General Description; Installation - Genelec 8010A Operating Manual

5040A Active Subwoofer

General description

The Genelec 5040A is a very compact active
subwoofer designed to complement up to five
Genelec 6010A active loudspeakers or a pair
of the slightly bigger 6020A's or 8020A's. The
5040A extends the system's bass response
down to 35 Hz and integrates perfectly with
the 6010A's in any environment. The play-
back level for the whole system is conven-
iently controlled by the remote volume control
provided with the subwoofer.

Installation

Before connecting the audio signals, ensure
that all equipment is switched off.
The subwoofer is equipped with six RCA
signal inputs (FRONT L, FRONT R, CENTER,
REAR L, REAR R and LFE) and a 3.5 mm
stereo jack input. These allow connecting the
5040A to a variety of line level audio sources
with either 3.5 mm Jack or RCA type audio
connectors. Suitable sources are preamplifiers,
computer sound cards, portable audio players,
"PRE OUT" connectors on a Home Theater
receiver, etc. Two separate sources can be
connected to the 3.5 mm Jack and the FRONT
L and R inputs at the same time, but this may
cause a slight increase of the noise level.
As the 5040A contains its own amplifier,
no separate power amplifier is needed. Never
connect the 5040A to the loudspeaker outputs
of a power amplifier, integrated amplifier or
receiver.
Connect the audio signal cables from your
source to the corresponding RCA connec-
tors. Next, connect the main loudspeakers
to the subwoofer with RCA cables from the
subwoofer's FRONT L, FRONT R, CENTER,
REAR L and REAR R "OUT" connectors to
the signal inputs of the corresponding main
loudspeakers.
If you are using the 5040A with Genelec
8020A active loudspeakers, the connecting
cables must have a male XLR connector at
the loudspeaker end. See the 8020A operat-
ing manual for the correct type of cable. When
using the 8020A's with the 5040A, the Bass
Roll-Off switch on the 8020A's should be in
position "OFF"
The 5040A has an integrated crossover
network for the five main channels which
directs the frequencies below 85 Hz to the
subwoofer and higher frequencies through
the output connectors to the main loudspeak-
ers. When using a surround sound processor,
select a loudspeaker setting "Large" for the
channels routed through the subwoofer.
The LFE channel of the preamplifier or
processor can be connected to the "LFE IN"
connector. The LFE channel on the 5040A can
reproduce signals up to 120 Hz.
Connect the volume control to the "SYSTEM
VOLUME CONTROL" connector. The volume
control adjusts the playback level of the
subwoofer and all loudspeakers connected to it.
Once all connections have been made, the
subwoofer and main loudspeakers are ready
to be powered up.
Positioning in the room
The placement of the subwoofer in the room
affects the overall frequency response and
sound level of the system dramatically, as at
low frequencies the effects of the room are
strong. Even a slight change in the location
of the subwoofer can cause a marked dif-
ference in the frequency balance and often
patient and methodical experimentation and
testing is needed to find the optimum place-
ment.
The placement will also affect the bass roll-
off rate and the phase difference between the
main loudspeakers and the subwoofer. These
effects can be compensated using the con-
trols in the subwoofer but we recommend that
at first you leave the switches untouched and
concentrate on finding the position where the
subwoofer gives the smoothest response,
and only then use the controls to fine-tune
the balance and phase alignment between
the subwoofer and the main loudspeakers.
Start by placing the subwoofer close to the
center of the front wall. We recommend a dis-
tance of less than 60 cm / 24" to the wall. This
position gives increased acoustic loading and
SPL due to the proximity of the front wall and
floor. Cancellations from the front wall and
floor are also avoided. Ideally the subwoofer
and main loudspeakers should be positioned
symmetrically and at an equal distance from
the listening position.
If the frequency balance is not quite right,
try moving the subwoofer to the left or right
along the wall so that different room modes
are excited at different levels. Positioning
the subwoofer close to a corner will boost
the bass level at lower frequencies and may
cause asymmetrical spatial imaging.
Although the 5040A is magnetically
shielded, it may cause colour distortion if
placed near to very sensitive CRT monitors
or computer displays.
Setting the subwoofer level
The subwoofer level control is located on
the connector panel of the subwoofer. The
factory default setting is -6 dB (9 o'clock)
from maximum position, which gives a good
starting point for level matching with 6010A
loudspeakers. When using the 5040A with
Genelec 6020A's or 8020A's the level of the
main loudspeakers typically needs to be low-
ered by turning the volume control on the
front panel back from its maximum setting to
the 12 o'clock position.
Setting the
Bass Roll-Off switches
The acoustic response of the subwoofer may
have to be matched to the characteristics of
the room and the positioning in which it will be
used. To adjust the subwoofer to match these
characteristics use the ''BASS ROLL-OFF'
control switches located on the connector
panel. When all Roll-Off switches are 'OFF', a
flat anechoic response is obtained.
Setting the phase control
The effect of incorrect phase alignment
between the main loudspeakers and the
subwoofer is a drop in the frequency response
of the whole system at the main loudspeaker
/ subwoofer crossover frequency. The phase
difference between the main loudspeakers
and subwoofer at the listening position is
dependent upon the position of the subwoofer.
To avoid phase differences between the left
and right channels and the subwoofer, the
subwoofer should be placed close to the