Dynavector SSP-5 User manual

1
16-15 Iwamoto-cho 2-chome Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 101-0032 Japan
Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
Operation Manual
Introduction ............................................................ 2
Speaker Locations ................................................ 3
Recommended speakers for SuperStereo ............. 4
Connection Method A ............................................ 5
Connection Method B ............................................. 6
Front Panel Controls ............................................... 7
Rear Panel Controls ............................................... 8
Preset Controls for Adjusting the Input Level ......... 9
Adjusting the Sound Balance Between Speakers .. 10
Operation --- Sound Reproduction ......................... 11
Specifications ......................................................... 12
SSP-5
Dynavector SuperStereo Processor

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What is SuperStereo?
Superstereo has been developed over many years by Dynavector to remedy the deficiencies of normal 2 speaker
stereo and conventional surround sound systems.
The object has been to produce a sound from music sources, whether live broadcasts or recorded mono or stereo
sound, which has the kind of immediacy, life and naturalness found in live music.
SuperStereo has been developed after much theoretical and practical study of how sound is propagated in enclosed
spaces. These studies have shown that conventional audio engineering has failed to recognise crucial aspects of the
propagation of sound. As a result, there is an ever increasing production of stereo and surround sound equipment
based on ever more complex digital techniques which is quite unable to get closer to the sound of live music.
Only the unique and patented Dynavector SuperStereo system can achieve this result.
It is theoretically impossible for a 2 speaker stereo system to produce the kind of life-like sound heard in a concert
hall since the recovery of the important dispersive elements of the original sound is thereby not possible;
and neither do the many multi-channel system on offer provide a solution.
Dynavector has perfected its SuperStereo processors which provide frequency related time delays to sound which
is replayed through additional satellite or sub speakers. The interaction of the sound between the front and sub
speakers produces significant group delays in the listening room. While the group delays are not identical to those of
the original or listening environment (which is impossible to achieve) , it has been established in many trials that an
approximate simulation can produce a life-like reality from broadcast or recorded music which is much closer to the
original sound.
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6 Channel SuperStereo
While the addition of 2 extra centre speakers using the Adp-2 SuperStereo processor with a conventional stereo
system will produce highly enjoyable and musical results, the use of the SSP-5 processor together with the Adp-2
and a total of 4 sub speakers to give 6 speaker SuperStereo will further significantly enhance the naturalness and
immediacy of the sound.
This manual explains how the best results may be obtained from such a 6 speaker SuperStereo set -up.
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Main Features of the SSP-5
(1) 4 different frequency delay patterns, selectable by remote control, to provide music replay with a closer match to
concert hall and recording studio venues;
(2 ) Instant switching between normal stereo and SuperStereo modes by remote control;
(3) Motorised, remotely controllable master volume control;
(4) Can accept inputs from two different sources, with a choice of high or low levels;
(5) Simple , front panel rotary controls for front/center and front/rear speakers' sound balance.
Introduction

3
Speaker Locations
We recommend two alternative speaker locations.
You should choose the one best suited to the size and type of your listening room.
Position (A) Normal Location
Locate each speaker as shown in the drawing at (A)
Side speakers should be located between 1.5 and 2.5
meters from the front speakers and are best situated at
a height between 1.5 to 2.0 meters. The rear speakers
should be located at the rear wall and are best situated
near the ceiling. It is important to position the speakers
so that they face towards the front speakers.
Position (B) Compact Location
Locate each speaker as shown in the drawing at (B)
The side and rear speakers are located in the same po-
sition ie between 1.5 and 2.5 meters from the front speak-
ers. In this positioning the sound is directed towards the
front speakers and this layout is recommended for small
rooms with insufficient depth for rear placement, and
where the listener prefers not to have sound from the
rear. Again, it is important to ensure that all 4 sub-speak-
ers face the front speakers
POLARITY CHECK for speakers’ terminals
After listening for a while, try reversing the polarities of
the speaker terminals (+ or -) for the side and rear speak-
ers, keeping the front speakers the same. Then choose
the polarity setting which gives the most natural and deep
bass.
You can reverse the polarity for the side speakers by
using the SUB SPEAKERS POLARITY switch on the
rear panel of the ADP-2.
zSmall room (room depth is insufficient)
zListener’s main music preference is Popular or Rock
music
zListeners who do not wish to have the sound from
the rear.
The best listening position is usually a little be-
hind the line joining the two side speakers.
(A) (B)

