Toa ME-120 User manual

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
MONITOR SPEAKER ME-120
1. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS .......................... 2
2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION ........................ 4
3. FEATURES ................................................ 4
4. HANDLING PRECAUTIONS ..................... 4
5. NOMENCLATURE AND DIMENSIONS .... 5
6. MOUNTING THE SPEAKER
6.1. Mounting Examples ............................. 6
7. CONNECTIONS .......................................... 8
8. FRONT GRILLE ATTACHMENT
AND DETACHMENT
8.1. Detachment .......................................... 9
8.2. Attachment ........................................... 9
9. CHARACTERISTIC DIAGRAM ................ 10
10. SPECIFICATIONS .................................... 10
Optional products ...................................... 10
ME-120 (A)
ME-120 (B)
Thank you for purchasing TOA's Monitor Speaker.
Please carefully follow the instructions in this manual to ensure long, trouble-free use of your equipment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The ME-120 comes in a set of 2 speakers, types A and B.

2
1. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Before installation or use, be sure to carefully read all the instructions in this section for correct and safe
operation.
• Be sure to follow all the precautionary instructions in this section, which contain important warnings and/or
cautions regarding safety.
• After reading, keep this manual handy for future reference.
Safety Symbol and Message Conventions
Safety symbols and messages described below are used in this manual to prevent bodily injury and property
damage which could result from mishandling. Before operating your product, read this manual first and
understand the safety symbols and messages so you are thoroughly aware of the potential safety hazards.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if mishandled, could
result in death or serious personal injury.
WARNING
• Avoid installing or mounting the unit in unstable locations, such as on a rickety table or a slanted surface.
Doing so may result in the unit falling down and causing personal injury and/or property damage.
• Install the unit only in a location that can structurally support the weight of the unit and the mounting bracket.
Doing otherwise may result in the unit falling down and causing personal injury and/or property damage.
• Be sure that at least two persons are available to install the unit safe and secure. Failure to do so could
result in personal injury.
• Do not use other methods than specified to mount the bracket. Extreme force is applied to the unit and the
unit could fall off, possibly resulting in personal injuries.
• Use nuts and bolts that are appropriate for the ceiling's or wall's structure and composition. Failure to do so
may cause the unit to fall, resulting in material damage and possible personal injury.
• Tighten each screw securely. Ensure that the unit has no loose joints after installation to prevent accidents
that could result in personal injury.
• Use the specified speaker holder in combination. Doing otherwise may cause the unit or component to fall
off, resulting in personal injury.
• Do not mount the unit in locations exposed to constant vibration. The mounting bracket can be damaged by
excessive vibration, potentially causing the unit to fall, which could result in personal injury.
• Do not damage the speaker cable nor run it near heaters. In addition, never place heavy objects - including
the unit itself - on the speaker cable, as doing so may result in fire.
• Do not insert nor drop metallic objects or flammable materials in the front bass-reflex port, as this may result
in fire.
• Should the following irregularity be found during use, immediately stop operating the unit and contact your
nearest TOA dealer. Further attempt to use under this condition may cause fire or electric shock.
· If you detect smoke or a strange smell coming from the unit
· If no tone sounds

3
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if mishandled, could
result in moderate or minor personal injury, and/or property damage.
CAUTION
• Do not place heavy objects on the unit as this may cause it to fall or break which may result in personal
injury and/or property damage. In addition, the object itself may fall off and cause injury and/or damage.
• Do not operate the unit for an extended period of time with the sound distorting. This is an indication of a
malfunction, which in turn can cause heat to generate and result in a fire.
• Do not stand or sit on, nor hang down from the unit as this may cause it to fall down or drop, resulting in
personal injury and/or property damage.
• Have the unit checked periodically by the shop from where it was purchased. Failure to do so may result in
corrosion or damage to the unit or its mounting bracket that could cause the unit to fall, possibly causing
personal injury.

