WILSON AUDIO Alexandria XLF Owner's manual

Type
Owner's manual
Alexandria XLF—Owner’s Manual
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T a b l e o f C o n T e n T s
Contents
S e c t i o n 1 i n t r o d u c t i o n 7
S e c t i o n 1 1 i n t r o d u c t i o n 9
C r o s s L o a d F i r i n g p o r t s y s t e m ( X L F ) 9
n e w a r C h i t e C t u r e 1 0
s - m a t e r i a L m i d r a n g e B a F F L e 1 1
C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y t w e e t e r 1 2
a s p h e r i C a L p r o p a g a t i o n d e L a y 1 3
S e c t i o n 2 i n Y o u r r o o m 1 7
S e c t i o n 2 1 r o o m A c o u S t i c S 1 9
F i n a L L i s t e n i n g r o o m s e t u p ( v o i C i n g ) 1 9
Z o n e o F n e u t r a L i t y 1 9
S e c t i o n 2 2 r o o m r e f l e c t i o n S 2 1
s L a p e C h o 2 1
s t a n d i n g w a v e s 2 4
C o m B F i L t e r e F F e C t 2 5
S e c t i o n 2 3 r e S o n A n c e S 2 5
s t r u C t u r a L r e s o n a n C e 2 6
v o L u m e r e s o n a n C e 2 6
S e c t i o n 2 4 Y o u r r o o m 2 7
r o o m s h a p e s 2 7
a L e X a n d r i a X L F i n a d e d i C a t e d h o m e t h e a t e r 2 8
s p e a k e r p L a C e m e n t v e r s u s L i s t e n i n g p o s i t i o n 2 9
s p e a k e r o r i e n t a t i o n 2 9
s u m m a r y 3 0
S e c t i o n 3 i n i t i A l S e t u p 3 3
A l e x A n d r i A x l F O w n e r s M A n u A l
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S e c t i o n 3 1 u n c r A t i n g t h e A l e x A n d r i A 3 5
i n i t i a L C h e C k 3 5
t o o L s r e q u i r e d 3 5
u n C r a t i n g t h e w o o F e r m o d u L e s 3 5
u n p a C k i n g t h e w o o F e r 3 6
u n C r a t i n g t h e a s p h e r i C a L w i n g s 3 7
u n C r a t i n g t h e u p p e r a r r a y m o d u L e s 3 7
u n C r a t i n g t h e C r o s s o v e r C o v e r 3 8
C r a t e C o n t e n t s C h e C k L i s t 3 9
S e c t i o n 4 f i n A l S e t u p 4 1
S e c t i o n 4 1 i n i t i A l A S S e m b l Y 4 3
r e - a t t a C h p r o p a g a t i o n d e L a y p L a t e 4 4
S e c t i o n 4 2 g e o m e t r i c t i m e d o m A i n A l i g n m e n t 4 5
m a t e r i a L s r e q u i r e d : 4 5
p r o p a g a t i o n d e L a y a L i g n m e n t 4 6
r o o m s e t u p 4 6
a L i g n m e n t p r o C e d u r e 4 7
i d e n t i F i C a t i o n o F a L i g n m e n t s p i k e s a n d t e t h e r B o L t s 4 7
S e c t i o n 4 3 m o u n t i n g u p p e r A r r A Y m o d u l e S 4 8
m a t e r i a L s r e q u i r e d 4 8
m o u n t i n g p r o C e d u r e 4 9
i n s t a L L t h e L o w e r m i d r a n g e m o d u L e ( L m r m ) 4 9
S e c t i o n 4 4 c o n n e c t i n g t h e u p p e r m o d u l e S S i g n A l c A b l e 5 0
S e c t i o n 4 5 l o c k i n g d o w n t h e u p p e r m o d u l e S 5 3
m a t e r i a L s r e q u i r e d 5 3
i n s t a L L i n g t h e t e t h e r B o L t s 5 5
S e c t i o n 4 6 S p i k e i n S t A l l A t i o n 5 5
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T a b l e o f C o n T e n T s
S e c t i o n 4 7 u S i n g t h e l i f t t o i n S t A l l S p i k e S 5 6
m a t e r i a L s r e q u i r e d 5 6
i n s t a L L a t i o n p r o C e d u r e 5 7
L e v e L i n g t h e a L e X a n d r i a 5 8
S e c t i o n 4 8 e x p A n S i o n S p i k e S 6 0
S e c t i o n 4 9 i n S t A l l i n g t h e b A c k c o v e r S 6 0
S e c t i o n 4 1 0 r e S i S t o r S 6 1
m i d r a n g e p h a s e r e s i s t o r s 6 2
w o o F e r d a m p i n g r e s i s t o r 6 2
S e c t i o n 4 1 1 A d j u S t i n g t h e x l f p o r t 6 2
C h o o s i n g a p o r t C o n F i g u r a t i o n : 6 2
