WILSON AUDIO Alexandria X-2 Series 2 Owner's manual

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A l e x A n d r i A x - 2 S e r i e S 2 O w n e r S M A n u A l
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Wilson Audio Specialties
Wilson Audio® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Cub®, Sophia®, WATT/Puppy®, MAXX®, and Alexandria® are registered trademarks
of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
WilsonGloss™, Duette by Wilson Audio™, WATCH Center™, WATCH Surround™, and
WATCH Dog™ are trademarks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
This manual was produced by the Wilson Audio Engineering and the Sales and Market-
ing Department. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
Current Revision 2.0. If you are in need of a more recent manual, please contact your
dealer.
The information in this manual is the sole property of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
Any reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Wilson
Audio Specialties, Inc., is prohibited. No material contained herein may be transmit-
ted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without
the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
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T A b l e O f C O n T e n T S
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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
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 0
S e c t i o n 2 i n Y o u r r o o m 1 3
S e c t i o n 2 1 r o o m A c o u S t i c S 1 5
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 5
Z o n e o F n e u t r A l i t y 1 5
S e c t i o n 2 2 r o o m r e f l e c t i o n S 1 7
s l A p e c h o 1 7
s t A n D i n g W A V e s 2 0
c o m b F i l t e r e F F e c t 2 1
S e c t i o n 2 3 r e S o n A n c e S 2 2
s t r u c t u r A l r e s o n A n c e 2 2
V o l u m e r e s o n A n c e 2 2
S e c t i o n 2 4 Y o u r r o o m 2 3
r o o m s h A p e s 2 3
A l e x A n D r i A x - 2 s e r i e s 2 i n A D e D i c A t e D h o m e t h e A t e r 2 5
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 5
s p e A k e r o r i e n t A t i o n 2 6
s u m m A r y 2 7
S e c t i o n 3 u n c r A t i n g t h e A l e x A n d r i A 2 9
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 1
i n i t i A l c h e c k 3 1
t o o l s r e q u i r e D 3 1
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 1
u n p A c k i n g t h e W o o F e r 3 2
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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 2
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 3
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 3
c r A t e c o n t e n t s c h e c k l i s t 3 4
S e c t i o n 4 A S S e m b l i n g Y o u r A l e x A n d r i A S 3 7
S e c t i o n 4 1 i n i t i A l A S S e m b l Y 3 9
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 0
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 2
m A t e r i A l s r e q u i r e D : 4 2
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 2
r o o m s e t u p 4 3
A l i g n m e n t p r o c e D u r e 4 3
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 3
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 5
m A t e r i A l s r e q u i r e D 4 5
m o u n t i n g p r o c e D u r e 4 5
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 6
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 4 7
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 0
m A t e r i A l s r e q u i r e D 5 0
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 1
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 1
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 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 A t i o n p r o c e D u r e 5 4
l e V e l i n g t h e A l e x A n D r i A 5 6
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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 8 e x t e n S i o n S p i k e S 5 7
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 5 7
S e c t i o n 4 1 0 r e S i S t o r S 5 7
m i D r A n g e p h A s e r e s i s t o r s 5 8
W o o F e r D A m p i n g r e s i s t o r 5 8
S e c t i o n 4 1 1 b r e A k - i n p e r i o d 5 9
S e c t i o n 5 c A r e o f A l e x A n d r i A x - 2 6 1
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 3
c A r e o F t h e g r i l l e s 6 4
S e c t i o n 5 2 e n c l o S u r e c o n S t r u c t i o n 6 5
m A t e r i A l 6 5
A D h e s i V e 6 5
c o n c l u s i o n 6 6
S e c t i o n 6 t r o u b l e S h o o t i n g 6 7
S e c t i o n 7 S Y S t e m S p e c i f i c A t i o n S 7 3
S e c t i o n 7 1 S p e c i f i c A t i o n S : 7 5
S e c t i o n 7 2 A l e x A n d r i A x - 2 d i m e n S i o n S 7 6
S e c t i o n 8 p r o p A g A t i o n d e l A Y t A b l e S 7 7
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
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m i s c e l l A n e o u s 9 3
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Section 1 – Introduction
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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® X-2 Series 2 loudspeaker. The information contained within the pages of this man-
ual will inform and instruct you as to how you may enhance and prolong the enjoyment
of your Alexandria loudspeaker.
