iCON SX-3A 3.5 Inch Active Studio Monitor System User Manual

: June 6, 2024
: Icon

Table of Contents

iCON SX-3A 3.5 Inch Active Studio Monitor System
Important Safety Instructions
Introduction
What’s in the package?
Features
Front Panel Layout
Rear Panel Layout
Setting up your SX series active studio monitor system
Speaker Orientation
Quick Connections
The Rear Panel: The Ins and the Outs
Specifications
Services
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

iCON SX-3A 3.5 Inch Active Studio Monitor System

Important Safety Instructions

Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions.
Heed all warnings.
Follow all instructions.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean only with dry cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the ICON active studio monitor system. We sincerely trust this product will provide years of satisfactory service, but if anything is not to your complete satisfaction, we will endeavor to make things right.
In these pages, you’ll find a detailed description of the features of the , step-by-step instructions for its setup and use, and full specifications.
Please register the product on our website at the below link www.iconproaudio.com/registration:
You’ll also find a warranty card enclosed—please don’t forget to fill it out and mail it so that you can receive online technical support at: www.iconproaudio.com. And so we can send you updated information about these and other ICON products in the future. As with most electronic devices, we strongly recommend you retain the original packaging.
In the unlikely event the product must be returned for servicing, the original packaging (or reasonable equivalent) is required.
With proper care, your will operate without any trouble for many years. We recommend that you record your serial number in the space provided below for future reference.

What’s in the package?

SX series active studio monitor system x 2
This User Manual x 1
Power cable x 1
TM “Vasorb ” monitor rubber feet x 4-
(not included in SX-3A & SX4A in some regions)

Register your ICON ProAudio product to your personal account

Check serial number of your device
Please go to http://iconproaudio.com/registration or scan the QR code below.
Input your device’s serial number and the other information on the screen. Click“Submit”.
A message will pop up showing your device information such as model name and its serial number – Click “Register this device to my account” or if you see any other message, please contact our aftersales service team
Log in to your personal account page for existing user or sign up for new user
Existing user: Please log into your personal user page by inputting your user name and password.
New user: Please click “Sign Up” and fill in all the information.
Download all useful materials
All your registered devices under your account will show on the page. Each product will be listed along with all its available files such as drivers, firmware, user manual in different languages and bundled software etc. for download.
Please make sure you have download the necessary files such as driver before you begin device installation.

Features

The ICON SX series active studio monitor system provide a smooth response that is accurate and pleasant to listen to. Here are some of their main features:

Compact and powerful with very precise sound reproduction.
Two-way active studio reference monitor with ported tuned enclosure providing extremely accurate monitoring for recording studio, post-production and multimedia applications.
1”silk dome tweeter with neodymium magnet, plus heat sink and ferrofluid cooling provide smooth and sweet high-frequency response.
Copolymer butyl surround woofer provides tight and controlled low-frequency response.
Build-in Bi-Amp power module for low and high-frequency drivers
SX-3A – HF: 10W / LF: 15W
SX-4A – HF:15W / LF: 25W
SX-5A – HF: 30W / LF: 60W
SX-6A – HF: 40W / LF: 80W
SX-8A – HF: 60W / LF: 120W
Active crossover uses a multi-pole design for linear response from bottom to top.
XLR balanced input, as well as unbalanced RCA input, make connecting to most -10 dBV or +4dB signal source quick and easy. (For SX-5A/6A/8A. RCA input only for SX-3A and SX-4A)
A/V shielded for multimedia applications providing clean operation near computer CRT monitors.
Solid MDF construction
TM “Vasorb ” monitor rubber feet included

Front Panel Layout

1″ silk dome tweeter
Smooth high frequency response produced from silk dome, neodymium magnet with ferrofuild plus heat sink cooling for high output
Low frequency driver
Heavy duty extended range low frequency transducer.
Power LED
Orange LED glows when the unit is powered on and ready for operation.
Finish
Durable spray finish
TM “Vasorb ” monitor rubber feet (not included in SX-3A & SX4A in some regions) ICON large rubber feet keep enclosure in place even at high sound pressure levels.

