AUDIUM Comp Active Speaker User Manual

AUDIUM Comp Active Speaker User Manual

Thank you very much for your trust in AUDIUM products!

This AUDIUM speakers are the key to a realistic, three-dimensional music reproduction with outstanding dynamics and detail.

The Active Version lets you connect to devices with built-in preamp and or sources with regulated audio output. If you are using a computer as a source, we recommend to use a high-quality sound card or use an external DA converter.

The Drive Version works with a classical integrated amplifier or a tube amplifier. The active subwoofer inside relieves the burden of bass- amplification of the amplifier.
Thus, even with low power (such as Triode tube amplifiers or class-A amplifiers), you can operate the speakers with maximum fidelity.

Please read this manual before installing your loudspeakers.
It provides all the necessary information and hints to set up, and to achieve the best music reproduction with your AUDIUM loudspeakers.

Thank you very much,

Your AUDIUM team!

Contents

• 2x AUDIUM Loudspeakers
• 2x Power Supply
• 2x Power Cable
• 8x Spikes (M8 thread)
• 1x User Manual
• 1x Warranty Card

General information

Warranty

By registering your product, you extend the legal warranty on speakers to 5 years and electronics to 3 years. This is independent of your dealer / distributor.
Visit www.audium.com/registration or fill out the enclosed warranty card within 2 weeks after purchase these speakers.

Warning – Safety instructions

1. Read this manual and follow the instructions provided. Keep this manual as a reference for future questions.
2. Do not operate the speakers in damp places or near water.
3. These speakers are intended for use inside buildings. Do not operate them outdoors.
4. Do not use the speakers near heat sources such. Eg. Radiant heaters, stoves, fireplaces, amplifiers, … or other devices that produce heat.
5. Disconnect the loudspeakers from the power supply if you do not use them for a long time and during lightning storms to avoid lightning damage.

Do not try to repair the speakers in case of damage or malfunction.
Always contact your dealer or authorized service personnel.

WARNING – RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!
To avoid the risk of electric shock, never open the power supplies or speakers.
Put the device e not to rain or moisture.
There are no parts inside that require service or care.

Burn-ln of the Loudspeakers:

Loudspeakers are equipped with moveable parts. Thus they require a specific “Burn-In time“ until these parts can move in their required tolerance range. After this period, the loudspeakers can develop their full acoustic potentials.
For the burn-in of your new AUDIUM loudspeakers, you should play back music signals with a very broad frequency spectrum for min. 2 days. Preferably you can use a special Burn-In CD (containing pink noise signal) or you radio receiver after tuning it to an unassigned frequency so you can just hear noise.
Please note that after a long period of inactivity of your Speakers moveable parts get back to their initial rigid state. So give them a few hours time for “warm-up” again through playing music, and you will notice the distinct increase of fidelity within this time.

Handling, Cleaning and Care

For cleaning, use a soft dry or slightly damp cloth.
Please avoid aggressive cleaning agents as well as special furniture polishes or any other cleaning fluids. Dust from the chassis can be removed gently by using a tiny furniture brush.
Warning: Avoid touching the chassis and membranes!
They are very sensitive and can be easily damaged!

Terminology

Instructions only for the Active Variant will be red Font, the only for the Drive Variant apply in green letters (arrows / headings / text).

Unpacking the speakers

The AUDIUM speakers are delivered in separate cartons. Alter opening them, remove the polyfoam protection elements and the textile bag. Do not dispose the packaging – you can carry the speakers in a save way only when using the original packaging.

Spikes:
AUDIUM floor speakers radiate sound best when the front battle is inclined for a fewdegrees. Therefor screw the front spikes for 5mm, the rear spikes totally into the designated winding-drills. Take care that the speaker has a steady position. Finally, tighten the spikes with the appropriate screw nuts. Further information on the installation below in the chapter “Installation”.

Note: To protect wooden floors, we recommend the use of washers, which you can get from your dealer. Alternatively, you can also use any metal discs for bridging.

