Figure - Bowers & Wilkins DS7 Owner's Manual And Warranty

You can choose which way the positive and
negative dipole lobes point using the centre
toggle switch marked t 8 on the front
baffle. The stem of the switch points in the
direction of the positive lobe.
To optimise the smoothness of sounds
panning from the front of the room to the
back and vice versa when speakers are
used in dipole mode, we recommend that
the side speakers have their positive lobes
pointing towards the front of the room and
the rear speakers have their positive lobes
pointing towards the centre of the rear wall.

(figure 5)

Stray magnetic fields
The speaker drive units create stray
magnetic fields that extend beyond the
boundaries of the cabinet. We recommend
you keep magnetically sensitive articles
(television and computer screens, computer
discs, audio and video tapes, swipe cards
and the like) at least 0.5m (20 in) from the
speaker.
Connections
(figure 6)
All connections should be made with the
equipment switched off.
Ensure the positive terminal on the speaker
(marked + and coloured red) is connected
to the positive output terminal of the
amplifier and negative (marked – and
coloured black) to negative. Incorrect
connection can result in poor imaging and
loss of bass.
The terminals accept 6mm (1/4 in) spades,
bared wire ends or round pins up to 6mm
diameter and 4mm banana plugs.
Important safety notice:
In certain countries, notably those in
Europe, the use of 4mm banana plugs is
considered a potential safety hazard,
because they may be inserted into the
holes of unshuttered mains supply sockets.
In order to comply with European
CENELEC safety regulations, the 4mm
holes in the ends of the terminals are
blocked by plastic pins. Do not remove the
pins if you are using the product where
these conditions apply.
Always screw the terminal caps down
tightly to optimise the connection and
prevent rattles.
Ask your dealer for advice when choosing
cable. Keep the total impedance below the
maximum recommended in the
specification and use a low inductance
cable to avoid attenuation of the highest
frequencies.
Below the speaker input terminals are two
screw terminals for the 12V trigger signal.
Strip insulation from the ends of twin cable
and connect to the trigger output of your
processor, if available. To avoid damage,
ensure that you observe the correct
polarity of the connection.
Fixing the speaker in place
The speakers may be fixed to a wall using
screws in the range 5mm to 6mm diameter
(No.10 to No.12). On the back of the
cabinet are three wall plates. The screw
head should be inserted into the round part
2
of the aperture and slid fully along one of
the slots. (figure 7)
Ensure, especially when fixing to
drywall panels, that the screw length
and wall plug security are sufficient to
hold the weight of the speaker. B&W
can accept no liability for any failure of
wall or ceiling fixings.
Use the template provided to mark the
screw positions. The outside dimensions of
the template correspond to the rear of the
cabinet.
Stick 4 of the clear self-adhesive rubber
pads to the rear panel of each speaker, one
close to each corner. These stop the
speaker vibrating against the surface and
help keep it in position. (figure 8)
Adjust the protrusion of the screws such
that the rubber pads are a friction slide on
the surface when the wall plates are
hooked over the screw heads. (figure 9)
Always check and ensure that:
• All the screws slide right to the ends
of the slots in the wall plates.
• Screw protrusion is adjusted so that
the rubber pads provide enough
friction to prevent the speakers
sliding out of position.
Mode selection
(figure 10)
Use the bottom switch on the front baffle
when selecting between monopole and
dipole modes. In the G position, the
speaker defaults to monopole mode.
However, if a 12V signal is applied to the
trigger input, internal relays switch to dipole
mode. In the GG position the speaker is
always in dipole mode, whatever the trigger
signal.
Some processors feature programmable
triggering and may be set up to change the
mode of the speakers depending on the
type of material being played. Ask your
dealer for advice on choosing a suitable
processor if you wish to use this facility and
refer to the processor manual on how to
carry out the programming.
Experiment to find the settings best suited
to your requirements. Typical combinations
are:
• All surround speakers monopole
• Side speakers dipole, rear speakers
monopole
• All surround speakers dipole
It would be unusual, but not impossible, to
set side speakers to monopole and rear
speakers to dipole.
Fine tuning
In monopole mode, the high frequency
output level may be adjusted using the top
toggle switch on the front baffle. In the
centre 0 position, the system response is
nominally flat. The + position gives more
output, which may be required, for
example, if the acoustic of the room is dull,
if circumstances dictate that the speakers
have to be placed more off line than
recommended or if the speaker is built into
custom furniture and placed behind fabric
that is more absorbent than that on the
grilles supplied. Conversely, the – position
reduces the level for when the room
acoustic is too bright or if you want to
reduce your awareness of the speakers'
location.
Running-in period
The performance of the speaker will change
subtly during the initial listening period. If
the speaker has been stored in a cold
environment, the damping compounds and
suspension materials of the drive units will
take some time to recover their correct
mechanical properties. The drive unit
suspensions will also loosen up during the
first hours of use. The time taken for the
speaker to achieve its intended
performance will vary depending on
previous storage conditions and how it is
used. As a guide, allow up to a week for
the temperature effects to stabilise and 15
hours of average use for the mechanical
parts to attain their intended design
characteristics.
Aftercare
The cabinets normally only require dusting.
If you wish to use an aerosol cleaner,
remove the grilles first by gently pulling
them away from the cabinet. Spray onto
the cleaning cloth, not directly the cabinet.
With the grilles detached from the cabinet,
clean the fabric with a normal clothes brush
or vacuum cleaner with appropriate
accessory.
Avoid touching the drive units, especially
the tweeter, as damage may result.