Rear Panel Layout

XLR balanced input
Balanced, line level input is connected here via standard XLR cable
(Not equipped on SX-3A & SX-4A).
RCA unbalanced input
Used to connect signals from unbalanced, -10dBV devices.
Volume
Controls the amount of output level
Voltage Selector
110V / 220V input voltage selector
Power Switch
Turns the unit on/off.
AC inlet
Connect the supplied IEC power cable here.

Setting up your SX series active studio monitor system

Background on the SX series active studio monitor system
The SX series active monitor system is a near field studio monitor featuring a custom design with 3.5”, 4.5”, 5.5”, 6.5” or 8.5” copolymer low-frequency driver and a 1” silk tweeter employing a ferrofluid-cooled voice coil and neodymium magnet. The monitor’s crossover has been carefully designed with high-quality components insuring a linear frequency and phase response. The SX series enclosure is constructed from MDF. It has designed with tuned vent port that provides extended low-end response, and with a low turbulence design, the low-frequency driver can move freely with minimal effect on the overall impedance. On the rear of the enclosure, you’ll find a variety of input connectors including XLR balanced input and RCA unbalanced input. These input are connected to SX series internal Bi-Amp power module providing power to each monitor speaker. You will also find the pre-amp control
such as volume knob, used to adjust the overall level of the internal power amplifier.

Positioning the SX series active studio monitor system
Near field monitoring has become choice of many engineers in large and small studios because it minimizes the effect of room acoustics. By positioning the reference monitors in the near field (close to the listener), you can greatly reduce the effects of room acoustics.

The most important considerations when evaluating the effects of room acoustics are reflective surfaces that are around the monitoring area. These can include flat tabletops, glass mirrors, framed pictures, large open walls and even the surface of you mixing console. All reflecting sound will eventually reach the listening position, but since it is slightly delayed from the direct source, the result is random cancellation of some frequencies, or comb filtering. If possible, remove any and all reflective surfaces. You may also want to hang some acoustic foam on walls that are close to the monitors.

When positioning the monitors, you’ll want to set up what is commonly referred to as the “mixing triangle”. In this ideal configuration, the space between the left and right monitor is equal to the distance from the listener to each monitor, forming an equilateral triangle (as figure 1 shown).

Setting up your SX series active studio monitor system

Speaker Orientation

The SX series can be used in either the vertical or horizontal position.
When using the monitors in the horizontal position, be certain to placethe left and right side tweeters on the outer most sides. (As Figure 2 shown). This will improve the stereo imaging and bass response by increasing the coupling of the low-end drivers.

Reflection
When choosing the height of your monitor system, be careful to avoid reflections off the surface of the mixing console (As Figure 3 shown).
These reflections arrive at the listening position slightly delayed from the original sound resulting in strange cancellations and overall unpredictable response. Visualize straight lines representing the beams of sound radiating from the monitors and choose a height that reduces the occurrence of reflections that will end up in the prime listening spot (As Figure 4 shown). In most cases, the ideal position is slightly behind and above the mixing console’s meter bridge.

Connecting your SX series active studio monitor system

Quick Connections

Note: Before plugging in and turning on, remember the “last on, first off” rule of power amplifiers (and power monitors). When powering up your system, be sure that all the wires are connected, turn your mixer and any other outboard gears on, and then last turn your SX series monitor on.
When powering down, turn your SX series monitor off first and then yourmixer and outboard gears.
The SX series monitor connections can be made via one of the two-rear panel audio inputs(Except SX-3A and SX-4A). You can use RCA input for unbalanced -10dBu level signals or the XLR balanced +4dBu level signal input.
Follow the simple steps and diagram below for a quick connection using a standard recording console’s (such as ICON’s Umix series mixing
console) control room outputs.

