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WILSON AUDIO Mezzo Owner's Manual

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Summary of Contents for WILSON AUDIO Mezzo

  • Page 1 ’...
  • Page 2 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L W i l s o n A u d i o ® i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s , I n c . S o p h i a ®...
  • Page 3 A B L E O N T E N T S O N T E N T S ’ ........... . 1 E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L...
  • Page 4 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L ............3 1 O O M H A P E S .
  • Page 5 A B L E O N T E N T S 5 . 2 — L ......5 5 E C T I O N E F T A N D I G H T...
  • Page 6 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L 9 — S ..........8 1 E C T I O N P E C I F I C A T I O N S 9 .
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  • Page 9 Whether it is used as a center channel or as a main loudspeaker, Mezzo matches the tonal beauty, dynamic speed, tonal sophistication, resolution, and sense of “thereness” of its taller Wilson brethren.
  • Page 10 • Sasha W/P woofer. The Mezzo sources its woofer directly from the Sasha W/P. The speed, dynamic alacrity, and tunefulness that are all distinctive features of the Sasha are in evidence here in similar proportions.
  • Page 11 The tweeter module is adjustable via a provided chart according to ear height and listening distance—and for a variety of Mezzo installation strategies. Whether the Mezzo is installed directly on the floor, on one-of-two custom designed stands, or in custom cabinets, the Mezzo’s drivers can be properly aligned to accommodate...
  • Page 12 The Mezzo cabinet is a further evolution of Wilson’s philosophy that truly great forms follow a corresponding function. It is a visual metaphor for the solution Wilson Au- dio pioneered to address issues of phase coherence exacerbated by large speaker systems.
  • Page 13 E Z Z O N T R O D U C T I O N With Mezzo, Wilson Audio takes this concept a logical step further, addressing the issue of optimal driver dispersion in the large cabinet system. Ideal driver dispersion for both near and far listening positions requires the drivers be adjustable not only forward and back, but also able to rotate on their vertical polar axes.
  • Page 14 W N E R A N U A L With Mezzo, you and others you listen with, will hear your favorite recordings and soundtracks with true time coherency, full frequency range, unfettered dynamics, and vanishingly low distortion. The improvement in realism wrought by Mezzo is delight fully revolutionary.
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  • Page 17 Mezzo is now vertical. With the Mezzo’s bot tom toward the floor and one person holding the crate, the second person should reach in and gently roll the Mezzo out of the crate, carefully, so as not to hit the Mezzo on the crate and scratch the paint.
  • Page 18 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Mezzo Crate 1—Owner’s Manual 1—Warranty Registration (included in the manual) 1—Mezzo Midrange/Woofer Grill 1—Mezzo Tweeter Grill 4—Nuts 4—Spikes 4—Brass Discs 4—Spacers 4—Diodes 1—Universal Allen Handle 1—1/2” Nut Driver 1—1/8”...
  • Page 19 H E C K L I S T Mezzo Stand Box If you purchased a Wilson Audio Mezzo Stand on which to mount your Mezzo, you will find the following items in the box with your stand: 4—3/8” - 16 x 1 1/2” Socket Head Cap Screws 4—3/8”...
  • Page 20 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L • 1—Polishing Cloth- W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 23 While we will also outline some detailed suggestions on the setup of the Mezzo, we strongly suggest that you have your lo- cal Wilson Audio dealer perform the final speaker “voicing” with you. Wilson dealers are specially trained in set ting up Wilson loudspeakers and will ensure that you realize the full value of your purchase.
  • Page 24 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L volume, project your voice out into the room. Your voice will have an overly heavy, “chesty” quality because of your proximity to the rear wall. 2. While speaking, slowly move out into the room, progressing in a direction parallel to the sidewall.
  • Page 25 The careful application of these concepts, as you evaluate the acoustical characteristics of your own room configuration, will al- low you to optimize the performance of your Mezzo. Slap Echo Probably the most obnoxious form of reflection is called “slap echo.” With slap-echo, primarily midrange and high frequency sounds reflect of f of two parallel hard sur faces.
  • Page 26 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L • It adds harshness to the upper midrange and treble by storing time-domain smearing energy. • It destroys the delicate phase relationships, which help to establish an ac- curate soundstage.
  • Page 27 3 . 2 — R E C T I O N O O M C O U S T I C S tive materials that can be used to ameliorate slap echo: • Illbruck Sonex® • Air duct board • Large ceiling to floor drapes •...
  • Page 28 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L found at certain discreet locations in the room. These locations dif fer according to room dimension and size. A room generating severe standing waves creates dif ficulty in setup. In these rooms, the speaker will sound radically dif ferent as it is moved around.
  • Page 29 3 . 3 — R E C T I O N E S O N A N C E S Comb Filter Effect The “comb filter” ef fect is a special type of standing wave noticeable primarily at higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths. Acoustical comb filtering occurs when sound from a single source, such as a loud- speaker, is directed toward a microphone or listener from a distance.
