Velodyne 1215XII User manual

"If you know subwoofers, you know about Ve / odyn e."
"
. .. it's safe to say that when it comes to w oo fin' done right,
Velo
dy ne's bigger models are probably the safest bet there is ."
"
. .. we just sat there marvelling at the sheer power and majesty of
this junior varsity Velodyne. "
-Corey Greenberg
Home
Th eater Te chn olo gy /February 1995
Face Off: Co
mp arison of five subwoofers
Model Tested:
VA -1012X
" ... Velodynes VA- 1215X is a great subwoofer. It combines deep,
loud, high-qualityoutputwith a
slick styling, a fairly small cabinet, full
flexibility, it's sure
to stand tall next to the very best of its peers."
-Tom Nousaine
Vi deo/ Oct o ber1995
Model Te st ed: VA -12 15X
Ve lodyne Aco ustic s, Inc.
1070 Co mme rcial Sf. Suite #1 01
San Jo s e, CA 95 11 2
408.4 36 .7 270 voice
408.436.7 276 f ax
Web Sit e: http // ww w .velod yne.com
E-mail: velody[email protected]
Printed on r ecy cled paper.
~1215XII
Owner 's Manual
Velodyne
A udio lVi d eo Su b woo fer System

Caution
To reducethe risk ofelectricshock,00 notrerrovecover(or back). No user-serviceableparts inside. Refer
se rvici ng to qualified service personnel.
Th e lighting flash wittl arrowhead symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
'dan gerous voltage"within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magniWe to cxnstitute a risk
of electric shock to persons.
The exciarmtion point symbol is intended to alert the user to the preserce of important operating am
mai ntenarce (servicing) instructions in the Irterature accompanying tile subwoofer.
1. Read Instructions - All safety and operating instructions should be read before the sublNOO fer is operated.
2. Retain Instructions -The safetyand operating instructions should be retained
for tuture refereoce.
3. Heed Wamirg; - All wamings on tile subwooler and in the opera~ng instructio ns should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions - All operatin;) and use instructions should be fOllowed.
5. Water and Moisture -The sublNOOfer should not be used nearwater -for example, neara bathtub, washbowl,
kitchen
sink, laundry tub ,in a wet basement, near aswimming pool or the like.
6. Carts and Stands -The su b 'MXJfe rshould be usedonly "';Ih a cart orstand recommended by Ihe manufacturer.
7. Wall orCeilin;) Mou nting -The sublNOOfer should be mounted to a wall orceiling only as recommended by the
manufacturer.
8. Venlilation -The sub'MXJfer should be situated so that its location orposition does not interfere wiJh its proper
ventilation. Forexarrple, the
sub'MXJfer should nol be situatedona bed, sofa, rug. orsimilarsurfacethaimayblock
Jhe ve ntilationopenings; orplaced in abuill·in installation such asabookcase orcabinet trat mayimpede Jhe flow
of air Jhrough the ventilation openings.
9. Heat- The sublNOOfer sho uld be situatedaway from heat sourcessuch as radiators, heatregisters, stoves, orother
subwDOfers that prodI..Ce heal.
10. Po werSources -The subwoofershouldbeconnected to apowersupply only of thetypedescnbed in theoperating
instructions or as marked on the sub'MXJfer.
11. Power-COrd Protec1ion-Power·supplycordsshouldberouted so thatJheyarenollikelytobewalkedonorpindled
by rtems placed upon or against them, payingparticularattention to cords at plugs, convenience receptades, and
the point at which Jhey exa from the subwoof er.
12. "Caution:Toprevent electrical shock. match wide blade ofplug to wide slot,fully inserted.' "Attention:poureviler
les chocselectriques, introduire lame Ia plus large de la fi<;:he dans Ia bornecorrespondante de la prtse etpousser
iUsQu' au f rd ."
13. Cleanin;) -The sublNOOfer should be deaned only as recommended by Jhe manufacturer.
14. Nonuse Periods -The powercord of the sublNOOfer should be unplugged from the outletwilen left unused for a
long period of time .
15. Object ard Liquid Entry -Care should be taken so that objects do not fall ard liquids a re not spilled onto the
erdosure. '"
16. Damage Requirtng Service -The su bv.oof er should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
a. The po we r-supply rord orplug has been damaged.
b. Objects have
fallen or fiquid has been spilled into Jhe subwoofer.
c. The subwoofer has been elqlO sed to rain .
d. The subwooler does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance.
e. The su bwooler has been drqJped or damaged.
