Wisdom Sage SCS User manual

Owner’s Manual
Sage SCS
Subwoofer

2
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT
REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING
TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
 Danger Thelightningashwitharrowheadsymbol,withinanequilateral
triangle,isintendedtoalerttheusertothepresenceofuninsulated
“dangerousvoltage”withintheproduct’senclosurethatmaybeof
sufcientmagnitudetoconstituteariskofelectricshocktopersons.
 Important Theexclamationpointwithinanequilateraltriangleisintended
toalerttheusertothepresenceofimportantoperatingand
maintenance(servicing)instructionsintheliteratureaccompanying
thisequipment.
  Markingbythe“CE”symbol(shownleft)indicatescomplianceof
thisdevicewiththeEMC(ElectromagneticCompatibility)andLVD
(LowVoltageDirective)standardsoftheEuropeanCommunity.
Note:Thisequipmenthasbeentestedandfoundtocomplywiththelimitsfor
aClassBdigitaldevice,pursuanttopart15oftheFCCRules.Theselimitsare
designedtoprovidereasonableprotectionagainstharmfulinterferenceina
residentialinstallation.Thisequipmentgenerates,usesandcanradiateradio
frequencyenergyand,ifnotinstalledandusedinaccordancewiththeinstruc-
tions,maycauseharmfulinterferencetoradiocommunications.However,there
isnoguaranteethatinterferencewillnotoccurinaparticularinstallation.If
thisequipmentdoescauseharmfulinterferencetoradioortelevisionrecep-
tion,whichcanbedeterminedbyturningtheequipmentoffandon,theuser
isencouragedtotrytocorrecttheinterferencebyoneormoreofthefollowing
measures:
• Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna
• Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandthereceiver
• Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuitdifferentfrom
thattowhichthereceiverisconnected
• Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianforhelp

3
Important Safety Instructions
Pleasereadallinstructionsandprecautionscarefullyandcompletelybeforeop-
eratingyourWisdomAudioequipment.
Readtheseinstructions.1.
Keeptheseinstructions.2.
Heedallwarnings.3.
Followallinstructions.4.
Donotusethisequipmentnearwater.5.
Cleanonlywithadrycloth.6.
Donotblockanyventilationopenings.Installinaccordancewiththemanu-7.
facturer’sinstructions.
Donotinstallnearanyheatsourcessuchasradiators,heatregisters,stoves,8.
orotherapparatus(includingampliers)thatproduceheat.
Donotdefeatthesafetypurposeofthepolarizedorgrounding-typeplug.A9.
polarizedplughastwobladeswithonewiderthantheother.Agrounding
typeplughastwobladesandathirdgroundingprong.Thewidebladeof
thethirdprongareprovidedforyoursafety.Iftheprovidedplugdoesnot
tintoyoursocket,consultanelectricianforreplacementoftheobsolete
outlet.
Protectthepowercordfrombeingwalkedonorpinchedparticularlyat10.
plugs,conveniencereceptacles,andthepointwheretheyexitfromtheap-
paratus.
Onlyuseattachments/accessoriesspeciedbythemanufacturer.11.
Unplugthisapparatusduringlightningstormsorwhenunusedforlongperi-12.
odsoftime.
Referallservicingtoqualiedpersonnel.Servicingisrequiredwhentheap-13.
paratushasbeendamagedinanyway,suchasapower-supplycordorplug
isdamaged,liquidhasbeenspilledorobjectshavefallenintotheappara-
tus,theapparatushasbeenexposedtorainormoisture,doesnotoperate
normally,orhasbeendropped.
ALWAYSdisconnectyourentiresystemfromtheACmainsbeforeconnect-14.
ingordisconnectinganycables,orwhencleaninganycomponent.
NEVERoperatethisproductwithanycoversremoved.15.
NEVERwettheinsideofthisproductwithanyliquid.16.
NEVERpourorspillliquidsdirectlyontothisunit.17.
NEVERbypassanyfuse.18.
NEVERreplaceanyfusewithavalueortypeotherthanthosespecied.19.
NEVERoperatethisproductinanexplosiveatmosphere.20.
ALWAYSkeepelectricalequipmentoutofthereachofchildren.21.

Table of Contents
Important Safety Instructions .........................................................................3
Introduction....................................................................................................6
Aboutthismanual..................................................................................................6
Pleaseregisteryoursystem ....................................................................................6
Description .....................................................................................................7
RegenerativeTransmissionLine™...........................................................................7
Unpacking the SCS..........................................................................................8
Room Acoustics & Placement..........................................................................9
StartWiththeRoom ..............................................................................................9
Rigid Walls......................................................................................................9
SpeakerPlacement...............................................................................................10
Left & Right Speakers ....................................................................................10
Center Channel.............................................................................................10
RemoteSetupviaModem....................................................................................10
Surround Speakers ........................................................................................11
SubwooferPlacement ..........................................................................................11
RoomTreatment ..................................................................................................12
ProfessionalAcousticDesign ...............................................................................12
References ...........................................................................................................12
Rear Panel.....................................................................................................14
Remote turn-on tip polarity...........................................................................17
Setting Up the SCS ........................................................................................18
UsingtheWisdomAudioSC-1.............................................................................18
UsingaSurroundProcessor .................................................................................18
UsingaStereoPreamplier..................................................................................18
North American Warranty ............................................................................20
FiveYearWarranty...............................................................................................20
Obtaining Service .........................................................................................21
Specications................................................................................................22
SCS Dimensions ............................................................................................23
Notes.............................................................................................................24

