M Audio Speaker SBX User Manual

Studiophile SBX  
Users Manual  
 
First Things First  
In order to avoid risk of damage and insure optimum performance from your  
SBX Subwoofer, please take time to read this manual before you proceed to  
unpack and install it.  
In the Box  
Carefully remove the SBX from the carton, paying extra attention to avoid  
touching or damaging the speaker cone. If the system is damaged in any way  
or does not contain all parts, contact your dealer immediately. We recommend  
that you save the carton in the event that you need to transport or ship the  
product in the future. Within the SBX package you should find:  
• This manual  
• The SBX Subwoofer  
• One (1) standard AC Power cable  
Correct Power Operation  
Since the SBX contains its own amplifier, it must be connected to a power outlet  
using the detachable AC cable provided. Before connecting power, please  
make sure that the Voltage-Select Switch, located on the the speakers rear  
panel is set to the appropriate position, as described in the rear-panel features  
list appearing earlier in this manual.  
Note: - WARNING! - Use of improper voltage/ selector switch  
combinations may result in hazardous conditions and/or damage to  
speaker components not covered by speaker warranty.  
Positioning the Subwoofer in the Studio  
In theory, the best position for the SBX subwoofer is midway between the  
satellite speakers, with its front facing forward and in the same plane as the  
fronts of the satellite speakers. However, due to the fact that low bass  
frequencies are somewhat non-directional, you may locate the SBX quite far  
from this position without any detrimental effect on the sound reproduction.  
Each room is different in acoustic properties, so please feel free to experiment  
with placement. Different positions of the SBX in relation to walls will affect its  
efficiency, as well as the room’s overall influence on the frequency response.  
You can compensate for this by readjusting the filter settings (see section,  
“Setting the Subwoofer LPF and the Satellites HPF”).  
3
 
 
Rear Panel Features:  
1. Power Mode LED: This LED indicates the power status. If the auto-muting  
circuitry is engaged, this LED will be amber if there is no audio signal to the SBX,  
and green when the SBX receives a signal. If “Auto-Power” is switched off, then  
this LED will remain green.  
2. “Level” control knob: This knob controls the amplifier level of the SBX. The gain  
range is from minimum to maximum, labeled “Min” and “Max,” with Min being  
full attenuation and Max being full volume.  
3. Phase control knob: This knob controls phase of the crossover frequencies of  
the Subwoofer and the Satellites from 0 to 180 degrees.  
4. “Subwoofer” LPF control knob: This knob designates the cutoff frequency of the  
SBX using a LPF, or low-pass filter. This setting will determine the highest  
frequency that the SBX will reproduce.  
5. “Satellites” HPF control knob: This knob determines the HPF, or high-pass filter  
cutoff frequency for the Satellite speakers while using the SBX’s Stereo Bass  
Management System. The Satellites control knob is functional only when the  
HPF Bypass switch is set to Off.  
6. Input section: This section provides two balanced XLR inputs and two 1/4” TRS  
connectors that may be used for balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) operation.  
Either XLR or TRS may be used as your audio input. These inputs are designated  
as “L” and “R” for operation in bass management mode. When bass  
management is not used, either the L or R input may be used to input signal to  
the SBX.  
7. Auto Power On/Off Switch: When this switch is set to “On,” Auto Power mode is  
engaged. Switching to “Off” will defeat Auto Power mode.  
8. HPF Bypass switch: Switching HPF Bypass to “On” will bypass the Satellites HPF  
control knob, effectively defeating the SBX’s Stereo Bass Management System.  
With HPF Bypass switched off, the “Satellites” HPF cutoff frequency control knob  
is engaged and bass management is operational.  
9. Output section: This section provides three balanced XLR outputs labeled “Extra  
Sub” and “L” & “R.” The Extra Sub output gives you throughput directly from the  
inputs for the purpose of connecting an additional subwoofer. The L and R  
outputs are to be used for connecting Satellite speakers (your left and right  
mains) when using the Bass Management System.  
10. Power cable socket: This socket accepts a standard grounded AC cable.  
11. Fuse holder: This fuse holder allows the replacement of a fuse for the purpose  
of circuit protection.  
12. Power On/Off switch: Switching to “On” will power the SBX subwoofer.  
Switching to “Off” will power the unit down.  
13. Manufacturer’s Label: This section gives the model number and manufacturer  
information, including important power requirement information. See section,  
“Correct Power Operation.”  
14. Voltage-Select Switch: Provides 2 selections - 115VAC (120VAC) and 230VAC,  
and should be set to match the “house current” (receptacle) voltage of the  
country/location in which the speaker is used. The 115V (120V) setting is correct  
for the USA and the 230V setting correct for most of the UK and Europe.  
4
 