4
2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION
TOA's ME-120 is a bass-reflex monitor speaker featuring flat frequency characteristics, low distortion, and
high-resolution sound quality. It incorporates a 12 cm full-range speaker and is particularly suited to music
reproduction in small spaces.
The ME-120 can be suspended from a wall or ceiling using an optional speaker holder.
3. FEATURES
• Edgewise-wound copper ribbon wire is employed in the speaker unit voice coil. Also, a highly efficient
magnetic circuit provides 1.3-tesla magnetic flux density. By virtue of the very strong driving force derived
from the combination of this ribbon wire and magnetic circuit, even the bass-reflex port tuning frequency can
be clearly reproduced, expanding the limits of low-frequency reproduction.
• Chitosan, a biopolymer substance, enhances the stiffness of the cone diaphragm, allowing more faithful
sound reproduction.
• Magnetically-shielded speaker unit permits the ME-120 to be installed in close proximity to a video monitor
or CRT.
• The combination of this speaker unit with strong driving force and an appropriate passive equalizer provides
wide, flat frequency characteristics.
• Gold-plated screw-type input terminals (compatible with dual banana plugs) help ensure superb sound
quality.
• A speaker enclosure made of MDF ("medium density fireboard," made by compacting finely chipped timber
fibers in resin) contributes to the more natural-sounding audio qualities characteristically offered by wood.
• A slit-type bass-reflex port prevents sound leakage from the inside of the enclosure and helps keep the
reproduced sound free of muddiness.
• Finished with black paint and equipped with a detachable front grille.
• The speaker enclosure has mounting screw holes (80 mm interval) on both its side and bottom surfaces,
allowing the speaker to be suspended from a wall or ceiling using the optional speaker holder.
4. HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
• The ME-120 employs no protection circuit against excessive input power.
Do not apply input power exceeding the allowable rating to the speaker because this may damage the built-
in speaker unit.
• To clean the speaker enclosure, wipe with a dry cloth. When the enclosure gets very dirty, use a cloth
damped in a neutral cleanser. Never use benzene, thinner or chemically-treated cleaning cloth because
such volatile liquids could deform or discolor the enclosure.

5
5. NOMENCLATURE AND DIMENSIONS
170
264
180
194
40 80
40 80
Unit: mm
[Front][Left side]
[Bottom]
[Rear]
Can be rotated 360°
1
23
3
4
5
6
7
1. Speaker ID indication
A: Indicates the speaker having mounting screw
holes (3) on both its left side and bottom
surfaces.
B: Indicates the speaker having mounting screw
holes (3) on both its right side and bottom
surfaces.
2. Input terminals
These gold-plated terminals are also compatible
with a dual banana plug. (Refer to p. 8.)
3. Speaker mounting screw holes
Used for suspending the speaker from a wall or
ceiling. (Refer to p. 6.)
Note
Remove the M5 x 30 screws inserted into an
enclosure and use them when mounting the
speaker holder.
4. Front grille
Can be easily attached and detached.
(Refer to p. 9.)
5. Full-range speaker unit
A 12 cm magnetically-shielded speaker unit.
6. Bass-reflex port
7. TOA logo
Can be rotated 360°depending on the speaker
orientation (vertical or horizontal installation).

Note: Use M5 x 30 screws inserted into an enclosure to mount the optional speaker holder.
When mounting the speaker holder (WCB-12, WCB-31, and CMB-31) to the ME-120 speaker, do not
use the screws supplied with the speaker holder because they are too short to mount the holder.
6
Optional Speaker Holders
6. MOUNTING THE SPEAKER
•The speaker can be suspended from a wall or ceiling using an optional speaker holder.
•Mounting screw holes (80 mm interval) provided on both side and bottom surfaces of an enclosure permit
the speaker to be suspended vertically or horizontally as required.
•Use the method that is appropriate for ceiling panel materials and installation places when mounting the
speaker.
180°
180°
[Top view]
[Side view] [Side view]
[Top view]
[Side view]
Wall Wall
Wall
Wall
Wall
Ceiling Ceiling
Wall
Adjustable
horizontal angle Adjustable
horizontal angle
Tilt angle
unadjustable.
Tilt angle
unadjustable.
25°
25°
Vertical speaker mounting
Vertical speaker mounting
WARNING
Horizontal speaker mounting
[Wall Mounting]
[Ceiling Mounting]
45°45°
Avoid mounting the speaker as shown below.
The speaker may fall due to damage to its
components and parts, possibly resulting in
personal injury.
Horizontal speaker mounting
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 45°.
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 45°.
WCB-12 : For use of wall/ceiling mounting, 177.5 mm in length
WCB-31 : For use of wall/ceiling mounting, 211 mm in length
CMB-31 : For use of ceiling mounting, 141 mm in length
6.1. Mounting Examples
6.1.1. Examples of wall and ceiling mounting using the WCB-12

