WISDOM Sage C38m Bi Amplified On Wall Coaxial Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker Owner’s Manual
- June 13, 2024
- WISDOM
Table of Contents
- WISDOM Sage C38m Bi Amplified On Wall Coaxial Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
- Product Usage Instructions
- Introduction
- Overview
- Mounting the C38m on the Wall
- Making the C38m Connections
- Care & Maintenance
- North American Warranty
- Specifications
- References
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
WISDOM Sage C38m Bi Amplified On Wall Coaxial Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
Product Information:
The Sage C38m is a bi-amplified on-wall coaxial planar magnetic loudspeaker. It incorporates unique design features and advanced technologies to provide exceptional performance and durability. The loudspeaker utilizes planar magnetic drivers with thin film membranes that respond instantly to the smallest details in the audio signal. These drivers have significantly less inertia compared to traditional cone and dome drivers, resulting in clear and accurate sound reproduction.
One of the standout features of the Sage C38m is its lack of thermal or dynamic compression, which ensures that the sound remains detailed and dynamic even at high volumes. The voice coil in the planar magnetic driver is spread out over a large surface area, allowing for efficient heat dissipation. This makes the drivers highly reliable and capable of handling high power without strain or audible distortion. Additionally, the planar magnetic driver presents a purely resistive load to the amplifier, ensuring optimal performance.
Product Usage Instructions
- Unpacking and Installing: Carefully unpack the Sage C38m loudspeakers and ensure that all included components are present. Follow the instructions provided in the user manual for installing the loudspeakers in your desired location.
- Mounting on the Wall: Use suitable mounting hardware to securely attach the C38m loudspeakers to the wall. Refer to the user manual for detailed instructions on proper wall mounting techniques.
- Making Connections: Connect the Sage C38m loudspeakers to your audio system or amplifier using appropriate cables. Ensure that the connections are secure and properly matched according to the user manual guidelines.
- Care & Maintenance: To maintain optimal performance, regularly clean the loudspeakers using a soft, dry cloth. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that may damage the surface. Refer to the user manual for additional care and maintenance instructions.
- Obtaining Service: If you encounter any issues or require service for your Sage C38m loudspeakers, refer to the user manual for contact information and instructions on obtaining service from the manufacturer.
Please note that for the best results and to ensure optimal performance, it is recommended to have your Wisdom Audio system engineered and calibrated by Factory Personnel.
Owner’s Manual
Sage C38m
Bi-amplified On-Wall
Coaxial Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS
This document contains general safety, installation, and operation
instructions for the Wisdom Audio Sage C38m Loudspeaker. It is important to
read this document before attempting to use this product. Pay particular
attention to:
WARNING: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in injury or death.
CAUTION: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage to or destruction of part of or the entire product.
Note: Calls attention to information that aids in the installation or operation of the product.
Introduction
Congratulations on purchasing your Wisdom Audio system. It incorporates many
design features engineered to give you decades of pleasure and performance.
Many of these design choices are uncommon among loudspeaker manufacturers and
bear some explanation. See the following section entitled “Overview” for more
information.
Our unique driver designs and our emphasis on achieving real-world performance
account for the “system” approach taken. These are not speakers that are
simply connected to speaker wires and promptly forgotten. We recognize that
setting up a Wisdom Audio system can be a bit more involved than connecting a
common set of loudspeakers, which is why we recommend that our systems be
engineered and calibrated by Factory Personnel
Your Sage C38m series loudspeaker are specifically designed to avoid the
compromises inherent in conventional speaker designs. There are no passive
crossover components inside the speaker. Instead, there are direct connections
from the amplifiers to their respective High-Pass and Low-Pass drivers and an
external active crossover is used, such as the ones inside of our Wisdom SA-
DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Amplifiers. It is truly a “system” design, and
not merely a collection of loudspeaker drivers in a box. Please contact us to
learn which products/amplifiers/ surround processors outside of our DSP
Amplifiers will work with our speakers and subwoofers.
Info@wisdomaudio.com
Overview
Your Sage C38m loudspeakers take advantage of several critical technologies to
deliver a level of performance that has never been available in a loudspeaker
that intruded so modestly on your living space. In fact, this level of
performance has rarely been attained, regardless of the space and budget at
one’s disposal.
Since several of these technologies cannot readily be found elsewhere, we will
take the time to describe them in more detail than would be necessary for more
conventional designs.
Our planar magnetic drivers use an advanced, thin film membrane to move the
air.
This film can respond instantly to the smallest detail in the signal. It has
vastly less inertia than traditional “cone & dome” drivers, so the signal is
never blurred in any way.
One of the most remarkable things about the sound of well-designed planar
magnetic speakers is their lack of thermal or dynamic compression. There are
several reasons for this:
- The lightweight diaphragm responds quickly to even the smallest signals yet is robust enough to handle a great deal of power.
- The voice coil is laid out at and is exposed to the air on both sides; the large resulting surface area dissipates heat extremely quickly and efficiently.
- Since heat does not build up in the voice coil (as it does in conventional dynamic drivers), the load seen by the amplifier does not change at high power levels.