 
5
 
Connecting the SBX and Your Main Speakers  
Most applications will utilize the SBX’s internal Stereo Bass Management  
System to realize maximum benefit. There are, however, two possible  
operational modes that you may use when connecting your SBX and your  
Mains, or “Satellite” stereo speakers, i.e., 1) using the SBX with bass  
management and 2) using the SBX without bass management.  
Using the SBX with Stereo Bass Management  
To take advantage of the SBX’s internal Stereo Bass Management System, your  
main monitors become satellites of the subwoofer. Connect the left and right  
main or control room outputs of your mixer, sound card, or other audio source  
to the Input-L and Input-R jacks of the SBX (#6) respectively. (You may use either  
the XLR or TRS inputs, depending upon your cabling needs.) Then, connect  
Output-L and Output-R (#9) XLR jacks on the SBX to the inputs on the left and  
right satellites.  
Once you have completed this setup, you must set the Subwoofer LPF control  
knob and the Satellites HPF control knob for your particular needs. Please see  
the section, “Optimizing the Rear Panel Settings” for information on how to do  
this. Also note that the HPF Bypass switch is set to “Off” in this scenario.  
6
 
 
Using the SBX without Stereo Bass Management  
You may wish to use the SBX with an existing external bass management  
system, or with bass management defeated on the SBX. See section, “Setting  
the HPF Bypass Switch” for more information on defeating bass management.  
With bass management defeated, you may still use the speaker setup  
illustrated above. With the HPF Bypass switch set to “On,” the L & R XLR Outputs  
will operate in a “Thru” mode, passing the original signal at the Input section  
directly through to the outputs. In this setup, you will want to set the Subwoofer  
LPF control knob to the desired cutoff frequency for the SBX. The Satellites HPF  
control knob is not operational with the HPF Bypass switch set to “On.”  
If you are using an external bass management device, or if you have an  
auxiliary or subwoofer output send, you may want to connect this directly to  
the SBX while connecting your main L & R outputs directly to your “Mains,” or  
stereo L & R speakers. In this instance, you may use either the Input-L or Input-  
R connections on the SBX.  
In this setup, you will want to set the Subwoofer LPF control knob to the desired  
cutoff frequency for the SBX. Once again, the Satellites HPF control knob is not  
operational with the HPF Bypass switch set to “On.”  
7
 
 
Connecting an Additional Subwoofer  
If you have a large monitoring environment requiring greater subwoofer sound  
pressure, you can connect as many SBX cabinets as desired in a daisy chain.  
Simply connect the Extra Sub Output (located in the Output section) to the Input-L  
or Input-R input of second SBX (you may use the Extra Sub Output to connect to  
another brand of subwoofer). In this instance, you will want to have the HPF  
Bypass switch set to “On” on the second SBX subwoofer so that bass  
management is not repeated in the second sub.  
Operation  
Power Modes  
The SBX’s main Power switch (#12) must be switched “On” in order for the SBX  
to operate. The subwoofer is designed to operate continuously in Power “on”  
mode. (The SBX uses less than 3 VA in power mode.)  
When the Auto Power mode is engaged, in conjunction with Power “on”, the  
subwoofer automatically becomes operational when a signal is present and  
returns to Standby mode when a signal has not been detected for five minutes.  
To operate in Auto Power mode, turn the Auto Power On/Off switch (#7) to the  
“On” position. The Power mode LED (#1) indicates the current status of the Auto  
Power circuit, glowing amber when in Standby and green when fully  
operational. When Auto Power is engaged, it is not necessary to turn the  
Power switch on or off each time you wish to use the SBX.  
In special situations where you intend to play the system at very low volume or  
if Auto Power mode will not meet your application for any other reason, you  
can switch the Auto Power On/Off switch to the “Off” position. When Auto  
Power Mode is turned off you must turn the SBX on or off manually using the  
Power switch.  
Note: If you intend not to use the system for a long period of time (such as a  
vacation), it is advisable to manually turn the system off via the Power switch.  
Setting the HPF Bypass Switch  
In normal operation, the HPF Bypass switch should be left in the “Off” position.  
When the HPF Bypass switch is in the Off position, the SBX Stereo Bass  
Management System is operational. In this case, the “Satellites” control knob,  
which sets the cutoff frequency of the HPF, is also operational.  
When you want to bypass the SBX Stereo Bass Management System, engage  
the HPF Bypass by switching it to the “On” position. This will defeat the  
“Satellites” control knob and the HPF.  
8
 
