Kharma EXQUISITE EXQ-MDGR-3.0 User manual

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KHARMA
EXQUISITE COLLECTION
EXQ-MDGR-3.0
EXQ-GR-3.0

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Warning!
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE ORELECTRIC
SHOCK,DONOTEXPOSETHISPRODUCTTORAIN
OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE ANY PART.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Important
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral
triangle, is intended to alert the user ofthe presence of un-insulated
<<dangerousvoltage>>withintheproduct’senclosurethatmaybe
of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to
persons.
Important
The exclamation point within an equilateral traingle is intened to
alert the user tot he presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying
the product.

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CONGRATULATIONS
You are now a Kharma loudspeaker owner. Your new
Exquisite loudspeaker system, properly installed, will
give you all the satisfaction and enjoyment you expect
from Kharma. Technically at the fore-front of current
audio equipment design,theExquisite loudspeakers will
reveal the full emotional range of music and will do so
with vivid dynamics and detail. As with any high quality
product, special care must be taken to install and
operate your new loudspeakers.
Please read this manual carefully and totally prior to
installation.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
Safety Instructions
3
Congratulations
5
Introduction the Exquisite Midi
6
Part list
7
Unpacking
11
Connection
12
Positioning your speakers
13
Using your speakers
14
Taking care of your speakers
15
Specifications
16
Warranty

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INTRODUCTION TO THE
EXQUISITE GRAND COLLECTION
Diamond concave tweeter
The diamond tweeter used in the Exquisite
series is a true technological wonder. The
tweeter has a diamond cone which has been
realizedbythesocalledCVDprocess.Withthis
process incredible stiffness is reached with a
minimum of thickness of only 50 μm. Notice a
human hair is in the range of 17 to 180 μm.
The cone is the most essential part of the
tweeter and because this cone is made of
Diamond the tweeter is capable to create
impressively pure high frequencies.
Kharma Omega 7 driver
We use our in-house developed Kharma
Omega 7driver, where the number isreferring
to the 7-inch size of this carbon based driver.
The newcone technology usedfortheOmega
7 driver isbased onUltraHigh Moduluscarbon
fibers, which is the best fiber available today.
The useof theseultra-stiffcarbonfibers andan
unique resin displaces the break-up
frequencies of the cone, in comparison with a
standard cone material, to a whole new level.
These increased break-up frequenciesensure
the cone is free from almost all resonances in
the intended frequency range for this
midrange driver. Moreover, the cone shape is
optimized with a finite element analysis to
utilize the full potential of the carbon material.
This combination of the best carbon fiber and
an optimizedcone shapehasresulted ina near
perfect behavior for the Kharma Omega 7
driver.
Kharma Omega 7F driver
Some of our systems are equipped with our
exclusive KharmaOmega7F midrangedrivers
and incase of theMidiGrand also Omega11F
drivers. The F stands for 0-Foucault currents,
which is a novelty in the audio world, because
for the first time no iron is used in the magnet
motor-system, avoiding any interaction.
Normally the voice coil induces a Foucault-
current into the iron parts and that current
induces distortion into the driver-coil which
will distort the original signal by definition. This
is now completely gone and the result is a
higher resolution, more micro-dynamics,more
macro-dynamics,fastertransients,morericher
spectrum of tonal variations from the music
itself, more natural sounding, more explosive
sounding, more realistic sounding.
Nomex-Kevlar driver
The woofers have 11 inch and 12 inch
sandwich-honeycomb-Kevlarconeswhichalso
again are completely free from structure born
resonances in the used frequency range.
Cabinet
The cabinet of the Grand Collection is
constructed of 40mm thick high pressure
laminate.
Crossover
This Exquisite loudspeaker can only achieve
astonishing musicality by using complex
crossovertechniques,whichcanbeseenasthe
beating heart of this loud speaker.
Thiscomplexin-housedevelopedcrossoverwill
lead all drivers to the right music composition.
Therefore the crossover can be seen as an
orchestra conductor, which will have to turn
the information received through the
loudspeakercableintoamusicalspectacleasif
it was read from a music sheet. Kharma has
mastered the art of retaining musical
wholeness with the proprietary crossover
technique used throughout the Exquisite
series. This technique is seldom used byother
manufacturersbecauseofitscomplexity. This
results in a Kharma crossover where there is
simply no gap in information.
Stand
Mechanical residual vibrations of the cabinet
are terminated by the Spike Disk Suspension
System(SDSS)byminimizing thecontactarea
between the cabinet and the floor. The SDSS
stand also provides a fixed and levelled
orientation for the cabinet drivers, as each
spike can be adjusted individually in the
vertical direction.

