Wilson Benesch A.C.T C60 User manual

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Owners Manual
Wilson Benesch Ltd 

 All Rights Reserved

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Wide Bandwidth
New challenges new opportunities, a new genre in loudspeaker design – Wide
Bandwidth: The capacity to recreate the actual event relies upon a number of
fundamental design objectives Bandwidth is one of the most important concerns
Why should this be? At its most simple, it should be reproduced because the artists
through their instruments create this energy In fact many instruments produce sound
that extends well beyond 20KHz and up to 100KHz To ignore the importance of wide
bandwidth is to accept a compressed version of the recording In order to even
attempt to recreate this energy, new technologies must be invented The laws of
physics dictate that you cannot push the limits of the dynamic drive unit without severe
penalties Wilson Benesch invented the Torus to address the low frequency band For
the Ultrasonic band we adopted a patented technology from Murata of Japan The
Sphere pulses with a step response time that is significantly superior to any alternative
technologies This capability is endowed with the capacity to recreate the subtlest
transient information that is quintessentially important to sound reproduction above 20
KHz
W.B. (Wide Bandwidth) One
The latest drive unit the “W B One” incorporates a number of important details that
have been painstakingly researched and developed within the companies C N C
manufacturing cell The drive unit takes advantage of the latest Nd Fe B magnetic
material to deliver more magnetic flux, providing for a more powerful motor system but
significantly one that does not obstruct the anti-phase energy projected from the back
of the cone The new motor assembly was modified to handle the increase in flux,
without any major increase in size All the profiles retain the same curved forms, so as to
cause the least turbulence in air moving behind the diaphragm The length of the
magnetic aperture has also been increased in order to increase the length of coil
submerged in flux This increase enables greater control and a more responsive
reaction to the all-important transient
The net result sees a 3dB improvement in sound pressure levels and significant
improvements in signal to noise ratios Dynamics are almost electrostatic in character,
but with real slam that is only possible with the most dynamic compression and
rarefaction of air The most obvious characteristic is the freedom of delivery, isolating
and defining the instruments in a sound field that extends beyond the confines of the
enclosure

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Superior Performance
To its credit Wilson Benesch has remained with what is fundamentally the same tweeter
for over a decade whilst our contemporaries have promoted new designs
In our assessment these designs have all paid a high price to achieve the extra
bandwidth that has been sought after in the form of uncontrolled ultrasonic resonant
energy Where we differ is in the argument that this energy is perceptible, and its hard,
fatiguing and unnatural character of sound is not acceptable
In sharp contrast to hard dome solutions, the Wilson Benesch soft dome is highly
controlled, well damped and free of uncontrolled structural resonance It is common
knowledge that all materials possess a resonant signature Woven, relatively soft multi
material structures exhibit several orders of magnitude less violent resonant signatures
than hard single material designs Made from carbon, beryllium or whichever metal, all
these Single material structures resonate in a very uncontrolled way
The argument that this resonance is above 20,000 Hertz thus beyond the threshold of
hearing and so unimportant is completely erroneous When ignored the resulting sound
is typically fatiguing and characterised by sounding hard and synthetic In contrast the
Wilson Benesch tweeter works exceedingly well within its limitations from 5,000 to 20,000
hertz In contrast to hard domes the signature is often characterised as being sweet,
natural or accurate So although there might be many devices that provide a few
thousand hertz extension beyond our tweeter we would argue that the price of this is
too high The distortions and loss of damping are simply unacceptable
This Ultrasonic Generator is the third element in the journey towards high definition
sound reproduction It provides the consumer with a real alternative to the one tweeter
does all approach As with the Sub woofer, Wilson Benesch chose the alternative path
in its research and development to overcome traditionally accept problems Such
methods take longer to bring to fruition but the result can be justifiably described as
innovative and effective in pursuit of its goals The Sphere has been designed to
function with the greatest accuracy It only begins to function at the point where many
would claim that humans cannot perceive sound any longer, at 20,000Hz It continues
in a controlled way up to 100,000Hz well beyond that of all other tweeters This band of
sound is clearly perceptible Like the Torus, it integrates perfectly with the Tactic drive
unit Like the Torus it opens up a new dimension in sound reproduction
With these extended bandwidth products Wilson Benesch are proving it isn’t solely
what the human body hears but also what it perceives that adds to the listening
pleasure and the experience as a whole

