Bowers & Wilkins PV1D User Manual page 11

5.3 Audio setup
Audio
Inputs
Speaker
List
Presets Configure Inputs
Line
Speaker
It will help to have audio playing through the PV1D and
associated system while undertaking the audio setup
procedure.
Selecting Audio from the PV1D Setup Menu will
display the menu illustrated above left. The three menu
items provide the following functions:
Inputs
Select this to access the next menu level where
there is a choice of Line and Speaker level inputs to
configure. If only one type of input is connected in your
installation it is not necessary to configure both.
Speaker Input
For the Speaker input it is only necessary to match
the subwoofer's sensitivity to the main speakers.
Look up the sensitivity (quoted in dB at 1m for
an input of 2.83V) of the main speakers in their
specification and enter this value at the Set
Sensitivity screen.
The default is 85dB.
85dB
Set Sensitivity
85
dB
Line input
Separate adjustment for Sensitivity and Gain
enables the PV1D's signal to noise performance
to be optimised.
Setting the Sensitivity
Set the analogue input Sensitivity first to reflect
the specified output level of the source electronics
as shown in the following table:
Source Output Level
0.5V (or less)
1.0V
2.0V (or more)
If the LED on the front panel flashes red on
loud passages, this indicates input overload. If
that happens, select the next lowest sensitivity and
raise the Gain by 6dB to compensate. Most source
equipment has an output level of 1V so the default
is 0dB.
Setting the Gain
Setting the PV1D Gain balances the output level of
the subwoofer with the other speakers in the
system. If your PV1D is to be used in a home
theatre system in which it is connected to the
LFE output of an audiovisual processor, the
balance between the PV1D and the other speakers
will be adjusted when the processor's speaker level
setup procedure is carried out. In this case the
PV1D Gain should be set at 0dB.
The default is 0dB.
Line Input
Sensitivity
-6dB
Gain
0dB
Polarity
Normal
Line Polarity
Normal
Inverted
PV1D Sensitivity
+6dB
0dB
-6dB
Line Gain Line Sensitivity
+6dB
0
0dB
dB
-6dB
For a PV1D used to enhance the low frequency
performance of conventional stereo speakers, the
Gain parameter must be set by ear. In this
application, you will need to configure a low-pass
filter to avoid response overlap between the PV1D
and your main speakers. You should do this before
assessing the correct gain level. See the Speaker
section that follows.
The default Gain is 0dB and you should use this
as the starting point. Once the PV1D is working,
listen carefully to a variety of music program
material and adjust the setting if necessary. It is
important to listen to a variety of music because
a Gain setting that sounds correct on one piece
may sound either too loud or too quiet on another.
Listen at a realistic volume level as the perception
of musical balance varies with volume level. The
aim is to find a Gain setting appropriate to the
majority of material.
Note: Remember that it is always possible
temporarily to adjust the PV1D volume using the
Volume Trim function.
Note: If it proves difficult to find the appropriate
subwoofer/main speaker balance adjusting the
low-pass filter phase may be beneficial.
Selecting the Polarity
In the majority of cases the Line input Polarity
should be set to Normal. However, if the power
amplifiers feeding the main speakers invert the
signal, select Inverted. The default is Normal.
11