  • Page 30 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Structural Resonance Structural resonances are familiar to most people as buzzes and rat tles, but this type of resonance usually only occurs at extremely high volume levels and is usually masked by the music.
  • Page 31 3 . 4 — Y E C T I O N O U R O O M oration. Custom designed bass traps, such as perforated Helmholtz resonators, provide the greatest degree of low frequency control. Section 3.4—Your Room Room Shapes Standing waves are pressure waves propagated by the interaction of sound and op- posing parallel walls.
  • Page 32 The location of your listening position is as important as the careful setup of your Wilson Audio loudspeakers. The listening position should ideally be no more than 1.1 to 1.25 times the distance between the tweeters on each speaker. Therefore, in a long, rect- angular room of 12’...
  • Page 33 3 . 4 — Y E C T I O N O U R O O M from a room boundary will diminish the sonic results of your listening. Speaker Orientation Speaker placement and orientation are two of the most important considerations in obtaining superior sound.
  • Page 34 Right speakers as possible. Using the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure, experiment with the fore to af t placement of the Mezzo. This process will help you find the location that of fers the smoothest lef t, right, and center channel integration.
  • Page 35 This is particularly important and useful when the WATCH Dog or Thor’s Hammer is placed in the corner. Since all Wilson Audio Speakers are phase and time coherent, it is very important to time align any Wilson subwoofer in the room using the Phase Control on the Controller (see Controller owner’s manual).
  • Page 36 W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 39 (without diodes, without spacers, or with one or t wo spacers), and your choice will depend on the location of the Mezzo and personal tastes. While the Mez- zo baf fle is designed such that the front baf fle is angled upward toward the listener, the spacers are provided to allow for additional rotation of the Mezzo, such as for installations where the listening position is close to the loudspeakers.
  • Page 40 1. Insert threaded set screws into the bolt holes located on the bot tom of your Mezzo with the Allen head facing out. W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 41 6. If required, place the corresponding number of spacer discs over the bolt. Section 4.3—Measured Listening Position Room Setup The Mezzo allows for dif ferent listening distances (away from the speakers) and lis- tening ear heights (measured distances from the floor up to your ear canal); see Figure 6 EASURE...
  • Page 42 Mezzo crossover has been optimized for use with the Mezzo stand. This is the preferred location. When you mount the Mezzo in most other locations you will begin to see more boundary interactions, which may alter the performance of your the speaker. Nevertheless, the Mezzo will certainly out-perform any other center-type loudspeaker (with the excep- tion of the Wilson Audio Polaris) when placed in a given location.
  • Page 43 Mezzo in a location without following the directions below will hinder the performance of the Mezzo. With the correct PDC you will find the vocals and dialogue more realistic and satisfying. As with any component in your system that of fers increased resolution and detail, a careful setup is required.
  • Page 44 EZZO PIKES Note: the material used for the bottom of the Mezzo Wilson’s proprietary high density composite X-material. While very hard, X-material is easily cross threaded when install- ing the spikes. Be careful that the spike thread is engaging properly into the bottom.
  • Page 45 4. Bolt the Mezzo to the stand using the four 3/8 – 16 threaded socket head cap screws and washer provided (see Figure 12). Note: Do not overtighten the bolts; a snug fit is all that is required to secure the Mezzo to the stand.
  • Page 46 Mount the set screws into the bot tom of the Mezzo (Figure 11). The stand mounts on W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 47 Section 4.6—Set Up #3 Mezzo on Custom Stand or Shelf The Mezzo is a non-shielded speaker and therefore, should NOT be placed near a CRT television. However, the Mezzo can be placed near plasma or LCD televisions.
  • Page 48 A N U A L Note: Be sure that the Allen key end of the setscrew is facing out. Carefully lif t the Mezzo and set the threaded setscrews into the 4 mounting holes located on the top of the mounted custom shelf.
  • Page 49 Spade Lugs The spade lugs of some of the high quality cables of ten used with the Mezzo are angled to reduce pressures on the cable during installation. Avoid the instinct to push the cable’s spade lug ends all the way into the Mezzo’s connectors (see Figure 13).
  • Page 50 1. Turn of f the power amplifier(s) and remove the AC power cord from the wall outlet. 2. Lay out the speaker cables before hooking them up to the Mezzo. Make sure that there are no kinks, twists, or right-angled bends in the cable. If you need to turn corners, attempt to use a gradual curve as opposed to a severe right- angled bend.
  • Page 51 4 . 7 — C E C T I O N O N N E C T I N G P E A K E R T O M P L I F I E R W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 52 W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 55 Participating in numerous audio/multi-channel/home theater shows with very dif ferent and dif ficult acoustic environments necessitated this procedure. Currently, all Wilson Audio dealers employ this setup procedure for their customers, in order to quickly and predictably achieve the best performance from their systems (this procedure can be used successfully with ANY moving coil speaker system).
  • Page 56 • Place the speaker in an appropriate location relative to your screen and listening area. (Leave the Mezzo on the caster for this process.) • Toe the speakers in so that you can just barely see the inside edge when seated in the primary listening position.
