WILSON AUDIO Mezzo User manual

Mezzo Owner’s Manual

Wilson Audio® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Sophia®, Sasha®, MAXX®, Alexandria®, WAMM®, X-1 Grand SLAMM®, and
WATCH® are registered trademarks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Wilson Audio Duette™, Mezzo™, WilsonGloss™, WATCH Center™, WATCH Sur-
round™, and WATCH Dog™ are trademarks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
This manual was produced by the Wilson Audio Engineering and the Sales and Mar-
keting Departments. The information contained herein is subject to change without
notice. Current Revision 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 herein 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.
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
2
Wilson Audio Specialties

3
CONTENTS
MEZZO OWNER’S M ANUAL .................................................... 1
SECTION 1—INTRODUCTION .................................................. 7
SECTION 1.1—MEZZO I NTRODUCTION ................................... 9
AMONG THE TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS O F THE M EZZO: ............ 10
MORE O N P ROPAGATION DELAY ..................................... 11
SECTION 2—UNCRATING YOUR MEZZO .................................... 15
SECTION 2.1—UNCRATING THE M EZZO ................................ 17
INITIAL C HECK ...................................................... 17
UNCRATING THE M EZZO ............................................. 17
SECTION 2.2—CR A T E C ONTENT C HECKLIST ........................... 17
MEZZO CR A T E ....................................................... 18
MEZZO S T A N D B O X ................................................. 19
SECTION 3—IN Y OUR R OOM ............................................... 21
SECTION 3.1—TH E W ILSON AUDIO SETUP P ROCEDURE .............. 23
FINAL L ISTENING R OOM S ETUP (VOICING) ......................... 23
ZONE O F NEUTRALITY: MAIN L EFT AND R IGHT CHANNEL ......... 23
SECTION 3.2—ROOM ACOUSTICS ...................................... 25
SLAP E CHO .......................................................... 25
STANDING WA V E S ................................................... 27
COMB F ILTER E FFECT ............................................... 29
SECTION 3.3—RESONANCES ............................................ 29
STRUCTURAL R ESONANCE ........................................... 30
VOLUME R ESONANCE ................................................ 30
SECTION 3.4—YOUR ROOM ............................................. 31
TABLE O FC ONTENTS
Wilson Audio Specialties

ROOM S HAPES ...................................................... 31
SPEAKER P LACEMENT V ERSUS L ISTENING P OSITION .............. 32
SPEAKER ORIENTATION ............................................. 33
CENTER C HANNEL ................................................... 33
SURROUND C HANNEL ................................................ 34
WATCH DO G AND THOR’S H AMMER P ASSIVE S UBWOOFERS ..... 35
SECTION 4—INITIAL S ETUP ................................................ 37
S ECTION 4.1—FINAL S ETUP ........................................... 39
PREPARATION ........................................................ 39
SECTION 4.2—MEZZO SPIKES .......................................... 39
ASSEMBLY ........................................................... 40
SECTION 4.3—MEASURED LISTENING POSITION ...................... 41
ROOM S ETUP ........................................................ 41
MEZZO C ONFIGURATIONS ........................................... 42
SECTION 4.4—SETUP #1 MEZZO O N F LOOR .......................... 43
SECTION 4.5—SETUP #2 MEZZO O N A S T A N D ........................ 44
TH E H OURGLASS S T A N D ............................................ 46
SECTION 4.6—SE T U P #3 MEZZO O N C USTOM ST A N D O R SHELF ... 47
SECTION 4.7—CONNECTING S PEAKER T O A MPLIFIER ................. 48
SPEAKER C ABLES ................................................... 48
SP A D E L UGS ......................................................... 49
CONNECTION O F THE M EZZO T O THE P OWER A MPLIFIER .......... 50
MEZZO S ETUP COMPLETED ......................................... 50
SECTION 5—TUNING AND V OICING ........................................ 53
SECTION 5.1—FINAL T UNING AND V OICING .......................... 55
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
4
Wilson Audio Specialties