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PART LIST
The two crates will contain
•2x Exquisite Loudspeaker
•8x felt pad
•2x Tweeter ring
•1x Kharma key
•Manual
•Burn-in CD
•Registration form
•Quality certificate
•Certificate of Authenticity
Important
Pleasereadthemanualthoroughlybeforetakingfurthersteps.

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UNPACKING
Opening the box
Upon opening thebox, inspect the box carefully for any
sign of transport damage. If there is damage,
immediately call your dealer or the trucking firm that
made the delivery. Do not delay in reporting the
damage. Please store the crates for future use
Step 1: remove the top cover and release the ramp
In the side pocket of the foam, you will find a leather
box.
Inside the box you will find all documents, the tweeter
rings and the Kharma key.

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Step 2: guide the speaker to its final position
Carefully pull the speaker out of the box. And
maneuver the speaker to its right position.
You can now take of the protective cloth.
If you have hard flooring you can stick the felt
pads to the bottom of the spike disc.

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Step 3: Tilt speaker
Then tilt the speakerin upwards position. Both theMidi
Grand and the Grand Exquisite are heavy speakers.
Make sure you are with enough people to lift it.
Step 4: positioning the speaker
You can now remove the protective cloth from the bag.
Please store the bag for future use.
Move the speakers to required position.
To level the speaker use the supplied hex key. Turnthe
key clockwise to lift the feet or counter clockwise to
lower the feet. Youcan safely lift the feet approximately
15mm. Be sure not to lift it more, this might cause the
spike system to come loose from the stand.

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Step 5: removing the tweeter protector
When you speaker is properly leveled you can remove
the tweeter protector cap. Turn the screws
counterclockwise to release the cap.
The decorative rings use magnets to fix on the tweeter
faceplate.Pleaseusecautionwhenfixingthedecorative
ring, diamond tweeters are very fragile.

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CONNECTION
At the rear of your Exquisite loudspeaker you will find
the high-endKharma ConnectionTerminal.Besureyou
use thesamebrand,typeandlengthofspeakercableon
each channel.
Mixing different types and/or lengths of speaker cable
can upset the precise timing and balance of your
speaker.
It’s important toconnectyourspeakersinphase, which
means that the drivers are moving in and out in the
same direction and at the same time, in order to obtain
the best localizationof instruments and voicesas wellas
the deepest, most natural bass.
Always turn off the power of your entire system before
making connections to your speakers.
TheExquisiteisadvisedtobeusedwithbi-ampingorbi-
wiring. The left connector drives the mid and high
drivers ofthe speakerand the rightconnectordrivesthe
bass drivers.
When you choose to setup your system with only one
set of loudspeaker cables, you will have to install the
Kharma bridge terminals as indicated in the picture on
the right. For best sound quality we advise to connect
the cable to the mid/high connector.
Important
You will find a shortwirefixed tot he connection terminal. Thiswire is fixed to protectthespeaker
drivers during transport, make sure to remove this wire before installing your cables.

