TAG MCLAREN AUDIO CALLIOPE User manual

01
02 welcome
04 features
08 getting started
09 connecting loudspeakers
10 installation
13 grille cover removal
14 running in and warming up
15 care and maintenance
16 technical data
contents
Calliope loudspeaker
7586L
Calliope loudspeaker shown with its optional stand
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welcome
03
heading
02
In addition to our experience in the
world of hi-fi we are able to utilise our
expertise in mechanical engineering,
composite material technology, multi-layer
printed circuit boards, fast digital signal
processing, electronic noise suppression,
radio frequency technology and software
design to name but a few.
All these skills are sharpened to compete
in the toughest of all technical sports:
Formula One motor racing.We directly
apply them to enhance our high-end audio
products. For example, composite and
aluminium material technology is used to
make resonance - free loudspeaker
cabinets, suspension technology decouples
electronics from the sound field and digital
signal processing makes better home cinema
products.The list is almost endless.
I have been an audiophile for more than
thirty years and have used and upgraded
many audio systems in that time. Our aim is
sonic perfection combined with aesthetic
delight and solid build quality, a rare
combination in hi-fi but one whichTAG
McLaren Audio delivers.
It is our audio engineers’ technical
capability which provides outstanding sound
quality and our stylists’ ability to look into
the future which makes the Calliope
loudspeaker so desirable. Employing
‘AluminiumTechnology’ combined with low
distortion drive units makes the sound much
better than you would expect from a
loudspeaker of Calliope’s size. Outstanding
technology pushes the limits of clarity and
transparency of sound reproduction!
TAG McLaren Audio exists with one
aim in mind: to produce the very best
audio equipment in the world.
Like many people, I often have my best
ideas when relaxing to a piece of music or
watching a movie. For years, knowing the
technical capabilities of TAG McLaren, I
have nurtured the ambition to push sound
reproduction to the absolute limit; that’s
why we formedTAG McLaren Audio.
At the core of our development team
are highly experienced engineers whose
heritage of award-winning hi-fi and world-
beating electronic control systems is
envied by many and equalled by few.
welcome to
Dr. Udo Zucker – Physicist, PhD in Science,
designer of award-winning electronics,
dedicated audiophile and Chief Executive
Officer of TAG McLaren Audio
Award-winning TAG McLaren technology
- the TAG2000 F1 control system has
been selected as a Millennium Product by
the British Design Council
welcome
Calliope loudspeaker
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features
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features
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Thank you for purchasing theTAG McLaren Audio loudspeaker
Calliope AvantGarde.We are convinced Calliope will give you
many hours of listening pleasure.
leading-edge technology
Calliope is a hi-performance, two-way, fourth order reflex-
loaded, aluminium technology loudspeaker, capable of
reproducing music with outstanding clarity and transparency.
Calliope is ideal for high quality two channel stereo and home-
cinema applications.
enclosure technology
Calliope employs hi-performance materials
avoiding the traditional wooden cabinet to
eliminate the unwanted sonic signature of
energy re-radiation.A pre-stressed, curved
profile forms a very stiff, single-piece alloy
extrusion which is further reinforced with
the addition of aluminium alloy end-caps
secured with tie-bolts.This creates a
structurally inert and inherently well
damped enclosure which ensures that
acoustic energy is created by the drive
units and not the enclosure. Preventing
the enclosure from flexing and re-radiating
energy reduces distortion and coloration
offering a neutral and accurate portrayal
of the performance.
optimised dispersion enclosure
geometry
The geometry of the enclosure has been
carefully designed to optimise the dispersion
of sound energy. Calliope generates an even
and consistent energy output both on and off
axis resulting in a solid and accurate image.
hi-specification drive unit technology
Calliope’s drive units have been designed to
optimise their performance within their
respective pass-bands.The 150 mm
bass/midrange unit employs a woven glass-
fibre cone to create a stiff, yet well damped,
diaphragm that remains pistonic through the
pass-band.A phase plug has been employed
in place of the commonly found dust-cap.
This phase plug does not contribute to the
moving diaphragm assembly. It therefore
offers considerable benefits over an orthodox
dust-cap: reduced moving mass, improving
transient performance; improved off-axis
frequency response, providing a wider sound-
stage; no physical contact with the diaphragm,
preventing a mechanical impedance mis-match;
and a smooth frequency response roll-off.
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features
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features
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The tweeter’s diaphragm is manufactured
from silk fabric which is coated with a
lightweight damping layer.
magnetically shielded drive units
Both drive units are magnetically shielded
to allow Calliope to be used in close
proximity to a television.
hi-performance crossover
The components used throughout the
crossover are of the highest quality to
ensure signal integrity and clarity.The
inductors use oxygen-free, high purity
copper (OFHC) wound on bobbin cores to
improve saturation current limits, reduce
DC resistance and minimise stray magnetic
field leakage.The capacitors are
manufactured with an over-size
polypropylene dielectric and are rated at
250V DC to guarantee uncompressed
power output.The resistors are high-power
devices offering extremely high peak
voltage operation without compression.
oxygen-free copper loudspeaker
connection terminals
The use of proprietary OFHC gold plated
terminals achieves a clear sonic
improvement compared to the typically
used alternatives. No nickel plating has
been used between the OFHC foundation
and the gold finish as it adds‘grain’ to the
sound.Whilst this will lead, in the long
term, to some dis-colouration of the
terminals due to the copper atoms partially
diffusing into the anti-corrosion gold layer,
the customary nickel plate interlayer is well
known (as a ferro-magnetic and hard
oxidised metal) to affect sound quality and
was eliminated.
single input connection
After extensive research into the sound
quality of our flagship loudspeaker, the F1
AvantGarde, it was discovered that the
potential benefits of multi-wired terminals
for loudspeaker cable connection were
outweighed by the losses incurred in their
implementation, e.g. additional contact
interfaces and electrical connection straps.
In addition, it has been found that even with
the finest top grade power amplifiers,
single input terminals improved perceived
dynamics and musical expression.The
results of this research have been applied
to Calliope to realise the full potential of
the components employed throughout
the system.
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connecting loudspeakers
09
getting started
08
We know you are keen to get Calliope working. This section will
have you listening to your favourite music as quickly as possible.
Calliope has been carefully packaged for safe transportation. If
you have the storage space, please retain all the original
packaging. This will allow you to transport your loudspeakers
safely in the future.
Make sure that all the components of your audio system are
disconnected from the AC supply whenever you change
any connections.
packaging
before
you start
loudspeaker
connection
Connect the red (positive) terminal of your right loudspeaker to the
right, positive output terminal on the back of your amplifier. Then
connect the black (negative) terminal of your right loudspeaker to
the right, negative output terminal on the back of your amplifier.
Repeat this procedure to connect your left loudspeaker using the
left positive and negative terminals on the back of your amplifier.
For best sound quality, we recommend that you use loudspeaker
cables terminated in 8 mm spade terminals (e.g. our Cable
AvantGarde F3-10-SPK). Unscrew the terminal enough to fit the
spade into it and then tighten the terminal. If you are unable to
fully tighten the terminal, try pushing the spade connector in a
clockwise (tightening) direction. Do not over-tighten the terminal as
it is made from soft, gold-plated, oxygen-free, high purity copper.
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