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This consensus has defined the development of our latest products but, most
importantly, will also help focus and determine the path our design and research of
loudspeakers will move in the future Moving away from the rigid limits of 20Hz to
20,000KHz is pioneering work and although we have made great strides with these new
products being the result, we feel there is still much development to be done ourselves
and by the field of science in general
Summary
The most advanced drive unit technology in the form of the Wilson Benesch One is
coupled with the ground breaking Sphere, Ultrasonic Generator, equipping the C60 to
produce not only the deepest most physical bass but also the sweetest highs, crisp and
clear all the way up to 100kHz
All drivers are rear mounted and principle high frequency components are
mechanically clamped to inhibit resonance The simplest of hand made point to point
soldered filter elements guarantee the least possible level of phase distortion Precision
tuning of the tweeter output enables precise matching of loudspeaker to system
components without additional circuits
Torus
Though more than able to provide the ultimate wide bandwidth sound the C60, can
benefit from the Torus Infrasonic sound for the lowest registers When installed correctly
with a stagger tuned Torus system the A C T C60 is capable of delivering the nearest
thing to the live event
Innovation is expensive and full of risk To do something different is potentially life
threatening for any company Because of this, it is sadly the case that many
companies no longer have the infrastructure to undertake original engineering In
contrast Wilson Benesch has invested in manufacturing systems on an on going basis,
and is in fact the only company in the audio world that can boast of engineering
facilities in C N C metal machining and carbon fibre composites under the same roof
as the state of the art 3D CAD facilities The Torus can be seen as an intellectual
stepping-stone demonstrating important technical advantages that will always
compare favourably with large, slow and heavily damped woofer based designs The
listening experience is the test It can be seen that the Torus provides the perfect
partner to the super fast, linear phase, Wilson Benesch loudspeakers

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THE A.C.T C 0 MANUAL
To the Owner
We would like to thank you for investing in a Wilson Benesch Loudspeaker
Please return your completed Guarantee Registration Card or use the electronic
registration within six weeks of purchase Warranty conditions can be viewed towards
the back of this manual
For electronic registration please refer to the Wilson Benesch website to take
advantage of the Customer Guarantee Registration You can access the registration
area via the ‘Owners Section’ on the Home Page at: www wilson-benesch com
To the Music Connoisseur
To the cognoscenti of British high performance audio, the Wilson Benesch marque is
recognised as one of the world’s leading loudspeaker design and manufacturing
companies You now own a product that will deliver years of pleasure to all who come
across it, within the comfort of your own home The purchase of a Wilson Benesch
loudspeaker is merely the beginning of a long relationship The ACT C60 loudspeaker is
engineered to last a lifetime and is guaranteed for 5 years from the date of purchase
(This guarantee is offered to the first owner only) The care and attention offered by the
Wilson Benesch dealer network matches the quality systems that we make Should you
need further advice about cables, set-up, upgrades or any other matters relating to
the systems then the dealers are more than able to respond and deal with any of these
concerns
Unpacking & Set-up Instruction
Important points before setting up:
During installation two or more people will be required as the speakers are heavy each
weighing in around 56kg Never attempt to unpack or install the speakers without
assistance as this could result in damage to the product or personal injury
Please observe normal procedures for lifting and correct posture when handling the
speakers Soft fabric gloves are recommended to prevent damage to the high quality
finish Also, it is strongly recommended that all watches and jewellery be removed prior
to unpacking Patient and careful setting up is essential to obtaining the maximum
performance from this system:
Move the speaker still in it’s packaging to the intended listening position For further
information on positioning, see the loudspeaker positioning section Make sure the top
of the box has been fully opened and the hardware pack has been removed

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The speaker is now ready to be removed from the box Have an assistant help you lift
the speaker clear of all packaging Stand the speaker on the floor, taking care not to
damage the foot
The protective polythene bag can be slippery, so great care must be taken Once
both speakers have been stood up the bags can be removed and the packaging
stored for future use The packaging is essential for shipping the system safely
Wilson Benesch is distributed by the world’s finest distributors and dealers, should you
have any problems they will be able to help and guide you You may also contact our
customer care department via email at any time
The Subject of Room Acoustics
Acoustics is a complex subject and this text should be treated for what it is, a simple
but informative guide For a more in depth understanding you would need to refer to a
whole range of texts on the subject The most important outcome of this should be a
greater appreciation of the role played by the room and surroundings on the overall
sound of the audio system The air contained within the room is the link between the
output of the loudspeaker and your ear How air behaves is dependant upon the
attributes or character of the room It follows that a better understanding of basic
acoustics and what facets cause the most influence in the room will assist in making
decisions about the way in which the room and subsequently the system can be
improved
Room types fall between two extremes A room can be ‘dead’ on the one hand (full of
highly energy absorbent materials and complex diffusing structures) or very ‘lively’ on
the other (few reflective surfaces and a high proportion of very reflective, hard, non
absorbent surfaces) As so often is the case a balance of materials is commonly
preferable to one extreme or the other The correct balance is the goal for the end
user
Room attributes that can be easily changed
The contents of a room will impact upon its overall acoustic character As you would
expect hard surfaces like glass and concrete tend to reflect a broad band of acoustic
energy Complimentary materials that are soft and thick in section such as heavy
natural fibre curtains will tend to absorb a broad band of frequencies
What are standing waves?
When sound waves reflect between two parallel surfaces, the distance apart being
equal to half the wavelength or less, dependant upon wave size, resonance modes
referred to as ‘standing waves’ are created