6
Introduction
CongratulationsonpurchasingyourWisdomAudioSCSsubwoofer.TheRegen-
erativeTransmissionLine™technologyusedintheSCSdeliverstremendousbass
performanceintermsofdepth,dynamics,andlowdistortionresultinginarticu-
latebassthatintegratesseamlesslywithhigh-resolutionmainspeakerssuchas
WisdomAudio’sSageSeries.
About this manual ThismanualfocusesontheSCSsubwooferitself.Whileweexpectyourlocal
WisdomAudiodealertotakecareofthesetupandcalibrationofthesystem,
westillrecommendthatyouatleastbrieyreviewthisandtheotherWisdom
Audiomanualsrelevanttoyoursystem(SC-1,SA-seriesampliers,otherSage
speakers)tounderstandthesystem’sfullcapabilities.
Please register your system Toregisteryourwarranty,pleasecompletetheformatthefollowingaddresson
the internet:
http://www.wisdomaudio.com/registration/
Doingsowillensurethattherewillbenodelaysshouldyoueverrequirewar-
rantyservice.Ifaccessingtheinternetisinconvenient,youcansendacopyof
thesalesreceipt(showingyourname,addressandtheproductspurchased)to
theaddressshownintheNorthAmericanWarrantysectionofthismanual.
WisdomAudiodoesnotandwillnotevershareitsmailinglistwithothercom-
panies.Nordoweexpecttocontactyoufrequently,sinceyouarebuyinga
productthatshouldlastalifetime.However,wewouldliketobeinapositionto
contactyoushouldasoftwareupdatebecomeavailableforthesystemcontrol-
ler(asanexample).
Lastly,pleasekeepyoursalesreceiptinasafeandeasilyfoundplace.Ifyoudo
notregisteryourpurchasewiththecompany,itisyouronlyproofofwarranty.

7
Description
YourSageSCSsubwooferusesamodernimplementationofanoldideaforhigh
quality,lowdistortionbassreproduction.WhiletherootsoftheRegenerative
TransmissionLine™gobacktothe1950’s,itisthecombinationofmoderncom-
putermodelingandthevastlymorepowerfulmotorsofcontemporarydriver
designthatmaketheRTL™sospecial.
Regenerative
Transmission Line™
Thereisaclassofbassenclosuresthathas
beenaroundsincethe1950’s,whichcan
bedescribedgenericallyas“lowfrequency
tappedwaveguides”or“tappedpipes.”Itwas
anideathatwasabitaheadofitstimethen,
sincefullyoptimizingitsuserequiredboth
powerfuldriversandcomputermodeling.
Butifyouareintosuchthings,checkoutUS
Patent2,765,864(ledin1955),andanAESpaperpublishedin1959,“Analysis
of a Low Frequency Loudspeaker System.”Wehavepublishedbothonourweb-
siteforyourconvenience,at
http://www.wisdomaudio.com/support_documents.php
Wehaveutilizedsophisticatedmodelingsoftwareinordertofullyoptimizeour
enclosures,andhavedevelopeddriversthatarespecicallyoptimizedforthis
application.Wecallouruniqueimplementationofthisrelativelyoldideaa“Re-
generativeTransmissionLine™”subwoofer,or“RTL”subforshort.
Alldynamicdriversdevelopenergyonbothsidesofthediaphragm,withthe
rearenergybeing180°outofphasewiththefrontenergy.Ifyouallowthe
drivertooperateinfreespace(noenclosure),thefrontandrearenergieslargely
canceleachotherout—especiallyatlowfrequencies.
InourRegenerativeTransmissionLine™subwoofer,theenergyfromtheback
sideofthedriverissentalongalong,foldedpathinsuchawaythatitslowest
frequenciesarrivebackatthefrontsideofthedriverinphase,effectivelysum-
mingtoanincreaseof6dBinoutput.Thus,theenergyfrombothsidesofthe
wooferconeisusedinaproductiveway,resultinginasubstantialreductionin
distortionandaneffectivesurfaceareathatistwicewhatyouwouldotherwise
expect.Asanexample,theeffectiveradiatingsurfaceareaintheSCSisroughly
equivalenttoa13”diameterroundwoofer,yettheenclosureisonlyabout7”
wide.
Theresultsarequitestunning.Lowfrequenciesarestrikinglydynamicandre-
sponsive,andintegratequiteseamlesslywiththefastanddetailedSageSeries
planarmagnetichybrids.Asanexample,theSCSiseasilyhiddenbehindasofa,
orwithinasetofrisersinadedicatedhometheater,yetisonly–3dBat20Hz
andcanoutputinexcessof120dBat22Hz(measuredatitsoutputportto
minimizetheroom’seffectsonthemeasurement).