When you become accustomed to the sound of your new Sage C38m speakers,
conventional speakers sound a bit bland and lifeless. You may also discover
yourself hearing details at even modest levels on the Sage C38m that were
previously inaudible even at loud volumes on more conventional speakers.
The “voice coil” in the planar magnetic driver is spread out over a large, at
area that is exposed to the open air. As such, when a huge transient comes
along, any heat that is generated is immediately dissipated. This compares
quite favor- ably to other designs in which the voice coil is buried inside a
massive piece of metal, where the heat has effectively no place to go.
The excellent heat dissipation of these drivers makes them remarkably
reliable.
Planar magnetic speakers can handle a great deal of power without undue stress
or audible strain. In fact, for a given size, they can handle many times the
power of a traditional dynamic driver.
Because the conductor of a planar magnetic driver is essentially a long, thin
wire, it presents a purely resistive load to the amplifier. This is comparable
to the simple test loads that amplifier companies use when measuring their
amplifiers to show how terrific they are. As such, you can be assured that
your amplifiers will sound and work their best.
Authoritative, deep bass requires that you move a lot of air. We have chosen
to use dynamic woofers for the bass because they can provide excellent
performance at lower frequencies.
To get comparable bass performance from a planar magnetic design, you would
need to have a huge speaker that would be impractical in most domestic living
spaces. It simply makes more sense to use the best transducer technology in
each area of the reproduced spectrum. One of Wisdom Audio’s strengths is in
seamlessly blending these technologies – particularly important given the high
standards set by our planar magnetic drivers.
Of course, the dynamic woofers themselves must be rather extraordinary to
“keep up” with the planar magnetic drivers right up to the crossover
frequency.
Our woofers are different because they must be to do their job. Specifically,
we need highly dynamic, uncompressed bass (to keep up with the planar magnetic
drivers) that does not depend on a critical amount of enclosure volume (since
these speakers are mounted in your wall and use the space inside the wall as
their “enclosure”). These two design goals require rather extraordinary
attention to myriad details.
Many speakers include a mid-bass “bump” in their response to give the illusion
of going deeper in the bass than they actually do. Unfortunately, this “bump”
makes blending them seamlessly with a high-quality subwoofer almost
impossible.
All Sage Series speakers have been designed to optimally crossover at 80 Hz,
which is the most-common crossover frequency used with subwoofers.
Unpacking and Installing the C38m
The Wisdom Audio Sage C38m on-wall speaker is a substantial piece of
equipment. Please exercise caution when unpacking your C38m to ensure that you
do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to lift your C38m while bending or twisting from
the waist. Use your legs for lifting, not your back. Always stand as straight
as possible and keep the C38m close to your body to reduce strain on your
back.
The speaker is shipped in a “telescoping” box (two five-sided boxes, one of
which fits snugly inside the other). Gently roll the box over so that its
bottom is facing up.
Then carefully cut the tape along the bottom of the box on all four sides.
Roll the box over again so the bottom is on the floor and lift off the top.
With one person at each end, carefully lift the speaker out of the box and lay
it on a soft surface (carpet or similar).
We do not recommend removing the grille on your new loudspeakers. The grille
is an integral part of the design; moreover, the planar magnetic film should
never be touched, as it is tensioned precisely at the factory. The grille
plays an important protective role as well as an aesthetic one.
After unpacking your C38m, keep all packing materials for future transport. If
you need to ship your speaker, only the original, purpose-designed shipping
carton is acceptable. Any other method of shipping this product runs a
significant risk of damage to the speaker – damage that would not be covered
by the warranty. (If you lose your packaging and need to ship your speakers,
replacement packaging can be purchased from Wisdom Audio.)
Mounting the C38m on the Wall
The mounting brackets and template are included. Please visit our YouTube channel and installation video if you need assistance. https://youtu.be/fLPfsufSzFk
Sage C38m Mounting Template
If you need to remove the speaker from the bracket for any reason, first
remove the security screw using the supplied Allen wrench. A sharp upward rap
with the base of one hand or even a non-marring, dead blow hammer will help
jar it loose.
(Make sure the speaker itself is being supported by an assistant so it does
not come free from the wall unexpectedly.)
Important! Do not use the C38m as a shelf! While its mounting system is quite rugged, it is designed to securely support the weight of the speaker itself. Do not place additional objects on it, and do not climb on it.
Making the C38m Connections
As with any system, you should make changes to the connections only when the
power is turned off to avoid any chance of inadvertently causing a problem
(such as a short-circuit).
Two sets of speaker wires are required for each Sage C38m loudspeaker: one for
the woofer (low pass) section, and a separate one for the planar magnetic
(high pass) section that handles the midrange and treble.
We recommend using heavy-gauge speaker wire, the gauge will vary dependent on
your speaker run length. Please consult an authorized dealer to determine what
gauge would be best for your application.
