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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
speakers! Proprietary
technology and high quality manufacturing will allow you to enjoy the most natural and
accurate music reproduction for many years. The advice offered in this manual is aimed
at helping you maximize and maintain peak performance, and therefore, your listening
satisfaction. Please take the time to read all of the instructions contained in this manual
to make certain your system is properly installed and functioning correctly.
BREAK-IN PERIOD
We strongly advise that you resist the temptation to play the athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
speakers to their full capabilities or experiment with critical placement and listening
until they have been properly broken in. This process should last approximately 50 to 100
hours of music playback. This can easily be done by putting your compact disc
player on Repeat mode, while playing a CD with a wide dynamic range at normal
listening levels.
athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
COMPANY
BACKGROUND
athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
is the newest division of Audio Products International Corp., known
throughout the industry as "API". A Canadian company founded in 1975, The API factory is a
modern 165,000 square foot research, development and manufacturing facility located in
Toronto, Canada. API is one of the largest speaker manufacturers in the world, distributing
products to over 60 countries worldwide. A talented research and development team utilizes
advanced computer-based design and sophisticated measurement techniques in its ongoing
quest for new and better acoustic technologies.
This research is based upon the years of pioneering psycho-acoustic research developed in
conjunction with the Canadian "National Research Council" (NRC), to create speakers that
achieve high performance in typical home listening environments. Extensive research into
every aspect of the speaker is analyzed and evaluated before the design stage begins, a
concept that we refer to as a holistic design approach. This method guarantees that the
finest components and materials are made and tested with sophisticated manufacturing
and quality control techniques to ensure exceptional performance that is superior to
speakers costing several times their price.
AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS
The athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
WS series was designed to be extremely efficient and
therefore very undemanding of the connected amplifier. The entire series is designed to
be 8 ohm compatible allowing playback on almost any amplifier or receiver on the
market. Most amplifiers with a power rating of 20-100 watts per channel will efficiently
drive
athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
WS speakers. If more than one pair of speakers are being
used on the same amplifier channel, (an additional pair of speakers for another room, for
example) check with the amplifier manufacturer to confirm that the amplifier can handle
loads under 8 ohms.
Warning: If an amplifier is over-driven, the resulting distortion is actually many
times greater than its rated power. Over-driven amplifier distortion is called
"Clipping", easily identified by its fuzzy, distorted sound, and can damage any
speaker. The volume control of most amplifiers and receivers is a logarithmic
type, which means that full power may be reached with the volume control set
at as little as the halfway point. Operating the loudness, treble, or bass controls
increases power output well beyond rated levels. The warranty on your
speakers is therefore void if the voice coils are burned or damaged as a result
of overpowering or clipping.
CABINET CARE
Great care and craftsmanship have gone into the construction and finish of the aluminum
cabinet. Periodically use a soft, dry cloth to remove dust or fingerprints. Do not use paper
towel or other abrasive materials as it may damage the finish. Be cautious of using
cleaning liquids as the anodized aluminum finish may suffer damage. Warm water on a
damp cloth is always a safe option for removing dirt.
NOTE: Please retain the carton and packing material for the athena
TECHNOLOGIES
®
speakers to protect them in the event of a move or if they need to
be shipped to a service center. Product received damaged by a service center
that has been shipped by the end user in other than the original packaging will
be repaired, refurbished and properly packaged for return shipment at the end
user's expense.
SPEAKER PLACEMENT
Front Speaker Placement
WS-15, WS-60, WS-100
The WS Series can be utilized
with any audio / video system,
but is also designed to
accompany flat screen or
on-wall type monitors. In
installations involving a flat
screen monitor, the best
speaker placement options are
usually dictated by the
placement of the monitor. For
front channel speakers, it is
recommended to try to provide
enough distance between them
to create an accurate stereo
image. If possible, try not to
install the front speakers directly on either side of a smaller flat panel display. If the
speakers are too close together, the result is a “mono” effect from the stereo pair. Good
stereo imaging is an important part of music, but also home theater soundtracks as well.
For traditional speakers, the general guideline for speaker placement is to create a space
between speaker and listener at approximately 1-1/2 times the distance between the
speakers. For example, if the speakers are placed 6-feet (1.8m) apart (minimum
recommended distance), the best seating position would be 9-feet (2.4m) away. These
guidelines however must be weighed carefully with respect to the space available as
well as the cosmetic look of the entire installed system.
The WS-15 and WS-60 have flexible mounting brackets included that provide simple and
secure wall mounting, but can also sit on a table top, or some types of speaker stands.
The WS-100 is a floor standing design that sits directly on the floor surface.
Center Channel placement
WS-15, WS-60
A center channel can reproduce as much as 60% of a movie's soundtrack, most of which
is dialogue. In order to maintain the effect of voices emanating from the actor's mouth,
the center channel should be centrally located between the left and right main
Speakers and placed above or below the monitor. Close proximity to the monitor is the
most important goal. The WS-15 can be easily wall mounted, and the WS-60's multi-
function bracket allows it to be installed in a horizontal arrangement. The WS-60 can
also be utilized on a shelf, or on top of a monitor in both horizontal or vertical
orientations. Please see diagram 14 to utilize the mounting bracket as a base.
NOTE: All models of athena TECHNOLOGIES
®
WS series speakers, are magnetically
shielded, so placement near your Television is possible. If you notice any
discoloration of the TV's picture, the speaker needs to be repositioned until the
discoloration has disappeared.
Surround Speaker placement
WS-15, WS-60
The surround speakers can be positioned in a variety of locations. The most popular
places used for surround speaker placement are the following:
Side walls: To maximize the ambient field for side wall mounting, position the speakers
adjacent to and slightly behind the primary listening area at a height of approximately
6 feet.
Rear walls: To maximize the ambient field for rear wall mounting, position the speakers
so they flank the main listening area and point towards the front of the room. They
should be raised to a height of approximately 6 feet and should ideally have a space of at
least 6 feet between them.
Floor Standing: Place the speakers slightly behind and on each side of the main
listening area. They can be anywhere from 1-6 feet behind or to the side of the main
listening area.
If you have followed these guidelines, then there should be speakers surrounding your
listening area, which will result in the encompassing surround sound feeling. These are
basic guidelines and should be tailored to suit the décor of your room, to compensate for
furniture placement, to facilitate simple wiring methods, and of course to provide the
most enveloping surround at your seating position.
owners manual
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