i n s t a L L i n g t h e p o r t p L u g : 6 3
S e c t i o n 4 1 2 b r e A k - i n p e r i o d 6 4
S e c t i o n 5 c A r e o f t h e A l e x A n d r i A 6 5
S e c t i o n 5 1 c A r e o f t h e p A i n t e d f i n i S h 6 7
S e c t i o n 5 2 c A r e o f t h e g r i l l e S 6 8
S e c t i o n 5 3 e n c l o S u r e c o n S t r u c t i o n 6 9
m a t e r i a L 6 9
a d h e s i v e 6 9
C o n C L u s i o n 7 0
S e c t i o n 6 t r o u b l e S h o o t i n g 7 1
S e c t i o n 7 S p e c i f i c A t i o n S 7 7
S e c t i o n 7 1 S p e c i f i c A t i o n S : 7 9
S e c t i o n 7 2 A l e x A n d r i A x l f d i m e n S i o n S 8 0
S e c t i o n 8 A l i g n m e n t t A b l e S 8 1
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l o w e r m i d r A n g e m o d u l e d A t A 8 3
h i g h f r e q u e n c Y m o d u l e d A t A 8 4
u p p e r m i d r A n g e m o d u l e d A t A 8 5
l o w e r m i d r A n g e m o d u l e t e t h e r b o l t t A b l e 8 6
h i g h f r e q u e n c Y m o d u l e t e t h e r b o l t t A b l e 8 7
u p p e r m i d r A n g e m o d u l e t e t h e r b o l t t A b l e 8 8
S e c t i o n 9 w A r r A n t Y i n f o r m A t i o n 8 9
S e c t i o n 9 0 w A r r A n t Y i n f o r m A t i o n 9 1
L i m i t e d w a r r a n t y 9 1
C o n d i t i o n s 9 1
r e m e d y 9 2
w a r r a n t y L i m i t e d t o o r i g i n a L p u r C h a s e r 9 2
d e m o n s t r a t i o n e q u i p m e n t 9 3
m i s C e L L a n e o u s 9 3
Section 1—Introduction
Section 1—Introduction
s e C T i o n 1 . 1 i n T r o d u C T i o n
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Section 1.1—Introduction
From all of us at Wilson Audio Specialties—thank you for purchasing the Alexan-
dria® XLF loudspeaker. The information contained within the pages of this manual will
inform and instruct you as to how you may enhance and prolong the enjoyment of your
Alexandria loudspeaker.
Alexandria XLF joins the Alexandria family, not as a replacement for the Series 2,
but as its even more ambitious sibling. The new XLF clearly resembles the original Al-
exandria’s form factor, but its architecture has evolved to support new technology. It is
physically larger, with 14% greater bass volume. The bass enclosure’s cabinet walls are
thicker for even greater resonance control. XLF refers to the new Alexandria’s Cross Load
Firing port, a unique passive bass management system. Wilson developed a new tweeter
for the XLF. The midrange baffle is constructed from Wilson’s proprietary S-material. Re-
tuned crossovers and a host of parts—each included as a result of exhaustive experimen-
tation and punctilious listening trials. The Alexandria XLF starts from the lofty foundation
of musicality and resolution established by the Alexandria Series 2, and improves upon
its predecessor’s performance in every musical parameter: greater dynamic contrast, bet-
ter harmonic expression, improved and more consistent bass performance room-to-room,
and increased linearity.
Cross Load Firing port system (XLF)
The Alexandria XLF features Dave Wilson’s latest loudspeaker invention: the Cross
Load Firing port (XLF) system. Dave recognizes that his speakers are often installed in
less-than-perfect environments. But as an idealist, he is concerned about how his loud-
speakers perform in the real world. His idealism in this area has been the motivating
force behind many of his inventions, such as adjustable propagation delay, the primary
purpose of which is to optimize, via precise, prescribed adjustment, the performance of
his loudspeakers in actual residential environments.
