage is as follows:
• Open the carton flaps right back and invert the
carton and contents.
• Lift the carton away from the product.
We recommend that you retain the packaging for
future use.
In addition to this manual, the carton should contain:
1 Subwoofer
1 Accessory pack containing:
4 Rubber feet
4 Spike feet
4 Lock nuts
1 International warranty document
A tour of the subwoofer
(figure 2)
1 Power/Standby indicator
2 VOLUME control
3 LOW-PASS FREQUENCY control
4 MODE On/Auto/Standby switch
5 Equalisation switch
6 LOW-PASS FILTER defeat switch
7 Phase switch
8 LINE IN
9 LINE OUT
10 LINK OUT
11 POWER on/off switch
12 Fuse holders
13 Power input socket
4

Positioning the subwoofer

Because the subwoofer produces only low-frequency
sounds, positioning is less critical in some respects
compared to full-range speakers. Directional
information is much less precise and you have more
choice where to place the speakers to good effect.
This said, best results are obtained if the subwoofer is
placed between the satellite speakers or in the vicinity
of one of them. If you use two subwoofers, it is best
to put one near each satellite speaker.
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 full-range speakers, however, you can always
restore the correct overall system balance by adjusting
the volume level of the subwoofer. The more boost
you get from the room, the less hard the speaker has
to work; but there is a down side. Corner positions
often excite more low-frequency room resonances,
making the bass more uneven with frequency. There is
no substitute for experiment as all rooms behave
differently, so try the subwoofer in a variety of
positions before making a final decision. A piece of
music with a bass line ascending or descending the
musical scale is useful for assessing the smoothness
of the bass response. Listen for exaggerated or quiet
notes. Having a separate subwoofer does enable you
to optimise for room resonances independently from
siting the satellite speakers for best imaging.
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 re-tighten the lock nuts to the inserts.
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.