Dali SWA 12 User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
DALI SWA 8
DALI SWA 12
ACTIVE SUBWOOFERS

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION:
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELRCTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE BACK PANEL. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS
1. Read Instructions - All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings - All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
. Follow Instructions - All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5. Water and Moisture - The appliance should not be used near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl,
kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool and the like.
6. Carts and Stands - The appliance should be used only with a cart or stand if recommended by the manufacturer.
7. Wall or Ceiling Mounting - The appliance should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by
the manufacturer.
8. Ventilation - The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with proper
ventilation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that
may block the ventilation openings; or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet, that
may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
9. Heat - The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or
other appliances that produce heat.
10. Power Sources - The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the
operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
11. Power Cord Protection - Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or
pinched by items placed on or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience
receptacles and the point where they exit from appliance.
12. Cleaning - Do not use any liquid cleaners. Use only a dry cloth to wipe off dust and grease.
13. Non-use Periods - The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused
for a long period of time.
1 . Object and Liguid Entry - Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the
enclosure through openings.
15. Damage Requiring Service - The appliance should be serviced by qualified personnel when:
a. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
b. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or
c. The appliance has been exposed to rain; or
d. The appliance does not appear to operate normally, or exhibits a marked change in performance; or
e. The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.
16. Servicing - The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating
instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
The lightning flash within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert you to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous volt-
age within the products enclosure that
may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute an electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert you
to the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accom- panying the
appliance.

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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING DALI
DALI SWA series subwoofers are high performance powered subwoofers which will convey
the lowest frequencies of all your home entertainment sources.
We know you can t wait to hear your new subwoofer, so we will keep these instructions brief
and to the point. However, please take the time to thoroughly read at least the sections on
PLACEMENT, CONNECTION and SET-UP, in order to fully optimise your installation.
PLACEMENT
Finding the best possible position for your subwoofer is just as important as correct connection
and adjustment, so please experiment with room placement, just as you would with any
loudspeaker.
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to find the best placement. You must experiment and
listen for the best position in your room. We offer the following guidelines to assist you in this
process.
The subwoofer should be placed on an even floor, either directly on the feet (included) or on
spikes (sold separately). Make sure that spikes do not puncture speaker cables, power
cords, interconnects, etc. The subwoofer must not rock back and forth, as this can cause
distortion at high levels. If the floor is uneven, place objects under the feet/spikes to restore
balance, so that the subwoofer cannot rock back and forth.
Placement on a line roughly halfway between the left and right front speakers usually works
well. Placement along a side wall can in some rooms yield good results. Note that it is not
necessary to angle the subwoofer in towards the listening position.
The subwoofer should normally be placed near a wall. Moving the subwoofer away from the
wall will reduce bass output. Placement in a corner will increase bass output. Note that
moving the subwoofer will have the most effect in the midbass region, acting as a kind of
tone control. The rear panel volume control increases or reduces bass output in a more
linear manner.
In the recommended set-up with two subwoofers, each subwoofer should be placed near
the corresponding main speaker, for instance in a corner behind the speaker.