8
Unpacking the SCS
TheWisdomAudioSageSCSsubwooferisasubstantialpieceofequipment.
PleaseexercisecautionwhenunpackingyourSCStoensurethatyoudonot
strainyourselffromits(perhapsunexpected)weight.
 Caution! DonotattempttoliftyourSCSbyyourself.Unpackingthis
subwooferiseasyfortwopeople,butitisunwiseforasingleperson
toattemptdoingso.
DonotattempttoliftyourSCSwhilebendingortwistingfromthe
waist.Useyourlegsforlifting,notyourback.
AlwaysstandasstraightaspossibleandkeeptheSCSclosetoyour
bodytoreducestrainonyourback.
TheSCSisfullyassembledondelivery,andpresetfor230Voperation.Ifyour
ACmainsserviceis115/120V(asisthecaseinNorthAmerica),slidethevoltage
selectionswitchto“115”priortoplugginginthepowercord.Seepage17:“AC
Mains Voltage Selector”.

9
Room Acoustics & Placement
WisdomAudiobelievesinimplementingroomequalizationtoachieveahigher
levelofrealismanddelity.Assumeforamomentthatyouhada“perfect”
loudspeaker:assoonasyouplaceitinyourroom,itsperfectionisgone.Infact,
evengoodroomsoftenintroducedeviationsof20dBtotheresponseofthe
system.Thisisparticularlytrueinthebottomtwooctaves,whereasubwoofer
operates.
Itseemsstrangetoustoworryabouttenths-of-a-decibeldifferencesbetween
onecomponentandanotherwhenthereare10-20dBproblemsrighttherein
theroomwithyou.
Atthesametime,roomequalizationisnotapanacea.Itdoesnotsolveallprob-
lems.Infact,andsomewhatparadoxically,EQworksbestwhenithastheleast
todo.Itisbestusedasthe“nishingtouch”onanotherwisegoodsystem.Un-
fortunately,mostpeopledonotunderstandthatthemostimportantcomponent
intheirsystemistheirlisteningroom.
Thismanualdoesnothavethespaceforafulldescriptionofeverythingthat
goesintocreatingexcellentroomacoustics;doingsowouldrequireatextbook
ofseveralhundredpages.Instead,wewillgiveyousomeideas,andsomerefer-
encestopursueshouldyouwanttolearnmore.
Start With the Room Therearemanymythsoatingaroundpertainingtowhata“goodroom”should
belike.Oneofthemostcommonisthatitshouldhavenon-parallelwalls.With-
outgoingintothedetails,werecommendstayingwithrectangularroomswhose
dimensionsdonotsharecommondivisors.
Thusaroomwithdimensionsof8’by16’by20’wouldbequitepoor(sincethe
dimensionsarealldivisiblebyalengthof4’,and16isalsoamultipleof8).By
contrast,aroomwhosedimensionsare9’by16’by29’wouldbemuchbetter,
sincenoneofthedimensionsaremathematicallyrelatedtooneanother.
Thereareinnitevariationsonthisidea.Ifyouhavetheexibilitytochoose(or
modify)yourroomdimensionstoavoidsuchproblems,doso.Eitherway,our
roomcorrectionwillbeabighelp.
Rigid Walls Anothermyththatshouldbedispelledisthenotionthatthewalls(andceiling
andoor)oftheroomshouldbeextremelyrigidinordertoreproducegood
bass.Rigid,inexiblewallsreectenergyextremelywell;thusyouwillkeep
moreofthebassenergyintheroom.Thismuchistrue.However,thoserigid
wallswillonlyincreasetheamplitudeofthestandingwavesthatyourroom
naturallysupports.Insimpleterms,youwillhavemorebass,butitwillalsobe
more irregular,withlargerpeaksandvalleysintheresponse.
Wallsthatexabit(butdonotrattle)aremuchbetter.Coincidentally,tradition-
alAmericanresidentialconstructionstandards(sheetrockonwoodenstuds)are
notabadplacetostart.Youcandobetterstillwithprofessionalhelp,butstuds
andsheetrockarebetterthanpouredconcrete.(Ifyourlisteningroomisinthe
basement,afalsewallcaneasilybebuiltinfrontoftheconcrete.Youprobably
needsomethinglikethisforinsulationandaestheticsanyway.)

