Owner’s Manual Sage C38, C38m, C38i Biamplified Planar Magnetic Hybrid Loudspeakers
Table of Contents Introduction.....................................................................................................4 About this manual...................................................................................................4 Please register your system.....................................................................................4 Description......................................................................................................5 Planar magnetic panels.........
Introduction Congratulations on purchasing your Wisdom Audio system. It incorporates many design features designed to give you decades of pleasure and performance. Many of these design choices are uncommon among loudspeaker manufacturers, and bear some explanation. See the following section entitled “Description” for more information. Our unique driver designs and our emphasis on achieving real-world performance account for the “system” approach taken.
Description Your Sage loudspeakers take advantage of several critical technologies to deliver a level of performance that has never been available in a loudspeaker that intruded so modestly on your living space. In fact, this level of performance has rarely been attained, regardless of the space and budget at one’s disposal. Since most of these technologies cannot readily be found elsewhere, we will take the time to describe them in more detail than would be necessary for more conventional designs.
The excellent heat dissipation of these drivers makes them remarkably reliable. Planar magnetic speakers can handle a great deal of power without undue stress or audible strain. In fact, for a given size, they can handle many times the power of a traditional dynamic driver. Easy on amplifiers Because the conductor is essentially a long, thin wire, it presents a purely resistive load to the amplifier.
more power than would be expected for a driver of similar size. Even the surrounds that attach the diaphragm to the woofer’s basket (the metal frame) have to be unusually rugged. Everything about the woofers has been optimized for their intended application, which involves reproducing powerful, dynamic bass from an extremely small enclosure.
Unpacking & Setting Up the C38 The Wisdom Audio Sage C38 freestanding speaker is a substantial piece of equipment. Please exercise caution when unpacking your C38 to ensure that you do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight. Caution! Do not attempt to lift your C38 while bending or twisting from the waist. Use your legs for lifting, not your back. Always stand as straight as possible and keep the C38 close to your body to reduce strain on your back.
range of tilt angles, in order to accommodate different placement heights. This is a one-time adjustment performed by the installer, the goal of which is to aim the speaker at the listeners despite the possibility that the speaker itself may be somewhat above or below ear level. To adjust the vertical angle of the speake r, loosen the two Philips head screws flanking the center post, slide the post up or down to achieve the right angle, and retighten the screws.
Making the C38 Connections As with any system, you should make changes to the connections only when the power is turned off to avoid any chance of inadvertently causing a problem (such as a short-circuit). Two sets of speaker wires are required for each Sage C38 loudspeaker: one for the woofer (low pass) section, and a separate one for the planar magnetic (high pass) section that handles the midrange and treble.
Unpacking & Installing the C38m The Wisdom Audio Sage C38m on-wall speaker is a substantial piece of equipment. Please exercise caution when unpacking your C38m to ensure that you do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight. Caution! Do not attempt to lift your C38m while bending or twisting from the waist. Use your legs for lifting, not your back. Always stand as straight as possible and keep the C38m close to your body to reduce strain on your back.
4. Rotate the bracket out of the way and install two of the supplied EZ-Toggle screws in each mounting bracket end clip as follows: a. Using a #2 Phillips bit in your cordless drill, spin the E-Z Toggle Anchor into the drywall until the head of the anchor is seated flush and the arrows on the head of the anchor point up and down. Repeat this process for each anchor location. b. To “set” the clamp behind the drywall, place the mounting screw into the anchor and push or tap firmly until approximately 1” (2.
Unpacking & Installing the C38i Your new Wisdom Audio Sage C38i in-wall speaker is a substantial piece of equipment. Please exercise caution when unpacking your C38i to ensure that you do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight. Caution! Do not attempt to lift your C38i while bending or twisting from the waist. Use your legs for lifting, not your back. Always stand as straight as possible and keep the C38i close to your body to reduce strain on your back.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. intended area behind the wall before you begin marking and cutting! Trace the outer perimeter of the cutout guide with a pencil or a utility knife. Remove the traced section of sheet rock using a keyhole saw, and clear debris from the edge of the hole. Push any insulation to the side. Disassemble bezel/Uni-Grip™ and place the supplied Allen head screws to the side.
