Krell MASTER REFERENCE SUBWOOFER - Manuals

1 A Letter from Dan D’Agostino Dear Audio Enthusiast, Thank you for your purchase of the Master Reference Subwoofer. The Master Reference Subwoofer is the result of my ongoing quest for designing reference caliber audio components. I have been designing audio amplifiers for high performance audio sy...

About Krell This section describes the Krell Legacy, Krell’s revolutionary CAST technology, and defines key terms used in this reference. The Krell Legacy “I design every Krell component to set the standard for workmanship, style, and performance.” Dan D’Agostino High-end audio is a demanding pursui...

( SECTION ONE: About Krell continued ) Revolutionary Krell CAST Technology The Master Reference Subwoofer is designed with Current Audio Signal Transmission circuit technology, termed CAST. This circuitry is a revolutionary method of connect- ing analog audio components for unparalleled sonic perfor...

continued 䊳 5 CAST and Krell Current Mode Combined CAST technology combined with Krell Current Mode circuitry take signal transmission to the next evolutionary level. Krell Current Mode is the technology developed to transfer the musical signal within a component, used in Krell components since 1995...

( SECTION ONE: About Krell continued ) Ensuring Maximum Performance The function of the Master Reference Subwoofer is to reproduce, with unprecedented authority and fidelity, the lowest reaches of the audio spectrum, thereby extending the low frequency capabilities of even the finest music and home ...

continued 䊳 7 Active Motion Control is a unique circuit topology developed by Krell specifically for the Master Reference Subwoofer. An instrument grade accelerator, mounted to one of the drivers, relays information about the driver’s position to the Active Motion Control circuit, where it is compar...

( SECTION ONE: About Krell continued ) 8 ( Drivers continued) Two 80 oz. strontium ferrite magnets are affixed to the custom-made, cast magnesium speaker frame. The magnet assembly has been contoured to produce a powerful, focused, magnetic field. A robust, doped (reinforced) paper cone, chosen for ...

continued 䊳 9 Totally Balanced Operation Balanced circuits ensure optimum signal to noise ratios, signal preservation, and accuracy of delivery under every condition; however, the primary benefit of balanced circuitry is loudspeaker control. The Master Reference Subwoofer finesses the low frequency ...

( SECTION ONE: About Krell continued ) continued 䊳 11 Configurations A method of configuring multiple Krell preamplifiers, amplifiers, and associated components and synchronizing their stand-by/ operational modes. Using Krell Link in/out connections and MIDI cables, the remote capabilities of the li...

14 Unpacking and Placement This section describes the procedures for safely unpacking and placing the Master Reference Subwoofer. Unpacking Each Master Reference Subwoofer shipping crate measures 26 in. (66 cm) wide x 32 in. (81.3 cm) high x 35 in. (88.9 cm) deep and contains one Master Reference Su...

15 continued 䊳 In the packing crate you will find: 1 Master Reference Subwoofer In the space underneath the subwoofer, you will find: 1 power cord 1 remote control 2 AAA-size 1.5 volt batteries for the remote control 1 T-10 Torx wrench for the remote control To Remove the Subwoofer from the Packing ...

( SECTION TWO: Unpacking and Placement continued ) 16 Scenario 1: Stereo 1 2 4 3 Scenario 2: Home Theater, Rear Projection 1 4 8 3 6 7 2 5 Scenario 3: Home Theater, Front Projection 1 5 8 2 6 7 4 3 1 Left Loudspeaker2 Right Loudspeaker 3 Master Reference Subwoofer 4 Optimum Listening Position 1 Left...

1 17 Placement Before you install the Master Reference Subwoofer, review the following guidelines to choose the location for the subwoofer. This facilitates a clean, trouble-free installation. Make sure the Master Reference Subwoofer, in addition to other items (amplifiers, other system components, ...

18 SECTION THREE Features This section provides illustrations of the Master Reference Subwoofer front panel, back panel, and remote control, and descriptions of front panel, back panel, and remote control features. Front Panel Description See Figure 2. The Master Reference Subwoofer front panel prov...

continued 䊳 19 1 Power Button Use this button to switch the Master Reference Subwoofer from the stand-by to the operational mode. 2 Power LED The blue power LED illuminates when the Master Reference Subwoofer is in the operational mode and flashes when any remote control key is pressed. 3 Stand-by L...