Lower your mixer’s master outputs to all the way down.
Connect the mixer’s left control room output to the left-side monitor speaker line input and the mixer’s right control room output to the rightside monitor speaker.
Set the SX series monitor speaker’s input volume control to the 2 o’clock position.
Run an audio signal (like some music from CD) through your mixer and raise the control room level to a comfortable listening level.

Operating your SX series active studio monitor system

SX series control & connector panel
The SX series monitor speaker’s rear panel is where you will make your connections for both AC power and audio signal. The rear panel is also contains the volume control to adjust the output level. The following section details the rear panels controls and connections.
Power the SX series active studio monitor system Connect the unit to an AC power supply since the SX series monitor speaker is an active studio monitor with an onboard power amplifier. Make sure that the main power switch is set to the off position and connect the supplied IEC power cable into the AC inlet.
Things that go Hum!
When running power cables, be careful not to run the AC power cordsor AC extension cords in parallel to your input cable. This will help reduce any AC hum that can be picked up. If you have to cross them at a 90-degree angle for the lease amount of induced hum. Using the SX
series monitor speaker’s balanced XLR input connector will greatly protect against the induced hum thanks to the common rejection (the induced hum is phase cancelled) that is balanced input circuit provides.

Power switch
Turn the unit on/off.
AC inlet
Connect the supplied IEC power cable here.
Volume control
The volume control is used to adjust the overall output level of the SX series monitor speaker. When operating the unit for the first time, start with the volume control set all the way off. Slowly raise the volume control to reach a comfortable listening level.

The Rear Panel: The Ins and the Outs

The SX series monitor speaker features a full complement of input connectors providing easy installation with a variety of audio devices like recording consoles, hard disk recorders, CD players and computer audio interfaces, to name a few. The following section details the SX series monitor speaker’s input connectors for audio signal and power.

Balanced XLR audio input
The SX series features a female XLR connector that will accept balanced or unbalanced +4dBu line level signal. If you are using a mixer that has balanced output on XLR connector, you can make the connection via standard XLR cable.(Not equipped on SX-3A & SX-4A)
Unbalanced RCA audio input
The RCA input accept unbalanced signal used to connect signal from unbalanced -10dBu devices.

Specifications

| SX-3A| SX-4A| SX-5A| SX-6A| SX-8A
---|---|---|---|---|---
System:| Two-way Active Nearfield monitor| Two-way Active Nearfield monitor| Two-way Active Nearfield monitor| Two-way Active Nearfield monitor| Two-way Active Nearfield monitor
Frequency reponse:| 60Hz to 21KHz| 60Hz to 21KHz| 45Hz to 21 KHz| 40Hz to 21 KHz| 35Hz to 21 KHz
Input level for 85dB SPL @1m:| 0dBu RMS @ 0dB setting| 0dBu RMS @ 0dB setting| -14dBu RMS @ 0dB setting| -15dBu RMS @ 0dB setting| -15dBu RMS @ 0dB setting
Power consumption:| Idle: 10W / Max: 35W| Idle: 10W / Max: 60W| Idle: 10W / Max: 110W| Idle: 10W / Max: 140W| Idle: 10W / Max: 170W
Amplifier power:| HF: 10W / LF: 15W| HF: 15W / LF: 25W| HF:30W / LF:60W| HF:40W / LF:80W| HF:60W / LF:120W
Bass principle:| Bass reflex| Bass reflex| Bass reflex| Bass reflex| Bass reflex
Vent tuning frequency:| 60Hz| 55Hz| 45Hz| 40Hz| 35Hz
Internal cabinet volume:| 1.7 liters| 3.5 liters| 8 liters| 12 liters| 18 liters
Crossover frequency:| 3.2KHz| 3.0KHz| 2.7KHz| 2.6KHz| 2.5KHz
Cross slope:| | | 24dB/oct| 24dB/oct| 24dB/oct
Tweeter:| 25mm/1″ silkscreen dome plus