Wisdom Series LS3m Bi-amplified Two-way Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker User Manual
- June 6, 2024
- WISDOM
Table of Contents
Owner’s Manual
Wisdom Series LS3m
Bi-amplified
Two-way Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS
This document contains general safety, installation, and operation
instructions for the Wisdom Audio High Output RTL® Subwoofer. 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 Wisdom LS4m loudspeakers are specifically designed to avoid 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 Wisdom Series LS4m 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 Wisdom Series LS4m
speakers, conventional speakers sound a bit bland and lifeless. You may also
discover yourself hearing details at even modest levels on the LS4m 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
an 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 favorably 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.
Many speakers include a mid-bass “bump” in their response to giving 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.
The Wisdom Series LS4m has been designed to optimally crossover at 80 Hz,
which is the most common bass management transition used to integrate with
subwoofer(s).
Line Source Speakers
Almost all loudspeakers radiate sound into the room as imperfect “point
sources”. This means that most of the energy they put into the room expands as
an ever-enlarging sphere, as though emerging from a single point in space.
This results in a multitude of reflections from the ceiling and floor that can
degrade sound quality.
By contrast, the Wisdom Series LS4m speakers radiate sound as a “line source”. The sound moves into the room as an expanding cylinder, rather than as an expanding sphere – as though from a vertical line suspended in space.
Line source speakers provide two significant advantages:
- Ceiling and floor reflections are minimized, resulting in greatly reduced interference, letting you hear more of the speaker and less of the room.
- The sound pressure level (SPL) throughout the room is much more evenly distributed, making it much easier to set the “right” volume, no matter where the audience is seated.
To achieve this highly desirable line source behavior, it is essential to have
a tall and slim driver. (Simply stacking multiple “cone & dome” high-frequency
drivers does not create a proper line source. Instead, it creates a series of
point sources, which end up interfering with each other). With Wisdom Audio’s
planar magnetic technology, it becomes possible to have drivers that are
extremely tall and slim.
Because of this shape, the sound (even at high frequencies) is distributed
uniformly across the width of the room from a driver that “looks” only less
than an inch wide acoustically. However, the sound is launched in a much more
directional way vertically. By minimizing early reflections from the ceiling
and the floor, the clarity of the system is greatly enhanced. This is heard in
both tremendous musical detail and in much-improved dialog intelligibility.
For more detailed information on planar magnetic drivers and the difference
between point source and line source speakers please visit
wisdomaudio.com.
Unpacking and Installing the LS3m
Your new Wisdom Audio Wisdom Series LS4m in-wall speaker is relatively
compact, but surprisingly massive compared to most installed speakers. Please
exercise caution when unpacking yourLS4mto ensure that you do not strain
yourself from its (perhaps
unexpected) weight.
- Remove the Torx screws from the hinged lid of the crate with the supplied Torx bit, which can be found in a pouch on top of the crate.
- Use the included cardboard template to trace the outline of the hole for the speaker and carefully cut to the line.
- Carefully lift the LS4m from its crate and place backside down on a furniture blanket on the floor (we recommend 3-4 people be involved in the step, as the LS4m weighs in at 250 pounds (about 113 kg).
- Push any insulation in the wall to the side. If there is no insulation in the wall, loosely fill the stud bay with insulation to reduce cavity resonances and improve performance.
- Using assistance to hold the speaker away from the wall, connect the speaker cable to the + and – connectors on the rear of the speaker, paying attention to proper polarity.
- Insert the speaker straight into the mounting opening. Use wood screws to tighten the speaker face to the mounting material.
YourLS3m and Subwoofers
All Wisdom Series loudspeakers are optimized for use with subwoofers, with a
crossover of 80 Hz. (This is the most common frequency below which subwoofers
are used.)
When properly installed in the wall, yourLS4m has inherently a response to 80
Hz, without the common “bass bump” that characterizes most in-wall speakers
and is placed there to yield the impression of “more bass” than there really
is. This makes it easy to blend seamlessly with a high-quality subwoofer such
as one of Wisdom Audio’s Regenerative Transmission Line™ (RTL™) subwoofers.
You should set up your surround processor for a crossover of 80 Hz and set
theLS4mspeakers as “Small” in the speaker setup portion of your processor’s
setup menu. Doing so ensures that all content below 80 Hz is directed to the
subwoofer(s) for reproduction.
Care and Maintenance
To remove dust from the front of your LS4m, use a feather duster or a lint-
free soft cloth.
To remove stubborn dirt and fingerprints from the grille, we recommend
isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Lightly dampen the cloth with alcohol
first and then clean the grille of the LS4m with the cloth. Do not use
excessive amounts of alcohol –there is no need for the cloth to be wet; merely
damp is better.
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 have 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.
- Frequency response: 80Hz – 20 kHz ± 2dB relative to the target curve
- Crossover frequency: 750 Hz
- Nominal Impedance: 5.6Ω per section
- Sensitivity: 98 dB/2.83V/1m
- Power handling, peak: >5000w
- Dimensions: See appropriate dimensions drawings on next page
- Shipping Weight: 435 lbs. (198 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
LS3m Dimensions
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
LS4m OM © 11/2021 Wisdom Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the
U.S.A.
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