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NOTE
1.When you use large speakers for the side and the rear the sound will tend to be boomy and lack definition. Even
when you use large speakers for the front you should use small speakers for the side and the rear.
Recommended speakers for SuperStereo
zFront speakers:use existing speakers
zSide speakers:use small speakers (5 – 10 cm driver unit)
zRear speakers:use small speakers (10- 13cm driver unit)
Recommeded speakers
2. Sealed box type rather than ported sub-speakers have the advantage that they are less affected by being put
closer to the room boundaries and can give better control in the bass, but they are often less sensitive.
Bass reflex speakers can also be used. Should you have any problems with the latter, you can improve the sound
by using foam or felt to plug the port.
3.When you wish to have high sound levels, it is still recommended to use a number of small speakers for the side and the
rear.
In this way, 2, 4 or more small speakers can be used for each channel. When this is done, the speakers, whether of 4ohms
or 8ohms, should be connected up according to the impedance of the speakers and the number of speakers being used.
So, for example, when 2 small speakers of 4ohms are being used, they should be connected in series
so as to present a load of 8ohms. When there are 2 small speakers of 8 ohms, they should be connected in parallel to give
a load of 4 ohms. When 4 small
speakers (per channel) are used, they should be connected in series and in parallel so as to give 4 ohms.
We recommend small sub speakers for SuperStereo since they are quite capable of
bringing out the ambience of even a large concert hall.

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Connection Method A
Normal connection / using SSP-5 + SS-Adp2 + 4 channels of power amplification.
We recommend this set-up for normal home use. You will need 2 extra stereo power
amplifiers (or a 4-channel amplifier), the side speakers being driven by the Adp2
amplifier.

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Connection Method B
Connection Method B is using SSP-5 + SS-Adp2 + 6 channels of power amplifica-
tion. Should you wish to have high sound levels, you will need to have available also
an extra stereo power amplifier for the side speakers. A multi-channel amplifier
would be more suitable for this system construction.

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Front Panel Controls
(1) POWER
Press the Power button to turn on the unit.
(2) SENSOR
Receiver for the Remote Control Unit
(3) INPUTS
The two inputs ( A and B) are selectable.Thus you can
connect two sources to the SSP-5 (eg a pre-am-
plifier and a CD player).
(4) MODE
Normal stereo and four modes of SuperStereo
are selectable, either manually or by use of the
remote control. The first position is for normal
stereo and the remaining four positions give in-
creased levels of SuperStereo
(5) OVERFLOW INDICATOR
The red light will blink when the signal level to
either input (A or B) is too high.
(6) SUPER BASS LEVEL
Control for the Super Bass level. This functions
as super low frequency re-inforcement. eg when
the control (7) is set at 42Hz, a signal of 42Hz will
be generated. The SUPER BASS is provided for
professional use with PA or SR. We do not rec-
ommend its use for home audio and the control
should be normally set at the minimum level.
(7) SUPER BASS FREQUENCY
Control for the Super Bass Frequency. The frequency
can be adjusted according to the music source.
(8) FRONT/REAR BALANCE
Turning the control to the left reduces the sound level to
the rear speakers. When turned to the right, the sound
level to the front is reduced.
(9) FRONT MAIN/CENTER LEVEL
Control for adjusting the sound volume of the center
speakers. When turned to the right the sound level of
the center speakers is increased.
(10) MASTER VOLUME
Adjusts the overall sound level once the sound balance
has been set using (8) and (9).
Remote Control Unit
(1) MUTE key
The LED of the MASTER VOLUME will
blink and no sound will come from the
speakers. To restore the sound, press the
MUTE key again.
(2) INPUT key
To select between input sources, press the
INPUT key A or B.
(3) MODE key
Press the MODE key to select normal ste-
reo or one of the 4 SuperStero modes.
(4) MASTER VOLUME key
To change the sound level, press and hold
the UP or DOWN key until the desired vol-
ume is reached. The LED of the MASTER
VOLUME will light up when the MASTER
VOLUME control is being used.
Reception Limits for Remote Control Unit
30 degrees up or down or to the right or left of the
central position with a maximum working distance of
about 7metres.