17.
Se rvOn;) -The user should not atte rrp t to service the st.tJwoofer beyond what is descriled in Jhe operatin;)
instructions.
All otherservicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
Congrat ul ations!
Congratulations on y our purchase of a Velodyne VA-121 5XII sub-
woofer system. This system re pr ese nt s the slate of the art in
accurate low frequency reproduction. Read and fo llow the ins tr uc-
'lio ns below to insure safe and prop er sy stem operatio n.
Warning!
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do n ot exp ose this equipment to
rain
or moisture. To avoid ele ctr ical sho ck , do not open speaker
enclosureorampchassiscover. Please observeallwarnings on the
equipmentitself. The re are no user serviceable parts inside. Please
refer
all service questions to your authorized Velodyne dealer.
Prior to installation
Please unpack the system car·efully. Remove all staples used to
seal the carton as they can scratch the cabinet. Please save the
carton and a
ll packaging materials f or future use. Record the serial
number in the space provided on the warranty card f or fu tu re
reference.
Product Features & Controls
.12" forward firing woofer with 2" voice co il & 55 o z. magnet
• 15" downward firing passive radiator
• Built-in 250 watt (RMS) power amplifier
• Adjustable (40 to 120hz) low-pass crossover with bypass option
• Selectable (80 or 100hz) hi gh-pass crossover
• Li ne-level inputs & outputs
• Speaker-level inputs & outputs with 5 way binding post connec-
tions
• Signal sensing auto turn on/off with bypa ss option
• Variable volume control
• Va ri able phase control (0 to 1 80 degrees)
• Two pos it io n audio/video li stening selection switch (+3dB, video)
• Response, 22 hz to 120 hz, +/- 3dB
• Detachable power cord (available on some ve rs ions)
• Magnetically shielded for video use
• Dual staggered low-pass crossover; 12dB/octave initial, 24dBI
octave u
lt im a te
c OI1 linued.

• Gain compression circuit to protect wo ofer from over
excursion
• Input ov erload protection
• Therm al pow er se ns in gto protect woofe r' svoicecoil from burnout
• Power on LED (green)
Installation
Your new VA- 121 5XII subwoofer system provides for a number of
installation options. Read all the installation information below
in
order to determine which installation option is best for your system.
Reme
mb er to pe rf orm all i nstallation procedures with system
power turned o ff.
I np u ts
Yo ur new VA-121SX II subwoofer is equipped with both speaker-
le vel and line -l evel inputs. Us e the LINE -I N jacks when connecting
your subwoofer to a pre-amp, signal processor, or line-level cross-
over. The FROM AMPLIFIERjacks connect directly to the speaker
outputs of a
in tegrated amplifier or receiver. Your amplifier section
will notice no additional lo
ad i ng effects when you use these inputs
because of their high impedance.
Note
00 n ot use bot h LIN E-IN and FROM AMPLIFIER inputs simUlta-
neou sl y.
Volume control
This controlallows you to balance the outp ut from the subwooferto
the main speakers in your system. This control should be set to
achieve similar volume level from both the main speakers and
subwQofer. .
low-pass crossover
Both setsof inputs sum the left and r ig ht channels togetherand the
resultingsignal ispassedthroughan adjustable l
ow -passcrossover
before being amplified.The crossover control allows you to adjust
the upper limit of the subwoofer's frequency
re sponse from 40 to
120 hz. The subwoofer's ·re sponse will begin rolling off above the
frequency you set this control to.
You should set the crossover frequency to obta
in a smooth and
seamless transit io n from the subwoofer to the main speakers in
yoursystem. If yo
ur mainspeakersare smallerunits with limited low
frequencyoutput,you may
wi shto choose a higherfrequency(such
as 100-120hz) than you would with larger speakers which have
greater low frequency outpu
t. With la rg erspeakers,you might start
with this control set lower, such as 80hz.
A bypass switch
is also provided if you wish to use an external
crossover. If you are not using an external cro
ss over, we re com-
mend that you use the one provided within the unit for optimum
performance.
Phase adjustment
This control allows you the ability to compensate for having the
subwoofer
in a different locati.on than the main speakers. Ideally,
you will have the sound from the subwoofer reach the listening
position the same time as the sound from the main speaker
s.
However, if the distancefrom the listeningpositionto the subwoofer
andthe distance from listening position tothemainspeake
rs differs,
the sound from each will reach your ears at a different time.
