Speaker Positioning; Fine Tuning - Bowers & Wilkins Signature Diamond Manual De Instrucciones

The Signature Diamond is intended to be floor
mounted only. It is important to ensure that the
speakers stand firmly on the floor using the spike feet
supplied whenever possible. The spike feet are
designed to pierce carpet and rest on the floor
surface. Initially, screw the lock nuts onto the spikes
enough to leave the nuts floating just above the carpet
when the spikes are resting on the floor beneath.
The spike feet are best fitted to the underside of the
speaker when it is laid on its side during unpacking or
later for connection. Identify the five tapped holes in
the underside of the plinth (see Figure 3) and screw a
spike foot into each one.
Once the spike feet are fitted and the speaker is
returned to the upright position, it may rock on the
floor. To minimise rocking, unscrew the spikes that do
not touch the floor until the speaker rests firmly
without rocking then lock the nuts against the plinth. It
may be more convenient to fit and adjust the spike
feet after speaker positioning has been optimised.
If there is no carpet and you wish to avoid scratching
the floor surface, use either a protective metal disc
(a coin perhaps) between the spike and the floor or
use the supplied rubber feet. Fit the rubber feet and
level the speaker in the same manner as with the
spike feet.

Speaker Positioning

Adjustment of speaker position following initial
installation will probably further improve the sound
quality and is usually worthwhile.
To begin with, the speakers should be positioned
between 2.0m and 3.0m apart at two corners of an
equilateral triangle completed by the listening area at
the third corner. Ideally, the speakers should be at
least 0.5m away from the back wall, and at least 1.0m
away from any side walls. They should be angled
inward so that they point at, or just in front of, the
listening position. Figure 2 illustrates this arrangement.
Try to ensure that the immediate surroundings of each
speaker are similar in acoustic character. For example,
if one speaker is adjacent to bare walls while the other
is adjacent to soft furnishings and curtains, both the
overall sound quality and the stereo image are likely to
be compromised.
Stray Magnetic Fields
The speaker drive units create stray magnetic fields
that extend beyond the boundaries of the cabinet. We
recommend you keep magnetically sensitive articles
(CRT television and computer screens, computer
discs, audio and video tapes, swipe cards and the
like) at least 0.5m from the speaker. LCD and plasma
screens are not affected by magnetic fields.
Connections
All connections should be made with the equipment
switched off.
There are two linked pairs of terminals on the
underside of the Signature Diamond. To access the
terminals, the speaker must be laid carefully on its
side. This may be as part of the unpacking procedure.
The terminals can accept bare-wires, spade
connectors or the custom right-angle plugs attached
to the terminal link cables.
For conventional connection, the terminal links should
remain in place (as delivered) and just one pair of
terminals connected to the amplifier. For bi-wire
connection, the terminal links should be removed and
each pair of terminals connected to the amplifier
independently. Bi-wiring can improve the resolution of
low-level detail.
If the speakers are to be bi-wired, the right-angle
plugs may be removed from the link cables using the
Allen key supplied and attached to the connection
cables. Figure 5 illustrates this use of the plugs.
Once the connections have been made, the cable
clamp should be tightened down on the cable using
the two wing nuts. The speaker may then be returned
to the upright position. When standing the speaker
upright, take care that its weight is not borne by only
one or two spike feet.
Figure 4 illustrates conventional and bi-wire
connection and use of the cable clamp.
Ensure that the positive terminals on the speaker
(marked + and coloured red) are connected to the
positive output terminal on the amplifier and the
negative terminals on the speaker (marked – and
coloured black) are connected to the negative output
terminal on the amplifier. Incorrect connection can
result in poor imaging and loss of bass.
Ask your dealer for advice when selecting speaker
cable. Keep its total impedance below the maximum
recommended in the speaker specification and use a
low inductance cable to avoid attenuation of high
frequencies.

Fine Tuning

Before fine tuning, make sure that all the connections
in the installation are correct and secure.
Moving the speakers further from the walls will
generally reduce the volume of bass. Space behind
the speakers will also help to create an aural
impression of depth. Conversely, moving the speakers
closer to the walls will increase the volume of bass.
If the bass seems uneven with frequency, this will
most probably be due to resonance modes in the
listening room. Even small changes in the position of
the speakers or the listening position can have a
profound effect on how these resonances affect the
sound. Try moving the listening position or locating the
speakers along a different wall. The presence and
position of large pieces of furniture can also influence
resonance modes.
If the central image lacks focus, try moving the
speakers closer together or angling them inward so
that they point at a location further in front of the
listening position. Figure 2 illustrates speakers angled
inwards. Varying the degree of inward angle can often
be an extremely effective mode of fine tuning.
If the sound is too bright, increasing the amount of
soft furnishing in the room (heavier curtains for
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