10
Theultimateindedicatedlisteningroomconstructioninvolvesthedesignand
constructionofoatingwalls,ceilingandoor.Thisapproachyieldstheadded
benet(whendoneproperly)ofprovidingoutstandingacousticisolationfrom
adjacentspacesaswellassuperbbassreproduction.Thisapproachgoeswell
beyondthescopeofanowner’smanual;ifyouareinterested,youshouldcon-
tactaprofessionalacousticianwhohasspecializedinthissortofdomesticroom
design.
Speaker Placement Withintheroomitself,placementofthespeakersandthelistenerwillhavea
profoundeffectontheperformanceofthesystem,particularlybelow300Hz
orso.Thereisno“perfect”positionthatwillsolveallproblems,butndingthe
bestcompromisewillmakeiteasiertosolvetheremainingproblemswiththe
SC-1.
YourWisdomAudiodealercanhelpyouwithoptimizingyourspeakerplace-
ment,whichisneverquiteassimpleasitseemsitshouldbe.Thecharacteristics
youshouldlistenforareseveral:
Left & Right Speakers Goal #1: Stable, 3-dimensional stereo imaging
Thisusuallyrequiresreasonablesymmetrywithintheroom,andabitofspace
betweenthespeakersandadjacentsidewalls(tominimizetheadverseeffects
ofearlyrstreections).Mono(correlated)pinknoisecanhelphere,thoughit
doesnotreplacelisteningtomusic.Withpinknoiseplayinginbothspeakers,
youshouldhearatightly-denedlittle“ball”ofpinknoiseoatinginspaceex-
actlyhalfwaybetweenthespeakers.
Goal #2: Smooth, consistent bass
Oft-citedrulesofthumbforsmootherbassreproductionincludeboth“placing
thespeakersatdifferentdistancesfromthesidewallsvs.thewallbehindthem,”
and“placingthemat‘oddfractions’oftheroom’sdimensions”(e.g.,fractions
inwhichthedenominatorisanoddnumber,like1⁄3, 2⁄5, 2⁄7,etc.).Butnothing
replacesyourexperienceinyourroom,combinedwithyourdealer’sexperi-
enceinavarietyofrooms.Playingpinknoisethroughthewoofersectionsof
yourWisdomAudiospeakers(withthemicrophoneatthelisteningposition,and
priortodoinganyequalization)andwatchingtheresultsonaRealTimeAna-
lyzer(RTA)willletyouseetheresultsofyourlabors.
Center Channel Center channel height
Onceyouhaveasolidstereoimageupfront(whenlisteningonlytotheLeftand
theRightspeakers),youneedacenterchannelspeakerformultichannelrepro-
duction.ItshouldbecenteredbetweentheLeftandRight,andcenteredonthe
screen’slocation,preferablyatthesameheightastheLeftandRightspeakers.
Thispresentsanobviousproblem:youcannotplaceaspeakerinfrontofyour
televisionscreen.
Ideally,acenterchannelspeakerwouldbebehindanacousticallytransparent
frontprojectionscreenandwouldmatchtheLeftandRightspeakers.Doingso
wouldensurethebestpossibleconsistencyoftonalbalance,imageheight,and
dynamiccapabilitiesforthecriticalcenterchannel.
Failinganacousticallytransparentscreenoraphantomcenterchannelap-
proach,theimportantthingistomatchthetonalanddynamiccapabilitiesofthe
LeftandRightspeakerswhileminimizingthechangeinimageheightasasound
ispannedacrossthefrontstage.

11
Surround Speakers Surround channel geometry
Ina5.xchannelsystem,thesurroundshouldbeplacedeitherdirectlytothe
sidesoforslightlybehindthelisteningarea(90°–110°fromthecenterchannel,
asseenfromabove).Ina7.xsystem,thesurroundspeakersshouldbecloserto
90°fromthecenterspeaker,andthesurroundbackspeakersshouldbeatap-
proximately135°–150°fromthecenterspeaker.Thisconformstoindustrystan-
dards,andensuresthatyouhearwhatwasintendedfromaspatialplacement
pointofview.(Toooften,thesurroundspeakersareallbehindthelisteners,cre-
atingabig“hole”inthesoundeldbetweenthefrontandtheback.)
LR
C
Sub 1
Sub 2
LsRs
Rb Lb
22°
30°
90°
110°
135°
150°
0°
a 7.2 channel system layout
Onepossibleexceptiontotheseguidelines:ifyouhaveaTHX®-certiedpro-
cessorandareusingtheTHXAdvancedSpeakerArray™circuitry,youshould
followtheguidelinesinyourowner’smanualfortheprocessor.Usingthis
technology,itcanactuallybemoreeffectivetohavetherearspeakersina7.x
systemdirectlybehindyouandimmediatelyadjacenttoeachother.
Subwoofer Placement Subwoofersoffersomewhatgreaterexibilityinplacement,sincethefrequen-
ciestheyreproducearenotreadilylocalizablebythehumanear.Thisisdueto
thefactthatthewavelengthstheyreproducearemorethantenfeet(3meters)
long,butourearsarelocatedonlyabout6-7inches(17cm)apart.Thusthese
extremelylongwavesdonotcontributemeaningfullytotheimagingthatthe
mainspeakerscreate.
However,thisfactdoesnotmeanthattheplacementofthesubwoofershasno
effectonthesoundqualityintheroom.Farfromit.Thesubwoofersarethe
mostlikelytosufferfromtheresponseirregularitiesintroducedbytheroom
itself,operatingastheydobelowapproximately80Hzinmostsystems.
Recentresearchintothebehaviorofroomsasafunctionofspeakerplacement
hasconcludedthat—ifyouhavethefreedomtodoso—therearesignicant
advantagestoplacingseveralsmallersubwoofersaroundtheroom,ratherthan
relyingonasinglelargewoofer.Moreover,theoptimumplacementisusually
centeredoneachofthefourwalls,ordeepinthecornersoftheroom.Ifyou
havetheluxuryofdoingso,thissimpleplacementstrategycanreducethesize
oftheroom’sresponseirregularitiesfrom20decibelsdowntoperhapsaslittle
as6-8decibels—atremendousimprovement.