SECTION 5.2—LEFT AND R IGHT C HANNELS ........................... 55
DETERMINING F RONT T O B ACK DISTANCE ......................... 56
DETERMINING S IDE T O S IDE DISTANCE ............................ 57
SECTION 5.3—INTEGRATING THE M EZZO INTO S URROUND S YSTEM . . 5 8
INTEGRATING THE M EZZO ........................................... 58
IMAGE H EIGHT ....................................................... 59
MEZZO R OTATION ................................................... 59
RESETTING THE P ROPAGATION D E L A Y CORRECTION (PDC) ....... 60
INTEGRATING THE WATCH SURROUND C HANNELS ................ 60
INTEGRATING THE P ASSIVE WATCH DO G O R THOR’S HAMMER . . 6 1
SECTION 6—CARE O F THE F INISH ......................................... 63
SECTION 6.1—CARE O F THE F INISH ................................... 65
DUSTING THE M EZZO ............................................... 65
CARE O F THE GRILLS ............................................... 65
BREAK-I N P ERIOD ................................................... 66
SECTION 6.2—ENCLOSURE T ECHNOLOGY .............................. 66
MATERIALS .......................................................... 66
ADHESIVE ............................................................ 67
SECTION 6.3—DEPTH O F DESIGN ...................................... 67
SECTION 7—TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................... 69
SECTION 7.1—TROUBLESHOOTING:..................................... 71
SECTION 8—REPAIR P ROCEDURES ......................................... 75
SECTION 8.1—REPAIR P ROCEDURES ................................... 77
REPLACING A N O PEN R ESISTOR .................................... 77
REPLACING A B A D DRIVER ......................................... 78
TABLE O FC ONTENTS
5
Wilson Audio Specialties
5

SECTION 9—SPECIFICATIONS .............................................. 81
SECTION 9.1—MEZZO SPECIFICATIONS ................................ 83
SECTION 9.2—MEZZO DIMENSIONS .................................... 84
SECTION 9.3—MEZZO H OURGLASS S T A N D DIMENSIONS .............. 85
SECTION 9.4—MEZZO O N H OURGLASS S T A N D DIMENSIONS .......... 86
SECTION 9.5—MEZZO O N C OLUMN S T A N D DIMENSIONS .............. 87
SECTION 9.5—MEZZO I MPEDANCE C U R V E ............................. 88
SECTION 10—TWEETER ALIGNMENT T ABLES ............................. 89
TABLE 1—FO R P LACEMENT O N F LOOR ................................. 91
TABLE 2—FO R P LACEMENT O N S T A N D ................................. 92
SECTION 11—WARRANTY INFORMATION ................................... 93
SECTION 12.1—WARRANTY I NFORMATION ............................. 95
LIMITED W ARRANTY ................................................. 95
CONDITIONS ......................................................... 95
REMEDY .............................................................. 96
WARRANTY L IMITED T O ORIGINAL P URCHASER .................... 96
DEMONSTRATION E QUIPMENT ....................................... 97
MISCELLANEOUS ..................................................... 97
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
6
Wilson Audio Specialties

Section 1—Introduction

Section 1.1—Mezzo Introduction
From all of us at Wilson Audio Specialties—thank you for purchasing the Mezzo loud-
speaker. The information contained within the pages of this manual will inform and instruct
on the proper assembly, set up, and long term care of your Mezzo.
The Mezzo was formulated and engineered with a specific function in mind: a loud-
speaker endowed with similar authority and dynamic range as Wilson’s Sasha W/P, MAXX®,
and even the Alexandria® X-2. When used as a center channel, Mezzo seamlessly matches
the acoustic signature of Wilson’s larger loudspeakers – whether the main left/right speak-
ers are Sashas, MAXXs, or two more Mezzos. The Mezzo also provides an unprecedented
level of musical accuracy in music systems and home theaters where its low-profile form
solves architectural challenges, such as in those installations where a tall loudspeaker
would block the view afforded by large windows, or would obstruct wall-hanging artwork.
Whether it is used as a center channel or as a main loudspeaker, Mezzo matches the tonal
beauty, dynamic speed, tonal sophistication, resolution, and sense of “thereness” of its
taller Wilson brethren.
The Mezzo
™was formulated and engineered with a specific function in mind: a
loudspeaker endowed with a nearly identical sonic signature to Wilson’s Sasha W/P®,
but in a low-profile package. When used as a center channel, Mezzo seamlessly matches
the acoustic signature of Wilson’s vaunted Sasha. Indeed, the Mezzo features a driver
complement identical to the Sasha, with the exception of the midrange driver, which is
borrowed from the legendary Alexandria X-2®. The Mezzo also provides an unprece-
dented level of musical accuracy in music systems and home theaters where its low-profile
form solves architectural challenges, such as in those installations where a tall loudspeaker
would block wall-too-wall cinema screens, the view afforded by large windows, or would
obstruct wall-hanging artwork. Whether it is used as a center channel in conjunction with
Sasha, MAXX, or Alexandria, or as a main loudspeaker, Mezzo matches the tonal beauty,
SECTION 1.1—MEZZO I NTRODUCTION
9
Wilson Audio Specialties