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(1) INPUT LEVEL SWITCH
To select HIGH or LOW level to suit the output level of
the source.
With HIGH: the acceptable input level is 2.5 volts and
suitable for pre-amplifier or CD player
With LOW : appropriate input level is 1.0 volt and suit-
able for tape deck or phono stage
When the overflow indicator on front panel of SSP-5
lights up or blinks, you should select the HIGH position.
If the indicator light is still seen, then the input source
level should be reduced eg by using attenuators on the
inter-connects.
(2) INPUT A and B
The INPUTS for connecting the source devices. Two such
sources can be connected.
(3) MONITOR OUT
This is the line-output and can be used to connect an
optional device like the SS-Adp2. The output will be iden-
tical to the signal entering in to INPUT A or B . The maxi-
mum output level is 1.0 volt.
(4) FRONT MAIN / CENTER AUX IN
These can be used as an aux input to connect an op-
tional device such as the SS-Adp2.
(5) SWITCH for FRONT MAIN
/ CENTER AUX IN
The FRONT MAIN/CENTER (8) output signal is varied
by this switch as follows:
FRONT MAIN position: The signal put into INPUT A or
B will be the output.
CENTER position: the signal put into CENTER AUX IN
will be the output.
(6) FRONT AUX IN
For use as an AUX input to connect an optional device.
(7) REAR AUX IN
For use as an AUX input to connect an optional device.
(8) FRONT MAIN / CENTER OUTPUT
This output will be as set by the switch at (5).
When the switch at (5) FRONT MAIN/CENTER AUX IN
is set to the FRONT MAIN position, the output will be
the signal entering into INPUT A or B. When the switch
for FRONT MAIN/CENTER AUX IN is set to the CEN-
TER position, the output will be the signal going in to the
CENTER AUX IN and can be used to connect a power
amplifier for the side speakers.
(9) FRONT OUTPUT
The output signal will be the combined signal from the
source (input A or B) and the signal put in to FRONT
AUX IN and can be used to connect a power amplifier
for the front speakers.
(10) REAR OUTPUT
The output signal will be a combined signal made up of
the SuperStereo rear processing signal and the signal
put in to REAR AUX IN. This can be used to connect a
power amplifier for the rear speakers.
(11) POWER CABLE
To be plugged into a suitable AC power supply.
Rear Panel Controls

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Mal-adjustment of the input level will cause distorted sound or a poor signal-to-noise
ratio. The procedure below should be followed to ensure the input level is correct.
Connection of CD player, tape deck and
phono stage or signal from REC OUT of the
integrated amplifier.
1. Select LOW position of the INPUT LEVEL switch
of SSP-5 on the rear panel.
2. The MASTER VOLUME control on the front panel
of SSP-5 should be turned to the minimum.
3. Press the power buttons of all the audio systems.
4. Play some music with a good dynamic range.
5. Check the overflow indicator on the front panel of
SSP-5 to see whether or not it blinks.
6. When the indicator blinks at frequent intervals you
should select HIGH position of the INPUT LEVEL
switch of SSP-5.
Connection of a Pre-amplifier
1. Select LOW position of the INPUT LEVEL switch
of SSP-5 on the rear panel.
2. The MASTER VOLUME on the front panel of SSP-
5 should be turned to the minimum.
3. The volume control on the pre-amplifier should
be turned to the minimum.
5. Play some music with a good dynamic range.
6. The volume control of the pre-amplifier should be
turned up to gradually until just before the overflow
indicator on the front panel of SSP-5 starts to blink.
The volume control of the pre-amplifier should be
set at this position.
4. Press the power buttons of all the audio systems.
Preset Controls for Adjusting the Input Level

