SONY SA-VS500H - Home Theater Speaker System Manual

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.
To prevent fire, do not cover the ventilation of the apparatus with news papers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. And don't place lighted candles on the apparatus.

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet.

You are cautioned that any changes or modification not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.

About this manual

The SA-VS500H is a 5.1 channel speaker system consisting of two front speakers, two surround speakers, one center speaker, and one subwoofer. It supports Sony Digital Cinema Sound, Dolby* Pro Logic, and Dolby Digital etc., and is thus geared towards the enjoyment of movies.

* "Dolby" and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

Precautions

On safety

• Before operating the system, be sure that the operating voltage of the system is identical with that of your local power supply.
• The unit is not disconnected from the AC power source (mains) as long as it is connected to the wall outlet, even if the unit itself has been turned off.
• Unplug the system from the wall outlet if it is not to be used for an extended period of time. To disconnect the cord, pull the cord by grasping the plug. Never pull the cord itself.
• Should any liquid or solid object fall into the system, unplug the system's power cord and have the system checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further.
• AC power cord must be changed only at the qualified service shop.

On operation

• Do not drive the speaker system with a continuous wattage exceeding the maximum input power of the system.
• If the polarity of the speaker connections are not correct, the bass tones will be weak and the position of the various instruments obscure.
• Contact between bare speaker wires at the speaker terminals may result in a short-circuit.
• Before connecting, turn off the amplifier to avoid damaging the speaker system.
• The speaker grille cannot be removed. Do not attempt to remove the grille on the speaker system. If you try to remove it, you may damage the speaker.
• The volume level should not be turned up to the point of distortion.

If you encounter color irregularity on a nearby TV screen

This speaker system is magnetically shielded to allow it to be installed near a TV set. However, color irregularities may still be observed on certain types of TV sets.

If color irregularity is observed...

• Turn off the TV set, then turn it on again in 15 to 30 minutes.

If color irregularity is observed again...

• Place the speakers further away from the TV set.

If howling occurs

Reposition the speakers or turn down the volume on the amplifier.

On placement

• Do not set the speakers in an inclined position.
• Do not place the speakers in locations that are:
  • Extremely hot or cold
  • Dusty or dirty
  • Very humid
  • Subject to vibrations
  • Subject to direct sunlight
• Use caution when placing the speaker on a specially treated (waxed, oiled, polished, etc.) floor, as staining or discoloration may result.

On cleaning

Clean the speaker cabinets with a soft cloth lightly moistened with a mild detergent solution or water. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent such as alcohol or benzine.

If you have any questions or problems concerning your speaker system, please consult your nearest Sony dealer.

Hooking up the system

Connect the speaker system to the speaker output terminals of an amplifier.

Make sure power to all components (included the subwoofer) is turned off before starting the hook-up.

Notes

• Make sure the plus (+) and the minus (–) terminals on the speakers are matched to the corresponding plus (+) and minus (–) terminals on the amplifier.
  
• Be sure to tighten the screws of the speaker terminals securely as loose screws may become a source of noise.
  
• Make sure all connections are firm. Contact between bare speaker wires at the speaker terminals may cause a short-circuit.
  
• For details regarding the connections on the amplifier side, refer to the manual provided with your amplifier.

Tip
Black or black striped wires are minus (–) in polarity, and should be connected to the minus (–) speaker terminals.

Positioning the speakers

Location of each speaker

Each speaker should face the listening position. Better surround effect will result if all speakers are set at the same distance from the listening position.
Place the front speakers at a suitable distance to the left and right of the television.
Place the subwoofer on either side of the television.
Place the center speaker on the top-center of the TV set.
The placement of surround speakers greatly depends on the configuration of the room. The surround speakers may be placed on both sides of the listening position A or behind the listening position B.

Setting the center speaker

Set the center speaker firmly on top of the TV set, making sure it is completely level.

Note
Be sure to place the speaker in a flat, horizontal place.

Setting the amplifier

When connecting to an amplifier with internal multi channel decoders (Dolby Digital, DTS**, etc.), you should use the setup menus for the amplifier to specify the parameters of your speaker system.
See the table below for the proper settings. For details on the setting procedure, refer to the manual that was provided with your amplifier.