dynamic speed, tonal sophistication, resolution, and sense of “thereness” that are hall-
marks of Sasha W/P.
Among the technical innovations of the Mezzo:
• The Mezzo sources its midrange driver directly from the ground-breaking
Wilson Alexandria Series-2. With this midrange driver, Dave and the Wil-
son engineers set out to redefine what was possible in cone midrange
technology—and to capture certain qualities of live music heretofore not
achieved in any other design. Their efforts were rewarded. The result was
the Wilson midrange driver. One has to hear the clarity, tonal density and
truthfulness, and dynamic clarity to appreciate the resulting vast improve-
ment in midrange over other designs.
• The tweeter, sourced directly from the Sasha W/P, uses advanced technol-
ogy and material in the area behind the diaphragm. All tweeter diaphragms
are partially acoustically transparent. Any out phase or time-delayed re-
flections that make their way out of the front of the diaphragm is heard and
measured as noise and distortion. The Mezzo tweeter employs proprietary
materials in combination with proven mechanical configurations that ef-
fectively reduce these time-delayed reflections behind the inverted dome,
preventing them from subsequently corrupting the primary wave. As with
Sasha, the Mezzo tweeter excels in all areas of high-frequency perfor-
mance: clarity, dynamic expression, sweetness of tone, and resolution. It
is an excellent companion for the proprietary Wilson midrange driver. The
resulting fabric of tonal beauty woven by these two drivers is both seam-
less and complete—richly portraying instruments as they are heard in life.
• Sasha W/P woofer. The Mezzo sources its woofer directly from the Sasha
W/P. The speed, dynamic alacrity, and tunefulness that are all distinctive
features of the Sasha are in evidence here in similar proportions.
• Adjustable tweeter module design and array geometry designed to address
the challenges of a low-profile loudspeaker. In the main module, Mez-
zo’s two woofers are mounted horizontally, flanking the midrange driver.
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
10
Wilson Audio Specialties

Achieving near perfect driver-alignment at the listening position requires
the adjustability of the tweeter by changing its relative position in relation
to the midrange and woofer drivers, such that all drivers’ acoustic centers
are equidistant from the listener. The tweeter module is adjustable via a
provided chart according to ear height and listening distance—and for a
variety of Mezzo installation strategies. Whether the Mezzo is installed
directly on the floor, on one-of-two custom designed stands, or in custom
cabinets, the Mezzo’s drivers can be properly aligned to accommodate
these scenarios.
• Crossovers. The Mezzo crossover features technology adapted from the
Sasha W/P as well as the Series 2 Alexandria, and the MAXX Series 3. The
goal was to reduce propagation-delay jitter and to lower the noise floor.
Mezzo’s overall resolution, intertransient silence, dynamic speed and nu-
ance are nearly identical to the Sasha W/P.
• “S” Material midrange baffle. S-material is a relatively new enclosure com-
posite designed in conjunction with the Sasha W/P project. The S-material
baffle reduces measurable and audible noise and coloration in the critical
midrange. Wilson’s proprietary X-material is used in the balance of the en-
closure walls, continuing Wilson’s practice of building ultra-low resonance
cabinets.
• Two stands. The Hourglass Stand features a solid front plinth, which allows
for 2π Steradian support of the midrange and woofer drivers, resulting in
more linear and impactors performance in the upper bass and lower mid-
range. The second optional stand features an adjustable pedestal ideal
for customizing center channel placement in relationship to large cinema
screens.
More on Propagation delay
A musical waveform is a complex overlay of frequencies, amplitudes, and phase
relationships. With current technology, no single transducer can reproduce the full range
11
Wilson Audio Specialties
SECTION 1.1—MEZZO I NTRODUCTION

of music at realistic sound pressure levels while maintaining consistent dispersion. The
solution is the multiple driver array, with specific drivers dedicated to various portions
of the frequency range. Multiple drivers introduce their own set of problems. A challenge
typically ignored by speaker designers is preserving the precise time relationships of the
leading edge of the musical waveform.
The key to solving this problem lies in Wilson’s innovative and patented Adjustable
Propagation Delay technology, which employs movable modules that allow the individual
adjustment of the drivers in the time domain. Using this technology, each driver’s wave-
form propagation “matches up” with the other drivers in the system in such a way as to
create the sonic equivalent of a single point source. There are certain loudspeaker makers
other than Wilson that recognize the need to correctly align their drivers, but they do so
for only one theoretical listening position.
The fact is, misalignment of the drivers by fractions of an inch will audibly degrade
transient accuracy, soundstage height, depth, and width. Misalignment of the drivers will
also introduce tonal anomalies that destroy the otherwise convincing “presence” of an in-
strument or a singer’s voice. Wilson’s solution for propagation delay correction has long
set the standard for precise driver positioning in order to insure correct time-alignment for
a wide range of real room listening distances and ear heights.
The Mezzo cabinet is a further evolution of Wilson’s philosophy that truly great
forms follow a corresponding function. It is a visual metaphor for the solution Wilson Au-
dio pioneered to address issues of phase coherence exacerbated by large speaker systems.
Typical of the creative process, the solution itself is an analogy to the field of optics and
the design of wide-angle lenses. The means of maintaining edge-to-edge sharpness at both
close and far focusing distances for a high quality wide-angle lens suggested a solution to
the similar problem of time domain accuracy for large speaker systems at both near and far
listening positions.
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
12
Wilson Audio Specialties