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fig. 2
CONNECTION
With its active crossover and many connection and adjustment options, the subwoofer can
integrate seamlessly with any type of main loudspeaker. Level and crossover frequency can
be adjusted to match your main speakers and you can choose between active and passive
crossovers.
There are two ways to connect the subwoofer to your amplifier: The subwoofer can accept
either a line-level signal via its phono sockets from a preamplifier/surround decoder (fig. 1
and 2) or a speaker-level signal via its speaker input terminals from the speaker outputs of
an integrated amplifier/receiver or power amplifier (fig. 3 and 4). The subwoofer automatically
selects the active input. Do not connect line-level and speaker-level inputs at the same time.
There are two ways to connect your main speakers to the subwoofer: A power amplifier
connected to line-level outputs of the subwoofer can drive the speakers (fig. 1 and 4) or the
speakers can be connected directly to the speaker outputs of the SWA subwoofer (fig. 3). If
the line-level inputs on the subwoofer are used, then the speaker outputs cannot be used.
If the subwoofer is connected to a dedicated subwoofer output, then the main speakers
should not be connected to the subwoofer at all (fig. 2).
Fully active connection (See fig. 1): The
subwoofer receives a line-level signal
from a preamp/surround decoder. The
line-level outputs of the subwoofer del-
iver a high-pass filtered signal to a power
amplifier which drives the main speakers.
This is the preferred connection method,
because it fully exploits the advantages
of the built-in active crossover in the sub-
woofer.
Alternative active connection (See fig. 2):
If a separate subwoofer output is available,
it should be connected to the line inputs
of the subwoofer. The main speakers are
not connected to the subwoofer, but
directly to the amplifier. See the amplifier s
manual for additional information. Sepa-
rate subwoofer outputs are typically found
on surround decoders/amplifiers/
receivers.
fig. 1

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fig. 4
In many systems, a single subwoofer will offer excellent performance, but for the ultimate in
deep bass, we recommend a stereo pair of subwoofers. With two subwoofers the same
connection instructions apply, except that the amplifier s left channel output goes to one
input on the left subwoofer and the right channel output goes to one input on the right
subwoofer. The left main speaker is connected to the left subwoofer and the right main
speaker to the right subwoofer.
Now that your subwoofer is correctly connected, it is time to adjust the volume, crossover
frequency and phase controls on the rear panel.
Semi-passive connection (See fig. 4): The
speaker outputs of an integrated amplifier/
receiver are connected to the speaker
inputs of the subwoofer, which converts
the signal to line-level to drive the sub-
woofer and provide a line-level output sig-
nal to feed the power amplifier which dri-
ves the main speakers. This solution is
more expensive than passive connection,
but allows the use of a more powerful se-
parate amplifier to drive the main
speakers. Try the fully passive connection
to see of it sounds just as good, or even
better.
Passive connection (See fig. 3): The spea-
ker outputs of an integrated amplifier/re-
ceiver are connected to the speaker inputs
of the subwoofer, which converts the sig-
nal to line-level to drive the subwoofer.
This solution should only be used, if no
line-level connections are available. The
main speakers are connected to the spea-
ker outputs of the subwoofer.
fig. 3

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fig. 6
fig. 7
fig. 5
Fine-tuning the adjustments of the subwoofer is a matter of personal preference. The
following guidelines should yield excellent results with a minimum of effort.
First, set the Volume and Crossover Frequency controls to a middle position (12 o clock).
Set the phase switch to 180°. Turn Auto Shut Off on. Turn Power on. Turn on the
system and play a selection with bass. If the subwoofer is not active, check all connections.
Check the phase of all speaker cables (plus-to-plus and minus-to-minus), if the speaker
inputs are used.
Play a familiar selection with a wide range of frequencies, preferably with rhythmic bass
(bass drum, electric bass, etc.).
Setting Volume: Select a level so that the level of bass matches the level of the main
speakers (fig.5).The contribution of the subwoofer should not in any way dominate the
frequency balance.
SET-UP
The subwoofer should provide a firm,
clear foundation, making the system
larger and more potent. If the bass le-
vel is exaggerated, there may be risk of
overloading the subwoofer and the
critical midrange may sound veiled and
recessed. Too much bass can be worse
than no subwoofer at all, so proceed with
care!
Selecting Crossover Frequency:
When the correct level is set, it is time
to experiment with an equally important
characteristic, the transition between the
subwoofer and the main speakers (fig.
6). While listening to an appropriate
selection, adjust Crossover Frequency
until the subwoofer blends seamlessly
with the main speakers. It may be
necessary to make additional Volume
adjustments as you seek out the ideal
crossover frequency.

