Avalon Acoustics Isis User Manual
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Avalon Acoustics Isis User Manual

Avalon acoustics floorstanding speaker user manual
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D
ESIGNED BY
This product is certified to meet the requirements of the European Union (EU)
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive (89/336/EEC). Because the permanent
magnets attached to the loudspeaker drivers produce magnetic fields, it is
recommended that the product not be positioned in very close proximity to computer
monitors or television sets.
S
N
ERIAL
UMBERS
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
N
P
A
EIL
ATEL FOR
VALON
: _________________
H
B
ANDCRAFTED
Y
A
COUSTICS
:

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Summary of Contents for Avalon Acoustics Isis

  • Page 1 ESIGNED BY This product is certified to meet the requirements of the European Union (EU) Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive (89/336/EEC). Because the permanent magnets attached to the loudspeaker drivers produce magnetic fields, it is recommended that the product not be positioned in very close proximity to computer monitors or television sets.

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Orientation of the Felt Anti-Diffraction Mask ... 7 2.3 Replacing Grille Pins ... 7 3 Wiring Instructions ... 10 Introduction ... 10 Connecting the Speaker to the Amplifier ... 10 4 Break-in Period ... 11 5 Maximizing Performance ... 12 Break-in ... 12 Grille Assemblies ...
  • Page 3 Designing for Accurate Bass Reproduction ... 38 Frequency Response Effects ... 39 Listening for Size Distortions ... 39 Transient Response Effects ... 40 9.4 Important ISIS Recommendations ... 41 10 Features ... 41 11 Specifications ... 43 12 Notes ... 44...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    In each facet of transducer refinement the Isis sets a new benchmark for lack of obscuring distortions of all types.

  • Page 5: Unpacking Instructions

    2 Unpacking Instructions Introduction Your A VALON COUSTICS to ensure their safe arrival. It is recommended to save these crates for possible future use. Due to the weight of the speakers, it will require two persons to un-crate them and position them for listening. Please arrange for your dealer or another able bodied person to assist in this project.

  • Page 6: Opening The Crate

    Please note that the binding post is on the back of the speaker. Be sure to slide speaker to end and not the side. Stand the speaker up and the bag can be pulled off the top.

  • Page 7: Installing The Grilles

    2.2 Installing the Grilles The grille assemblies are behind a panel on the outside of the speaker crate. Remove the screws securing the panel, and then carefully pull the grilles straight out. The grilles are installed with friction fasteners and press into place on the speaker cabinets.

  • Page 8: Replacing Grille Pins

    2.3 Replacing Grille Pins The grille pins installed on the grille assemblies are fragile and can be easily damaged. Should any of the pins break, you may replace them using the following procedure. 1. Place the grille assembly face-down on a padded surface (a towel or carpeting).
  • Page 9 WARNING: Grille pin breakage may result if the grille cloth becomes trapped between the pin and frame during installation. Figure 2.6 - Installing grille pin into ISIS grille frame. Note that after installation, the grille pin flange is flush with the surface of the grille.

  • Page 10: Wiring Instructions

    The crossover is encapsulated in a sealed, non-accessible chamber in the bottom of the speaker cabinet, to minimize the effect of vibration on the components. The ISIS is equipped with high-quality binding posts for connecting the speaker cables. Spade lugs are recommended for cable terminations.

  • Page 11: Break-In Period

    4 Break-in Period Your new A VALON COUSTICS will not perform to their full sonic potential when first installed in your system. This is partially due to a residual polarization of the dielectric materials used in the crossover capacitors and internal wiring. loudspeakers, the electrical signal will gradually anneal these materials.

  • Page 12: Maximizing Performance

    It is extremely important that the felt anti-diffraction masks make physical contact with the face of the loudspeakers, as air space between the felt and the speaker face will adversely affect sound quality.

  • Page 13: Toe-In

    It is COUSTICS easiest to install the couplers with the assistance of a friend. Lean the speaker forward first, and position two couplers pointing downward, one under each rear corner. Then lean the speaker backward and place one Apex™ coupler under the front center of the base.