12
Reducingtheroom’sinherentproblemstothisdegreeprovidesahugeadvan-
tage.ItallowstheSC-1SystemControllertoputitsconsiderableabilitiestowork
onperfectingyoursystem’sresponse,ratherthanontryingtoperformmajor
correctivesurgery.
Room Treatment Rectangularroomshavesixreectingsurfaces(fourwalls,ceilingandoor)
thatreectsoundtothelistener,aftervariousdelaysintroducedbytheindirect
routesthesoundstakeontheirwaytothelistener.Theserstreectionsare
particularlydamagingtosoundquality.Lookingatthesimplestcaseofstereo
reproduction,youhaveaminimumoftwelverstreectionpointsinyourroom
thatdeservesomeattention.
Unfortunately,itisoftendifculttodomuchabouttheceilingandoorreec-
tions,eventhoughtheyarearguablythemostdestructive.(Theminimizationof
thesereectionsisoneofthestrongestargumentsforthetall,linesourceloud-
speakersthatWisdomAudiobuilds.)Thisleavesyouwitheight“rstreections”
thatyoushouldconsiderminimizingsomehow.Thesepointsareeasilyfoundby
havinganassistantslideasmallmirroralongthefourwallsoftheroom,while
yousitatthelisteningposition.Anyplaceonthewallwhereyoucanseeare-
ectionofanyspeakerisarstreectionpoint.Concentrateontherstreec-
tionsfortheLeftandRightspeakersrst.
Ifyoucan,arrangetoapplyeitherabsorptionordiffusionattheseeightpoints
(don’tforgetthewallbehindyou).Absorptioncanbeassimpleasheavy,insu-
lateddrapes;diffusioncanbeprovidedbyawell-stockedbookcasewithbooks
ofvariedsizes.Alternatively,youcanbuypurpose-designedroomtreatments
(somesourceslistedunderReferences,below).
Theimportantthingstorememberarethese:agoodroomshouldhaveabal-
anceofabsorptionanddiffusion;andifyouaregoingtotreatonlyafewareas
oftheroom,therstreectionpointsarethemostimportantonestotreat.
Professional Acoustic Design Doesthisallsoundtoocomplicated?Forgoodreason:itiscomplicated.
Thedifferencebetweentheaveragelisteningroomandonethatisprofessionally
designedandimplementedishuge.Agreatlisteningroomwilldisappeartoan
astonishingdegree,lettingtheexperiencescapturedinyourrecordingsspeakto
youdirectly.Awell-designedroomisalsoquieterandmorecomfortable.Itcan
easilybecomeafavoriteretreatforpeaceandrejuvenation.
Ifyoudecidetoinvestigatethepossibilityofimprovingyourroomwiththehelp
ofaprofessional,itisimportanttondsomeonewhofocusesonresidential
spaces.Mostacousticiansaretrainedtodealwithlargespaces—airports,au-
ditoriums,lobbiesincommercialbuildings,etc.Theproblemsseenin“small”
rooms(residentialspaces)arequitedifferent,andoutsidetheexperienceofmost
acousticians.Findsomeonewhospecializesinandhasagreatdealofexperi-
encedesigninghomestudios,hometheaters,andthelike.YourWisdomAudio
dealermaybesuchaperson;failingthat,he/shecanhelpyoundsuchapro-
fessional.
References Books on Acoustics:
The Master Handbook of Acoustics,F.AltonEverest,TABBooks
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and
RoomsbyDr.FloydToole,FocalPress

13
Suppliers of Acoustic Treatments:
AcousticInnovations,http://www.acousticinnovations.com/
AcousticSciencesCorporation,http://www.acousticsciences.com/
EchoBusters,http://www.echobusters.com
MSRAcoustics,http://www.msr-inc.com/home_theater/hometheater.html
RPGDiffusorSystems,http://www.rpginc.com/