Speaker setup

If you use the amplifier with adjustable crossover frequency, it is recommended to select 150 Hz (or close to this figure) as the crossover frequency for your front, center, and surround speakers.

** "DTS" and "DTS Digital Surround" are registered trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

Listening to the sound

First, turn down the volume on the amplifier. The volume should be set to minimum before you begin playing the program source.

1. Turn on the amplifier and select the program source.
2. Press POWER on the subwoofer. The ON/STANDBY indicator on the subwoofer lights up green.
3. Play the program source.

Power turn on and off automatically

Auto power on/off function

When the subwoofer is on (i.e, the ON/STANDBY indicator lights up green) and there is no signal input for a few minutes, the ON/STANDBY indicator changes to red and the subwoofer enters power saving mode. While in this mode a signal is input to the subwoofer, the subwoofer automatically turns on (auto power on/off function). To turn this feature off, slide the POWER SAVE switch on the rear panel to OFF.

Note
If you turn down the volume level of the amplifier too low, the auto power on/off function may activate, causing the subwoofer to enter power saving mode.

Adjusting the subwoofer

1. Set MODE according to the program source as follows:

2. Rotate LEVEL to adjust the volume. Set the volume level to best suit your preference according to the program source.

Notes

• Some amplifier functions for enhancing the sound may cause distortion in the subwoofer. If such distortion occurs, turn off those functions.
• To enjoy high-quality sound, do not turn the subwoofer volume too high.
• The bass sound is enhanced in MOVIE mode rather than in MUSIC mode. Therefore, if you change the mode to MOVIE while listening to some sources that do not include the bass sound, you may not be able to get the effect.

Troubleshooting

Should you encounter a problem with your speaker system, check the following list and take the indicated measures. If the problem persists, consult your nearest Sony dealer.

There is not sound from the speaker system

• Make sure all the connections have been correctly made.
• Make sure the volume on the amplifier has been turned up properly.
• Make sure the program source selector on the amplifier is set to the proper source.
• Check if headphones are connected. If they are, disconnect them.

There is distortion in the subwoofer sound output

• Check if any sound-enhancing functions have been activated on the amplifier. If they have, turn them off.

There is hum or noise in the speaker output

• Make sure all the connections have been correctly made.
• Make sure none of the audio components are positioned too close to the TV set.

The sound has suddenly stopped

• Make sure all the connections have been correctly made. Contact between bare speaker wires at the speaker terminals may cause a short-circuit.

Specifications

SS-VF500 (front and surround speakers)
Speaker system 2 way, magnetically shielded
Speaker units Woofer: 5.7 cm, cone type
Tweeter: 2.5 cm, balanced dome type
Enclosure type Bass reflex
Rated impedance 8 ohms
Power handling capacity
Maximum input power: 120 watts
Sensitivity level 84 dB (1 W, 1 m)
Frequency range 120 Hz - 50,000 Hz
Dimensions (w/h/d) Approx. 77 × 1,050 × 78 mm, including front grille, (Diameter of base: 250 mm)
Mass Approx. 6.0 kg

SS-CN500 (center speaker)
Speaker system 2 way, magnetically shielded
Speaker units Woofer: 5.7 cm, cone type
Tweeter: 2.5 cm, balanced dome type
Enclosure type Bass reflex
Rated impedance 8 ohms
Power handling capacity
Maximum input power: 120 watts
Sensitivity level 84 dB (1 W, 1 m)
Frequency range 120 Hz - 50,000 Hz
Dimensions (w/h/d) Approx. 336 × 82 × 84 mm, including front grille
Mass Approx. 1.6 kg

SA-WVS500 (subwoofer)
Speaker system Active subwoofer, magnetically shielded
Speaker unit Woofer: 20 cm, cone type
Enclosure type Advanced SAW type
Reproduction frequency range 26 Hz - 200 Hz
Continuous RMS power output 120 W (8 ohms 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.8% THD)

Inputs
LINE IN (input pin jack)

General
Power requirements 220 - 230 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumptions 90 W
1 W (standby mode)
Dimensions (w/h/d) Approx. 230 × 392 × 447 mm, including front grille
Mass Approx. 13.2 kg

Supplied accessories
Audio connecting cord (1)
Speaker connecting cords, 10 m (2)
Speaker connecting cords, 3.5 m (3)

Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Documents / Resources

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