Room Acoustics & Placement Wisdom Audio believes in equalization. Assume for a moment that you had a “perfect” loudspeaker: as soon as you place it in your room, its perfection is gone. In fact, even good rooms often introduce deviations of 20 dB to the response of the system. It seems strange to us to worry about tenths-of-a-decibel differences between one component and another when there are 10-20 dB problems right there in the room with you. At the same time, room equalization is not a panacea.
benefit (when done properly) of providing outstanding acoustic isolation from adjacent spaces as well as superb bass reproduction. This approach goes well beyond the scope of an owner’s manual; if you are interested, you should contact a professional acoustician who has specialized in this sort of domestic room design. Speaker Placement Within the room itself, placement of the speakers and the listener will have a profound effect on the performance of the system, particularly below 300 Hz or so.
This approach creates a stunningly convincing “phantom” center image that appears to emerge directly from the center of the picture, while allowing you to use any display device you choose. Failing an acoustically transparent screen or a phantom center channel approach, the important thing is to match the tonal and dynamic capabilities of the Left and Right speakers while minimizing the change in image height as a sound is panned across the front stage.
most likely to suffer from the response irregularities introduced by the room itself, operating as they do below approximately 80 Hz in most systems. Recent research into the behavior of rooms as a function of speaker placement has concluded that — if you have the freedom to do so — there are significant advantages to placing several smaller subwoofers around the room, rather than relying on a single large woofer. Moreover, the optimum placement is usually centered on each of the four walls.
ditoriums, lobbies in commercial buildings, etc. The problems seen in “small” rooms (residential spaces) are quite different, and outside the experience of most acousticians. Find someone who specializes in and has a great deal of experience designing home studios, home theaters, and the like. Your Wisdom Audio dealer may be such a person; failing that, he/she can help you find such a professional. References Books on Acoustics: The Master Handbook of Acoustics, F.
Optimizing the System A Wisdom Audio loudspeaker system is just that: a system, designed to provide the highest calibre of performance, in the widest variety of possible settings. As such, simply connecting all the wires does not mean the system is optimized. The SC-1 System Controller manual has the pertinent details on precisely how to use it to optimize the performance of the system. For the purposes of this manual, a quick overview of the process is sufficient. 1.
Care & Maintenance To remove dust from the cabinet of your C38, use a feather duster or a lint-free soft cloth. To remove stubborn dirt and fingerprints, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Lightly dampen the cloth with alcohol first and then clean the surface of the C38 with the cloth. Do not use excessive amounts of alcohol—there is no need for the cloth to be wet; merely damp is better.
North American Warranty Normal Twenty Year Warranty Harsh Condition Use When purchased from and installed by an authorized Wisdom Audio dealer, Wisdom Audio® loudspeakers are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of twenty years from the original date of purchase. The Sage Series loudspeakers are designed for installation and operation in environmentally controlled conditions, such as are found in normal residential environments.
Obtaining Service We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity make these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’ service needs. If your Wisdom Audio loudspeaker must be serviced, please contact your dealer. Your dealer will then decide whether the problem can be remedied locally, or whether to contact Wisdom Audio for further service information or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization.
Specifications All specifications are subject to change at any time, in order to improve the product. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Frequency response: 40Hz – 20 kHz ± 2dB relative to the target curve Impedance, planar section: 4 ohms Impedance, woofer section: 4 ohms nominal, 2.5 ohms minimum Sensitivity, planar section: 91 dB/1w/1m Power handling, peak: >1000w Dimensions see appropriate Dimensions drawings on next several pages Shipping weight, each C38 tower: 58 lbs.
C38 Dimensions 25
C38m Dimensions 26
C38i Dimensions 27
Notes 28
WISDOM and the stylized W are registered trademarks of Wisdom Audio. Wisdom Audio 1572 College Parkway, Suite 164 Carson City, Nevada 89706 USA Telephone: 775.887.8850 Fax: 775.887.8820 C38OM-1.01 30 © 10/2008 Wisdom Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