 
Optimizing the Rear Panel Settings  
Level  
Phase  
Subwoofer  
140Hz  
Satellites  
100Hz  
80Hz  
140Hz  
100Hz  
80Hz  
Min  
Max  
0°  
180°  
50Hz  
180Hz  
50Hz  
180Hz  
There are four control knobs on the rear of the SBX: “Level,” “Phase,”  
“Subwoofer” LPF cutoff frequency, and “Satellites” HPF cutoff frequency. These  
combined controls make it possible to optimally match the low bass  
frequencies from the subwoofer to your unique combination of satellite  
speakers, room characteristics and subwoofer position. Because of these  
variables, there is no single recipe for obtaining the best audio results. While  
you can certainly apply sound meters and other analysis equipment in  
establishing the right settings, most people use their ears and a few familiar  
recordings to determine the best settings.  
Setting the Level Control  
Use the Level control (#2) to adjust the volume of the subwoofer to properly  
match that of the satellite speakers. We suggest starting with this knob in the  
12 o’clock position.  
Note: Placement has a great deal to do with how the Level knob is set. If  
the SBX is placed on the floor against one wall in a normal room, for  
example, the resulting sound pressure may be as much as 3dB greater  
than if the subwoofer stands alone. Placement in a corner could add  
another 3dB of sound pressure over placement against a wall alone.  
Setting the Phase Control  
The purpose of the Phase control (#3) is to match the phase of the Satellite  
HPF cut off frequency to the phase of the Subwoofer LPF cutoff frequency.  
Adjust the Phase in order to make sure that the Subwoofer and Satellites are  
in phase at the selected crossover frequency. This will allow you to achieve  
the maximum sound pressure and the most accurate sound quality from  
the whole system. A little experimentation here may be in order. When signals  
are out of phase, they tend to cancel each other. This is most likely to occur  
when using bass management, in which case both the “Subwoofer” and  
“Satellites” cutoff frequencies are set to the same frequency settings (see the  
next two sections for more information). Rotate the Phase control knob until the  
SBX sounds the most robust, or return it to the 0 degree position if that is the  
optimum setting or if you hear no difference.  
9
 
 
Setting the Subwoofer LPF and the Satellites HPF  
The fundamental concept behind the Stereo Bass Management System is to  
isolate the upper and lower frequency ranges and direct them respectively to  
the component best suited to reproduce them. In order to accomplish this, the  
SBX utilizes a crossover network to determine how different frequency ranges  
are distributed to the subwoofer and satellite monitors.  
db  
0
- 5  
- 10  
- 15  
- 20  
140  
100  
50  
175  
70  
30  
50  
100  
175  
500 Hz  
10  
 
 
This crossover network consists of two main components: a 2nd order (12  
db/octave) low-pass filter that limits the upper frequencies that the subwoofer  
has to reproduce (shown above), and a high-pass filter that limits the lower  
frequencies the satellite monitors have to reproduce (shown below). The  
Subwoofer LPF cutoff frequency (#4) and Satellite HPF cutoff frequency (#5)  
controls adjust frequencies of the low- and high-pass filters, respectively. Both  
have a range of 50 to 180 Hz.  
db  
0
- 5  
50  
70  
100  
140  
- 10  
175 Hz  
- 15  
- 20  
30  
50  
100  
175  
500 Hz  
You will need to use your ears to determine the best settings for these filters.  
The frequency markings shown next to each control knob may give you some  
guidelines. 50Hz (or above) might be used as a setting for music production.  
80Hz is the proposed setting for Dolby Digital playback, while 100Hz is the  
proposed setting for THX.  
11  
 