  • Page 57 5 . 2 — L E C T I O N E F T A N D I G H T H A N N E L S • • Find the front to back location where the bass is tight, dynamics are cor- rect, image is well-focused, and you find the best soundstaging.
  • Page 58 • Follow the processor instructions on level adjustment. Adjust the level on the Mezzo so it matches in level with the left and right channels. Do not be surprised if the Mezzo requires 5-7 dB lower adjustment than that of the left and right channels.
  • Page 59 You should not hear any voids in the sound stage. • Make 1/2” changes in front to back location until you find the Mezzo loca- tion that offers the best integration. Image Height Check the image height.
  • Page 60 W N E R A N U A L sound, you should raise the front spikes of your Mezzo. This can be done by removing the front spikes and replacing them with the spike assembly as shown in Figure 20 above. Do as follows: •...
  • Page 61 We recommend that you experiment with the placement of the subwoofer to find a balance of the above mentioned items with which you are satisfied. For complete information on integrating a Wilson Audio WATCH Dog, please refer to your subwoofer owner’s manual.
  • Page 62 W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 65 Care of the Grills Periodically, you will want to clean the Mezzo’s grills. This is best done by using the W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 66 Of ten Wilson speaker owners desire to change the look of their listening room by changing the color of their speaker grills. In addition to basic black, Wilson Audio of fers a variety of grill colors to match most WilsonGloss finishes. Contact your local dealer for grill cloth samples or to order replacement grills for your Mezzo.
  • Page 67 The use of these materials in the Mezzo results in an enclosure that is inherently inert and non- resonant. All of these structural aspects are combined, allowing Wilson Audio to deliver a product that maintains the strictest structural tolerances, durability, and reliability.
  • Page 68 W N E R A N U A L excellence. Thus, the Mezzo will impart to her owner beauty and pleasure for many years to come. W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 71 7 . 1 — T E C T I O N R O U B L E S H O O T I N G Section 7.1—Troubleshooting: Center channel is not operating: C h e c k t h e i n t e r c o n n e c t s f r o m t h e...
  • Page 72 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L C h e c k t o s e e i f y o u r s p e a k e r c a b l e s a r e p r o p e r l y c o n n e c t e d t o t h e b i n d - i n g p o s t s .
  • Page 73 7 . 1 — T E C T I O N R O U B L E S H O O T I N G If the problem persists: C a l l t h e d e a l e r w h e r e y o u b o u g h t y o u r a m p l i f i e r .
  • Page 74 W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 77 Section 8.1—Repair Procedures Replacing an Open Resistor The Mezzo has a resistor that will protect the tweeter, in most cases, if the speaker is over driven during normal operation. This is done so that the driver is not damaged. Re- place a blown resistor as follows: 1.
  • Page 78 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L 4. Insert the leads of the new resistor through the binding post hole. Retighten the binding post. 5. At tach the new resistor to its heatsink using the 4- 40 Allen bolt. 6.
  • Page 79 8 . 1 — R E C T I O N E P A I R R O C E D U R E S 7. Place the driver into the machined recess. 8. Replace the screws, tightening them to 30 inch/pounds of torque. Note: The bolts used to attach the drivers to the baffle are tightened at the fac- tory using a digital torque wrench.
  • Page 80 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 83 9 . 1 — M E C T I O N E Z Z O P E C I F I C A T I O N S Section 9.1—Mezzo Specifications Drivers: Tweeter: One – 1” (2.54 cm), Inverted Titanium Dome Midrange One –...
  • Page 84 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Section 9.2—Mezzo Dimensions W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 85 T A N D I M E N S I O N S Section 9.3—Mezzo Hourglass Stand Dimensions W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 86 E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Section 9.4—Mezzo on Hourglass Stand Dimensions W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 87 T A N D I M E N S I O N S Section 9.5—Mezzo on Column Stand Dimensions W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
  • Page 88 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Section 9.5—Mezzo Impedance Curve W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 91 1 — F A B L E L A C E M E N T O N L O O R Table 1—For Placement on Floor PIKE UT AND IODE PIKE PIKE PIKE PIKE AND PIKE AND PIKE AND IODE IODE IODE PACER...
  • Page 92 ’ E Z Z O W N E R A N U A L Table 2—For Placement on Stand EZZO OLUMN TAND EZZO ON OURGLASS TAND W i l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s...
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  • Page 95 Wilson Audio, an authorized Wilson Audio Dealer Technician or a ser- vice or repair center authorized by Wilson Audio to service or repair the product. Contact Wilson Audio at (801) 377-2233 for information on location of Wilson Audio Dealers and authorized service and repair centers.
  • Page 96 Dealer, then purchaser may obtain a return authorization from Wilson Audio and at purchaser’s expense return the product to Wilson Audio where the defect will be rectified without charge for par ts or labor.
  • Page 97 Wilson Audio by the dealer at dealer’s sole expense. Wilson Audio will pay return freight of its choice. A returned product must be accompanied by a written description of the defect.