  • Page 14: First Reflection Points

    First Reflection Points Since the ear/brain system tends to integrate the sounds arriving within a 10 millisecond time window, it is important to control the early reflections arriving from the sidewalls to the listening position. A hard-surfaced wall can produce a strong frequency-dependent reflection that can interfere with the reproduced sound-stage, as well as change the perceived tonal balance of the system.

  • Page 15: Care Of Your Loudspeakers

    6 Care of Your Loudspeakers Cabinet (Hardwood Finish) ’ hardwood finished loudspeakers are supplied with a VALON COUSTICS special polish and two lint-free polishing cloths, in order to properly care for the high quality furniture lacquer. The following polishing instructions should be observed: IMPORTANT: Use the supplied furniture polish ONLY.

  • Page 16: Warranty

    This on-site replacement of the driver units eliminates the time and expense of shipping the entire speaker to the factory for repair. All warranty claims must be made through an authorized A...

  • Page 17: Warranty Statement

    If any defects are found in the materials or workmanship of this Avalon Acoustics product, or if the product ceases to properly function within the appropriate warranty period from the date of first purchase, the unit will...
  • Page 18 6. The above warranty is the sole warranty given by A , and is VALON COUSTICS in lieu of all other warranties. All implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose shall be strictly limited in duration to three years from the date of shipment from the factory, and upon the expiration of the warranty period (three years), A shall...

  • Page 19: Room Acoustics And Speaker Position

    8 Room Acoustics and Speaker Position Introduction The listening room forms the final link of the playback system, as important as any other component in the chain. Just as an otherwise superb system is handicapped by an inferior pre-amplifier (for example), so can a well-matched system be hindered by poor room acoustics.

  • Page 20: An Optical Analogy

    An Optical Analogy Let us use a visual analogy to aid our understanding of acoustics. Imagine that you are in a room that is lit only by a candle in its center. There is (approximately) a uniform amount of light cast in all directions. If a large mirror is held closely to candle, one half of the room becomes darkened, while the other half receives twice as much light.

  • Page 21: Standing Waves

    8.1 Standing Waves The parallel surfaces of most listening rooms can lead to a potential problem in the low frequencies. A sound wave can be repeatedly reflected from opposing surfaces, back and forth. If the distance between the surfaces is an integral multiple of one-half the sound wavelength, a standing wave will be set up.

  • Page 22: Flutter Echo

    8.2 Flutter Echo These parallel, reflective surfaces can also produce a different audible problem. If there is little absorption at higher frequencies, a musical transient containing high frequencies, such as a hand clap or the strike of a percussion instrument, can be heard bouncing repeatedly between the surfaces. Called flutter echo (or slap echo), these multiple reflections can obscure musical detail.

  • Page 23: Early Reflections

    8.3 Early Reflections Another situation that can reduce the subjective quality of reproduced sound is the presence of early reflections. By early reflections, we are referring to reflected sound waves that reach the listener within 10 to 20 milliseconds of the direct signal from the loudspeaker.

  • Page 24: Avoiding Early Reflections

    (3 meters) longer than the direct path from speaker to listener (see Figure 8.1). This means that if the speaker or listener is placed closer than about 5 feet to a wall or other surface, that surface should be covered with sonically absorbent material.
  • Page 25 Since the floor is within 5 feet of the speaker, it is best to have a carpeted floor to absorb floor reflections. A thick, dense carpet and pad will absorb lower frequencies more effectively than a thin one. Due to their complex structure,...

  • Page 26: Bass Reinforcement

    Please see Figures 8.3 and 8.4. Furthermore, there are typically three reflective surfaces near each speaker, the floor, the rear wall and the side wall. Each of these surfaces produces its own reflection, and hence additional bass reinforcement.
  • Page 27 Figure 8.5 - Anechoic response, and in-room response with the speaker placed 4.6 feet from the rear wall, and 3.0 feet from the side wall. Note how the bass response is extended by the room reinforcement.
  • Page 28 Figure 8.6. Figure 8.6 - Uneven frequency response caused by improper placement of the speakers. In this case, the speaker is 2.0 feet from both the side and rear walls. As frequency increases and wavelength becomes more similar to the distance to the boundary, the phase difference between original and reflected waves increases, and the air coupling effect is diminished.
  • Page 29 33% of each other. A good rule of thumb in establishing the lateral position of ISIS is to apply the ratio 4 : 10 : 4. In other words, the distance to the side wall is 4/18 (or about 22.2%) of the room width, and the distance from speaker to speaker is 10/18...