Dust-Caps:
The loudspeakers are equipped with dust-caps per default. These are simply attached to the speaker front and can be removed with low force through pulling them oft, it you desire.
Even though these dust-caps have been designed according to acoustic aspects, the best sound performance can be achieved when they are removed from the loudspeakers.

Plugs in the bass reflex tube:
The bass reflex tubes are sealed with a semi-permeable foam stopper. DO NOT remove this to change the bass response.
The tuning of the speakers is chosen so that you achieve the maximum tonal performance WITH these plugs. If you want to boost bass, you can do so by using the Bass setting in the Speaker Setup.

Speaker Placement

Listening Position:

As shown in the illustration, the two speakers and your listening position ideally form an isosceles triangle with the edge lengths A and B. The distance A between the Speakers should be smaller than the distance B between the speakers and yours Listening position. Distance A should be min. 2 meters (6.5 feet).

Position in your listening room:
Because of physical laws, a positioning of the speaker closer as 80 cm to a wall causes an increase of the bass reproduction. So you should try to keep this as the minimum distance.
By changing this distance you can adjust the bass intensity.

If this is not possible due to your room situation, you can correct this with the “Position” setting in the setup (see below). If the speaker is closer to a wall than 80 cm, select the setting “Near the wall”. If the speaker is in a corner, select the “Corner” setting.

You can also configure the speakers differently.
For example, if one speaker is placed near a wall, the second in a corner.

Angling:
Depending on the orientation and angle of your speakers you can change the brilliance, the depth of the stage and the room reproduction.

The installation of the speakers is authoritative for the resulting sound.
Experiment with different settings and let your hearing to judge!

| An alignment of the speakers in parallel

heading to your listening position ensures gentler heights.

---|---
| An angling of the speakers towards the listening position provides present heights / more brilliance.
| In many rooms, it is good to tilt the speakers backwards, ie turn the front spikes far out and the back far into it. This may result in a larger sound image with higher image.
| In contrast, straight alignment of the speakers will cause that the stage is more compact and more come to the forefront.

Controls and Connectors on the Speakers

1. Display: OLED graphic display shows the current speaker status.

2. Knob / push-button for navigation in the menu and setting of the parameters.

3. Power LED: lights red when speaker is active, dimmed red when in standby

4. Line – Input: Connect this input with the Pre – Out of your audio source

5. Speaker Input: Connect these jacks to the speaker cable.
   Note: Note the polarity + (red) and – (white).

6. Power socket: Insert here the end of the power supply cable.

Power Supply:
The AUDIUM Active and drive Speakers have an external power supply.
The outsourcing of the power supply from the speaker prevents mutual unwanted influencing the Amplifier electronics, the chassis and the power supply.
Furthermore, this allows a simple upgrade of the power supply to a higher- performance type.

The power supplies of Comp7 Active, Comp8 and Comp9 Active and drive have additionally a power switch. Switch on the power supply with it when all connections have been made.

Connecting the speakers:

After placing the speakers in the desired location, connect them to your music source.
Depending on whether Active or Drive Speaker, this is done as follows:

Active Speaker:
Connect the speakers with high-quality RCA cables with the line-out of your preamp or the audio output of your computer. Lead the left line out of the preamp to the left speaker and the right line out to the right speaker.

Since the integrated sound card of computers / laptops often do not meet the sound level of AUDIUM speakers it is recommended to use an external DAC which you connect to your computer via USB or TosLink.

Connecting to a Preamp or a Streamer with volume control:

Connecting to a Computer:

If your computer has an optical digital output, it is advisable to connect it to an external converter as the non-electrical, galvanically isolated connection prevents interference from the computer to the loudspeakers.

Drive Loudspeakers:

Through the active subwoofer in the AUDIUM Drive Speakers, most of the work (for playing the bass signals) is transferred from the amplifier the speakers. The (tube) amplifier can thus concentrate fully on the reproduction of the detailed information which is reproduced via the fullrange-drivers.

Note:
Again, the basic principle applies: a chain is never stronger than its weakest link. Therefore do not try to think too cost-effective when choosing the speaker cables. save you They need to transfer all the music information from the amplifier to the speakers.