14
Rear Panel
 Danger! Potentiallydangerousvoltagesandcurrentcapabilitiesexistwithin
yourSCSsubwoofer.Donotattempttoopenanyportionofthe
SCS’scabinet.Therearenouser-serviceablepartsinsideyourSCS.
AllserviceofthisproductmustbereferredtoaqualiedWisdom
Audiodealerordistributor.
1. Output Level Control
WhenusingtheLeftandRightinputs,thisush-mountedcontroladjusts
thevolumeoftheSCSoverawiderange.Useittoestablishavolumefor
theSCSthatmatchesthevolumeofthemainspeakers.
ThiscontrolisbypassedwhenusingtheSSP/Directinput,sincethe
volumecontrolfunctionishandledbythesurroundsoundprocessor.
2. Polarity Switch
UsethisslidingswitchtoinvertthepolarityoftheSCSasneededto
integrateproperlywithyourmainspeakers.t

15
 Caution! Alwaysturnoffthemainpowerandwaitafewsecondsforthe
powersupplytodischargebeforechangingthepositionofthe
polarityswitch.
Ifyouareindoubtastowhichposition(0°or180°)isthecorrectonefor
yoursystem,playsomematerialwithsignicantenergyatandaround
yourchosencrossoverfrequency.Pinknoisewillalsowork.Thenlistento
thesystemwithboththeSCSandthemainspeakersplaying.Theposition
withmoreenergyatthechosencrossoverregion(e.g.,thepositionthat
soundslouderormore“full”)isthecorrectposition.
3. Balanced (XLR) Inputs
ThreeXLRinputconnectorsareprovided,asfollows:
SSP/Direct• :forusewithasurroundsoundprocessor/preamplier.This
inputbypassesboththeinternalcrossoverandlevelcontrolofthe
SCS,sincebothofthesefunctionsarehandledbytheSSP.
Left & Right• :foruseinsystemsthatlackanybassmanagement(as
wouldbeprovidedbyasurroundprocessor).Forexample,youcan
runtheLeftandRightoutputsofatraditionalstereopreamplierinto
theseinputs,andthensetthecrossoverfrequencyandsubwoofer
levelontheSCSitself.Ifyourpreamplierdoesnothavemultiple
outputs,useaY-adaptertosendthesamefull-rangesignaltoboththe
SCSandthepoweramplierforthemainspeakers.
Balancedinterconnectsarelesssusceptibletopickingupnoisethanare
single-endedinterconnects.Assuch,ifyoursystemgivesyouthechoice
ofusingeitherbalancedorsingle-endedconnections,thebalanced(XLR)
connectionsarepreferred.
4. Single-Ended (RCA) Inputs
ThreeRCAinputconnectorsareprovided,asfollows:
SSP/Direct• :forusewithasurroundsoundprocessor/preamplier.This
inputbypassesboththeinternalcrossoverandlevelcontrolofthe
SCS,sincebothofthesefunctionsarehandledbytheSSP.
Left & Right• :foruseinsystemsthatlackanybassmanagement(as
wouldbeprovidedbyasurroundprocessor).Forexample,youcan
runtheLeftandRightoutputsofatraditionalstereopreamplierinto
theseinputs,andthensetthecrossoverfrequencyandsubwoofer
levelontheSCSitself.Ifyourpreamplierdoesnothavemultiple
outputs,useaY-adaptertosendthesamefull-rangesignaltoboththe
SCSandthepoweramplierforthemainspeakers.
5. Crossover Frequency Control
WhenusingtheLeftandRightinputs,thisush-mountedcontroladjusts
thecrossoverfrequencyofthelowpasslterintheSCSbetween50-80
Hz.UseittoestablishasmoothtransitionfromtheSCStoyourmain
speakers.

16
ThiscontrolisbypassedwhenusingtheSSP/Directinput,sincethecross-
overfunctionishandledbythesurroundsoundprocessor.
6. Power Switch
An AC mains switch islocatedabovethepowercordontherearpanel
oftheSCS.ThisswitchmaybeusedtodisconnecttheunitfromtheAC
mainswithouthavingtoactuallyunplugtheSCSfromthewalloutlet.
Ifyouplantobeawayforanextendedperiod,orhaveanyotherreason
toturntheSCScompletelyoff,youmayeitherunplugtheSCSoryoumay
usetheAC mains switch.
 Important! Aswithallyourelectronics,wesuggestyoucompletelydisconnect
theSCSfromtheACmainsduringsevereelectricalstorms.
7. AC Mains Input
A15-ampereIECstandardpowercordisusedwiththeSCS.Ahighquality
15-ampereACmainscordisincludedwiththeproduct,althoughtheuse
ofthestandardizedIECreceptaclemeansthatyoumayeasilysubstitute
anotherhighqualityACmainscordifyouwish.
 Warning! YournewWisdomAudioSCShasbeensafety-testedandisdesigned
foroperationwithathree-conductorpowercord.Donotdefeatthe
“thirdpin”orearthgroundoftheACpowercord.
WerecommendthatcarebetakentoensurethatallACplugsforthe
equipmentinthesystembewiredsoastoensureproperACpolarity.
Doingsowillminimizenoiseinthesystem.
IntheU.S.,asimpleACmainstester(foundatanyhardwarestore)can
testtoensurethatyourelectricaloutletsarewiredproperly.Elsewherein
theworld(forexample,inEuropeanUnioncountries),theACmainsplugs
themselvesarenotalwayspolarized.Yourdealercantestfortheproper
orientationoftheplugintheoutlet.Insuchacase,itisgoodpracticeto
markbothplugandoutlettoensurethatallproductsremainintheproper
orientationshoulditbecomenecessarytotemporarilydisconnectthe
system(asforexample,duringanelectricalstorm).
8. Standby/Operate Indicator
ThisLEDindicatorglowsgreenwhentheSCShaspowerandisinOperate
mode.IftheSCSisplacedintoStandbybymeansoftheDCTrigger,the
outputwillbemutedandthisLEDwillglowred.
IfthisLEDisnotlitatall,nopowerisreachingtheSCS.Checkthepower
switch,thepowercord,andthecircuitintowhichtheSCSisplugged.
9. DC Trigger Input
This12vtriggerinputprovidescompatibilitywithawiderangeofprod-
uctstofacilitateremoteturn-onandturn-offinsystems.These1⁄8”(3.5

