Swissonic ASM5 Active Studio Monitor User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- swissonic
Table of Contents
ASM5
User Manual
Active Studio Monitor
General information
This user manual contains important information on the safe operation of the
device. Read and follow all safety notes and all instructions. Save this
manual for future reference. Make sure that it is available to all persons
using this device. If you sell the device to another user, be sure that they
also receive this manual.
Our products and user manuals are subject to a process of continuous
development. We, therefore, reserve the right to make changes without notice.
Please refer to the latest version of the user manual which is ready for
download under www.thomann.de.
1.1 Further information
On our website (www.thomann.de) you will find lots of
further information and details on the following points:
| Download | This manual is also available as a PDF file for you to download. |
|---|---|
| Keyword search | Use the search function in the electronic version to find the |
topics of interest for you quickly.
Online guides| Our online guides provide detailed information on technical
basics and terms.
Personal consultation| For a personal consultation please contact our
technical hotline.
Service| If you have any problems with the device the customer service will
gladly assist you.
1.2 Notational conventions
This manual uses the following notational conventions:
Letterings
The letterings for connectors and controls are marked by square brackets and
italics.
Examples: [VOLUME] control, [Mono] button.
1.3 Symbols and signal words
In this section, you will find an overview of the meaning of symbols and
signal words that are used in this manual.
| Signal word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DANGER! | This combination of symbol and signal word indicates an |
immediately dangerous situation that will result in death or serious injury if
it is not avoided.
CAUTION!| This combination of symbol and signal word indicates a
possible dangerous situation that can result in minor injury if it is not
avoided.
NOTICE!| This combination of symbol and signal word indicates a possible
dangerous situation that can result in material and environmental damage if it
is not avoided.
Warning signs
|
Type of danger
| Warning – high-voltage.
| Warning – danger zone.
Safety instructions
Intended use| This device is primarily designed for monitoring during
audio recording and mixing in the studio. Use the device only as described in
this user manual. Any other use or use under other operating conditions is
considered to be improper and may result in personal injury or prop‐ party
damage. No liability will be assumed for damages resulting from improper use.
This device may be used only by persons with sufficient physical, sensorial,
and intellectual abilities and having corresponding knowledge and experience.
Other persons may use this device only if they are supervised or instructed by
a person who is responsible for their safety.
---|---
Safety
DANGER!
Danger for children
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are disposed of properly and are not
within reach of babies and young children. Choking hazard! Ensure that
children do not detach any small parts (e.g. knobs or the like) from the unit.
They could swallow the pieces and choke! Never let children unattended use
electrical devices.
DANGER!
Electric shock caused by high voltages inside
Within the device, there are areas where high voltages may be present. Never
remove any covers. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Do not use the
device if covers, protectors, or optical components are missing or damaged.
DANGER!
Electric shock caused by short-circuit
Always use proper ready-made insulated mains cabling (power cord) with a
protective contact plug. Do not modify the main cable or the plug. Failure to
do so could result in electric shock/death or fire. If in doubt, seek advice
from a registered electrician.
CAUTION!
Possible hearing damage
The device can produce volume levels that may cause temporary or permanent
hearing impairment. Over an extended period of time, even levels that seem to
be uncritical can cause hearing damage. Decrease the volume level immediately
if you experience ringing in your ears or hearing impairment. If this is not
possible, keep a greater distance or use sufficient ear protectors.
NOTICE!
Risk of fire
Do not block areas of ventilation. Do not install the device near any direct
heat source. Keep the device away from naked flames.
NOTICE!
Operating conditions
This device has been designed for indoor use only. To prevent damage, never
expose the device to any liquid or moisture. Avoid direct sunlight, heavy
dirt, and strong vibrations. Only operate the device within the ambient
conditions specified in the chapter ‘Technical specifications’ of this user
manual. Avoid heavy temperature fluctuations and do not switch the device on
immediately after it was exposed to temperature fluctuations (for example
after transport at low outside temperatures). Dust and dirt inside can damage
the unit. When operated in harmful ambient conditions (dust, smoke, nicotine,
fog, etc.), the unit should be maintained by qualified service personnel at
regular intervals to prevent overheating and other malfunction.