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In loudspeakers with parallel walls these waves will cause distortions The standing
waves in your room will distort the frequency response of your system sympathetically
boosting certain frequencies If a certain standing wave frequency is acoustically
isolated from its modal neighbours its effect is more likely to be audible and
problematic This can compromise the accuracy of any loudspeaker
Middle & High Frequency Room Characteristics
The middle and high frequencies are affected more by room contents rather than
room shape The surfaces and how they reflect, absorb or diffuse the acoustic energy
will tend to describe the ‘sound’ of a room Like all energy, acoustic energy cannot be
destroyed; it can only be converted into something else or reflected The shape of the
surface will determine how it is reflected and the material will determine whether it is
absorbed
All rooms have a particular sound, and to appreciate what influences are present in
your particular room you should be aware of how the objects in your room will respond
to sound
Sound waves behave in the same way as light waves or ‘rays’ and so imagine the
driver to be a floodlight
Reflection: acoustic energy is not converted but reflected in an orderly, predictable
fashion
Diffusion: acoustic energy is dispersed in a random and/or disordered fashion
Absorption: acoustic energy is converted into kinetic energy or heat All or a majority of
the sound energy is ‘soaked up’ or disposed of by the object surface or room
boundary
Two Channel Loudspeaker Positioning
There are no objective criteria that can be used to state precisely where loudspeakers
should be positioned Should any individual or company suggest that there are, they
should be treated with a great deal of caution In the global scenario, our
loudspeakers are driven by unique systems that are selected by the owner because of
particular virtues Every listening room is as individual and unique in character as the
owner Compound this complex picture with the combination of different equipment
Consider the changeability of rooms; if the room is dressed with heavy curtains simply
changing the curtains position can alter the whole balance of the system The only rule
is that there are no rules Like producing good wine it is the goal that is the only guide
The owner is the pivot in this subtle balancing act

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The goal of high performance audio systems is accurate reproduction The information,
be it in groove or pit format, should be transcribed, amplified and converted back into
sound energy without the additional views of the audio equipment designer being
combined with that translation process
In order to make the task of positioning the loudspeakers less complex we would like to
make the following suggestions The most valuable commodity in this process is time
Be prepared to make small changes over longer periods of time Select four musical
passages that can fulfil the following tests They should all be stereo recordings
-Select one with a distinctive and easily heard human voice Spoken voice is ideal
-Select one passage with a full orchestra like The Pines of Rome
-Select one that is very emotional for you
-Select one that has a strong rhythm, as is the case with dance music for example
You should appraise the performance of the loudspeakers according to your needs
based upon the tests above
Cinema Systems
There is no industry standard for the positioning of speakers for home cinema, but there
are some facts that should be considered when creating such a dedicated
environment
W B One drive units are not shielded and should not be placed within one metre of a
cathode ray tube based video display The angle from the screen should ideally be
between 110° and 130°
Wilson Benesch loudspeakers use identical drive units and tweeters making it possible
for a system to be created comprising of more powerful channels at the front of the
room and smaller units at the rear and filling in where necessary
The centre channel is a critical component in any quality cinema system It handles
dialogue to which the ear is very sensitive due to our familiarity with the human voice
and more besides
All Wilson Benesch loudspeakers can be classified as full range systems
Configure the subwoofer for LFE only
Bi/Tri Amping.
The power that is delivered to your drive units will have a direct effect on the sound of
your loudspeakers You should select the best that you can afford Separating the
systems will deliver benefits that can easily be detected We would recommend using
the same model of amplifier on different drivers