( SECTION THREE: Features continued ) 20 Figure 3 Power 6 Power Switch 7 AC Input Specification 8 IEC Power Connector Figure 4 Back Panel Remote Connections 9 Krell Link In and Out 10 12 VDC In and Out 11 12 VDC LFE In 12 RC-5 In 13 RS-232 Inputs 14 Left and Right CAST Inputs 15 Left and Right Balan...

( SECTION THREE: Features continued ) Back Panel Description See Figures 3 and 4. The Master Reference Subwoofer back panel provides input and output connections, remote connections, and power. Back panel features and their descriptions follow. Power 6 Power Switch Use this switch to power the Maste...

continued 䊳 23 12 RC-5 In The Master Reference Subwoofer is equipped with an RC-5 input that makes custom installation easy and secure by accepting baseband RC-5 input commands from hardwired remote controllers. The RC-5 input can be used, for example, when the subwoofer’s IR sensor (5) is obscured ...

(Inputs continued) 19 LFE Single-ended Input The Master Reference Subwoofer is equipped with a low frequency effect ( LFE ) single-ended input. This input is connected to a surround preamp/processor, for use with Dolby 5.1 and DTS encoded software. Outputs 20 Left and Right CAST High-pass Outputs Th...

continued 䊳 25 Power 26 Power Key Operation Keys 27 CAST Key 28 Phase Key 29 Preset Key 30 Thtr (Theater) Key 31 Save Key 32 Unit Key 33 All Key 34 Mute Key Filter Selection Keys 35 Section Sub Key 36 Section High Key Menu Keys 37 Menu Key 38 Enter Key Filter Parameter Keys 39 Type Key 40 Slope Key ...

( SECTION THREE: Features continued ) Remote Control Description 26 Battery Installation and Removal The Master Reference Subwoofer control uses two AAA-size 1.5 Volt batteries. Batteries are included with the shipment. To install the batteries: 1. Remove the backplate, using the supplied T-10 Torx ...

continued 䊳 27 Remote Control Functions See Figure 5. The Master Reference Subwoofer remote control provides power, subwoofer functions, and menu and programming options, as well as stand-by and operational mode commands for components connected through Krell Link. Remote control features and their ...

( SECTION THREE: Features continued ) (Operation Keys continued) 32 Unit Keys Use these keys to assign an ID to each component when multiple subwoofers are installed in a configuration. For instructions on assigning an ID, see Optional Configurations , on page 48, for more information . 33 All Key U...

29 Filter Parameter Keys 39 Type Key Use this key to select the filter profile desired. The front panel display (4) shows the current selection. See Step III. Configure the Programmable Electronic Crossover, on page 36, for filter options and instructions. 40 Slope Key Use this key to adjust the slo...

Connections and Configurations See Figures 3 and 4. Overview This page outlines the connections ( Steps I and II ) and configurations ( Steps III through VI ) for the Master Reference Subwoofer. These instructions let you set up your subwoofer for optimum performance. Detailed instructions begin on ...

continued 䊳 31 Connections and Configurations The remote control is the main input device for the Master Reference Subwoofer. All initial setup and subsequent system configuration adjustments must be made through the remote control or via the RS-232 port. For maximum performance, the Master Referenc...

Factory Defaults The Master Reference Subwoofer is shipped with the following default settings. Low- and High-pass Filters Filter BUTTERWORTH Frequency 100 HZ Slope 6 DB / OCT . Level 0 Default Menu Functions Mute ALL LFE OFF Unit ID UNIT 0 CAST CAST NONE LED LED ON AC Mains AC OFF ( SECTION FOUR: C...

continued 䊳 33 3. Connect the cables from the left and right Krell CAST 4-pin inputs (14) on the back panel to the left and right main preamplifier or processor outputs. For bal- anced or single-ended operation, connect the interconnect cables from either the left and right balanced (15) or the sing...