If your satellites are properly damped at the bass response as shown in curve  
“a,” set the two crossover frequencies to be identical. If your satellite speakers  
are under-damped (boomy sounding) as shown in curve “b,” experiment with  
setting the Satellite crossover frequency control higher. If they are over-damped  
(dry sounding) as shown in curve “c,” experiment with a lower setting. You may  
want to note the final control settings in case they are accidentally altered.  
+ 5  
db 0  
- 5  
b
a
c
- 10  
- 15  
- 20  
Hz  
Note: In the event that you do choose an external form of bass  
management, you will likely need to set the Subwoofer LPF cutoff  
frequency to 180Hz. If you choose not to use the SBX internal bass  
management or an external form of bass management, you may want  
to begin with a Subwoofer LPF cutoff frequency of 120Hz and experiment up  
or down until you reach your desired sound.  
Troubleshooting & Technical Support  
Avoiding Problems with Turntables  
Since the SBX can produce a considerable output level at low frequencies,  
acoustic feedback via a turntable can occur. To ensure that this is not the case,  
perform the following test at installation of the SBX.  
Set up the equipment for playing a record. Place the stylus on a non-rotating  
record (disconnect the turntable power cord if necessary). Tap the turntable  
12  
 
 
while gradually increasing the volume of your audio system. If you begin to  
hear a sustaining sound quality before you are able to advance the volume  
control to a setting representing loud listening, acoustic feedback is a problem.  
You may need to move either the turntable or the SBX to remedy this problem.  
Alternately, try placing an anti-vibration pad under the turntable.  
Replacing the Fuse  
The SBX is protected from power anomalies by a fuse. In the event that the SBX  
does not seem to have power even though connected to AC, check the  
condition of the fuse in the fuse holder (#11). If the fuse needs replacing, it is  
critical to use only a fuse with an identical rating.  
Support  
troubleshooting information. This should be your first stop for up-to-date  
information on the latest drivers, FAQ’s, and extensive how-to guides.  
If you need additional assistance, after reading the following paragraphs and  
visiting our website, you may contact M-Audio’s Technical Support department  
by phone (626-633-9055, 9-5 PST M-F), by fax (626-633-9060) or by e-mail  
Warranty Information  
Terms  
M-Audio warrants products to be free from defects in materials and  
workmanship, under normal use and provided that the product is owned by  
the original, registered user. Visit www.m-audio.com/warranty for terms and  
limitations applying to your specific product.  
Registration  
Thank you for registering your new M-Audio product. Doing so immediately  
both entitles you to full warranty coverage and helps M-Audio develop and  
audio.com/register to receive FREE product updates and for the chance to win  
FREE M-Audio gear.  
13  
 
 
Contact Information  
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this or any M-Audio  
product, we invite you to contact us by using the following information:  
M-AUDIO Deutschland (Germany)  
M-AUDIO U.S.  
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5795 Martin Road, Irwindale, CA 91706-6211, U.S.A.  
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Internet Home Page:  
Internet Home Page:  
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Quebec City, QC G2E 5B7, Canada  
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14  
 
 
Technical Specs  
Studiophile SBX Specifications* :  
Type : Bass-reflex powered subwoofer  
Woofer Driver : 8-inch mineral-filled polypropylene cone with high-temperature  
voice coil and damped rubber surround  
Frequency Response : 30Hz – 180 Hz  
Low-Pass Filter : Butterworth –12dB/octave <325Hz, -24dB/octave > 325Hz  
Crossover Frequency : Adjustable 50Hz - 180Hz  
Input Sensitivity : 89dB  
Amplifier Power : 100W @100Hz, 4 ohm, 0.1% THD  
Dynamic Power : 120W  
S/N Ratio : > 100dB below full output, 100Hz  
Input Connectors : Two XLR balanced inputs; two TRS balanced/ unbalanced inputs  
Output Connectors : Two XLR balanced outputs for satellites, one XLR  
balanced output for additional subwoofer  
Controls: Level : Phase; Subwoofer Frequency; Satellite Frequency  
Switches : Auto on/off; Satellite high-pass output bypass  
Input Impedance : 20k ohms balanced, 10k ohms unbalanced  
Input Sensitivity : 150mV input produces full output with volume control  
at maximum  
Protection : Over temperature, turn-on/off transient, subsonic filter, external  
mains fuse, ALC (avoid from hard clipping)  
Indicator : Power On (green) or Stand-by/Protection (Amber)  
Power Requirements : Dual-voltage (selectable by rear-panel switch) for  
either 120V/~60Hz, 230V/~50Hz; powered via detachable 3-circuit line cord  
Cabinet : Vinyl-laminated MDF  
Dimension : 15.6 in. (h) x 10.63 in. (w) x 12 in. (d)  
Shipping Weight : 36 lbs.  
* Specifications subject to change without notice.  
15  
 
 
SBX-050604  
16  
 

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