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Bi/Tri Wiring
Improvements can be heard through separating the energy from each filter in the
crossover Cables vary in construction but a good quality cable should be low in
impedance, inductance and capacitance Do not use cables that act as additional
crossover components Experimentation is crucial in this situation and a cable that
works well in one situation with a given amplifier may not always perform as well when
one of these variables are changed
Terminals
Wilson Benesch recommends the use of 8mm ring or spade connector cable
terminations A spanner is provided to tighten up the rhodium plated nuts Please be
careful to not over tighten the terminals as this could result in damage to the
surrounding materials The terminals will also except banana plugs
Spikes
The spikes are supplied installed so great care should be taken when handling these
systems By careful tests you can adjust the speaker both in terms of toe in and in terms
of vertical angle Should you wish to adjust either of these factors you should arrange
for an assistant to work with you The position of the tweeter has been designed to
function best for listeners seated in conventional relaxed seating positions If required,
for other situations such as listeners on higher seating or standing, the speakers can be
tilted back so as to incline the tweeter
Magnet Precautions
The motors used in all Wilson Benesch speakers are built from the most powerful
magnetic material in the world, Nd Fe B Do not bring any metallic objects or sensitive
electronic, electromagnetic or mechanical systems into close proximity of these
devices This includes pace makers or other critical devices The company cannot
accept responsibility for any damage or injury caused to any such systems as a result of
accidental exposure Extreme care must be taken with all Wilson Benesch Isobaric
speakers as the driver motor is exposed in these systems
Running In Time (70 hours)
Like anything of good quality a period of running in tends to see improvements in
performance The speaker cabinet requires time to settle in to its surroundings Climatic
and humidity variations will take time to adjust to and until these changes have been
made the speaker will not perform at its best The drivers require time to bed in
physically and relax materially

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The carbon panels actually improve in structural integrity as they age The quality of
the sound that you hear when you first use your Wilson Benesch speakers will improve
quite significantly over time, though this change will not be instantly perceptible Allow
at least seventy hours of running in before making any subjective judgements of the
speaker’s performance
Surface Finish
Carbon fibre is a unique material with unusual physical and visual characteristics We
like to remain truthful about the fibrous nature of the material as opposed to
concealing or obscuring it The surface finishes applied to all Wilson Benesch
loudspeakers require no further attention other than the occasional dusting Treat the
driver cones with respect and they will last a decade with relative ease
Due to the angle of the cabinet top the appearance of stains, as a result of a glass
being placed on the surface for example is of course impossible With a little care the
speakers will look as good in ten years as they do today and will probably sound even
better
Other Adjustments
Under no circumstance should you make any adjustment to the system’s parts Any
adjustments not described as required by the setting up procedure will nullify all
guarantees
Should there be any question regarding the performance of this system you should
refer to your dealer immediately for advice and/or assistance If in the unlikely event
that the problem cannot be dealt with by your dealer do not under any circumstances
return the gods to Wilson Benesch without prior agreement with the company
Connections
This is a guide to the connections found at the base of each C60 speaker When a
single run of speaker cable is used the supplied jumpers must be placed to bridge all
the negative and corresponding positive terminals In order to assist in the fine-tuning of
C60 within your chosen environment we have provided additional input options that
allow for adjustment of the WB Tweeter output When wiring the system please ensure
only one of the positive tweeter connections is used at a time to achieve desired
output (there should only ever be a maximum of 6 connections per speaker) The
Sphere, ultrasonic generator) is fed from the unfiltered midrange input to allow for full
frequency extension

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Magnet Precautions
The motors used in all Wilson Benesch speakers are built from the most powerful
magnetic material in the world, Nd Fe B Do not bring any metallic objects or sensitive
electronic, electromagnetic or mechanical systems into close proximity of these
devices This includes pace makers or other critical devices The company cannot
accept responsibility for any damage or injury caused to any such systems as a result of
accidental exposure Extreme care must be taken with all Wilson Benesch Isobaric
speakers as the driver motor is exposed in these systems
World Wide Warranty
Wilson Benesch offers a 5 year conditional warranty to the end user It is done in
collaboration with our distributors
The conditions of this warranty are:
-That Wilson Benesch receives the necessary registration details from the end user
-That these details are received within six weeks of purchase
-The warranty is only valid for the first owner and is not transferable
-That it is limited to the repair of the equipment only
-That any claim is accompanied by the necessary proof of purchase
-That cover does not extend to damage caused by faulty or unsuitable ancillary
equipment
-That the serial number has not been altered, deleted, removed or made illegible
-That the product has not been abused or modified in any way
-That is was purchased originally from a Wilson Benesch authorised dealer
If the equipment is being used in the country of purchase, you should contact the
Wilson Benesch authorised dealer from whom the equipment was purchased
If the equipment is being used outside the country of purchase, you should contact the
Wilson Benesch national distributor in the country of residence who will advise where
the equipment can be serviced You can call Wilson Benesch in the UK or visit our
website to get the contact details of our local distributor To validate your warranty,
you will need the original sales receipt or other proof of ownership and date of
purchase Should you have any queries regarding the product or set-up, do not
hesitate to contact us
From all at Wilson Benesch we hope you enjoy your new ACT C60 loudspeakers

