WILSON AUDIO WATCH SURROUND User manual

WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES, INC.
Wilson Audio ® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Cub ®, WATT/Puppy®, MAXX® and X-1/GrandSLAMM® are registered trademarks of Wilson Audio
Specialties, Inc.
WATCH Center TM, WATCH SurroundTM, and WATCH SubWooferTM are trademarks of Wilson Audio
Specialties, Inc.
This manual was produced by the Wilson Audio Engineering Department in cooperation with Sales
and Marketing. The information contained here in is subject to change without notice. Current Revi-
sion 1.0, if you are in need of a more recent manual please contact your dealer.
The information in this manual is the sole property of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc. Any reproduction in whole
or in part without the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc. is prohibited. No material
contained here in may be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose,
without the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.

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TABLE O F C ONTENTS
SECTION 1.0 WATCH INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 1-1
WATCH .................................................................................................... 1-1
SECTION 1.1 APPLICATIONS .................................................................................... 1-2
APPLICATIONS ............................................................................................. 1-2
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................. 1-3
ENCLOSURE MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY .......................................................... 1-3
ADHESIVE ................................................................................................... 1-3
DEPTH OF DESIGN ....................................................................................... 1-4
SECTION 1.2 WATCH PACKAGE ........................................................................... 1-4
WATCH CENTER ...................................................................................... 1-4
WATCH SURROUND .................................................................................. 1-5
WATCH SUBWOOFER ................................................................................. 1-5
WATCH SUMMARY .................................................................................... 1-6
SECTION 2.0 CARE OF THE FINISH ......................................................................... 2-1
BREAK IN PERIOD ....................................................................................... 2-2
BINDING POSTS ........................................................................................... 2-2
SECTION 3.0 ROOM REFLECTIONS ......................................................................... 3-1
SLAP-ECHO ................................................................................................ 3-1
STANDING WAVES ....................................................................................... 3-2
COMB FILTER EFFECT .................................................................................. 3-3
SECTION 3.1 RESONANCE ....................................................................................... 3-5
STRUCTURAL RESONANCE ............................................................................. 3-5
AIR VOLUME RESONANCE ........................................................................... 3-5
SECTION 4.0 INITIAL SYSTEM SETUP- MULTICHANNEL OPTION .............................. 4-1
SYSTEM SETUP PROCEDURE ........................................................................ 4-1
ZONE OF NEUTRALITY ................................................................................. 4-2

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SECTION 4.1 CHOOSING A LISTENING POSITION ..................................................... 4-3
LEFT AND RIGHT SPEAKERS ......................................................................... 4-3
SPEAKER PLACEMENT VS. LISTENING POSITION .............................................. 4-3
SPEAKER ORIENTATION ................................................................................ 4-3
CENTER CHANNEL ....................................................................................... 4-4
SURROUND CHANNEL .................................................................................. 4-5
SUBWOOFER .............................................................................................. 4-5
SECTION 4.2 INITIAL SETUP SUMMARY ................................................................... 4-6
SECTION 5.0 INITIAL SYSTEM SETUP- 2 CHANNEL OPTION ..................................... 5-1
SYSTEM SETUP PROCEDURE ........................................................................ 5-1
ZONE OF NEUTRALITY ................................................................................. 5-2
SECTION 5.1 CHOOSING A LISTENING POSITION ..................................................... 5-3
SURROUND CHANNEL .................................................................................. 5-3
SECTION 6.0 PREPARATION .................................................................................... 6-1
SETUP PROCEDURE ...................................................................................... 6-1
SECTION 6.1 SAFETY WARNING ............................................................................. 6-3
SECTION 6.2 MOUNTING THE WALL BRACKET ....................................................... 6-4
MARKING LOCATION ................................................................................... 6-4
DRILLING PILOT HOLES ............................................................................... 6-5
MOUNTING BRACKET .................................................................................. 6-6
SECTION 6.3 PLACING SURROUND .......................................................................... 6-6
PLACING SURROUND ON BRACKET ................................................................ 6-7
SECTION 6.4 CONNECTING SPEAKER TO AMPLIFIER .............................................. 6-10
SPEAKER CABLES ..................................................................................... 6-11
SPADE LUGS ............................................................................................. 6-11
SURROUND SETUP COMPLETED ................................................................... 6-12
TABLE O F C ONTENTS