NOTICE!
Power supply
Before connecting the device, ensure that the input voltage (AC outlet)
matches the voltage rating of the device and that the AC outlet is protected
by a residual current circuit breaker. Failure to do so could result in damage
to the device and possibly injure the user. Unplug the device before
electrical storms occur and when it is unused for long periods of time to
reduce the risk of electric shock or fire.
NOTICE!
Possible damage due to installation of a wrong fuse.
The use of different types of fuses can cause serious damage to the unit. Fire
hazard! Only fuses of the same type may be used.
NOTICE!
Possible staining
The plasticizer contained in the rubber feet of this product may possibly
react with the coating of your surface and after some time cause permanent
dark stains. In case of doubt, do not put the rubber feet directly on the
surface and use a suitable underlay if necessary, i.e. felt-pad floor
protectors or similar.
Features
Special features of the device:
- 2-way system: 5 1/4″ bass / mid-range speaker and 3/4″ tweeter
- XLR, 1/4″ and RCA inputs
- Bi-amping amplifier (class AB)
- Switch for adapting treble and bass to the room acoustics
- Switchable low-pass filter with a variable crossover frequency
- Housing made of vinyl-coated MDF
- Protection circuits against radio interference, over-temperature, on/off switching noise, and limit the output current
- Standby function
Installation
Unpack and check carefully there is no transportation damage before using the
unit. Keep the equipment packaging. To fully protect the product against
vibration, dust, and moisture during transportation or storage use the
original packaging or your own packaging material suitable for transport or
storage, respectively.
Create all connections while the device is off. Use the shortest possible
high-quality cables for all connections. Take care when running the cables to
prevent tripping hazards.
NOTICE!
Possible property damage by magnetic fields
Loudspeakers produce a static magnetic field. Therefore, maintain an
appropriate distance to devices that can be adversely affected or damaged by
an external magnetic field.
NOTICE!
Use of stands
When mounting the device onto a stand, ensure that the stand is in a safe and
stable position and that the weight of the device does not exceed the maximum
permissible load capacity of the stand.
Connections and operating elements
Control LED on the front panel
If the speaker box receives no signal for 10 to 15 minutes, it switches to
standby mode. The control LED on the front panel then lights red. As soon as
the speaker box receives a signal, it switches back to normal mode and the LED
will turn blue.
Rear panel
| 1 | IEC chassis plug with fuse holder |
|---|---|
| 2 | [Power] |
Mains switch. Turns the device on and off.
3| XLR chassis socket
Connection for a balanced line input signal
4| [Volume]
Volume control
5| [HF Trim]
Switch to adapt the treble to the room acoustics (–2 dB, 0 dB, +2 dB)
6| [ Acoustic Space]
Switch to adapt the bass to the room acoustics (0 dB, –2 dB, –4 dB)
7| [LF Cutoff]
Switchable low-pass filter with variable crossover frequency (flat, 80 Hz, 100
Hz)
8| RCA jack to connect line-level source devices (unbalanced)
9| 1/4″ phone socket for balanced input signal
Technical specifications
| Speaker | 5 1/4″ bass / mid-range speaker and 3/4″ tweeter |
|---|---|
| Input connections | 1 × 1/4″ jack socket (balanced) |
1 × XLR panel socket (balanced)
1 × RCA socket (unbalanced)
1 × IEC chassis plug C14
Input impedance| 20 kΩ (balanced), 10 kΩ (unbalanced)
Input sensitivity| 85 mV pink noise for 100 dB SPL in 1 m distance (volume
control @ 100 %)
Output power| Bass / mid-range amp: 40 W
Treble amp: 20 W
Frequency range| 55 Hz … 20 kHz
Crossover frequency| 2.7 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio| > 95 dB (typical, A-weighted)
Sound pressure level (SPL),
max.| 100 dB
Power consumption| 80 W
Supply voltage| 230 V 50 Hz
Fuse| 5 mm × 20 mm, 500 mA, 250 V, slow-blow
Dimensions (W × H × D)| 185 mm × 278 mm × 200 mm
Weight| 4.6 kg
Ambient conditions| Temperature range| 0 °C…40 °C
Relative humidity| 20 %…80 % (non-condensing)
Further information
| Sales unit | 1 pair |
|---|---|
| Analogue input XLR | yes |
| Analogue mini jack input | no |
| Analogue jack input | yes |
| Analogue RCA input | yes |
| Digital input | no |
| Magnetic shielding | no |
| Manual frequency correction | yes |
Plug and connection assignment
Introduction
This chapter will help you select the right cables and plugs to connect your
valuable equipment in such a way that a perfect sound experience is ensured.
