Wilson Benesch Vertex User manual

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Owners Manual
Wilson Benesch Ltd 

 2011 All Rights Reserved

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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 e viewed towards
the ack of this manual.
For electronic registration please refer to the Wilson Benesch we site 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- enesch.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 eginning of a long relationship. The Geometry Series
loudspeakers are engineered to last a lifetime and are guaranteed for 5 years from the
date of purchase. (This guarantee is offered to the first owner only). The care and
attention offered y the Wilson Benesch dealer network matches the quality systems
that we make. Should you need further advice a out ca les, set-up, upgrades or any
other matters relating to the systems then the dealers are more than a le 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 e required as the speakers are very heavy.
Never attempt to unpack or install the speakers without assistance as this could result in
damage to the product or personal injury.
Please o serve normal procedures for lifting and correct posture when handling the
speakers. Soft fa ric gloves are recommended to prevent damage to the high quality
finish. Also, it is strongly recommended that all watches and jewellery e removed prior
to unpacking. Patient and careful setting up is essential to o taining the maximum
performance from this system.

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Move the speaker while in the packaging to the intended listening position. For further
information on positioning, see the loudspeaker positioning section. Make sure the top
of the ox has een fully opened and the hardware pack has een removed.
The speaker is now ready to e removed from the ox. 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 ag can e slippery, so great care must e taken. Once
oth speakers have een stood up the ags can e removed and the packaging
stored for future use. The packaging is essential for shipping the loudspeaker safely so it
is highly recommended that the packaging is retained.
Wilson Benesch is distri uted y the world’s finest distri utors and dealers, should you
have any pro lems, they will e a le to help and guide you. You may also contact our
customer care department via email at any time.
The Subject of Room coustics
Acoustics is a complex su ject and this text should e treated for what it is, a simple
ut informative guide. For a more in depth understanding you would need to refer to a
whole range of texts on the su ject. The most important outcome of this should e a
greater appreciation of the role played y the room and surroundings on the overall
sound of the audio system. The air contained within the room is the link etween the
output of the loudspeaker and your ear. How air ehaves is dependant upon the
attri utes or character of the room. It follows that a etter understanding of asic
acoustics and what facets cause the most influence in the room will assist in making
decisions a out the way in which the room and su sequently the system can e
improved.
Room types fall etween two extremes. A room can e ‘dead’ on the one hand (full of
highly energy a sor ent materials and complex diffusing structures) or very ‘lively’ on
the other (few reflective surfaces and a high proportion of very reflective, hard, non
a sor ent surfaces). As so often is the case a alance of materials is commonly
prefera le to one extreme or the other. The correct alance 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 road and of acoustic
energy. Complimentary materials that are soft and thick in section such as heavy
natural fi re curtains will tend to a sor a road and of frequencies.

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What are standing waves?
When sound waves reflect etween two parallel surfaces, the distance apart eing
equal to half the wavelength or less, dependant upon wave size, resonance modes
referred to as ‘standing waves’ are created.
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
oosting certain frequencies. If a certain standing wave frequency is acoustically
isolated from its modal neigh ours its effect is more likely to e audi le and
pro lematic. This can compromise the accuracy of any loudspeaker.
Middle & High Frequency Room Characteristics
The middle and high frequencies are affected more y room contents rather than
room shape. The surfaces and how they reflect, a sor or diffuse the acoustic energy
will tend to descri e the ‘sound’ of a room. Like all energy, acoustic energy cannot e
destroyed; it can only e 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
a sor ed.
All rooms have a particular sound, and to appreciate what influences are present in
your particular room you should e aware of how the o jects in your room will respond
to sound.
Sound waves ehave in the same way as light waves or ‘rays’ and so imagine the
driver to e a floodlight.
Reflection: acoustic energy is not converted ut reflected in an orderly, predicta le
fashion.
Diffusion: acoustic energy is dispersed in a random and/or disordered fashion.
A sorption: acoustic energy is converted into kinetic energy or heat. All or a majority of
the sound energy is ‘soaked up’ or disposed of y the o ject surface or room
oundary
Two Channel Loudspeaker Positioning
There are no o jective criteria that can e used to state precisely where loudspeakers
should e positioned. Should any individual or company suggest that there are, they
should e treated with a great deal of caution. In the glo al scenario, our
loudspeakers are driven y unique systems that are selected y the owner ecause of
particular virtues. Every listening room is as individual and unique in character as the
owner. Compound this complex picture with the com ination of different equipment.
Consider the changea ility of rooms; if the room is dressed with heavy curtains simply