The original Alexandria was the fruition of a blank-slate approach to creating a new
flagship loudspeaker for the real world. It introduced radically new technologies, such
as Aspherical Propagation Delay™, and capitalized on the synergistic application of
technologies perfected in the decade since the revolutionary X-1 Grand SLAMM® plat-
form was introduced. Since that time, technologies introduced in the MAXX®, the WATT/
Puppy®, and the Sophia® made it clear that it was time to revisit Alexandria.
Among the technical innovations of the Alexandria:
• All-newmidrangedriverdevelopedspecificallyfortheSeries2Alexandria.
• Newimprovedtweeter.Backwaveinterferencehasbeenreducedtothe
lowest levels yet.
• Newcrossoverspottedincasesmilledfrom“X”material.Microphonics
and mechanical interference are greatly reduced through this aggressive
strategy. Applying new technology in the realm of propagation delay jitter,
the Alexandria Series 2 crossover is the most time coherent yet produced.
• Newbackcoverforeasyaccess.Thesinglecoverhasbereplacedbytwo,
which attach with Wilson’s stainless steel pin hardware. A tempered glass
window allows the crossover and resistors to be viewed with the cover in
place.
• Newresistorconnectorplatewithreducedresonanceandgreaterheatdis-
sipation.
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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 Adjust-
able Propagation Delay technology, which employs movable modules that allow the
individual adjustment of the drivers in the time domain. Using this technology, each
driver’s waveform propaga-
tion “matches up” with its
neighbors’ in such a way
to create the sonic equiva-
lent of a single point source.
Certain other loudspeaker
makers recognize the need
to correctly align their driv-
ers, but they do so for only
one theoretical listening po-
sition.
The fact is, misalign-
ment of the drivers by frac-
tions of an inch will audibly
degrade transient accuracy,
soundstage height, depth,
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figure 1 AlexAndriAS 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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and width. Misalignment of the drivers will also introduce tonal anomalies that destroy
theotherwiseconvincing“presence”ofaninstrumentorasinger’svoice.Wilson’ssolu-
tion for propagation delay correction has long set the standard for precise driver posi-
tioning in order to insure correct time alignment for a wide range of real room listening
figure 2 AlexAndriAS moduleS move ASphericAllY to correct propAgAtion delAY
Figure 2a - Typical loudspeakers exhibiT less Than opTimum
propagaTion delay and dispersion characTerisTics. The sound
qualiTy is compromised For all lisTeners in all rooms.
F
igure 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.
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distances and ear heights.
The signature curves in Alexandria’s cabinet are a further evolution of Wilson’s
philosophy that truly great forms follow a corresponding function. They are a visual
metaphor for the solution Wilson Audio pioneered to address issues of phase coherence
exacerbated 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, Wilson Audio takes this concept a logical step further, addressing
the issue of optimal driver dispersion in the large cabinet system. Ideal driver dispersion
for both near and far listening positions requires the drivers be adjustable not only for-
ward and back, but also able to rotate on their polar axes.
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 X-2 Series 2 is delightfully revolutionary.
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 2 – In Your Room
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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 X-2 Series 2 loudspeakers
and doing 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 prop-
erly.
Final Listening Room Setup (Voicing)
For a speaker system its size, the Series 2 Alexandria X-2 is unmatched in its ability
to reproduce 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
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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 over-
lyheavy,“chesty”qualitybecauseofyourproximitytotherearwall.
2. While speaking, slowly move out into the room, progressing in a direction
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 assistant, 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 ob-
serve 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, usu-
ally 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 in-
teracting 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be-
tween 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 sidewall,
progressing between the two pieces of tape. As above, listen for the point
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