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Specification
The A C T C60 is a pure thoroughbred It is comprised of unique technologies that have
been created and manufactured by high precision machinery, before being
meticulously assembled by hand These elements have been fine tuned over fifteen
years to reach this level of excellence The State of The Art materials technology is
superior in performance to all alternatives Significantly, all this has been achieved
without compromising any of the timeless, quintessentially classic forms that are as
sublimely beautiful today as they were in 1995 The A C T loudspeaker is the product
design that moved an industry forward by ending the reign of the wooden box
The A C T design has evolved over more than fifteen years It is in every way a world
class product that has been designed for agility, speed and spirit Every detail has
been drawn from the best technology available Moreover, the A C T C60 will form
part of the companies 20th Anniversary Celebration in 2009 Providing, as it does, the
perfect addition to the companies Wide Bandwidth Series that began with Trinity

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Important Notes on Terminal Connections
It is important that before connecting your Act C60 loudspeakers you refer to the
following notes and diagram and not the standard markings on the Wilson Benesch
terminal as the Act C60 allows for many different connection options
Two pairs of red and black link leads are supplied with the hardware pack to allow for
single wire or bi-wire setup When connecting the Act C60 a choice must be made
whether to run the tweeter at normal output, -1dB output or –2dB output To select the
tweeter output, connect ONLY ONE of the top three positive inputs on the top terminal
block as per the diagram below The negative tweeter input must always be
connected regardless of the positive tweeter output chosen
Act C 0 Terminal Connections
The red and black lines below represent the link wires connected for single wired
operation
Connect
ONLY ONE
positive
tweeter
input
Tweeter Positive –2dB output
Tweeter Positive –1dB output
Tweeter Positive 0dB output
Tweeter & Sphere Negative
Mid Driver & Sphere Positive
Mid Driver Negative
Bass Driver Positive
Bass Driver Negative

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The A C T C 60
Technical Specifications
Description 2 5 way, free space, ported enclosure, floor standing loudspeaker
Drive units 1 x 170mm Wilson Benesch W B One Bass unit
1 x 170mm Wilson Benesch W B One Bass Mid unit
1 x 25mm Soft dome, hand painted silk, ultra linear
Wilson Benesch specification tweeter
1 x Sphere Ultrasonic Generator, Gold plated Ceramic dome advanced
tweeter
Low frequency
loading Bessel alignment of fourth order reflex Double chamber, differential tuning
Frequency range
-6dB at 30Hz and 100kHz
-3dB at 33Hz and 80kHz
Frequency
response 35Hz to 80kHz +- 2dB on axis
Sensitivity 89dB spl at 1metre on axis 2 83V input
Impedance 6 Ohms nominal, 4 3 ohms minimum
Crossover First order bass roll-off
Directly connected mid range drive unit
First order tweeter roll off with user selectable inputs to
adjust sensitivity by 0, 1 or 2 dB
Crossover
frequencies
500Hz / 5kHz / 20kHz
Internal wiring
Multi stranded military specification silver plated copper with teflon jacket
Platted by hand into exact
lengths for each drive unit before being soldered
point to point
Input
connections
Each drive unit has its’ own Rhodium plated terminals In the case of the
tweeter additional terminals are provided to enable precise output levels
Maximum spl
112dB at 1 metre
Power handling
240W peak unclipped programme
Height
1090mm
Width
230mm
Depth
370mm
Internal Volume
43 7 litre
Net Weight
53Kg
Finishes
available
Polymer: Black and Regal Silver
Wood Satin: Nat Cherry, Maple, Oak
Wood Gloss: Birds Eye Maple, Burr Walnut, Red Tulip, Red Birds Eye Maple
Ebonized Walnut, Walnut, White Gloss
(NB: All ACT C60 tops will be in Carbon Fibre)

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Wilson Benesch Ltd
Falcon House
Limestone Cottage Lane
Sheffield
S 1NJ
UK
England Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.wilson-benesch.com

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