( SECTION FOUR: Connections and Configurations continued ) 34 ( Step II. Connecting the Master Reference Subwoofer to Your System continued ) 7. Plug the AC power cord into the IEC connector on the subwoofer back panel. Plug the other end into the AC outlet. IMPORTANT The CAST and LFE inputs must be...

continued 䊳 35 C. Choosing Stereo, LFE, or Stereo/LFE Your Master Reference Subwoofer can operate in stereo mode, low frequency effect (LFE) mode, or stereo/LFE mode. For optimum subwoofer performance, Krell recommends using the stereo/LFE combination. The connections and configurations described ab...

( SECTION FOUR: Connections and Configurations continued ) 36 Step III. Configure the Programmable Electronic Crossover This section explains how to configure the subwoofer’s two sections, the low-pass (sub) and high-pass filters, by selecting the appropriate filter profile (Butterworth, Bessel, or ...

continued 䊳 37 3. Low-pass Filter Level a. Press the level key (42). b. Use the adjust keys (43) to select the desired level setting (in 1 dB incre- ments). Level range is ± 6 dB. Note See Step IV. Match the High-pass and Low-pass Filter Levels , on page 38, for more information on level matching. D...

( SECTION FOUR: Connections and Configurations continued ) 38 Step IV. Match the High-pass and Low-pass Filter Levels This section explains how, once the programmable electronic crossover has been configured, to match the high-pass and low-pass filter levels using the Master Reference Subwoofer’s bu...

Notes You can switch the low-pass filter on and off using the mute key, to help compare the filter levels. Every time you adjust the level, the front panel display shows the numeric value of the level. After three seconds of inactivity, the screen becomes blank. You have adjusted the high-pass filte...

( SECTION FOUR: Connections and Configurations continued ) 40 C. To End Noise Generation 1. Press the menu key (37) to select the main menu. 2. Press the up adjust key (43) to select NOISEGEN . 3. Press the enter key (38), then press the up adjust key to select NOISE OFF . 4. Press the enter key to ...

41 To save a setting configuration to a preset: 1. Press the save key (31). 2. Press the preset number to which the settings will be assigned. The front panel display (4) shows SAVING then SAVED . Note If you press save then decide you do not wish to save, press the save key again before pressing th...

SECTION FIVE 42 Operation This section explains how to manually power on your system and subwoofer for operation and explains the importance of powering on in the appropriate order. After the subwoofer is connected with your system, you can power on the subwoofer for operation. The order in which yo...

If You Wish to Turn Your System Off: Turn your system off if it will not be used for a long period of time. It is critical that you turn off your system in the following order. 1. Press the power button (1) to return the Master Reference Subwoofer to the stand-by mode. The red stand-by LED illuminat...

44 SECTION SIX Optional Connections This section describes three optional connections for the Master Reference Subwoofer. Krell Link connections (9) allow you to synchronize subwoofer operation with other Krell components that have Krell Link in and out connectors. The RS-232 port (13) allows you to...

continued 䊳 45 3. Connect one end of a MIDI cable to the Krell Link out connector, on the control component back panel. 4. Connect the other end of a MIDI cable to the Krell Link in connector, on the back panel of the next component. 5. To link another component, connect another MIDI cable to the Kr...

continued 䊳 47 SECTION SEVEN Optional Configurations Five optional configurations are available on the Master Reference Subwoofer, to further customize subwoofer operation. Instructions for optional configurations follow. AC Mains Menu This option allows the Master Reference Subwoofer to be powered ...

( SECTION SEVEN: Optional Configurations continued ) 48 Mute Menu This option allows you to customize the mute key to mute all subwoofer outputs or only selected outputs. Also see Step IV. Match the High-pass and Low-pass Filter Levels, on page 38, for more information on mute key configuration. 1. ...

49 Exit Menu This option allows you to exit the menu mode. 1. Press the menu key (37) or use the adjust keys (43) to select the exit menu. The front panel display (4) shows EXIT . 2. Press the enter key (38). You exit the menu mode.

50 Warranty Each Krell Master Reference Subwoofer has a limited warranty of five years for parts and labor on circuitry, for all sections except the loudspeaker driver assemblies. The loudspeaker driver assemblies have a warranty of one year, for defects due to man- ufacture only. Should this produc...

To contact the Krell Service Department TEL 203-799-9954, Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 PM EST FAX 203-799-9796 E-MAIL [email protected] WEBSITE http://www.krellonline.com Return Authorization Procedure If you believe there is a problem with your component, please contact your dealer, distribu...