Holosonics Audio Spotlight User manual

User’s Manual
© 2014 Holosonic Research Labs, Inc.



16,1,2,15,14,3,4,13,12,5,6,11,10,7,8,9

Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual 3
Introduction
"... Audio Spotlights may be the most radical technological development in
acoustics since the coil loudspeaker was invented in 1925... The audio
spotlight will force people to rethink their relationship with sound, as the
arrivals of the phonograph, the telephone and the Walkman have done
before." - New York Times
Thank you very much for choosing the Audio Spotlight system. Years
ago as a MIT graduate student, I created the Audio Spotlight because
of deficiencies I saw in the way traditional loudspeakers made sound –
in particular, their lack of control. Never before has it been possible to
give people the power to control not only what their sound is, but also
where their sound goes –and as importantly where it doesn’t.
I founded Holosonics to commercialize the Audio Spotlight technology,
and make it available to anyone who would like to take advantage of its
unique features. As we continue to move this unique technology
forward, I would like to hear from you regarding your experiences,
successes, challenges and ideas regarding the Audio Spotlight
technology. I and everyone at Holosonics look forward to working with
you.
Dr. F. Joseph Pompei
President and Founder
Audio Spotlight® and Holosonics® are registered trademarks of Holosonic Research
Labs, Inc. US and International patents issued and pending.

4 Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual
Important Safety Instructions
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or
other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong is
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an
electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12) Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table
specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus.
When a cart is used, use caution when moving the
cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.
14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is
damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.
15) Installers are required to follow sound and reasonable judgment when installing
Audio Spotlight products. Compliance with all building, safety, and fire codes is the
sole responsibility of the installer and/or end user.
16) Do not connect Audio Spotlight® devices to traditional loudspeaker amplifiers
or loudspeakers. Damage and/or hazardous conditions could result.
17) Our standard cables are not plenum rated. Please contact the factory if
special specifications are required.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus
to rain or moisture.
WARNING: Terminals marked with the symbol are hazardous live. External
wiring connected to these terminals requires installation by a qualified, instructed
person or the use of ready-made leads or cords.
WARNING: When mounting the speaker panel overhead, always use a secondary
fastening method in case the primary attachment fails.
The symbol indicates that there are hazardous voltages within the enclosure.
Do not open. Refer all servicing needs to the manufacturer, or the manufacturer’s
designated service representatives.

Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual 5
Package Contents
Audio Spotlight®integrated speaker panel
Power Supply, Power cable
IR Remote
Optional Accessories:
Mounting Brackets (see www.holosonics.com)
microSD Card
System Connections
The included power supply will operate with any standard mains
voltage and frequency, worldwide. See power supply for detailed
voltage and current specifications.
To power supply
Dual RCA to optional
audio source
Audio Spotlight®
speaker panel
Slot for optional
microSD card
Power switch

6 Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual
System Operation
The system can accept audio input from either an external audio
source, microSD card, or internal built-in demo tracks.
External Audio Source
1. Connect system as shown on the previous page.
2. Press the power switch to power on system.
3. Display will illuminate and show a welcome message.
4. System self-tests, with the bargraph growing from zero to full-scale
and back.
5. Ensure that no microSD card is inserted.
6. Start the audio source.
7. Use the ▲(up) and ▼ (down) arrows to adjust volume
Using microSD Audio
If a microSD card is inserted, the system will automatically loop
through all content on the microSD. Note that any playback through
the microSD will be mixed with the external audio input, if connected.
The built-in player supports standard Ogg Vorbis (.ogg) files, a file
format that provides higher quality encoding than MP3, and can be
encoded and used free of all licensing fees. There are many popular
third party programs and online conversion sites available, or you can
visit www.holosonics.com/FAQ.html for more information on free file
conversion. Holosonics is also happy to assist converting your files
directly, if needed.
Built-in Demonstration Material
Built-in demo material can be accessed by pressing "Mode" until the
"Demo" mode is active. Pressing the Up and Down arrows select the
specific track to loop, or "All" to loop all of them sequentially.
Demonstration Tracks
1. Introduction 7. Female Voice
2. Birds of a Feather 8. Birds
3. Beachfront Celebration 9. Glass
4. Hungarian Dance 10. Laser
5. Jazz 11. Footsteps
6. Male Voice

Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual 7
Modes and Settings
Change mode with MODE button, and adjust parameters with ▲ and
▼ buttons. In most modes, display will timeout to the default bargraph
after a few seconds.
All settings are retained after power cycling.
Display
Default Mode; bargraph shows output level.
Clipping indicated by at the top of the scale.
Volume adjustment mode.
Up/down alters system volume from 0-99 (max)
Clipping indicated by .
Sets built-in audio processing preset A,B,C
Preset A: Optimized for typical full-frequency content
Preset B: Optimized for raw voice
Preset C: Optimized for maximum output
Demo Mode (off by default)
Standard demo track loops
Loops all demo tracks
Input level monitor bargraph.
Input level is clipping; source level is too high
Input level is too low for optimal performance
Low frequency EQ control (Bass) -9 to +9
High frequency EQ control (Treble) -9 to +9
Autolevel Off/On. Applies a compressor algorithm to
adjust volume automatically for best results.
IR active mode Off/On. Use to disable IR control.
Factory reset all settings, press up arrow to reset
To confirm factory reset, press up arrow again

8 Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual
Speaker Mounting
The speaker panel was designed for flexible mounting. Two M6 holes
in the center are compatible with most loudspeaker brackets, and four
M4 holes in a VESA100 pattern are compatible with a wide variety of
additional brackets. Two keyhole mounts allow mounting flat against
most surfaces.
NOTE: When using the keyhole mounts for overhead mounting, a
secondary fastener, bumper, or retainer MUST be used in case
the speaker is inadvertently moved, to prevent falling.
Wall / Ceiling
Holosonics recommends using our own mounting kits (MNT-1) with
Audio Spotlight®speakers. The bracket attaches to the back of the
speaker with two included screws, and can mount to any suitable flat
surface. By loosening the screw on the bracket, the speaker panel can
be aimed as desired. An extension arm is also included. See the
instructions that come with the MNT-1 kit for more details.
4 x M4
(VESA100)
2 x M6
Keyholes for M6 or
1/4-20 panhead
2 3/8"
60.3 mm
3.94"
100 mm

Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual 9
Overhead cable hanging
Overhead cable hanging is useful when shining the Audio Spotlight
beam straight down, particularly from a high ceiling. Use four M4
eyebolts to suspend the speaker panel from steel cable. Eyebolts are
commonly available, and Holosonics can supply them upon request.
Suspended Ceilings
Suspended ceilings are not designed to support all loads. When
hanging any object from a suspended ceiling, be sure that it is
connected to the structural ceiling and is rigid enough to support the
speaker panel.
Flat mounting:
The thin profile of the Audio Spotlight
speakers makes mounting flat against a
ceiling attractive and simple. Our CM-1
mount kit contains a support brace for
using inside the ceiling grid, and two
long screws for attaching the speaker.
Aiming:
Our CM-1 kit is compatible with the
MNT-1 mount, allowing flexible aiming
of the speaker panel in a suspended
ceiling. The MNT-1 attaches to the
ceiling panel with two long screws, two
washers, and two nuts. The screws
extend up to the support brace and
connect with two more nuts.
Ceiling tile replacement:
The AS-24i model is designed to
precisely replace a standard 2’x2’or
600mm ceiling tile. This allows for
seamless integration in suspended
ceiling applications. Be sure that the
ceiling frame is sufficiently strong to
safely support the weight of the
speaker panel, and always use a
backup line for safety.

10 Audio Spotlight®User’s Manual
Understanding the sound field
The Audio Spotlight directional speaker creates a very precise, well-
controlled beam of sound with no sidelobes or other artifacts typical of
traditional loudspeakers.
Because sound is created in mid-air, and not by the speaker panel,
sound actually gets louder with distance –up to about 1 or 2m,
depending on frequency. Sound also diminishes with distance much
more slowly than a traditional loudspeaker, creating a more uniform
field of sound.
An illustration of the field from the AS-16i system is shown below.
Three contours are shown, at the contours of –0dB, -6dB (50%), and –
20dB (10%). Additional data is shown in Appendix A.
The loudest sound area is directly in
front of the speaker panel at a
distance of 1-2m. Sound levels
outside the beam are reduced by
over 90%.
In all sound systems, audibility is
determined by sound level received
versus background noise levels.
Therefore, the beam will be perceived
as more narrow in the presence of
background noise, as any scatter
from a listener or floor will be
inaudible. This is much like the
difference in shining a flashlight in a
completely dark room versus one
with background lighting.
0 m
1 m
2 m