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Studiophile SBX
Users Manual
Your Your Studiophile SBX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
First Things First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
In the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Rear Panel Features: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Setting the HPF Bypass Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Optimizing the Rear Panel Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Setting the Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Setting the Phase Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Troubleshooting & Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Avoiding Problems with Turntables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Technical Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
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”).
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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.
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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.
Kuhallmand 34, D-74613 Ohringen, Germany
5795 Martin Road, Irwindale, CA 91706-6211, U.S.A.
Sales Information:
Sales Information (email):
Technical Support:
49 7941 98 7000
49 7941 98 70030
Sales Information:
Sales Information (email):
Tech Support:
626-633-9050
626-633-9055
Tech Support (email):
Fax:
626-633-9060
Fax:
07941 98 70070
Internet Home Page:
Internet Home Page:
M-AUDIO U.K.
M-AUDIO Canada
Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Road,
Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BJ, England
1400 St-Jean Baptiste Ave. #150
Quebec City, QC G2E 5B7, Canada
Sales Information (phone):
Sales Information (fax):
Sales Information (email):
Technical Support (PC):
Technical Support (Mac):
44 (0) 1442 416590
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
418-872-0444
418-872-0034
44 (0) 1442 246832
44 (0) 1309 671301
44 (0) 1765 650072
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Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Road
Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BJ, England
Annex Buliding 6F, 2-18-10 Marunouchi
Naka-Ku, Nagoya 460-0002, Japan
Sales Information:
0810 001 105
Tel:
81 52 218 3375
Sales Information (email):
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44 (0) 144 224 6832
Fax:
81 52 218 0875
0820 00 731
Technical Support:
Email:
Internet Home Page:
Internet Home Page:
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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.
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SBX-050604
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