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Perhaps the characteristic that most obviously changes from room to room is bass
performance. Certain listening rooms, such as those with a large number of windows, are
sometimes overly lean in the bass. Others don’t have enough structural ventilation in the
bass, resulting in a tonal balance that is bass-heavy. The negative sonic impact of these
less-than-ideal rooms is often exacerbated by the audiophile propensity to place listen-
ing chairs at or near the center of the room.
The Alexandria has always been a loudspeaker with extended and linear bass per-
formance. But now in the XLF version, the location of the port can be optimized for the
room. Wilson’s Cross Load Firing port is a simple system that allows the Alexandria XLF
to be more consistently optimized in the area of bass performance and extension by
matching the port location to the characteristics of the sound room. Since the system is
completely passive, it avoids the sonic pitfalls symptomatic to all active bass manage-
ment systems.
The Cross Load Firing port System on the Alexandria allows the installer to choose
either a front-firing or rear-firing bass port configuration. The choice depends on room
characteristics, with lean rooms favoring the rear port, and heavy rooms the front port.
The default configuration of the Alexandria XLF is with the bass port installed in the rear.
In rooms where a front-firing port is preferable, it is a simple matter of removing the
brushed aluminum cover plate and port plug from the front, reinstalling these elements
in the rear port, and in turn installing the low-turbulence port hardware on the front of
the bass cabinet.
New Architecture
Dave Wilson is the inventor of several once-patented technologies, including ad-
justable propagation delay and modular construction. In his earliest designs, Dave pi-
oneered the use of proprietary composite materials in his quest to reduce enclosure
resonances. The combination of all these technological factors has always dictated how
s e C T i o n 1 . 1 i n T r o d u C T i o n
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Wilson loudspeakers look. The convergence of authentic technology and aesthetic ide-
als has produced Wilson Audio’s most iconic shapes. The idealism of Dave’s approach
defines Wilson’s design culture. The new architecture of Alexandria XLF is but the latest
iteration of that philosophy.
The Cross Load Firing port system (XLF) dictated a larger bass enclosure. It is 14%
larger than the Series 2. This enabled the engineers to carefully shape the XLF’s bass
response for an even more linear and room-friendly response. Using the latest analysis
technology, Wilson’s mechanical engineers reworked the woofer cabinet, thickening the
enclosure walls and redesigning the internal bracing geometry. Cabinet contribution in
the bass region was extremely low in the Series 2 Alexandria. The Alexandria XLF is even
more inert.
Alexandria’s “wing” structure, which supports the midrange and tweeter modules in
the upper array, is critical to the design for several reasons: It provides the infrastructure
that facilitates the precise aspherical alignment of the upper modules; and it provides a
low-resonance and extremely rigid platform from which the upper modules launch the
midrange and high-frequency waveforms. In the Alexandria XLF, the wing is thicker and
more substantial than the Series 2’s. It is built entirely of cross-braced X-material, Wil-
son’s extremely rigid and well-damped composite. The new wing provides an extremely
inert platform for the upper three modules.
Finally, the signature Alexandria curves, a metaphor for time-aligned wavelength
progression, have been enhanced to greater effect. Alexandria’s visual presence is at
once more substantial and organic.
S-Material Midrange Baffle
First introduced in Wilson’s venerable WATT/Puppy replacement, the Sasha W/P, S-
material is a wonder of midrange beauty and low-resonance. In combination with X-ma-
terial, S-material reduces measurable and audible noise and coloration in the midrange.
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This achievement is all the more remarkable given that Wilson’s proprietary M4 material,
first used in the Series 2 Alexandria, established the previous benchmark for midrange
performance.
Convergent Synergy™ Tweeter
The magic of Wilson’s midrange driver is in no small part due to its ability to cover
almost the entire mid-band without interruption of the crossover, including the male
vocal region. This always meant that the driver would be large, and therefore limited
in its upper frequency range. Wilson’s existing inverted titanium dome tweeter has long
proved a successful and coherent match to Wilson’s remarkable midrange driver. Dur-
ing its decade-long development, the current Wilson tweeter has evolved such that it
uniquely excels in the areas of low distortion, resolution of micro and macro dynamics,
and harmonic expression. Wilson’s current tweeter was developed to play down to the
one kilohertz region with low distortion and high power handling ability. Dave has been
willing to trade ultra-wide bandwidth for these more musically important characteristics.
