Unity Audio BOULDER MK II User manual
THE BOULDER MK II
PROFESSIONAL THREE-WAY ACTIVE STUDIO MONITOR
Owner’s Manual
Boulder user manual v1.1
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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 that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or ground-
ing-type plug. A polarised 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 are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does not t into your outlet,
consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particu-
larly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they
exit from the apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with the stand, tripod, bracket, or table specied by
the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. Use caution when
moving the 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 qualied 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.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Prior to power-up for the rst time ensure that theTHE BOULDER is set to the correct voltage (see‘Power’p.8)
Prior to power-up during day-to-day operation, ensure thatTHE BOULDER’s gain level control knob is set to minimum (see p.12) and/or that
the audio source level from the mixing console, digital audio workstation, etc., is set to zero.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in damage to your hearing or to THE BOULDER.
WARNING
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UNITY AUDIO
Unity Audio has been at the leading edge of monitor design for many years. We pride
ourselves in taking a fresh approach to designing and manufacturing products, using
different materials in innovative ways.
We source quality components from reputable companies, working with skilled craftsmen,
incorporating new ideas on traditional designs, in order to ne tune our products.
Every
Unity Audio product has been designed, built and tested all in the UK.
THANK YOU
Thank you for buying the THE BOULDER by Unity Audio, one of the most accurate
three-way active studio monitors available. We wish you many years of productive,
trouble-free use from THE BOULDER.
Please read this user manual and keep in a safe place.
- Unity Audio
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DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Company founder Kevin Walker decided from the beginning that a sealed
cabinet design would be employed exclusively to deliver fast transient dynamics
and super accurate bass reproduction.
Good amplication is paramount to monitor performance so Unity turned to one
of the best amplier designers in the business. Tim de Paravicini from Esoteric
Audio Research designed a custom discrete Class A/B amplier that
has become the amplication cornerstone of the Unity range.
USED BY THE WORLD’S BEST ARTISTS
Unity Audio active monitors are used by the world’s best audio engineers, producers,
Grammy award-winning artists, lm composers, broadcasters, universities, mastering
engineers and home studios.
Cementing Unity Audio’s position as the reference loudspeakers of choice. The best selling
British recordings of 2014, 2015, 2016 and the worlds best selling recordings of 2015, 2016 all
used Unity Audio studio monitors to help craft their sound, including albums by artists such
as Adele, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Iggy Pop, Royal Blood, Led Zeppelin, The1975
and Rhianna.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Speaker cabinets, manufactured in the UK, use high performance Baltic Birch
plywood rather than more commonly used and sonically inferior MDF.
Woofer and tweeter drive units have been carefully selected from European partners
that have outstanding design, build and quality control standards. This focused
approach to design and manufacturing has lead to the Unity name becoming
synonymous with high performance studio monitors.
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CAUTION
HUMIDITY
For a superior and consistent sonic performance, considerable care has been taken
in the manufacture of THE BOULDER to ensure that the cabinet is acoustically sealed.
However, as with any electrical equipment, should you move THE BOULDER from a
cold environment into a warm room, condensation may form on the components
inside.
To avoid damaging the product please allow it to reach room temperature before
operation.
UNPACKING & HANDLING
Care should be taken when removing THE BOULDER from its carton.
The speaker cone (diaphragm and surround) is a delicate component. Do not touch
at any time.
LISTENING LEVELS
THE BOULDER is capable of sound pressure levels (SPLs) in excess of 105dB. Avoid
listening at sustained high levels, as this may cause:
• permanent hearing damage
• damage to the speaker.
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MAINTENANCE
RUNNING IN
Speaker drivers contain moving parts. It is good practice to run in new speakers
prior to normal use for improved bass extension, sweeter highs and a smoother
performance overall. This process is also referred to as ‘breaking in’ or ‘burning in’.
Unity has run in the monitor for a period in test. However we recommend a run-in
period of at least 12 hours or overnight.
Having observed the warnings on page 3 of the manual, connect an audio playback
device (CD, MP3 player, etc.) to THE BOULDER speaker(s). Place the playback device
in loop mode and play dynamic music through THE BOULDER at a moderate level;
enough to drive (move) the speaker diaphragm a reasonable amount.
POWER
THE BOULDER voltage is factory set for your geographic region.
An arrow on the voltage setting label (see p. 12) indicates the voltage setting of THE
BOULDER.
IMPORTANT: ensure that THE BOULDER is set to the correct voltage for your region.
Voltage settings must be set by the factory and cannot be switched by the user. If
THE BOULDER is set to the incorrect voltage for your region, contact Unity Audio or
your local distributer. DO NOT power it up!
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FUSE REPLACEMENT
The fuse is located on the rear of THE BOULDER in the fuse holder between the power
switch and IEC mains input socket [see below].
Remove the mains lead. Prise out the fuse holder by placing a small slotted
screwdriver into the slot located on the underside and near the front of the fuse
holder.
Carefully pull the fuse holder outwards.
Replace the fuse {see ‘Specications’ (p.15) for fuse type.}. Push the fuse
holder back into position. WARNING: only replace the fuse with the correct value
fuse.
