Congratulations on your purchase of the Dayton Audio®B452 speakers.These
subcompact-sized speakers are designed to produce balanced, natural sound
with excellent sonic detail that rivals many more expensive speakers. Please
read on to discover how to get the most from your new speakers.
1) Parts Inventory
The B452 speaker package includes the following items:
• 1 pair of Dayton Audio B452 speakers
• 1 pair of 2-conductor red/black speaker cables
2) Installation Tools
No tools are required for installation of the B452 speakers. Additional tools
and hardware may be required for wall mounting.
3) Speaker Placement
Because of their well-behaved off-axis response and excellent dispersion,
your new Dayton Audio speakers are less critical to position than most loud-
speakers. Often, simply placing them where they best fit into the decorat-
ing scheme is all that is necessary for exceptional performance. The B452
speakers feature a wall hanger on the rear of the enclosure to facilitate safe
wall mounting.
CAUTION: The B452 speakers are compact in size, but substantial in weight.
When wall-mounting or shelf-mounting the B452 speakers, be sure that the
wall hanger or shelf is anchored to the structure of the building via a stud or
drywall insert, to prevent falling of the loudspeakers and potential injury.
If you are inclined to go through a more rigorous positioning exercise, the
following paragraphs will help you achieve all the performance that your
system is capable of.
Carefully select a few recordings. Choose recordings made with simple ar-
rangements and strong vocals by a single performer. Physically small sound
sources localize much more precisely. Placement of horns, strings, vocals,
and drums will snap into focus when the loudspeakers are optimally positioned.
Start with the speakers directly in front of your primary listening position. Avoid
hard vertical edges within 3 or 4 feet of either side of the cabinet. Position the
cabinets about 1-2 feet out from the wall. Listen to one of the selected record-
ings paying close attention to the positions of the instruments and vocalist.
Move the speakers a few inches at a time, returning to the listening position
to evaluate the results. Once placement is optimized, the vocalist will be
firmly positioned in front of the instruments and the instruments will seem to
be between or behind the loudspeakers. If possible, position your speakers
to that when you are seated in the primary listening position your ears are
10-12 feet from the tweeter. Viewed from your seat, the angle between the
speakers should be 30 to 60 degrees.
Pay special attention to the bass. The relation between bass response and
room position is critical. Adjust the position of the speakers closer to or fur-
ther away from walls so that the bass levels are in proportion with the rest of
the musical spectrum.
Loudspeaker positioning can be time-consuming, but the rewards justify the effort.
4) Speaker Connection
Use the supplied speaker wire or other good quality wire for the connection
between your Dayton Audio loudspeakers and the amplifier. For longer runs,
heavier wire should be used. For proper performance the speakers must
be “phased” correctly. To insure proper phasing, connect the red speaker
terminals to the red amplifier terminals and the black speaker terminals to the
black amplifier terminals. All two-conductor wire is marked in some way to
help you do this. One side will be marked with a colored stripe, a raised rib, or
a different colored conductor. Use the marked side for the “red” connections.
5) Caring For Your Speakers
Clean your speakers by wiping with a damp, lint-free cloth. The finish of your
speakers can be maintained and enhanced by periodic use of a surface
protection such as “ArmorAll”. The grills may be vacuumed, gently tapped,
or brushed to remove dust and debris.
POWER RATING NOTE: Almost any speaker can be used successfully with
almost any amplifier. Conversely, almost any speaker can be damaged by
almost any amplifier-despite either unit’s power rating. The published power
rating is accurate only if the volume level is never set above the point of au-
dible distortion. Distortion is an indication that the amplifier or loudspeaker
is operating beyond its design limits, and damage may occur – often within
seconds. If you hear distortion, immediately reduce the volume. The B452
is designed to be used with stereo equipment rated from 5 to 60 watts and
from 4 to 8 ohms.
Dayton Audio loudspeakers are designed to reproduce music and speech
in a home environment at moderate volume levels. When used within their
limits Dayton Audio loudspeakers will provide many years of trouble free
performance.