Note:
probably also use a multiple socket outlet. Insert the two power supplies of the speakers in the first two outlets near the connection cable. Do not use extra filtered power outlet outputs. The power supplies have already integrated line filters.
Too much network filtering has a bad effect on the sound quality.

Activating the system:

1. Set the speakers to the desired position
2. Connect the music source with a cinch (4) or speaker cable (6) with the speakers as described above.
3. Connect the plug of the power supplies with power socket of the loudspeakers (6)
4. Plug the power cord into the power adapter, and LAST the mains plug into the mains socket
5. For Comp7, 8 and 9, turn the power switch to the “on” position.
6. The speakers then “boot”.
   They show the AUDIUM logo, followed by the status indicator (as shown below).

Operation

The display shows the current status, settings and the setup menu.
Use the rotary knob to adjust the settings on the speaker: Turn clockwise or anticlockwise to navigate through the menu / change values. You can also use it to lock or mute the speaker (see below “Mute and Lock of the loudspeakers”).

During normal operation, the display shows the following display (here from a Comp8.2 Active):

Muting and locking the speaker:

Mute the speaker:
If you press the rotary knob briefly while the status is displayed, the loudspeaker is muted.
So you can simply stop the playback to plug or unplug the RCA cable without causing loud hum or drone noises.
Press again to unmute the speakers. This also happens automatically after 10 seconds (this value can be changed in the Setting menu).

Locking the speaker:
To prevent unwanted changes to the parameters, you can lock the speaker. Press and hold the knob while the display shows the speaker status. The Operation is then disabled (and thus prevent the creation of settings by your children!). To unlock, press and hold the knob again.
If the speaker is disconnected from the mains, the lock is released.

Automatic switching on and off.

The speakers have integrated music signal detection. If no music is played back,  the Speaker goes to standby after 15 minutes (this value can be changed in the Settings menu). If music signal is detected, then the Speaker switch back on automatically.

Note:
If you are the Disconnecting speakers from the mains you have nothing to note. Restarting / plugging brings your speakers back to their last state. All parameters (except the lock – see above) are stored in a long-term memory that does not lose its contents.

The Settings

Navigation through the menu is easy: turn the knob while the status is displayed to open the settings menu.
Navigate through the menu by turning the knob. When you have found the setting you want to change, press the knob, and then change the value.
Press again the button to save the value.

You enter submenus by pushing the knob, and exit them by selecting:
The menu is automatically exited after a certain time

Settings-Menü:

are possible

.

| Speaker Position| Set the speaker position.

.

| Choose between Free (in the room), Near the Wall or Shelf (for Comp 3) or Set up in a corner
| Room Properties| Here you can set the property of your listening room. Depending wether you little or much furniture.| Strongly reverb or reverb, (Room with little equipment) dampened or strongly dampened (in a room with much furniture equipment)
| Gain| Select the sensitivity of the line-in here.| Possible values are -3dB, 0dB,

+ 3dB, + 6dB

| EQ Submenu| You can configure an EQ here|
| More Settings| Other speakers – Parameters as Auto-Off, the display parameters …| See below.
| Exit Menu|  |

EQ menu:
At AUDIUM Active and Drive loudspeakers you can configure two or one EQ (aka parametric equalizer) to lower or raise frequencies.

This makes it possible to increase or decrease a frequency band.
It can be used to correct drone frequencies or room resonances.

are possible
| Gain| Set the height of the EQ here| Values between -24 and

+6 dB are possible

.

| Quallity| Set the quality of the EQ here.| Values between 1 and 10 are possible

The frequency determines the position of the filter, the gain of the filter and the quality the width of the EQ.
The graphic on the right shows different settings of the EQ.

Setup Menu:
Here you can adjust further speaker parameters:

Default value 10 seconds
| Display brightness| Changes the display brightness.| Default is 5 (maximum brightness)
| Display darkening duration| Period after which the display is automatically faded to black.| Default: display is never darkened (the horizontal 8 stands for infinite)
| Language| Display Language.|
| Factory Reset| Reset the speaker to factory settings.| Attention! All your settings will be deleted.
| Info| Information about the device|

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