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changing the curtains position can alter the whole alance 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 su tle alancing act.
The goal of high performance audio systems is accurate reproduction. The information,
e it in groove or pit format, should e transcri ed, amplified and converted ack into
sound energy without the additional views of the audio equipment designer eing
com ined 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 valua le 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 e 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
ased upon the tests a ove.
Cinema Systems
There is no industry standard for the positioning of speakers for home cinema, ut there
are some facts that should e considered when creating such a dedicated
environment.
The Tactic II drive units are not shielded and should not e placed within one metre of
a cathode ray tu e ased video display. The angle from the screen should ideally e
etween 110° and 130°.
Wilson Benesch loudspeakers use identical drive units and tweeters making it possi le
for a system to e 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 esides.
All Wilson Benesch loudspeakers can e classified as full range systems. Configure the
su woofer for LFE only.

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Bi/Tri mping.
The power that is delivered to your drive units will have a direct effect on the sound of
your loudspeakers. You should select the est that you can afford. Separating the
systems will deliver enefits that can easily e detected. We would recommend using
the same model of amplifier on different drivers.
Bi/Tri Wiring
Improvements can e heard through separating the energy from each filter in the
crossover. Ca les vary in construction ut a good quality ca le should e low in
impedance, inductance and capacitance. Do not use ca les that act as additional
crossover components. Experimentation is crucial in this situation and a ca le that
works well in one situation with a given amplifier may not always perform as well when
one of these varia les is changed.
Terminals
Wilson Benesch recommends the use of 8mm ring or spade connector ca le
terminations. A spanner is provided to tighten up the rhodium plated nuts. Please e
careful to not over tighten the terminals as this could result in damage to the
surrounding materials. The terminals will also except anana plugs.
Spikes
The spikes are supplied installed on the Vertex, so great care should e taken when
handling the speaker. By careful tests you can adjust the speaker oth 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 een
designed to function est for listeners seated in conventional relaxed seating positions.
If required, for other situations such as listeners on higher seating or standing, the
speakers can e tilted ack so as to incline the tweeter.
Magnet Precautions
The motors used in all Wilson Benesch speakers are uilt from the most powerful
magnetic material in the world, Nd.Fe.B. Do not ring any metallic o jects 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 responsi ility for any damage or injury caused to any such systems as a result of
accidental exposure. Extreme care must e taken with all Wilson Benesch Iso aric
speakers as the driver motor is exposed in these systems.

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Running In Time (70 hours)
Like anything of good quality a period of running in tends to see improvements in
performance. The speaker ca inet requires time to settle in to its surroundings. Climatic
and humidity variations will take time to adjust to and until these changes have een
made the speaker will not perform at its est. The drivers require time to ed in
physically and relax materially.
The car on 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 e instantly percepti le. Allow
at least seventy hours of running in efore making any su jective judgements of the
speaker’s performance.
Surface Finish
Car on fi re is a unique material with unusual physical and visual characteristics. We
like to remain truthful a out the fi rous nature of the material as opposed to
concealing or o scuring 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. With a little
care the speakers will look as good in ten years as they do today and will pro a ly
sound even etter.
Other djustments
Under no circumstance should you make any adjustment to the system’s parts. Any
adjustments not descri ed as required y the setting up procedure will nullify all
guarantees.
Should there e 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 pro lem cannot e dealt with y your dealer do not under any circumstances
return the goods to Wilson Benesch without prior agreement with the company.
Magnet Precautions
The motors used in all Wilson Benesch speakers are uilt from the most powerful
magnetic material in the world, Nd.Fe.B. Do not ring any metallic o jects 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 responsi ility for any damage or injury caused to any such systems as a result of
accidental exposure. Extreme care must e taken with all Wilson Benesch Iso aric
speakers as the driver motor is exposed in these systems.

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World Wide Warranty
Wilson Benesch offers a 5 year conditional warranty to the end user. It is done in
colla oration with our distri utors.
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 transfera le.
-That it is limited to the repair of the equipment only.
-That any claim is accompanied y the necessary proof of purchase.
-That cover does not extend to damage caused y faulty or unsuita le ancillary
equipment.
-That the serial num er has not een altered, deleted, removed or made illegi le.
-That the product has not een a used or modified in any way.
-That is was purchased originally from a Wilson Benesch authorised dealer.
If the equipment is eing used in the country of purchase, you should contact the
Wilson Benesch authorised dealer from whom the equipment was purchased.
If the equipment is eing used outside the country of purchase, you should contact the
Wilson Benesch national distri utor in the country of residence who will advise where
the equipment can e serviced. You can call Wilson Benesch in the UK or visit our
we site to get the contact details of your local distri utor. 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 Geometry Series
loudspeakers.