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SECTION 7.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 7-1
SECTION 7.1 LEFT AND RIGHT CHANNELS ............................................................. 7-2
DETERMINING FRONT TO BACK DISTANCE ..................................................... 7-2
DETERMINING SIDE TO SIDE DISTANCE ......................................................... 7-3
SECTION 7.2 INTEGRATING THE WATCH SYSTEM ................................................. 7-4
INTEGRATING THE WATCH CENTER ............................................................. 7-4
INTEGRATING THE SURROUND CHANNELS ...................................................... 7-5
INTEGRATING THE SUBWOOFER ..................................................................... 7-6
SECTION 7.3 TWO CHANNEL FINAL SETUP PROCEDURE .......................................... 7-7
SECTION 8.0 WATCH SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................. 8-1
GENERAL ................................................................................................... 8-1
IMPEDANCE ................................................................................................ 8-2
SECTION 9 WARRANTY INFORMATION .................................................................... 9-1
APPENDIX A TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE ............................................................. A-1
APPENDIX B REPAIR PROCEDURES .........................................................................B-1
TABLE O F C ONTENTSTABLE O F C ONTENTS
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TABLE O F G RAPHICS
FIGURE 1.1 WATCH CENTER ...............................................................................................................1-4
FIGURE 1.2 WATCH SURROUND ...........................................................................................................1-5
FIGURE 3.1 COMB FILTER EFFECT ........................................................................................................3-4
FIGURE 6.1 SURROUND MOUNTING BRACKET ........................................................................................6-2
FIGURE 6.2 MOUNTING LOCATIONS FOR A CONCRETE WALL ...................................................................6-4
FIGURE 6.3 MOUNT LOCATIONS FOR WALL STUD OR WOOD SUPPORT. ..................................................6-5
FIGURE 6.4 SURROUND HARDWARE ATTACHMENT .................................................................................6-6
FIGURE 6.5 PLACING THE SURROUND CHANNEL ONTO THE MOUNTING BRACKET ..................................6-7
FIGURE 6.6 LOWERING SURROUND CHANNEL ONTO UPPER SPIKES ........................................................6-6
FIGURE 6.7 POSITIONING LOWER SPIKE ................................................................................................6-9
FIGURE 6.8 SPADE LUG ATTACHMENT ................................................................................................. 6-11

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TABLE O F G RAPHICS

1
WATCH INTRODUCTION

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WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES, INC. 1-1
WATCH INTRODUCTION
WATCH ™
If your passion is home theater, and you have sought the full sensory experience
created as your eyes absorb the vision and your skin awakens to the power of the
sound, Wilson Audio has your answer. Introducing WATCH.
While all Wilson speakers are designed to take full advantage of todayʼs popular
multichannel formats, WATCH is the first Wilson system designed from the ground
up to excel specifically at home theater performance. Best of all, it comes in a
package as small or as large as you desire.
The fact is, you havenʼt truly experienced home theater until youʼve felt the impact,
power and passion of a film score the way the director intended it, and no company
will deliver this passion like Wilson Audio. Thatʼs why in the past decade, more
blockbuster hits have been mixed, composed, or recorded using Wilson Audio than
any other loudspeaker.
SECTION 1.0 WATCH INTRODUCTION

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APPLICATIONS
For more than 20 years, Wilson Audio loudspeakers have set the standard
for performance in a wide variety of 2 channel audio and multichannel home the-
ater applications. The WATCH (Wilson Audio Theater Come Home) surround sys-
tem was designed to offer a more compact and versatile home theater option for
those with limited space. Purchasing a surround system design by Wilson Audio
insures the very best possible integration with your Wilson Audio stereo loudspeak-
ers. The Watch system is designed to integrate with the Cub, WATT/Puppy, MAXX
and in many instances the X-1 Grand SLAMM.
Using structural enclosure, speaker driver, and geometric time alignment
technologies developed for the WATT/Puppy, MAXX and the X-1 Grand SLAMM,
the WATCH system is truly the thoroughbred of its class, and is well suited to carry-
ing on the heritage of Wilson Audio speakers.
One of David Wilsonʼs most important criteria in speaker development is that
a speaker meets the accuracy and dynamic demands of studio monitoring, analyti-
cal hardware and software evaluation, and of course, critical music and theater
sound track listening. Therefore, the WATCH has been designed to deliver all of the
speed, dynamics and musical accuracy to satisfy even the most demanding music
lovers. The WATCH system will provide years of satisfaction whether listening to
two channel audio, multichannel audio or todays latest movie sound track technol-
ogy.
The WATCH has also been engineered to take full advantage of todayʼs
multichannel surround formats, especially the latest AC-3 (Dolby Digital) and DTS
(Digital Theater Systems) formats. The WATCH will provide the speed, dynamic
impact and realism you have come to expect in a high performance home theater
system.
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SECTION 1.1 APPLICATIONS
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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Your WATCH system has been designed to perform all of the specific func-
tions of a high performance home theater system. This was a difficult task be-
cause of the many interactions that occur in a home theater environment. Because
the WATCH system was designed in-house and voiced with a variety of Wilson
speakers you can be sure that the driver blend will be excellent whether your sys-
tem includes Cubs or X-1 Grand SLAMMs. To accomplish this task David Wilson
and his engineering department used some extraordinary materials and enclosure
techniques. The discussion of a few of these follows.
ENCLOSURE MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY
Only the very best in materials are used in the WATCH enclosures. The en-
closures of the WATCH system use the same proprietary techniques as have been
very successfully used in the X-1 Grand SLAMM, MAXX and the WATT/PUPPY
systems. The enclosures are made from a non-resonant material that is highly-
cross braced to further reduce cabinet resonance. In the most critical area, the
WATCH uses our proprietary “X” material, a very dense, strong composite, devel-
oped for the X-1 Grand SLAMM.
ADHESIVE
Whatʼs in an adhesive? Everything. This often over looked element is crucial to the
proper performance and longevity of a loudspeaker. Correct modulus of elasticity,
coefficient of thermal expansion and natural frequency response are just a few of
the important elements.
A highly cross-linked, thermoset adhesive is used for the construction of the enclo-
sure. It was also chosen for its excellent bond strength, solvent resistance, hard-
ness and optimum vibrational characteristics.
WATCH INTRODUCTION