7
180°
180°
Wall Wall
Wall
Wall
Wall
Ceiling Ceiling
Wall
Adjustable
horizontal angle Adjustable
horizontal angle
Adjustable tilt
angle
Adjustable tilt
angle
42°
42°
10°20°
[Wall Mounting]
[Ceiling Mounting]
50°50°
[Side view]
WARNING
Avoid mounting the speaker as shown below.
The speaker may fall due to damage to its
components and parts, possibly resulting in
personal injury.
Vertical speaker mounting
Vertical speaker mounting
Horizontal speaker mounting
Horizontal speaker mounting
[Top view] [Top view]
[Side view] [Side view]
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 50°.
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 50°.
6.1.2. Examples of wall and ceiling mounting using the WCB-31
Ceiling Ceiling
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 50°.
Note
When tilting the speaker downward,
the adjustable tilt angle is up to 50°.
50°50°
Vertical speaker mounting Horizontal speaker mounting
6.1.3. Examples of ceiling mounting using the CMB-31

8
7. CONNECTIONS
•Use the speaker cable (parallel vinyl cable) that is appropriate for the system.
•The ME-120 speaker uses gold-plated screw terminals.
•Speaker cables can be connected by directly inserting them into the screw-in terminals or using a dual-
banana plug.
Note
Be sure to switch OFF the amplifier power when connecting the speaker to the amplifier.
ME-120 rear panelME-120 rear panel
Mixer/preamplifier
Power amplifier
[Direct screw-in terminal connection]
[Dual-banana plug connection]
TightensLoosens
Speaker cable

9
8. FRONT GRILLE ATTACHMENT AND DETACHMENT
The front grille is attached to the speaker when the speaker is shipped by the factory.
The front grille can be easily attached and detached.
8.1. Detachment
Note
Refer to the figure in the next section Attachment.
Detach the upper part of the front grille by simultaneously
pulling the two places close to the catchers forward.
Support the speaker as you do this so that it does not move.
Once the upper part of the front grill has been removed,
detach the lower part of the front grille in the same manner.
8.2. Attachment
Note
Ensure that each of the mounting pins of the front grille is
aligned with its corresponding catcher.
Press on the front grille firmly until it clicks into place.
Front grille
ME-120 speaker
Catcher
Front grille
Mounting pin

100
90
80
70
60
20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 10000 20000 Hz
Frequency
SPL
dB
9. CHARACTERISTIC DIAGRAM
(anechoic chamber, 1 W 1 m, sine wave)
10. SPECIFICATIONS
Note: The design and specifications are subject to change without notice for improvement.
• Optional products
WCB-12 (Speaker holder) : For use of wall/ceiling mounting
WCB-31 (Speaker holder) : For use of wall/ceiling mounting
CMB-31 (Speaker holder) : For use of ceiling mounting
Enclosure Bass reflex type
Power Handling Capacity Continuous pink noise: 50 W
Continuous program: 150 W
Impedance 6 Ω
Sensitivity 88 dB (1 W, 1 m)
Frequency Response 60 – 18,000 Hz
Speaker Component 12 cm cone-type (magnetically shielded)
Input Terminal Screw-in terminals (compatible with a dual-banana plug), gold plated
Finish Enclosure: Black, paint
Front grille: Black, cloth
Dimensions 170 (w) x 264 (h) x 194 (d) mm
Weight 3.6 kg (per unit)
133-01-434-1A
URL: http://www.toa.jp/
Traceability Information for Europe (EMC directive 2004/108/EC)
Manufacturer:
TOA Corporation
7-2-1, Minatojima Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan
Authorized representative:
TOA Electronics Europe GmbH
Suederstrasse 282, 20537 Hamburg,
Germany