With Mezzo, Wilson Audio takes this concept a logical step further, addressing the
issue of optimal driver dispersion in the large cabinet system. Ideal driver dispersion for
both near and far listening positions requires the drivers be adjustable not only forward
and back, but also able to rotate on their vertical polar axes.
FIGURE 1 – USING TECHNOLOGY FROM SASHA, MEZZO’S GROUP DELAY IS CORRECTED IN THE TIME DOMAIN.
FIGURE 1A - TYPICAL LOUDSPEAKERS EXHIBIT LESS THAN OPTIMUM
PROPAGATION DELAY AND DISPERSION CHARACTERISTICS. THE SOUND
QUALITY IS COMPROMISED FOR ALL LISTENERS IN ALL ROOMS.
FIGURE 1B - ASPHERICAL PROPAGATION DELAY OPTIMIZES DRIVER/ROOM
INTERACTION FOR A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS. THIS PROVIDES CONSISTENTLY
OPTIMIZED RESULTS IN A WIDE RANGE OF ROOMS AND LISTENING POSITIONS.
13
Wilson Audio Specialties
SECTION 1.1—MEZZO I NTRODUCTION

With Mezzo, you and others you listen with, will hear your favorite recordings and
soundtracks with true time coherency, full frequency range, unfettered dynamics, and
vanishingly low distortion. The improvement in realism wrought by Mezzo is delightfully
revolutionary.
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
14
Wilson Audio Specialties

Section 2—Uncrating your Mezzo

Section 2.1—Uncrating the Mezzo
Initial Check
The Mezzo is shipped in a wooden crate. Upon receiving your Mezzo, please check
the crate’s condition. If the crate is damaged, please report it to the shipping company im-
mediately for insurance verification.
The following items are recommended for this procedure:
• Electric Screwdriver
• Phillips head drive bit
• Masking tape (for use in speaker setup)
Uncrating the Mezzo
A minimum of two strong adults is required to set up the Mezzo.
1. With the crate lid facing up, unscrew the wood screws securing the lid. Re-
move the lid.
2. One crate will contain the tool kit.
3. The Mezzo is shipped with casters installed. Carefully lift the crate upright
so that the Mezzo is now vertical. With the Mezzo’s bottom toward the floor
and one person holding the crate, the second person should reach in and
gently roll the Mezzo out of the crate, carefully, so as not to hit the Mezzo
on the crate and scratch the paint.
Section 2.2—Crate Content Checklist
Now that you have unpacked your Mezzo, you can inventory all the additional items
in the crate.
SECTION 2.1—UNCRATING THE M EZZO
17
Wilson Audio Specialties

Mezzo Crate
1—Owner’s Manual
1—Warranty Registration (included in the manual)
1—Mezzo Midrange/Woofer Grill
1—Mezzo Tweeter Grill
4—Nuts
4—Spikes
4—Brass Discs
4—Spacers
4—Diodes
1—Universal Allen Handle
1—1/2” Nut Driver
1—1/8” Allen Head
1—3/16” Allen Head
1—5/32” Allen Head
1—5/16” Allen Head
1—Blue Polishing Cloth
1 – Caster Wrench
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
18
Wilson Audio Specialties

Mezzo Stand Box
If you purchased a Wilson Audio Mezzo Stand on which to mount your Mezzo, you
will find the following items in the box with your stand:
4—3/8” - 16 x 1 1/2” Socket Head Cap Screws
4—3/8” x 7/8” Stainless Steel Flat Washers
1—9/16” Wrench
1—3/16” Long Arm Allen Wrench
1—5/16” Long Arm Allen Wrench
FIGURE 2 – MEZZO
SECTION 2.2—CR A T E C ONTENT C HECKLIST
19
Wilson Audio Specialties

• 1—Polishing Cloth-
MEZZO O WNER’SM ANUAL
20
Wilson Audio Specialties