Dave and the engineers have tested a very wide spectrum of tweeters utilizing
domes made from diamond, beryllium, and ceramic. Many of these exhibit flat frequency
response, and are extended into the octaves above the audible bandwidth. But none
matched the dynamic contrast and harmonic expression of Wilson’s current titanium de-
sign. And all have been unable to perform adequately with our midrange driver given its
unique demands.
Three years ago, Dave began a renewed quest for an improved tweeter that culmi-
nated in a proprietary Wilson design for the Alexandria. The result is the Wilson Conver-
gent Synergy Tweeter. The new Wilson tweeter rejects exotic materials in favor of a new
silk dome design that better meets all of Dave’s musical design goals.
The Convergent Synergy tweeter is a proprietary, Wilson-designed driver. With the
Convergent Synergy driver, Dave’s design requirement of ultra low distortion and very ro-
s e C T i o n 1 . 1 i n T r o d u C T i o n
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bust power handling down in the lower part of its range are beautifully met. These quali-
ties converge with a much higher resonant frequency and flatter frequency response.
The new tweeter is extremely linear. It crosses over synergistically to Wilson’s midrange
driver. It has exemplary off-axis dispersion characteristics in both the frequency and time
domains. The noise floor is lower. Because it has somewhat lower moving mass, its re-
sponse extends to beyond 33 kHz.
But most importantly, it is musically compelling. This is especially evident in its
ability to resolve low level resolution and harmonic textures effortlessly, with no audible
ringing or other distracting colorations. It is the Alexandria XLF midrange’s perfect com-
panion.
Aspherical Propagation Delay
A musical waveform is a complex overlay of frequencies, amplitudes, and phase
relationships. With current technology, no single transducer can reproduce the full range
of music at realistic sound pressure levels while maintaining consistent dispersion. The
solution is the multiple driver array, with specific drivers dedicated to various portions
of the frequency range. Multiple drivers introduce their own set of problems, however,
chief among them the challenge of preserving the precise time relationships of the musi-
cal waveform.
The key to solving this problem lies in Wilson’s innovative and patented Adjustable
Propagation Delay technology, which employs movable modules that allow the indi-
vidual adjustment of the drivers in the time domain. Using this technology, each driver’s
waveform propagation “matches up” with its neighbors’ in such a way to create the sonic
equivalent of a single point source. Certain other loudspeaker makers recognize the need
to correctly align their drivers, but they do so for only one theoretical listening position.
The fact is, misalignment of the drivers by fractions of an inch will audibly degrade
transient accuracy, soundstage height, depth, and width. Misalignment of the drivers will
A l e x A n d r i A x l F O w n e r s M A n u A l
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also introduce tonal anomalies that destroy the otherwise convincing “presence” of an
instrument or a singer’s voice. Wilson’s solution for propagation delay correction has
long set the standard for precise driver positioning in order to insure correct time align-
ment for a wide range of real room listening distances and ear heights.
The signature curves in Alexandria’s cabinet are a further evolution of Wilson’s phi-
losophy that truly great forms follow a corresponding function. They are a visual meta-
phor for the solution Wilson Audio pioneered to address issues of phase coherence exac-
erbated by large speaker systems. Typical of the creative process, the solution itself came
as a metaphor, or rather, an analogy to the field of optics and the design of wide-angle
lenses. The means of maintaining edge-to-edge sharpness at both close and far focusing
distances for a high quality wide-angle lens suggested a solution to the similar problem
of time domain accuracy for
large speaker systems at
both near and far listening
positions.
With Alexandria, Wil-
son Audio takes this concept
a logical step further, ad-
dressing the issue of opti-
mal driver dispersion in the
large cabinet system. Ideal
driver dispersion for both
near and far listening posi-
tions requires the drivers to
be adjustable not only for-
ward and back, but also able
to rotate on their polar axes.