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POSITIONING YOUR SPEAKERS
Room Acoustics
A good listening room has just the right amount of
reflection and absorption. The performance of any
loudspeakerdependsuponthespeaker’slocationinthe
room and the acoustical conditions in that part of the
room. Furnishing, size and proportions all effect tonal
balance, imaging and bass characteristics.
In order to test the sonic balance of your room, stand in
the location where the loudspeaker willbe installedand
clap your hands two or three times. If the room is rever-
berant, you will hear a sharpness or echo. If the room is
dull, the sound of the clap will decay rapidly and there
will be littleor no echo. Largeareasofglass, mirrorsand
wood-paneling will reflectsound waves and oftenresult
in brittleness and extreme brightness.
Youcancorrectthisbybreakingthesesound-waveswith
softer surfaces; for instance, draperiesorwall hangings.
In general try to create random reflections.
Positioning
We recommend experimenting withloudspeakerplace-
ment in order toobtain the best spectralbalance,open-
ness and perception of depth. For good results, the
loudspeakers shouldbe no closer than 45 cm from the
rear wall with at least70 cm to theside walls.Thespace
between the loudspeakers should be free. Ideally the
space should be symmetrical in the area around your
loudspeakers.
Moving the system towards a wall will increase bass
level while generally reducing openness. Moving
loudspeakerstoo far into the room canresultina “thin”
overall presentation with loss of bass foundation. The
loudspeakers will normally work well straight out and
not angled toward the listener for accurate sound
staging. The wide dispersion of the Exquisite
loudspeaker makes this possible.
It is easier to carry out room changes before installing
the cone feet which thread into the base.
Many have found the bestroom position to be along an
undrapedlonger wall,withtheloudspeakersasfarapart
as the listener is for them. The stand under your
Exquisite loudspeaker can be adjusted so that the
speaker will not “rock”as you push itfrom side toside.

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USING YOUR SPEAKERS
Advice on cabling
All loudspeakers in the Exquisite range are
known for theiruncompromised designtothe
finest detail. For this reason there can only be
put justice to the quality of the Exquisite
loudspeakers,whentheusedexternalcableis
also uncompromised to the highest level.
Therefore the use of theExquisitecable series
- which wasespecially designed to matchthe
Exquisite loudspeakers –is strongly
recommended to complement the sound of
the Exquisite loudspeakers.
First of all we use in our external cables the
same quality conductors and isolators as
internal. So you get a sonic match.
Furthermore an important reason for using
these cables is that you will get exactly the
sound that the Kharma team had in mind
during the development of both the
loudspeaker and the cables.
For the true connoisseurs of musical art,
Kharma offers the possibility to even go one
step furtherby complementing theirExquisite
Loudspeaker with the Enigma Veyron cable
series.
Advice on amplifier
The recommend amplifier for the Exquisite is
one of the mono power amplifiers of the
Kharma MP1000 Series. There are several
reasons why we recommend an amplifier of
the MP1000 Series as amplifier for the
Exquisite.
First of all it has sufficient power to drive the
Exquisite loudspeakers to their full capacity,
allowing you to drive the system in both small
and large spaces. The amplifiers of the
MP1000 Series have an almost infinite
damping factor which allows a very well
controlled bass, which is why even a large
Exquisiteloudspeakercanbeusedinalimited
sizedroomand still fulfil all audiophilewishes.
A tube based power amp would create too
much base in a small room.
The secondreasonisthatthesystemhasbeen
voiced in with the amplifiers of the MP1000
Series during many listening sections.
Although during development we use several
top quality brands as amplifiers to drive our
loudspeakers, we optimize the sound of
Kharma with our own amplifiers. This will
result in a system which exactly performs like
we want it to.
Use common sense
If you hear distortion or loud “cracking”
sounds, the amplifier or loudspeaker is being
overdriven, turn the volume down
immediately.
Burn-in
Your Exquisite loudspeaker system needs
quite a bit of playing time to reach maximum
result. The use of a Burn-in test-CD is
recommendedtospeedupthisprocess.With
a “burn-in”test CD, burning time is reduced
to approximately 50 hours. After burning-in
your system, you can play demagnetizing
tracks for maximum clarity. Your system will
then be optimized and sound more open,
more detailed and display more natural
musical warmth.

