English Owner's Manual; Limited Warranty - Bowers & Wilkins XT8 Owner's Manual

English
Owner's manual
Thank you for choosing Bowers & Wilkins.
Please read this manual fully before unpacking and
installing the product. It will help you to optimise its
performance.
B&W maintains a network of dedicated distributors in
over 60 countries who will be able to help you should
you have any problems your dealer cannot resolve.
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
Check in the carton for:
2 Foam plugs
6 long spike feet
6 short spike feet
6 lock nuts
6 self-adhesive clear rubber feet
Positioning
As an initial guide:
2-channel audio (figure 1)
Position the speakers so they subtend an angle of
approximately 60º at the centre of the listening area
Keep the speaker baffles at least 0.5m clear of walls.
Clearance from the rear wall improves the impression
of depth in the sound image.
Multi-channel audio front left and right (figure 2)
The speakers may be placed closer together than for
2-channel audio, because the surround channels tend
to widen the image. The angle subtended at the
centre of the listening area may be reduced to 40º.
Home theatre front left and right (figure 3)
Position the speakers approximately 0.5m (20 in) from
the sides of the screen, to keep the sound image in
scale with the visual image on screen.
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
(CRT television and computer screens, computer
discs, audio and video tapes, swipe cards and the
like) at least 0.5m from the speaker. LCD and plasma
screens are not affected by magnetic fields.
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Connections
(figure 4)
All connections should be made with the equipment
switched off.
Feed the cable through the aperture in the underside
of the plinth, up through the cable channel in the
cabinet extrusion to the terminal panel.
Connect the positive terminal on the speaker (upper
terminal marked + and coloured red) to the positive
output terminal of the amplifier and negative (lower
terminal marked - and coloured black) to negative.
Incorrect connection can result in poor imaging and
loss of bass.
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.
Fine Tuning
Before fine tuning, double check that all the
connections in the installation are correct and secure.
Moving the speakers further from the walls will reduce
the general level of bass. Space behind the speakers
also helps to create an impression of depth.
Conversely, moving the speakers closer to the walls
will increase the level of bass.
To reduce the bass level without moving the speakers
further from the wall, fit one or both foam plugs in the
port tube (figure 5). To access the ports, remove the
grille by gently pulling it away from the cabinet.
Uneven bass is usually due to resonance modes in the
room and it is worth experimenting with both speaker
and listener position. Try mounting the speakers along
a different wall. Even moving large pieces of furniture
can have an effect.
If the central image is poor, try moving the speakers
closer together or toeing them in so they point at or
just in front of the listeners. (figure 6)
If the sound is too harsh, increase the amount of soft
furnishing in the room (for example use heavier
curtains), or reduce it if the sound is dull and lifeless.
Test for flutter echoes by clapping your hands and
listening for rapid repetitions. They can be reduced by
the use of irregular shaped surfaces such as
bookshelves and large pieces of furniture.
Ensure the speakers stand firmly on the floor. If they
stand on a carpet, fit spike feet after you have
optimised the positioning. The spikes should pierce
through the carpet to the floor surface, so choose
either the long or short spikes, according to the
thickness of the carpet. (figure 7)
To fit the spike feet, screw the lock nuts fully onto the
spikes then screw each spike fully into one of the
threaded holes in the plinth. If the speaker rocks when
placed on the floor, unscrew the appropriate spikes
until it stands firmly on the floor. Lock the spikes in
place when the speaker is steady by tightening the
lock nuts against the plinth.
If the speakers are to stand on a solid floor, fix the
self-adhesive clear rubber feet to the base of the
plinth. (figure 8)
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.
However, longer run-in periods (as long as a month)
have been reported and there is evidence to suggest
that this has little to do with the speaker changing and
more to do with the listener getting used to the new
sound. This is especially so with highly revealing
speakers such as these where there may be a
significant increase in the amount of detail compared
with what the listener has previously been used to; the
sound may at first appear too "up front" and perhaps
a little hard. After an extended period of time the
sound will seem to mellow, but without losing clarity
and detail.
Aftercare
The cabinet surfaces usually only require dusting. If you
wish to use an aerosol or other cleaner, remove the
grille first by gently pulling it away from the cabinet.
Spray aerosols onto the cleaning cloth, not directly
onto the product. Test a small area first, as some
cleaning products may damage some of the surfaces.
Avoid products that are abrasive, or contain acid, alkali
or anti-bacterial agents. Do not use cleaning agents on
the drive units. The grille fabric may be cleaned with a
normal clothes brush whilst the grille is detached from
the cabinet. Avoid touching the drive units, especially
the tweeter, as damage may result.

Limited Warranty

This product has been designed and manufactured to
the highest quality standards. However, if something
does go wrong with this product, B&W Group Ltd. and
its national distributors warrant free of charge labour
(exclusion may apply) and replacement parts in any
country served by an official B&W distributor.
This limited warranty is valid for a period of five years
from the date of purchase or two years for electronics
including amplified loudspeakers.
Terms and Conditions
1 The warranty is limited to the repair of the
equipment. Neither transportation, nor any other
costs, nor any risk for removal, transportation and
installation of products is covered by this warranty.
2 This warranty is only valid for the original owner. It
is not transferable.
3 This warranty will not be applicable in cases other
than defects in materials and/or workmanship at
the time of purchase and will not be applicable:
a. for damages caused by incorrect installation,
connection or packing,
b. for damages caused by any use other than correct
use described in the user manual, negligence,
modifications, or use of parts that are not made or
authorised by B&W,
c. for damages caused by faulty or unsuitable
ancillary equipment,
d. for damages caused by accidents, lightning, water,
fire heat, war, public disturbances or any other
cause beyond the reasonable control of B&W and
its appointed distributors,
e. for products whose serial number has been
altered, deleted, removed or made illegible,
f. if repairs or modifications have been executed by
an unauthorised person.
4 This guarantee complements any national/regional
law obligations of dealers or national distributors
and does not affect your statutory rights as a
customer.
How to claim repairs under warranty
Should service be required, please follow the following
procedure:
1 If the equipment is being used in the country of
purchase, you should contact the B&W authorised
dealer from whom the equipment was purchased.
2 If the equipment is being used outside the country
of purchase, you should contact the B&W national
distributor in the country of residence, who will
advise where the equipment can be serviced. You
can call B&W in the UK or visit our web site to get
the contact details of your local distributor.
To validate your warranty, you will need to produce the
warranty booklet completed and stamped by your
dealer on the date of purchase. Alternatively, you will
need the original sales invoice or other proof of
ownership and date of purchase.
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