Q ACOUSTICS 2010I (01) PDF Document

To unpack your Q ACOUSTICS 2010I speakers, follow these steps:

1. Unpack the speakers fully from the cartons.

2. Lift the speakers from the cartons by holding the cabinets. Do not use the protective bags to lift them. The 2050i and 2070Si models are heavy, so get assistance to lift them if necessary.

3. When maneuvering loudspeakers, do not drag them across the floor as this may cause damage. Lift them before moving them.

4. Check the product carefully. If any items are damaged or missing, report this to your dealer as soon as possible.

5. Retain the packing for future transport. If you dispose of the packing, please do so following all recycling regulations in your area.

In the carton for your Q ACOUSTICS 2010I, you will find the loudspeaker(s) and the product manual.

Additionally, the packing for the following models contains:

2050i: A set of floor spikes and spike covers for each speaker. An Allen key to adjust the spikes once fitted.

2070Si: A power cord suitable for the mains supply in your area, 2 x Right angled RCA / Phono cables and an AV Setup CD.

The Q ACOUSTICS 2010I series speakers are rear ported and designed to work best with some space behind them, i.e., 200mm or so away from a wall. If you position your speakers close to a wall or corner, the foam bungs should be inserted into the rear ports to prevent too much bass.

Ensure the bungs are fitted snugly into the port without inserting them too far. You will find the level of bass is reduced but definition and bass extension is increased. Experiment to see what you prefer and try making small changes to the position of the speaker to optimize the final result.

The Q ACOUSTICS 2010I and 2020i are ideally mounted on Q-Acoustics floor stands or wall mounted. If you are stand mounting, a simple guide is that the treble unit should be at ear level to a seated listener. Wall mounted speakers may be mounted slightly higher with the speaker angled down. Stand mounted speakers should be treated as floorstanding speakers except that the speaker may be placed a little closer to the back wall. Shelf mounting is also possible.

An optional bracket designed specifically to wall mount the Q Acoustics 2010i, 2020i and 2000Ci is available from your dealer. Be prepared to experiment to find the best setup for your taste in your particular listening room.

According to recommendations from Dolby labs for 5.1 effects speakers, surround speakers should be mounted on either side of the listener, slightly behind the listening position. The speakers should be sited facing inward either mounted on the side walls of the room or if the room is large, on high stands and with their centres above ear level to a seated listener.

Preparing Cables:

1. Split the cable to a depth of about 40 mm.

2. Bare the wire to a depth of 10mm and twist the ends to gather any stray wires.

3. Crop the cable leaving 7mm of bare wire exposed.

Connecting a Terminal:

1. Unscrew the terminal anticlockwise to expose the mounting hole in the base of the terminal column.

2. Insert the bare end of the cable into the hole.

3. Re-tighten the terminal fully hand tight.

4. Make sure there are no stray wires which could touch adjacent terminals.

Note: In the EU it is against safety regulations to use 4mm loudspeaker plugs.

To make standard connections for your Q ACOUSTICS 2010I speakers:

1. Connect the RED (+) terminal of the RIGHT loudspeaker to the RED, Positive (+) terminal on the RIGHT channel of the amplifier.

2. Connect the BLACK (–) terminal of the loudspeaker to the matching BLACK, Negative (–) terminal of the amplifier.

3. Repeat this procedure for the LEFT channel.

Once your speakers are connected, switch on the system and play some music at a moderate level. Fine-tune the speaker placement to suit your preference.

Directly connecting the treble and bass networks of a loudspeaker to an amplifier improves both bass performance and dynamic range. The 2020i and 2050i models are bi-wireable.

To bi-wire:

1. Prepare two twin cables for each loudspeaker.

2. Unscrew all the loudspeaker terminals and remove both links.

3. Now connect the treble terminals and the bass terminals to the amplifier following the procedure described in Standard Wiring.