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TAKING CARE OF YOUR SPEAKERS
Useasoftclothandaspray-cleanertocleanthesurface.
Be careful not to spray on the grill cloth. Use a slightly
wetted piece of foam to gently rub the cloth of the front
panel. No further care is necessary.
In event of trouble Note that you can use your
amplifier’s two channels of information for simple
troubleshooting.
If the sound quality is distorted, listen to each speaker
separately to check if the fault is present in both. If it is,
then the trouble islikely tobe elsewhere inyour system.
If the fault is in one channel only, reverse the outputs
from your amplifier to the speakers(right-to-leftand left-
to-right). If the distortion moves to the other channel,
the fault is not the speaker. This technique may also be
used to locate a fault between the signal source and
preamp/receiver
and/or between preamp and power amp(s).
If you have been unsuccessful in locating the specific
source of troubleor if youhave located it, but have been
unable to correct it, please consult the Authorized
Kharma-dealer from whom youpurchased the system.
KharmaDealersareaudiospecialistsandcanbeofgreat
assistance.
Important
Do not attempt to repair the loudspeakers yourself. This will void the warranty
on the product

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SPECIFICATIONS
EXQUISITE MIDI GRAND
TheExquisiteMidiGrandisavirtualpoint-sourcesystem,wherethedouble
Diamond tweeters project the image very precise with incredible stage
depth, height and width. The result is a loudspeaker that is capable to
portray musical recordings in their realistic size.
System 3.5-way, virtual point source system
High Driver 2x 1 inch Diamond concave tweeter
Mid Driver 2x 7 inch Kharma Omega 7 driver
Bass Driver 2x 11 inch Nomex Kevlar driver
RMS power 500 Watt
Program power 1000 Watt
Freq. Range 23 Hz - 90 kHz
Efficiency 91 dB
Maximum SPL 118 dB
Impedance 4 Ohm
Min impedance 2.7 Ohm
Dimensions
Height 1800 mm / 70.9 inch
Width 455 mm / 17.9 inch
Depth 745 mm / 29.3 inch

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SPECIFICATIONS
EXQUISITE GRAND
Newmaterialsand techniquesgaveusthewingstofurtherapproachrealityas
the absolute reference in the Kharma Exquisite Collection. The far reaching
attention to detail makes this speaker range a class on its own. This is
especially stressed by theDiamond cones ofthe tweeters,which isone of so
many high lights that are standard in the Kharma Exquisite collection.
System 4-way, point source symmetrical system
High Driver 1x 20mm Diamond concave tweeter
2x 30mm Diamond concave tweeter
Mid Driver 2x 7 inch Kharma Omega 7 driver
Bass Driver 2x 12 inch Nomex Kevlar driver
RMS power 500 Watt
Program power 1000 Watt
Freq. Range 20 Hz - 90 kHz
Efficiency 92 dB
Maximum SPL 118 dB
Impedance 4 Ohm
Min impedance 2.7 Ohm
Dimensions
Height 1800 mm / 70.9 inch
Width 455 mm / 17.9 inch
Depth 745 mm / 29.3 inch

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WARRANTY
Warranty coverage
TheKharma distributorguaranteesthepropermechanicaland
electrical functioning of its products for a period of 5 years.
Provided the warranty request card is properly filled out and
sent to the address on the warranty form, including a copy of
the original bill of sales. Should the customer fail to meet the
three requirements mentioned above, the warranty will be
limited to a period as required by national law only.
IncaseofmalfunctionthecustomerhastopresenttheKharma
product in its original packing to an authorized dealer. If
qualified service appears inevitable, the dealer will ship the
product to an appointed service station or to the factory,
dependingontherequiredservice.This warrantyincludesparts
and labor. This warranty is not automatically transferable;
subsequent owners can request a warranty at the factory.
Warranty exclusion
1. Transportationdamage,visibleorhidden.Damageshould
be reported immediately to the transport company.
RegistrationofthecomplaintshouldbesenttotheKharma
distributor previously mentioned.
2. Scratchesinpaintedandmetalsurfaces.Complaintsshould
be registeredat the dealer within three daysafter thesale.
3. Damage due to illicit handling and inappropriate use.
4. Transportation costs to service station or factory.
5. Damagethroughunauthorizedrepairandormodification.
6. Subsequent damage to other appliances.
7. Refund of costs in case of unauthorized repair.
8. Malfunctionscausedbyuseforcommercialofprofessional
purposes.
9. All claims on Kharma products obtained through
unauthorized sources, with or without correct serial
numbers.