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Adjusting the Sound Balance Between Speakers
It is important to adjust the sound volume of each pair of speakers to obtain the
best SuperStereo performance. This adjustment is done as follows.
3. When a pre-amplifier is used, you should set the
volume control of it as set by (5). When you use an
integrated amplifier you should set the volume con-
trol of it to the minimum position .
4. Select 3 of the MODE switch on the front panel of
SSP-5.
5. The FRONT MAIN/CENTER LEVEL control of
SSP-5 should be turned to minimum. The sound
level from the side speakers should now be at a
minimum.
6. The FRONT/REAR BALANCE control of SSP-5
should be turned to the center as at 12 o'clock.
7. Now play some music.
8. The MASTER VOLUME control of the SSP-5
should be turned up gradually and a check made to
ensure there is sound from the front and rear speak-
ers, but there will not yet be any sound from the side
speakers.
9. The FRONT/REAR BALANCE control of SSP-5
should be turned to the right gradually and you
should adjust it to give the best SuperStereo effect
at your listening position.
When the FRONT/REAR BALANCE control is
turned to the left the sound volume from the rear
speakers will be reduced, and when the control is
turned to the right the sound volume of the front
speakers will be reduced.
10. The FRONT MAIN/CENTER LEVEL control of
SSP-5 should be turned to the right gradually to the
point which gives the best and most natural sound
reproduction.
11. Once you have set the FRONT/REAR BALANCE
control and the FRONT MAIN/CENTER LEVEL con-
trol so as to gives the best result; you should from
now on adjust the sound volume just by the MAS-
TER VOLUME control.
1. The MASTER VOLUME control of SSP-5 should
be turned to the minimum.
2. The volume control of each power amplifier should
be turned up to the maximum.

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Operation --- Sound Reproduction
Once you set the input level of SSP-5 and the sound volume of each pair of
speakers, you can operate SSP-5 most easily by using the unit’s remote control.
MUTING the sound
Mode of SuperStereo
Now
1. Play some music on a CD player or other source.
2. Select the MODE switch on the front of the SSP-
5 according to your personal preferences.
3. Use the MASTER VOLUME control to give the
most enjoyable sound level.
Press the MUTE key of the remote control unit. The
LED of the MASTER VOLUME will blink and no
sound will come from any speaker. To restore the
sound, press the MUTE key again.
Suitable for rock music, intimate jazz and
classical music in small venues e.g. solo art-
ists and chamber music.
Suitable for jazz , dance and other popular
music, opera and classical music in larger
halls.
Suitable for popular and classical music in
large halls and for movie/cinema music
soundtracks.
Suitable for classical music in very large halls
and Church music.
Normal stereo position gives sound from the
front speakers only.
NB the above SuperStereo mode explanations are ap-
proximate. The best mode will be influenced by the size
of your listening room, the nature of the recording (or
live broadcast) and the type of recording venue. Choose
the one which gives you the most enjoyment.

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Specifications
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Type
Analogue/digital SuperStereo processor
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Input impedance
50Kohms
(INPUT A,B, AUX IN FRONT, REAR, CENTER)
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Input voltages
INPUT A, B HIGH 2.5 volts
LOW 1.0 volt
AUX IN 1.5 volts
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Output voltages
3 .0 volts
(FRONT, REAR, FRONT MAIN/CENTER)
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Load impedance
over 10K ohms
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T.H.D.
FRONT under 0.03%
CENTER under 0.03%
(at 1KHz/1 volt input/1volt output)
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Delay time
<Digital>8 - 128 msec
<Analogue>134msec/50Hz,110msec/100Hz,74msec/
200Hz,36msec/500Hz,18msec/1,000Hz>
preset modes 1 - 4
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Reverberation
SuperStereo analogue/digital feedback gain
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Low pass filter
<REAR low pass filter fc=2,000Hz, -12dB/oct>
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Power supply voltage
AC 100/110 volts or
AC 220 – 240 volts 50/60Hz 14VA
According to country of use
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Dimensions
430W x 83H x 343Dmm
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Weight
6.9kg(approx.)
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Accessories
-remote control unit
-shorting plugs x 6
-warranty cord
-operation manual
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Country of origin
Made in Japan
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Guarantee
12 months (parts and labour) return to supplier