Bass frequencies are substantially omnidirectional. Although this means that you can position the subwoofer almost anywhere, the stereo image will still benefit by positioning the subwoofer level with the front loudspeakers and as central to the listening position as possible. This may not be feasible in a multichannel system. If you place the subwoofer close to a wall the bass will be re-enforced; therefore in some locations, the bass may be boomy and indistinct.

The subwoofer should be positioned close to a mains power source. Do not use extension cables. Purchase a longer power cord if necessary. When positioning the subwoofer ensure the floor is sound with no loose floorboards etc. The air movement from the subwoofer at high volumes is substantial – do not place it close to soft furnishings or objects that may rattle. Do not place objects of any kind on the unit.

This feature enables you to switch the main system on and off without having to remember to switch the subwoofer on and off as well.

If there is no signal input, after a few minutes the subwoofer will automatically power down into Standby mode. This is indicated by the POWER light on the rear panel changing to red. As soon as the subwoofer senses an input it will automatically switch into operational mode and the power light will again glow green.

Some types of music and some TV channels have very little low-frequency information in the audio signal, in which case the subwoofer may not automatically switch out of standby even though sound is coming from the other speakers. If this happens, the threshold can be adjusted to make the unit more sensitive by setting the auto-on sensitivity to HIGH. Under some circumstances, this setting may make the sub-woofer stay on at all times due to a small amount of noise from the main system amplifier. This noise should disappear when the amplifier is set to standby, allowing the subwoofer to turn off again.

If the sub-woofer remains on even when the main amplifier is turned off, we recommend you leave the sensitivity switch at MED. If there is noticeable hum from the subwoofer, try moving the cables to reduce the hum pick-up or try a different cable. If the problem persists, try the LOW setting of the sensitivity switch.

The Q ACOUSTICS 2070Si sub-woofer includes a Line output connection called “Chain out”. In systems where more than one sub-woofer is used, this allows the signal to be daisy-chained to another one or more sub-woofers. This is a convenience feature which is an alternative to using a “Y-Adaptor” at the amplifier output. Please note that the signal is a straight pass-through and so all sub-woofers must be set-up independently using their controls as normal.

Connections:

Standard connection is via the Line level RCA phono Inputs. For a typical AV system, you will need a single RCA phono interconnect. Connect the SUBWOOFER OUTPUT on the AV amplifier to the L/Mono Line input on the subwoofer, pushing the plugs firmly home.

Setting Up:

1. Check that all system connections are properly and securely made and that the subwoofer is switched off.

2. Set the controls to the following default settings:

– Level: Approximately half

– Crossover: Fully clockwise (AV setting)

– Phase: Fully anti-clockwise (0° setting)

– Sound Mode: AV

– Phase invert: 0°

– Auto on sensitivity: Med

– Speaker type: No effect when crossover set to AV so either position

3. Plug the supplied power cord into the subwoofer and then into the AC supply socket. Switch on the power at the supply socket and then switch the power switch on the subwoofer to ‘ON’. The POWER light on the subwoofer amplifier panel will glow.

4. Check the settings on your AV amplifier to make sure that the sub-woofer is set to ‘ON’ or YES. The sub-woofer level on the AV amplifier should be set at its default position or 0dB. Set the speaker sizes, positions, crossover frequency, and distance (or delay) setting correctly for all speakers in your system.

5. Play some stereo music you are familiar with and experiment with the Phase invert setting and level control until you hear a seamless blend between the front speakers and the subwoofer. If you can hear the subwoofer standing out it’s too loud!

The included Set-Up Disc contains six tracks, each playing pink noise (20 Hz to 1000Hz) through a combination of one speaker and the subwoofer. This is designed to assist in setting up the AV amplifier’s distance/time delay settings.

1. Choose whichever front speaker is closest to the subwoofer and play the corresponding track. For instance, if it is the front right speaker, play track three.

2. Adjust the amplifier distance/time delay settings for the subwoofer by the smallest amount possible (e.g., if the distance is 4m, change it to 4.1m or 3.9m).

