Definitive Technology ProMonitor 6D Manual

In order to make sure your speakers are properly protected, you must see to all four fields:
1) channel levels 2) bass management 3) equalizer, and of course 4) overall system volume.
1. Check the channel levels so that no channel level is boosted very much over the others.
In order to do this you will need to use the manual test tone option through your AVR
receiver's set up menu.
2. If your system requires a difference of more than a couple of dB in order to be balanced,
try lowering most of the channels instead of raising up the level of only one (in other
words in a 5.1 if you raise the level of only one speaker you get the same effect as if you
lowered the level of the other four speakers).
3. Each 3dB boost will cause that channel to require double the amount of power.
a. So at a 0dB channel level a given speaker gets as much power as every other
speaker in the theater.
b. At +3 dB that one speaker gets twice the power as the other channels.
c. At +6 dB that power requirement is doubled again.
d. And so on, with each additional +3 dB requiring double the power.
4. So if your system is humming along at 75 watts with one speaker set to +3dB then that
one speaker require 150 watts while the others require only 75. If the channel is set to
+6dB then that one speaker will require 300 watts! What then happens is the AVR tries
to provide enough power and instead ends up producing lots of dirty distorted and
clipped power, which in turn becomes excess heat in the speaker. And leads to damage.
1. If using ProCinema or Demand bookshelves, your speakers must be set to "small" in
your AVR.
a. You must also set the crossover. See appendix at the end of this document for
the recommended crossover levels for many DT speakers. If your model is not
there you may contact us for a specific recommendation.
b. Contact the manufacturer of your AVR for advice on how to access the crossover
settings in the AVRs set up menu.
i. Some manufacturers will not ask for small or large. Instead they will ask
for either "full bandwidth" (large) or for a specific frequency (small).
Preventing
Speaker Damage
I. Channel Levels
II. Bass Management