Please note this advice, because especially in ‘Sound & Light’ caution is
indicated: Even if a plug fits into the socket, an incorrect connection may
result in a destroyed power amp, a short circuit or ‘just’ in poor
transmission quality!
Balanced and unbalanced trans-mission
Unbalanced transmission is mainly used in semi-professional environments and
in hi-fi use.
Instrument cables with two conductors (one core plus shielding) are typical
representatives of the unbalanced transmission. One conductor is ground and
shielding while the signal is transmitted through the core.
Unbalanced transmission is susceptible to electromagnetic interference,
especially at low levels, such as microphone signals, and when using long
cables.
In a professional environment, therefore, balanced transmission is preferred,
because this enables an undisturbed transmission of signals over long
distances. In addition to the conductors ‘Ground’ and ‘Signal’, in a balanced
transmission, a second core is added. This also transfers the signal but is
phase-shifted by 180°.
Since the interference affects both cores equally, by subtracting the phase- shifted signals, the interfering signal is completely neutralized. The result is a pure signal without any noise inter‐ ference.
1/4″ TRS phone plug (mono, balanced)
| 1 | Signal (in phase, +) |
|---|---|
| 2 | Signal (out of phase, –) |
| 3 | Ground |
XLR plug (balanced)
| 1 | Ground, shielding |
|---|---|
| 2 | Signal (in phase, +) |
| 3 | Signal (out of phase, –) |
| 4 | Shielding on plug housing (option) |
RCA connection
The drawing and table indicate the pin assignment of an RCA plug.
| 1 | Signal |
|---|---|
| 2 | Ground, shielding |
Troubleshooting
In the following, we list a few common problems that may occur during operation. We give you some suggestions for easy troubleshooting:
Symptom
|
Remedy
---|---
The unit does not work| Check the power supply terminal and the position of
the power switch.
No sound| 1. Check the position of the volume control.
2. Check the correct connection of the signal cables.
3. Check the signal cables and/or the signal source.
4. Try using another signal cable.
Once the music gets loud, the high frequencies slump| Maybe overheating is
imminent. Provide better ventilation or reduce the volume.
Distortion is audible| Excessive input signal. Reduce the signal level.
Noise and hum occur| 1. Make sure that only balanced cables are used.
| 2. Make sure that all audio devices are connected to the same power circuit
and thus share the same ground reference.
If the procedures recommended above do not succeed, please contact our Service Center. You can find the contact information at www.thomann.de.
Protecting the environment
Disposal of the packaging material
For the transport and protective packaging, environmentally friendly materials
have been chosen that can be supplied to normal recycling.
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of.
Do not just dispose of these materials with your normal household waste, but
make sure that they are collected for recycling. Please follow the notes and
markings on the packaging.
Disposal of your old device
This product is subject to the European Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment Directive (WEEE) in its currently valid version. Do not dispose of
your normal household waste.
Dispose of this device through an approved waste disposal firm or through your
local waste facility. When discarding the device, comply with the rules and
regulations that apply in your country. If in doubt, consult your local waste
disposal facility.