3. Listen to see if the pink noise becomes warmer and fuller or thinner in tone.

4. If you chose 4.1m and the sound became fuller, change the setting again to 4.2m and so on until the sound starts to become thinner again. If the sound became thinner, try reducing the setting to 3.9m. In this way, you can find the optimum (warmest) setting.

Do not adjust to more than +/-0.5m from the original measured distance. Once you are happy with the setting, play track six to check the overall result. The sound should be full, warm, and integrated with no individual speaker being dominant.

There are two connection options for a stereo system:

Option 1: Using PRE-OUT Sockets

The preferred option is to use a stereo RCA phono cable from your amplifier’s PRE-OUT sockets. Connect a good quality stereo RCA phono lead to the L and R inputs on the 2070Si and connect the other end to the PRE OUT sockets on the rear of the amplifier.

Option 2: Using HIGH LEVEL Inputs

If no PRE OUT is available, you can use the HIGH LEVEL inputs. You will need two lengths of speaker cable long enough to go from the 2070Si to the speaker terminals of your amplifier. Connect the two together ensuring that you keep the L and R channels correct and make sure that the plus and minus connections are consistent at both ends.

Setting Up:

1. Ensure the subwoofer is switched off and check that all system connections are properly made.

2. Set the controls to the following default settings:

– Level: Approximately half

– Crossover: Minimum (50Hz) for large floorstanders and halfway (100Hz) for bookshelf or small speakers

– Phase: Fully anti-clockwise (0° setting)

– Sound Mode: Music

– Phase invert: 0°

– Auto on sensitivity: Med

– Speaker type: Select ‘Sealed’ for sealed or closed-box speakers, or ‘Ported’ for speakers with a port or vent.

3. Plug in the power cord and switch the subwoofer to ‘ON’.

4. Play some familiar music and experiment with the Phase invert setting and level control until you hear a good blend between the front speakers and the subwoofer. If you can hear the subwoofer standing out, it’s too loud.

Crossover: The crossover control determines at what frequency your sub-woofer output begins to rapidly diminish. This should be set to correspond with the frequency where your main speakers begin to produce a strong output. An idea for the correct setting can be found on your main speakers’ specification sheet under the “Frequency response” heading (the “-3dB point”). Room positioning has a dramatic effect, so don’t be worried if you require a setting that does not correlate with the specified low frequency point.

Phase Control: Once you are close with the settings, you can perfect the integration by adjusting the phase control. This control uses a pure delay and affects the level of bass produced at the crossover frequency and how smoothly the transition occurs. This will interact with the crossover control, so fine adjustments may be necessary. You may also find a better end result by flipping the phase invert switch and trying to optimize the crossover and phase controls again. Experimentation is key to getting perfect integration.

AV processors offer the choice of ‘Large’ or ‘Small’ for the speakers. If you choose ‘Large’ the speaker receives the full frequency. Choose ‘Small’ and the bass is sent to the Subwoofer.

We recommend you choose ’Small’ for the 2000Ci and the 2010i and 2020i wherever they are used in the system. The 2050i should be set to ‘Large’.

The subwoofer option should be enabled (set to ‘ON’ or ‘YES’). Always follow the instructions in your AV processor manual.

When the basic system parameters have been established, put your processor into the ‘setup’ routine. Set up each individual speaker so that the level is the same at the listening position as all the others. If your processor enables you to adjust the delay times, follow the instructions closely as this will profoundly affect the final result. When you play a movie you may think the rear channels are too soft – they aren’t! You may however have to adjust the subwoofer level both at the processor and at the subwoofer. Once set, do not re-adjust these levels.

Cabinet Care:

Clean cabinets with a barely damp cloth. Do not use solvent-based cleaning materials. If the cabinets become stained, remove the stain with a cloth lightly moistened with water, white spirit or isopropyl alcohol depending on the stain. Then lightly buff with a cloth to remove any residue of the cleaning agent. Never use abrasives of any kind.

Grilles:

Lightly brush out grilles with a soft brush. Do not remove the speaker grilles unless absolutely necessary.

Drive Units:

Drive units are best left untouched as they are easily damaged when exposed.