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The Geometry Series
The Geometry Series pays homage to the importance of geometry in all good design.
With the Geometry Series Wilson Benesch applies these principles, with passion, to
Acoustic Engineering.
Whether it is the curves in a musical instrument, a large auditorium or an aircraft,
geometry is the fundamental language of good design. The Greeks, who defined the
rules of geometry, applied their geometric forms to Architecture. Curved
amphitheatres allowed pu lic discussion long efore any loudspeaker.
The Geometry Series aspires to e the evolutionary development of the time tested
Odyssey Series that is now in its tenth year. This collection provides the summation of
many years of considered thought and re-evaluation, encouraged in part, y new
technologies and new manufacturing capa ilities.
Assem led y hand, each high performance material is onded to another high
performance element, resulting in extremely high levels of mutual self damping. The
resulting complex hy rid construction is virtually inaudi le, exhi iting one of the lowest
signal to noise ratios of any loudspeaker in the world, yet is capa le of delivering all the
dynamic energy from the ultra powerful drive units.
The degree of control that can only e found when every single component is
manufactured in house, legislates that matching of oth ca inet and drive unit is
axiomatic. Manufactured on high precision C.N.C tooling and advanced car on fi re
moulding techniques, each hand uilt system, is lovingly assem led y highly trained
experienced technicians, to the highest standards.
The Tactic II mid range drive unit is capa le of remarka le transients that are never
hindered y crossover parts. The control afforded y this design is limited only y the
amplifier. Impedance characteristics are enign, so low power amplifiers can e
driven with aplom . A quintessential design feature of all Wilson Benesch designs has
een the 2.5 way crossover. This ensures seamless integration from the lowest ass to
the highest mid range, with the a solute minimum of phase distortion. Designed to
function in complete harmony the Semisphere Tweeter then takes over.
Free of the noise commonly found in traditional loudspeaker systems, the Geometry
Series Loudspeaker delivers a performance that is well eyond its dimensions, and
completely free of distortions that always exist in conventional technologies.
Immersed in music without distortions, the listener will be drawn into the event like
never before. Only the artist who composed it and the musicians that interpreted it will
be present at the event.

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The Wilson Benesch Tactic II Driver
Thanks in part to our colla oration with Sheffield Hallam University, we have een a le
to draw upon oth the academic expertise, as well as the most advanced analysis
techniques, to develop a new motor system. Each iteration in the design has een
Modelled, prototyped, and then validated in an iterative process of improvement. This
process of optimisation, ensures that every single line of flux is acting in a positive way
and is delivered precisely to the gap. When compared to its predecessor, Tactic II sees
almost 50% more magnetic force from the 10mm thick high quality rare earth magnet.
Coupled with the fully optimised high iron content motor geometry the efficiency has
een elevated y 3dB.
Due in part to superior inductance characteristics and 30% lower mass, the cleverly
designed coil and former, delivers transient response characteristics that significantly
outperform its predecessor. These are a few of the improvements, that when
com ined, take the super qualities of the Tactic to new levels, that are a ove and
eyond what was previously possi le.
The Wilson Benesch Semisphere Tweeter
The Semisphere comes out of one of the longest developments in the company’s
history, dating ack to the first drive unit ten years ago. It has grown slowly out of
everything that we have learned from the est tweeters in the world, including the
remarka le Piezo tweeter sourced from Murata, the Sphere.
The Semisphere takes its starting point from soft dome technologies, where damping
guarantees that the sound will remain clean and nota le, without sounding hard or
tiresome after a short period of listening. In every way the character is oth natural and
convincing.
Transient response characteristics are a solutely outstanding, thanks to the advanced
materials technologies and their extremely low mass, eing almost one third of the
previous tweeter that it supersedes.
The dome is driven y one of the most powerful rare earth motor systems in the world.
Careful attention to air flow, sees venting at oth the side of the coil and rear, allowing
any unwanted energy to pass unhindered into the huge silencing cham er.
The high mass of the system which is olted to the alloy affle ensures that the first
resonance of the structure is close to 6000 Hertz. The tweeter alone weighs over a
Kilogramme, ut when coupled at high pressure to the poly alloy ca inet, the mass is
huge, exerting a level of control over the sound of the tweeter that is eyond
compromise.