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DEPTH OF DESIGN
The combination of the best in composite materials and adhesive technology,
provided to us by the leaders in their industries, allows us to design enclosures
with unmatched performance. The WATCH system has been designed to eliminate
vibration and cabinet signature, while maintaining an internal acoustical integrity
that is simply, the best.
SECTION 1.2 WATCH PACKAGE
WATCH CENTER
Specifically designed to excel at center
channel functions, WATCH-Center is extremely
dynamic with high sensitivity and strong power
handling. Unlike most center channels, it pro-
vides listeners not only with optimal on-axis
response, but also smooth, linear, off-axis
response. This is in part a result of Wilson
PDC™, a technology first developed for Wil-
sonʼs WAMM and X-1 Grand SLAMM systems,
and later applied to the rest of the Wilson Line.
PDC (phase delay correction) allows for opti-
mal tuning of a loudspeaker for various listen-
ing distances and heights, and gives listeners
much greater control over their sound.
The WATCH center channel was designed from the ground up as a center
channel. It is not merely a standard speaker that was tipped onto its side. The cen-
ter channel was voiced and optimized to truly represent dialogue for movies as well
as music and vocals when used in a multichannel audio setup.
Of course, WATCH-Center lives up to Wilson high standards of cutting edge
design, superior build quality, and stunning sonic performance. WATCH-Center is
shielded and is available with a matching stand.
FIGURE 1.1 WATCH CENTER
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WATCH SURROUND O WNERʼS M ANUAL

WILSON AUDIO SPECIALTIES, INC.
WATCH SURROUND
WATCH-Surround is a perfect example of per-
formance disproportionate to size. With strong power
handling capacity and low-end frequency response
reaching 45Hz, this speaker will take your surround
sound to new heights. Unlike most surround speak-
ers, WATCH-Surround is more than a noisemaker.
It brings accuracy, dynamics, and emotion to your
theater, and with itʼs gorgeous Mirrorgloss™ finish, it
looks right at home on your wall.
WATCH-Surround also minimizes wall/ceiling
resonant interactions through its advanced mounting
system. Perhaps the greatest challenge for a mount-
ed speaker, these interactions cause coloration of
sound; accentuating some frequencies and effectively
masking others. Using state of the art materials tech-
nology first developed for the X-1 Grand SLAMM,
WATCH-Surround provides stunning results.
The Surround wall mounting bracket allows
the Surround to be spiked to the bracket, further reducing wall interaction and reso-
nance. The Surround can also be rotated in towards the listening position offering
improved integration with the front speakers and better imaging.
WATCH SUBWOOFER
The WATCH Subwoofer has been designed to integrate well with any of the
Wilson Audio loudspeakers you chose for your multichannel system. The bass is
clean, powerful, and uncolored. It offers speed, dynamics and clarity that are often
talked about with a Subwoofer, but rarely realized in the design. If you are looking
for that extra bass extension, the WATCH Subwoofer is the only solution to give
you truly high-end audio bass, without compromise.
FIGURE 1.2 WATCH
SURROUND
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WATCH INTRODUCTION

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CONCLUSION
Finally, a home theater, designed from the ground up as multichannel, that is
truly high-end. Combine the structural and design considerations with the superior
sonic quality and finish and you find what makes Wilson Audio the leader in the in-
dustry. Wilson Audio delivers a product that maintains the strictest structural toler-
ances, durability and reliability. You will have consistent, repeatable performance,
unaffected by the climatic conditions, anywhere in the world. You are about to ex-
perience multichannel audio/home theater, like you never thought possible, except
from Wilson ....
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WATCH INTRODUCTION

CARE O F T H E WATCH SURROUND 2

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