  • Page 30: Summary Of Recommendations

    8.5 Summary of Recommendations Now that we have looked at some of the common problems of listening rooms, as well as their cures, let us summarize our findings and recommendations. Flutter Echo and Standing Waves These situations are the result of the room having parallel, reflective surfaces. The potential problems are independent of the audio system, and need to be addressed at the source.

  • Page 31: Speaker Placement

    The suggested minimum distances for the ISIS are 3 feet from one wall (side or rear), and 5 feet from the other (all distances are measured to the center of the woofer cone).

  • Page 32: A Listening Room Example

    8.6 A Listening Room Example In order to make these points more clear, an example of a room layout is given in Figure 8.9, illustrating the principles we have given. DRAPERIES SPEAKER AM P AM P SPEAKER Figure 8.9 - Example listening room. The area around the speakers is free of objects that would produce early reflections.

  • Page 33: Accuracy Of Bass Reproduction

    VALON COUSTICS different design goal than most other speaker manufacturers. Specifically, we believe that the complete absence of stored resonant energy is of paramount sonic importance. First, we will discuss some of the technical aspects of bass reproduction and perception, and then explain how this...

  • Page 34: Sensitivity To Time-Related Information

    "fast bass" to the use of a light diaphragm or the use of a powerful energizing system. diaphragm can be set into motion that imparts a speaker with "fast" bass. Rather, it is how fast that motion can be stopped, how quickly the stored energy can be dissipated, that results in the sensation of "fast"...

  • Page 35: Rationale

    There is an old saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." There are many trade-offs in speaker design, as in almost any area one can think of. In this case, the trade off is between transient response and anechoic frequency response (the speaker's frequency response in an anechoic chamber).

  • Page 36: Measurements Of Audio Equipment

    It is widely acknowledged that this standard is far removed from the actual conditions in which the amplifier will be used. One doesn't listen to resistors, one listens to loudspeakers, and the load that the speaker presents to the amplifier is nearly always highly reactive (varies with frequency). The...

  • Page 37: Loudspeaker Measurements

    Briefly, the interaction of the dispersion pattern of the speaker with the reflective surfaces in the room (and the variation of both with frequency) creates an in-room frequency response that may vary markedly from the anechoic response.

  • Page 38: Designing For Accurate Bass Reproduction

    With the computer model, it is quite easy to change the position of the speaker in the room, or other parameters of the model. In this way, a composite picture can be created of a wide variety of rooms and speaker locations.

  • Page 39: Frequency Response Effects

    A speaker with excessive in-room bass response can create these effects. On the other hand, a speaker system with rolled-off bass can shrink the size of instruments, turning the same stand-up bass into a cello-sized instrument.

  • Page 40: Transient Response Effects

    Transient Response Effects A speaker with poor transient response will store energy, releasing it after the initial musical transient has passed. This causes a loss of detail and obscures important musical information. Also associated with poor transient response is a narrow-band resonance, which can emphasize specific notes.

  • Page 41: Important Isis Recommendations

    Isis channels would be other than the first recommended scenario. Whether your amplifier is a voltage source or a current source design, the Isis will demand that the amplifier and the interface between amplifier and loudspeaker work at optimum levels. For this reason a high-energy transfer speaker cable is essential.

  • Page 42: Features

     Crossover circuitry is hard-wired with surface-only conductors, eliminating deleterious sonic effects of printed-circuit boards.  Easy to use binding post on back of speaker  Careful crossover control of all magnetic field interaction.  Proprietary magnetics technology increases energy transfer and reduces noise floor.

  • Page 43: Specifications

    11 Specifications Driver Complement All drivers utilize proprietary neodymium magnetic technologies. Sensitivity Impedance Frequency Response Recommended Amplifier Power Wiring Methods Dimensions Weight 1" Concave Diamond Diaphragm tweeter 7" Concave Ceramic Midrange 2-13" Nomex-Kevlar Composite Woofers 90 dB 4 ohms nominal 20Hz to 45kHz 75 to 750 watts Two position binding post...

  • Page 44: Notes

    12 Notes...

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