For the purposes of this manual, we will assume that you have already
connected the approved DSP Amplifiers/Processor with Active Crossovers and PEQ
as per the instructions found in its manual. As such, you should have signal
coming from your source component(s) to a preamp/processor, and then on to the
signal that is split into low-pass and high-pass sections, with the low-pass
section going to one or more Wisdom Audio SA Series amplifiers, and the high-
pass section going to additional SA Series amplifiers, which will drive the
planar magnetic panels.
Connect the outputs of your Wisdom Audio SA-series amplifier to the
appropriate woofer sections, taking care to get both the channel assignments
and the polarity correct. Connect the positive (+) terminals on the SA Series
amplifier to the positive (+) terminals for the woofer on the loudspeaker;
likewise, connect the negative (–) terminals on the amplifier and the speaker,
respectively.
Next connect the outputs of your chosen amplifier for the midrange/treble to the Sage C38m planar sections in a similar fashion, taking care with both channel assignments and polarity.
Care & Maintenance
To remove dust from the front of your C38m, use a feather duster or a lint-
free soft cloth.
Never attempt to clean the drivers themselves.
Caution!
Do not touch the surface of the planar magnetic drivers, under any
circumstances.
The thin film has been carefully pre-tensioned at the factory; any subsequent
contact can only damage it.
North American Warranty
Standard 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 10 years from the original date
of purchase.
Furthermore, the transducers (“drivers”) in your Wisdom Audio speakers are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of 10 years from the original date of purchase.
Harsh Conditions Use
Wisdom Audio loudspeakers are designed for installation and operation in
environmentally controlled conditions, such as are found in normal residential
environments. When used in harsh conditions such as outdoors or in marine
applications, the warranty is three years from the original date of purchase.
During the warranty period, any Wisdom Audio products 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 products that has been misused, abused, altered, or installed and
calibrated by anyone other than an authorized Wisdom Audio dealer.
Any Wisdom Audio product not performing satisfactorily may be returned to the
factory for evaluation. Return authorization must first be obtained by either
calling or writing the factory prior to shipping the component. The factory
will pay for return shipping charges only if the component 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 Wisdom Audio products. Neither this
warranty nor any other warranty, express or implied, including any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness, shall extend beyond the warranty
period.
No responsibility 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 specific legal rights, and you may also have other
rights, which vary from state to state. This warranty is applicable in the
United States and
Canada only. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, please contact your local,
authorized Wisdom Audio distributor for warranty and service information.
Obtaining Service
We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity make
these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’ service
needs.
If your Wisdom Audio loudspeaker must be serviced, please contact your dealer.
Your dealer will then decide whether the problem can be remedied locally, or
whether to contact Wisdom Audio for further service information or parts, or
to obtain a Return Authorization. The Wisdom Audio Service Department works
closely with your dealer to solve your service needs expediently.
IMPORTANT: Return authorization must be obtained from Wisdom Audio’s Service
Department BEFORE a unit is shipped for service.
It is extremely important that information about a problem be explicit and
complete. A specific, comprehensive description of the problem helps your
dealer and the Wisdom Audio Service Department locate and repair the
difficulty as quickly as possible.
A copy of the original bill of sale will serve to verify warranty status.
Please include it with the unit when it is brought in for warranty service.
WARNING: All returned units must be packaged in their original packaging,
and the proper return authorization numbers must be marked on the outer carton
for identification. Shipping the unit in improper packaging may void the
warranty, as
Wisdom Audio cannot be responsible for the resulting shipping damage.
Your dealer can order a new set of shipping materials for you if you need to
ship your loudspeaker and no longer have the original materials. There will be
a charge for this service. We strongly recommend saving all packing materials
in case you need to ship your unit someday.
If the packaging to protect the unit is, in our opinion or that of our
dealer,inadequate to protect the unit, we reserve the right to repackage it
for return shipment at the owner’s expense. Neither Wisdom Audio nor your
dealer can be responsible for shipping damage due to improper (that is, non-
original) packaging.
Specifications
All specifications are subject to change at any time to improve the product.
- Number of required amplifier channels: 2
- Frequency response: 40Hz – 20 kHz ± 2dB relative to the target curve
- Impedance, planar section: 3Ω
- Impedance, woofer section: 3Ω
- Sensitivity, planar section: 90 dB/2.83V/1m
- Sensitivity, woofer section: 91 dB/2.83V/1m
- System impedance: 3Ω
- System sensitivity: 90 dB
- Power handling, continuous: 200w
- Shipping weight, each: 39 lbs. (18 kg)
For more information, see your Wisdom Audio dealer or contact:
Wisdom Audio
1572 College Parkway, Suite 164
Carson City, NV 89706
wisdomaudio.com
information@wisdomaudio.com
775-887-8850
C38m Dimensions
Please visit the C38m Product Page found on our website. There under the
“Resources” section you will find both PDF and DWG Drawings.
WISDOM and the stylized W are registered trademarks of Wisdom Audio.
Wisdom Audio 1572 College Parkway, Suite 164
Carson City, Nevada 89706 USA
TEL 775-887-8850
FAX 775-887-8820
wisdomaudio.com
Sage C38m OM © 7/2023 Wisdom Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>