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Selecting Phase: Generally, 180° is the appropriate setting in 60-70% of all cases,
depending on the main speakers employed. If you have not achieved a satisfactory result
with the Volume and Crossover Frequency controls, try switching Phase to 0° before
adjusting Volume and Crossover Frequency again (fig. 7).
Once the subwoofer is fully integrated with your main speakers, the subwoofer should be
broken in over several days with a wide range of music or movies. After this period, you
may wish to adjust Volume, Crossover Frequency and, possibly, Phase again. You should
be aware that the ideal settings for two-channel music may not be ideal for multi-channel
surround. Make a note of the differences, if you choose to optimise your system each time
you change from stereo to surround.
Auto Shut Off places the subwoofer in standby after approximately 15 minutes without a
signal. The subwoofer turns on automatically when a signal is present.
Power should only be used to turn off the subwoofer when it will not be used for an
extended period or before changing any connections.
OVERLOAD
Placing the subwoofer close to a wall will increase bass output, without increasing the
load on the subwoofer. This allows increased bass levels without distortion. If the resulting
sound and placement is acceptable, this is a convenient means of increasing bass output.
Although the subwoofer is protected against minor, brief overload situations, pay careful
attention in the event of mechanical or electrical noise or distortion. At the very first sign of
overload, immediately turn down Volume on the subwoofer. If this occurs frequently, you
should permanently select a lower Volume setting. See section on SET-UP.
BREAK-IN PERIOD
A loudspeaker is a mechanical device and as such requires an extended initial period of
normal use during which you will notice a gradual improvement in sound quality.
Wear is not a problem with DALI loudspeakers, regular use will only extend their life.

1. Power cord (check correct voltage)
2. Power, ON/OFF switch
3. Power indicator
4. A TO SH T OFF, switches automaticly OFF after 15 min.
5. SPEAKER LEVEL, connectors
6. LINE LEVEL, connectors
7. VOL ME, control
8. PHASE, 0° and 180° switch
9. CROSSOVER FREQ ENCY, adjustment control
10. Heatsink, do not cover!
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Desi n Principle
Bass Driver
Amplifier Power
Inputs
Outputs
Controls
Frequency Response
Maximum SPL
Power Consumtion
Finish
Dimensions HxWxD
Wei ht
Active (Build-in inte rated amplifier and crossover.)
Sealed enclosure.
12, 6 ohm, air-dried pulp cone, dual ma nets,
video shieldin
120 Watt RMS. Build-in subsonic filter. Protected
a ainst minor, brief overload situations..
Fully balanced stereo speaker level.
Input impedance 1.0 kohm.
Stereo line level RCA phono.
Input impedance 15 kohm.
Automatic summation of all inputs.
Fully balanced stereo speaker, 1st order crossover
Stereo line level,
2nd order, 150 Hz hi hpass crossover.
Output impedance 200 ohms.
DALI SWA 8 DALI SWA 12
15.6 k / 34.4 lbs
35.2 x 29.1 x 35 cm
Volume level, Lowpass crossover (50-150 Hz),
Polarity (0° eller 180°)
230 VAC 50-60 Hz, max. 260 Watt
120 VAC 50-60 Hz, max. 260 Watt
Black Ask.
19.7 k / 43.4 lbs
45.5 x 36.5 x 41 cm
Black Ask.
230 VAC 50-60 Hz, max. 260 Watt
120 VAC 50-60 Hz, max. 260 Watt
Volume level, Lowpass crossover (50-150 Hz),
Polarity (0° eller 180°)
Fully balanced stereo speaker, 1st order crossover
Stereo line level,
2nd order, 150 Hz hi hpass crossover.
Output impedance 200 ohms.
Fully balanced stereo speaker level.
Input impedance 1.0 kohm.
Stereo line level RCA phono.
Input impedance 15 kohm.
Automatic summation of all inputs.
120 Watt RMS. Build-in subsonic filter. Protected
a ainst minor, brief overload situations..
8, 4 ohm, air-dried pulp cone, dual ma nets,
video shieldin
Active (Build-in inte rated amplifier and crossover.)
Sealed enclosure.
Model:
27-150 Hz (variable crossover)
112 dB
30-150 Hz (variable crossover)
107 dB