Owner’s Manual Wisdom Series LS3 & LS4 Biamplified Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
Table of Contents Introduction.....................................................................................................4 About this manual...................................................................................................4 Description......................................................................................................5 Planar magnetic panels...........................................................................................5 Free from compression.........
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 Wisdom Series 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.
To achieve this highly desirable line source behavior, it is essential to have a tall and slim driver. (Simply stacking multiple “cone & dome” high frequency drivers does not create a proper line source. Instead, it creates a series of point sources which end up interfering with each other.) With Wisdom Audio’s planar magnetic technology, it becomes possible to have drivers that are extremely tall and slim.
room itself. The goal is simple: to achieve consistently excellent results in the real world of the owner’s home. After all, that’s all that really matters.
Un-crating & Installing the LS3/4 Your new Wisdom Audio Wisdom Series LS3 or LS4 in-wall speaker is a substantial piece of equipment. Please exercise caution when unpacking your LS4 to ensure that you do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight. Caution! Do not attempt to uncrate your Wisdom Series speakers by yourself. Unpacking these speakers is a job for multiple, trained installers. It is unwise for a single person even to attempt doing so.
The wall bracket must be attached to at least one stud in the wall, using the lag screws provided, as shown in the illustration below. Once the bracket is securely fastened to the wall, the LS3 or LS4 may be lifted up and on to the interlocking cleat system that holds it. (We recommend 3-4 people be involved in the step, as the LS4 weighs in at a little under 300 pounds (about 135 kg).
Once in position, use the included security screws on each side of the speaker to lock it into place in its bracket. These screws ensure that the speaker cannot come off the bracket, even in the event of an earthquake The connections to the speaker may be made either before or after the speaker is hung on its bracket. (We usually find it easier to do after the speaker is securely in place.
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, particularly at low frequencies. 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.
The ultimate in dedicated listening room construction involves the design and construction of floating walls, ceiling and floor. This approach yields the added 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.
it belongs. Within the limitations of how we perceive stereo, this can work extremely well. However, if you have a wide listening area, you would do well to use an acoustically transparent screen in a front projection setup, and to place another LS4 (or an LS3) behind it in order to anchor the center image where it belongs. Surround Speakers Surround channel geometry In a 5.
advantages to placing several subwoofers around the room, rather than relying on a single large woofer. If you have the luxury of doing so, this having multiple subwoofer can reduce the size of the room’s response irregularities from 20 decibels down to perhaps as little as 6-8 decibels—a tremendous improvement. Reducing the room’s inherent problems to this degree provides a huge advantage.
References Books on Acoustics: The Master Handbook of Acoustics, F. Alton Everest, TAB Books Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Dr. Floyd Toole, Focal Press Suppliers of Acoustic Treatments: Acoustic Innovations, http://www.acousticinnovations.com/ Acoustic Sciences Corporation, http://www.acousticsciences.com/ Echo Busters, http://www.echobusters.com MSR Acoustics, http://www.msr-inc.com/home_theater/hometheater.html RPG Diffusor Systems, http://www.rpginc.
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 LS4, 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 LS4 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 Standard Warranty 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 five years from the original date of purchase. Furthermore, the transducers (“drivers”) in your Wisdom Audio speakers 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.
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: 80Hz – 20 kHz ± 2dB relative to the target curve ■ Impedance, planar section: 4.25Ω resistive ■ Impedance, woofer section: 4.25Ω resistive ■ Sensitivity, planar section: 100 dB/2.83 V/1m ■ Power handling, peak: >5000w ■ Dimensions see Dimensions drawings ■ Dimensions of shipping crate) 87-1/2” x 36” x 26” 222.25 cm x 91.5 cm x 66 cm ■ Shipping weight: 550 lbs.
LS4 Dimensions 22
LS3 Dimensions 23
Notes 24
Notes 25
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 LS4OM-1.0 26 © 2/2012 Wisdom Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