Thiscontrol allows the signal
to be delayed up to 180 degrees sothe
output of the subwoofer will blend
in to that of your main speakers
without any cancellation.
Vi
de o/Audio sw itch
Many listeners prefer an "emphasized" low end on mo vi e
soundtracks.This switch sets the VA-1215XII for
an ad ditional3 dB
of output when
in video mode.
Aut o t urn on sw itch
The auto turn on switch allows the user to bypass the auto turn on
function
if desired. Whenset inthe "auto"mode withmainpoweron,
the VA-
121 SXII will turn itself on when an input si gn al is present. If
nosignal is presen t, after seve ral minutesthe un it will shut itself o H.
Whenset in the"on"mode,the auto tu rn on/o ff fu nc ti onis bypassed
and the unit will be on whenever the main power switch is on.
Hig h p ass cross o ver switch
This switch selects the freque nc y forthe high pass crossover. This
crossover is functional on both line and speaker-
le vel output s.
Smaller speakers with limited low frequency output may prefer t he
cont i nued. .

higher 100hz setting which will reduce the low frequencies sent to
them. Larger speakers with greater low frequency output may be
able to handle the 80hz setting without strain.
Power switch
The ma ster powerswitch is located on the right half of the unit. This
rocker style switch is the mainon/off for the unit. This switch should
be set to position 1 for on (up), 0 for off (down).
Detachable power cord (available on so me versions)
Allo
ws for easy replacement should the original be damaged.
Line-level connection
Figure 1 shows connection to a pre-amplifier's main outputs and
returning them to your amplifier inputs.
W ~en installed in t hi s fashion, your satellite speakers will be
crossed over at 80/1O
Ohz which removes the lower bass from your
amplifi er and speakers, enab li ng them to do a better job reproduc-
ing high frequencies. By utilizing this method, you will have a bi-
amplified system, g
ai ning improved power and headroom for your
system.
F igur e l' Inst all at ion usi ng line- level (line in) inputs
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A wo rd about subwoofer outputs
The Velodyne subwoofer is designed to operate using the fu ll range
audio signal for input when using the built-in c
ro ssover. Some
surround sound proc ess o rs /receivers, including the Dolby AC3 sys-
tem with there .1 channel outputs, have a "subwoofer out" jack that
is already crossed over and designed to be used with a conventional
amp li fi erand speaker. Combining both an externalcrossoverand the
one internal to the subwoof
er m ay result in low output and increased
noise.
In these cases, to optimize yo ur subwoofer pe rf ormance you
should bypass the intern al c ro ssover in your Vefodyne subwoofe r.
To bypass the crossover within the subwoofer, simp ly locate the
switch marked "normal/bypass" on the back panel
of th e subwoofer
and set to the "bypass" position. This will eliminate the internal
crossover function.
Note
If not using an external crossover, you should use the built-in
crossover for optimal performance.
Subwoofer out from AN
Processor
F ro m the low pass output of yo ur signal processor Install into right or
left RCA line in connector in the back of the subwoofer or use a "Y"
connectoradapterinto both right and le ft RCAline in connectors in the
back of the subwoofer.
Speaker-level connection
Figure 2 shows an easy wayto connect your VA-1 21SXII subwoofer
directly to your receiver or integrated amplifier.
When connected in this fashion, your satellite speakers will be
crossed over at 8 0/1 00h z, which removes the lower bass from your
spea
ke rs thu s, enabling them to do a better job reproducing high
frequencie
s.
You may also connect your satellites directly to your receiver or
amplifier along with the subwoofer if you wish to b
yp ass the in ternal
high-pass crossove r. continued. .

Figure 2' Install ati on using speaker-level (from amplifier) Inputs
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INTEGR AT ED AMP I RECEIV ER
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SATELLITE SPEAKERS
Caution!
To av oid damage to your main amplifier, be sure to maintaincorrect
polarity when making all connections.
Red (positive) to red, and
black (n egative) to black. Be sure thatallconnections are tight, and
th at there are no loose strands or frayed wires.
Interconne ct cables
Wheninsta ll ing yourVA- 121 5X II usingthe line-level inputs/outputs,
you should use standard shielded phono cable s. Always keep the
li nes as short as practical to mi nimize noise.
W hef}.. using the speaker-level inputs/outputs, use the same quality
speaker cable to your subwoofer as you run to your satellites.
Placement
The VA-121SXII operates at very lowf re quencies which are prima-
rily non-directiona l. While it is recommended that the subwoofer be
placed on the same plane as the satellite speakers, room and
system conditions often dictate otherwise. See yourdealerfor help
in placement.
