Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo Manual page 3

1. Formation Duo Carton Contents
2x Formation Duo
Mains power cable set appropriate for your territory
Document pack
2. Installing Your Formation Duo
Your Formation Duo speakers each require a mains
power supply to operate so must be located within
reach of mains sockets. You may wish to install
suitable mains sockets once you have decided on
the locations of your Formation Duo in your listening
room. If your Formation Duo are to use a wired
connection to your network router one of them will
need to be located within reach of an appropriate
network cable.
Formation Duo are primarily intended to be used on
Formation FS Duo stands but can also be placed on
shelves, wall brackets or furniture units. Formation
FS Duo stands will however provide both the best
performance and enable the greatest flexibility
in positioning. The stands will also place your
Formation Duo at the correct height – approximately
head height when listening.
Note: If your Formation Duo are to be mounted
on Formation FS Duo stands, please assemble
the stands and secure the speakers to them
before you set up the speakers. Remember that
the Formation Duo mains cables and network
cable (if required) should run through the legs
of the speaker stands. The Formation FS Duo
stands are supplied with rubber and spike foot
options. The spike foot option should be used
when the stands are to be placed on a carpeted
floor. The spikes pierce the carpet to rest on the
surface underneath. Adjust the spike to ensure
that the stands are vertical and don't rock. Use
the rubber foot option the stands are to be
placed on tiled or wooden floors.
If you still however prefer to install your Formation
Duo on shelves, brackets or furniture units please
ensure that:
• both speakers are located at approximately the
same height.
• the shelves, brackets and furniture are easily able
to support the weight of the speakers and are rigid
and non-resonant.
Stud-work and plasterboard walls are unlikely to
provide adequate strength or rigidity to support
Formation Duo. If you are unsure of the suitability
of a wall, or of your ability to install shelf or bracket
hardware, you should seek professional help.
In the majority of listening rooms your Formation Duo
should be between 2.0m and 4.0m (6.5ft and 13ft)
apart and a similar distance from the listening area.
If the speakers are positioned too close together, the
stereo reproduction may lack scale; if they are too
far apart, the stereo focus may be weak. There is no
need to angle your Formation Duo inwards towards
the listening area however doing so may tighten the
stereo focus. Diagram 1 illustrates basic speaker
positioning.
Like all speakers, Formation Duo radiates sound
energy not only forward but also to the side and,
particularly at bass frequencies, to the rear. As
a result, if they are positioned too close to room
boundaries their performance will be affected. Try to
keep your Formation Duo at least 0.5m (1.6ft) away
from any room boundary.
Even with your Formation Duo placed away from
room boundaries, the material and acoustic
character of the boundaries will still have an
effect on the sound. Try to ensure that immediate
surroundings of each speaker have similar acoustic
qualities. Different acoustic qualities would be heavy
curtains and bare walls, for example.
Diagram 1
Positioning
Diagram 2
Formation Duo rear panel
Connections
In addition to mains power sockets
Duo carry an Ethernet socket
network router if a wired network connection is to be
used in preference to a wireless (WiFi) connection.
Only one speaker of a Formation Duo pair requires a
router connection.
Note: The USB socket located on the Formation
Duo rear panel is intended for service and
diagnostic use only. It cannot be used for any
other purpose.
Note: The Formation Duo connection panel is not
easily accessible once the speakers are attached
to Formation FS Duo stands.
2 metres
, Formation
for connection to a
3