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figure 1AlexAndriA xlfS moduleS move ASphericAllY to
c
orrect propAgAtion delAY
s e C T i o n 1 . 1 i n T r o d u C T i o n
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With Alexandria, for the first time ever, you and others you listen with, will hear
your favorite recordings and soundtracks with true time coherency, full frequency range,
unfettered dynamics, and vanishingly low distortion. The improvement in realism wrought
by Alexandria XLF is delightfully revolutionary.
figure 2AlexAndriAS moduleS move ASphericAllY to correct pr opAg Ation delAY
Figure 2b - AsphericAl propAgAtion DelAy optimizes Driver/room in-
terAction For A vAriety oF situAtions. this proviDes consistently opti-
mizeD results in A wiDe rAnge oF rooms AnD listening positions.
F
igure 2A - typicAl louDspeAkers exhibit less thAn optimum
propAgAtion DelAy AnD Dispersion chArActeristics. the sounD
quAlity is compromiseD For All listeners in All rooms.
A l e x A n d r i A x l F O w n e r s M A n u A l
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Section 2—In Your Room
s e C T i o n 2 . 1 r o o m a C o u s T i C s
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Section 2.1—Room Acoustics
You are surely excited about setting up your Alexandria XLF loudspeakers and do-
ing some listening, but before you begin, we would like to discuss some of the important
room acoustical information that will help you set up your loudspeakers properly.
Final Listening Room Setup (Voicing)
For a speaker system its size, the Alexandria XLF is unmatched in its ability to repro-
duce the musical event. It is truly state of the art. However, room acoustics and boundary
interactions affect the sound of a loudspeaker to such a large degree that poor setup can
seriously degrade your enjoyment of even the finest loudspeaker.
Therefore, we offer the following section, which will present some guidelines on
room acoustics and their interactions with loudspeakers. While we will also outline some
detailed suggestions on the setup of the Alexandrias, we strongly suggest that you have
your local Wilson Audio dealer perform the final speaker “voicing” with you. Wilson
dealers are specially trained in setting up Wilson loudspeakers and will ensure that you
realize the full value of your purchase.
Zone of Neutrality
The “Zone of Neutrality” is an area in your room where the speakers will sound
most natural. This location is where the speakers interact the least with adjacent room
boundaries. It is important to have a clear working space while determining the Zone of
Neutrality.
The following is a simple method to locate the Zone of Neutrality within your listen-
ing environment:
1. Stand against the wall BEHIND the location where you intend to position
your Alexandrias. Speaking in a moderately loud voice and at a constant
volume, project your voice out into the room. Your voice will have an
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overly heavy, “chesty” quality because of your proximity to the rear wall.
2. While speaking, slowly move out into the room, progressing in a direc-
tion parallel to the sidewall. It is helpful to have another listener seated
in the listening position to assist you during this process. Listen to how
your voice “frees up” from the added bass energy imparted by the rear wall
boundary. Also notice that your voice is quite spatially diffuse (to your as-
sistant, your voice will sound spatially large and difficult to localize) as
you begin to ease away from the rear wall.
3. At some point during your progression forward into the room, you will
observe a sonic transition in your voice; it will sound more tonally correct
and less spatially diffuse (your assistant can now precisely localize the ex-
act origin of your voice). When you hear this transition, you have entered
the inner edge of the Zone of Neutrality. Place a piece of tape on the floor
to mark this location. Although it will vary from room to room, the zone in
most rooms begins between two and a half to three feet from the rear wall.
4. Continue to walk slowly away from the rear wall. After some distance,
usually one to two feet past the first piece of tape, you will begin to hear
your voice lose focus and appear to reflect (echo) in front of you. This is
caused by the return of the room’s boundary contribution; your voice is
now interacting with the opposite wall. At the point where you begin to
hear the reflected sound of your voice, you have reached the inner edge
of the Zone of Neutrality. Place a piece of tape on the floor and mark this
location. The distance between the “inner” and “outer” edge tape marks is
usually between eight inches (for small, interactive rooms) and three feet
(for large, more neutral rooms).
5. Now position yourself against the side wall perpendicular to the intended
speaker location. Stand between the two tape marks. Using the same pro-
cedure as above, begin moving into the room toward the opposite side-
wall, progressing between the two pieces of tape. As above, listen for the
point in the room where your voice transitions from bass-heavy and diffuse
to neutral. Mark this point with tape. Continue your progression until there
is an obvious interaction with the opposite wall in front of you and mark
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WILSON AUDIO Alexandria XLF Owner's manual

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Owner's manual

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