17
mm)“mini-jacks”allowothercomponentstobringtheSCSinandoutof
standby.
Theremotetriggerinputwillbeoperatedbyanypositive-polarityDC
signalbetween3–20volts(onlyafewmilliampsarerequired),withtippo-
larityasshownbelow:
Remote turn-on
tip polarity
+–
InputSignal:3-20volts@lessthan10mA
OutputSignal:12volts@100mA
IfnoplugisinsertedintheDCTriggerinput,theSCSwillremaininthe
Operatemodeunlessturnedoffbythepowerswitch.Insertingeithera
“dummy”plugoratriggerthathas0VonitwillplacetheSCSintoStand-
by;itwillreturntoOperatewhenthevoltageontheplugreachesthe
3-20Vrange,orwhentheplugisremoved.
YourWisdomAudiodealercanhelpyoutakeadvantageofthesedesign
featurestomaximizeyoursystem’sconvenienceandversatility.
10. AC Mains Voltage Selector
ThisswitchrecongurestheSCSforeither115Vor230Voperation.
 Warning! NEVERchangethepositionofthisswitchwhiletheSCSisconnected
toACmainspower.
IfyouneedtochangetheoperatingvoltagefortheSCS,disconnectit
completelyfromtheACmains,andwaitforafewsecondsforitspower
supplytodischarge.Thenslidetheswitchallthewaytotheotherposition.
OnlythenshouldyoureconnecttheACmains.

18
Setting Up the SCS
TheunusualformfactoroftheSCSallowsittobeusedeffectivelyinmanysitu-
ationswhereamoreconventional“basscube”wouldbeeithercumbersome
orimpossible.Examplesincludelocatingitbehindacouch,inthesmallspace
betweenthecouchandthewall,orlayingatunderasetofrisersinahome
theaterwithmultiplerowsofseating.
TheSCSalsoincludesthreelocationsfortheexitoftheRegenerativeTransmis-
sionLine™.Asshippedfromthefactory,theventislocatedontheendofthe
SCSenclosure.However,ifyourlocationwouldbebetterservedbythevent
beingononesideortheother,yourdealercaneasilyswapthegrilleforthe
solidaluminumplatethatcoversthedesiredexitlocation.Thereisnodifference
inperformance,butoftenagreatdifferenceinapplicationexibility.
Using the Wisdom Audio SC-1 WhenusingtheSCSwiththeSC-1SystemController,connecttheappropri-
ateSubOutputoftheSC-1tothebalancedSSP/DirectinputoftheSCS.Then
calibratethesystemasusual,usingWisdomSystemCongurationandAudyssey
MultEQPro.
Using a Surround Processor WhenusingtheSCSinamultichannelsystemwithasurroundpreamp/proces-
sor,connecttheappropriateSuboutputfromtheSSPtotheSSP/Directinput.
Calibratethesystemasyounormallywould,followingthedirectionsprovided
bytheowners’manualforthesurroundprocessor.Theinternalcrossoverand
levelcontrolsoftheSCSarebypassedwhenusingthisinput,soyoursurround
processorhascompletecontroloverwhatthesubwooferisgiventodo.
UsingaStereoPreamplier ThesomewhattrickysetupiswhenyouusetheSCS(oranysubwoofer,forthat
matter)withatraditionalstereopreamplierthatlacksanyofthebassmanage-
mentcapabilitiesfoundinsurroundprocessors.
Asareminder,youshouldrunboththeLeftandRightchannel,full-rangesig-
nalstotheSCS,usingtheLeftandRightinputs,respectively.Thiscanbeac-
complishedeitherbyusingasecondsetofoutputsfromyourpreamplier,or
byusingapairofY-adapterstospliteachchannelintotwoidenticalcopies(the
otherofwhichgoestothemainamplierforyourregularspeakers).
Optimizingthesysteminsuchcasesinvolvesabitoftrialanderror,butitisusu-
allyafairlyinterestingandpleasantexperience.Thegoalistoachieveasmooth
transitionfromtheSCStoyourmainspeakersthatisseamless.
IfyouhaveahighresolutionRTA(realtimeanalyzer)andsomepinknoise,you
can“roughin”thesettingsfairlyquickly.Butevenso,youwillwanttodothe
naladjustmentbyear,usingmusicasyourguide.
Findsomemusicthathasconsistentenergyinthe40-80Hzoctave.(Anacous-
ticrecordingofasolouprightbassplayerworkswell).Then:

19
1. Turn both the Crossover Frequency and Output Level controls all the
way down.
ThiswillreducetheaudiblecontributionoftheSCStothepointofbeing
negligible.
2. While playing your 40-80 Hz music, slowly raise the Output Level
control until the bass seems just a bit too prominent, then back it off
slightly.
ThegoalhereistoroughlymatchtheoverallleveloftheSCStotheoverall
levelofyourmainspeakers.Youprobablywon’tgetitjustrightontherst
try;youjustneedtogetitclose.
3. Next, slowly raise the crossover frequency until the midbass begins to
sound a bit “thick.” Lower the crossover frequency just until the “thick”
quality goes away.
The“thickness”youhearisanindicationthattheSCSandyourmain
speakersarebeginningtooverlap,creatinganexcessofenergyinthe
overlapregion.Backitoffuntilthetransitionfromonetotheotherisdone
moresmoothly.
4. ReturntotheOutputLevelcontrol,andne-tunethevolumeoftheSCS
nowthatthetransitiontothemainspeakersisbetter-dened.
Youmayndyouneedtogobackandforthbetweenthesetwoadjust-
mentsacoupletimes,sinceitisaniterativeadjustmentbyitsnature.
Whenproperlyadjustedandlisteningtomusic,youshouldnotbeawarethat
theSCSisactiveinthesystem(untilyouturnitoffandrealizehowmuchithas
beencontributing).TheproperlevelsettingwillallowtheSCStointegratequite
seamlesslyintoahighqualitysystem.

20
North American Warranty
Five Year Warranty WhenpurchasedfromandinstalledbyanauthorizedWisdomAudiodealer,
WisdomAudio®loudspeakersarewarrantedtobefreefromdefectsinmaterial
andworkmanshipundernormaluseforaperiodofveyearsfromtheoriginal
dateofpurchase.
Duringthewarrantyperiod,anyWisdomAudioloudspeakerexhibitingdefects
inmaterialsand/orworkmanshipwillberepairedorreplaced,atouroption,
withoutchargeforeitherpartsorlabor,atourfactory.Thewarrantywillnot
applytoanyWisdomAudioloudspeakerthathasbeenmisused,abused,al-
tered,orinstalledandcalibratedbyanyoneotherthananauthorizedWisdom
Audiodealer.
AnyWisdomAudioloudspeakernotperformingsatisfactorilymaybereturned
tothefactoryforevaluation.Returnauthorizationmustrstbeobtainedby
eithercallingorwritingthefactorypriortoshippingthecomponent.Thefac-
torywillpayforreturnshippingchargesonlyintheeventthattheloudspeakeris
foundtobedefectiveasmentionedabove.Thereareotherstipulationsthatmay
applytoshippingcharges.
Thereisnootherexpresswarrantyonthisloudspeaker.Neitherthiswarranty
noranyotherwarranty,expressorimplied,includinganyimpliedwarrantiesof
merchantabilityortness,shallextendbeyondthewarrantyperiod.Norespon-
sibilityisassumedforanyincidentalorconsequentialdamages.Somestatesdo
notallowlimitationsonhowlonganimpliedwarrantylastsandotherstatesdo
notallowtheexclusionorlimitationofincidentalorconsequentialdamages,so
theabovelimitationorexclusionmaynotapplytoyou.
Thiswarrantygivesyouspeciclegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrights
whichvaryfromstatetostate.ThiswarrantyisapplicableinNorthAmerica
only.OutsideofNorthAmerica,pleasecontactyourlocal,authorizedWisdom
Audiodistributorforwarrantyandserviceinformation.
Toregisteryourwarranty,pleasecompletetheformatthefollowingaddresson
the internet:
http://www.wisdomaudio.com/registration/
Doingsowillensurethattherewillbenodelaysshouldyoueverrequirewar-
rantyservice.
Ifaccessingtheinternetisinconvenient,youcansendacopyofthesalesre-
ceipt(showingyourname,addressandtheproductspurchased)to:
WisdomAudio
1572CollegeParkway,Suite164
CarsonCity,NV89706
Formoreinformation:
www.wisdomaudio.com
[e-mail]
Ph:775.887.8850
Fax:775.887.8820