When using a pair of VA-1215XIl subwoofers in stereo, it
is
preferab le to place each su bw oofer adjacent to the satellite of t he
sa me channel.
Keep in mind that frequency response and output level can be
drastically influenced by placement depending on the acoustic
propertiesof the listening roo
m. Typica ll y th eVA-1215XIl will sound
louder when placed next to a wall or
in a corner.
Caution!
The VA series subwoofers have amplifiers builtinto the cabinet. 00
not place the cabinet next to sources of heat such as furnace
registers, radiators, etc. The
power cord should be routed in such
a way that it will not be walked, on, pinched, or compressed in any
way.
Regardless of where you install yourVA-1215XIl subwoofer, it must
remain in
an up right position (passive radiator facing downward ).
Using, shipping, or otherwise stor in g the VA-1 21 5XII subwoofer in
any other position for an extended period of time may result in
damage to the unit not covered by warranty.
The VA-121 5XII Subwoofer
is ma gnetically shielded to reduce
magnetic emission from its cabinet to increase th e number of
possible locations available for placement. However, th is shielding
may notbe adequate forall installations. Certain typesoftelevisions
are particularly sensitive
to stray magnetic fields. If your television
produces distorted colors after installation of your VA-1215XII.
subwoofer, simply inc re ase the distance between your television
and the VA-1215XIl un til norm al color and operation is returne d.
Care of your su bwoofer
Do not use any harsh detergents or chemicals to clean th e cabine t.
Abrasives, detergent s. orcleaning solutions maydamagethe fi ni sh
on the cabinet. We recommend using a damp cloth to clean the
cabinet.
Du
rin gnormal condi ti on s, th e VA-121SXII subwoofermaybe left on
CCfl ti nued . .

continuou sl y without any p ro blems. The unit is equipp ed with a
signal-sensing turn on/o ff that will automatically tu rn on the unit
when a signal is present at the inputs and turn off the unit after
several min ut es when there is no longer any signal at the inputs.
If you plan to leave the VA-1215XII unused for an extended period
of
ti me, we reco mm endthat yo utu rn o ff theunit bythe masterpower
switch on the rear panel.
Troubleshooting & Service
Before seeking service for your VA-1215 XI I subwoofer, please re-
check all systems. Following is a simple troubleshooting guide to
assist you.
1. V er ify unit is plugged in and power outlet used is active.
2. Is power switch on?
3. Is auto tu rn on/off set properly?
4. Is unit receiving an input signal from your source?
5. Ha ve all controls on subwoofer (volume, crossover, phase,
etc.) been properly set?
6. If unit has been running at high levels, one of the protection
circuits may be engaged.
Ha s th e built-in amplifier overheated?
Has the speaker's voice,coil started to heat up?
If the protection circuitry is active, the unit may cycle on and o ff until
operating parameters return to normal. Under more serious condi-
tions, the unit may shut off completely. Normal operation will return
upon cooling, but you maybe required to turn the powero ff and then
on again to reset the unit.
The fo) lowi ng conditions require service by a qualified technician:
1. The pow er cord has become damaged.
2. The unit does not appe ar to operate normally or exhibits a
marked change in performance.
3. The unit has been exposed to water.
4. Some part of the cabinet or ci rc uitry is physically damaged.
Thank you for purchasing a Ve/odyne!
SPECIFICATIONS
Cabinet ( in c!. legs)
Frequency Re sponse
H ig h Pass Crossover
Lo w Pass Crossover
Amplifier
Woofer
Magnet
Voice
Coil
Passive Radiator
Inputs
Outputs
Warranty
Weight
VA-1215XII
18"x1 9- 1/8 "x 20 " (WHO)
22hz -120hz +/- 3 dB
80hz or 100hz (6 dB/octave)
40 hz -120hz (6 dB/octave,
24 dB u lt ima te)
Class AlB, 250 watts, 500 wa tt s
peak
12 "forward firing
55 oz.
2"
15 " downward fi ring
Li ne-level & speaker-level
Line-level& speaker-level
One year (parts & labor)
67 Ibs. (appro x.)
Specifications are subject to change without noti ce .
FOR YOUR RECORDS.. .
DATE PUR
CH AS ED ____________ _
DEA LER _________________ __
S ER ~ L # _________________ ___
"N OT E: Please complete and return your warranty card within ten (10) days.