CABINET CARE
Clean the cabinet with a soft, lint-free cloth. The use of solvents or abrasive cleaners
should be avoided.
fuse holder
place screwdriver here
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POSITIONING
For best results, THE BOULDER should be placed on a sturdy speaker stand such as THE
MONOLITH by Unity Audio.
If left untreated, room acoustics (room modes) can seriously affect the accuracy of
audio reproduction, especially at lower frequencies. The following guidance is here to
help minimise the effects of any acoustic problems.
THE BOULDER is designed as a near/mideld studio monitor and should therefore be
positioned, ideally, between 1 and 3 metres from the listener. The studio monitor(s)
should be placed upright and directed toward the listener. A stereo pair of BOULDER
monitors should be equidistant from the listener and between 1.5 and 1.8 metres
apart, placed upright and directed toward the listener with the coaxial midrange/
tweeter at around ear level.
Small adjustments to the speaker placement and/or their angle to the listener, and/or
the listener’s seating position, will help the listener locate the audio ‘sweet spot’, i.e. a
strong central audio ‘image’.
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Each monitor should also be equidistant from side walls and not too close to any wall
or other reective surface, or the corners of the room. Again, since room modes can
inuence what you hear in many ways, some experimentation may be needed to
nd the optimum speaker placement. Nevertheless, measures should be taken to
remove any acoustic anomalies caused by the room.
The following diagram is a guide for optimum 5.1 surround speaker placement.
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REAR PANEL
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1. Mid cut/boost switch - 3-position mid-range frequency (694Hz-2.5kHz) gain switch:
up: -2.5dB cut; centre: off; down: +2.5dB boost.
2. HF 10kHz Shelf switch - 3-position high frequency shelf switch: up: -2.5dB cut;
centre: off; down: +2.5 boost.
3. Gain control knob - This control knob allows adjustment of the input signal at the
XLR input. Turning the knob anti-clockwise lowers the volume; turning the knob
clockwise increases the volume.
4. Balanced XLR input - pin 1: ground, pin 2: hot (+), pin 3 cold (-).
5. LED power indicator (on/off).
6. Power switch (on/off) – (see Important Safety Instructions, p.3, and Power p.8).
7. Fuse holder – (see Important Safety Instructions, p.3, Power and Fuse Replacement,
p.8).
8. IEC mains input socket – (see Important Safety Instructions, p.3, and Power, p.8).
9. Rear panel guide – this panel provides important information about control and
connectivity of THE BOULDER.
10.Voltage setting label - An arrow on this label points towards the voltage setting of
THE BOULDER. The voltage is factory set (see Important Safety Instructions, p.3, and
Power, p.8).
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RESPONSE CURVES
Frequency Response: 33Hz-38kHz +/- 3dB
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Type: 3-way active monitor with coaxial midrange tweeter
Crossover Frequency: 694Hz; 2.5kHz
Frequency Response: +/- 3dB 39Hz–30kHz
Maximum Output Level: 113 dB (1m on-axis)
Mid Cut/Boost +/- 2.5dB
HF EQ Shelf @ 10kHz +/- 2.5dB
ENCLOSURE
Closed cabinet design
30mm Corian front bafe
18mm grey Baltic birch 9-ply cabinet
SPEAKER UNIT
LF: 2x 8” woofers/220mm woofers
MF/HF: Coaxial 5’’ midrange and 50kHz folded ribbon tweeter (4Ω)
AMPLIFIER UNIT
4 x bespoke true class A/B 100 watt Esoteric Audio Research discrete ampliers, one per driver
Total Output Power: 200W
Input Sensitivity/Impedance +4 dB/20 kΩ (Balanced XLR)
Level control
POWER
Power Indicator: LED
Power Requirement:
Europe: 220-240v AC, 50 Hz
USA & Canada: 110-120v AC, 60 Hz
Japan: 100v AC, 50/60 Hz
Other: 220-240v AC, 50 Hz
Fuse: 1.6A ’T’ for 230v, 3A ’T’ for 115v 20mm type
DIMENSIONS
Weight 34Kg/74.95 lbs
390mm deep x 268mm wide x 614mm high. 15.35” deep x 10.55” wide x 24.17” high
OPTION
Monolith 3 leg stand. Dimensions - 390mm deep x 268mm wide x 614mm high. Weight 34Kg, Avalanche sub-woofer, B.A.B.E
SPECIFICATIONS
Specications and appearance are subject to change without notice. © Unity Audio Limited
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WARRANTY
This product carries a one year warranty.
Please complete and return the enclosed product registration form, or go on-line to;
http://www.unityaudioproducts.co.uk/product-registration.php
If you suspect a problem, please contact your dealer, who will advise you on the
appropriate action.
Any unauthorised repairs or modications to this product will nullify the warranty.
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CONTACT US
Unity Audio,
Unit 3 Hall Farm,
Little Walden,
Essex CB10 1XA
Tel: ( 0044 ) (0)1799 520786
www.unityaudioproducts.co.uk
@UnityAudioltd
@UnityAudioLTD
UnityAudioLTD
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