WILSON AUDIO POLARIS Owner's manual

Type
Owner's manual
Polaris Convergent Synergy Owner’s Manual
Polaris Convergent Synergy Owner’s Manual
Wilson Audio® is a registered trademark of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
WATT/Puppy®, WAMM®, Cub®, Sophia®, Sasha®, MAXX®, and Alexandria® are
registered trademarks of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
WilsonGloss™, Alexia™, Polaris™, Polaris Convergent Synergy™, Mezzo™, Mezzo
Convergent Synergy™, Duette™, 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 Mar-
keting Department. The information contained herein is subject to change without
notice. Current Revision 1.8. 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
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose,
without the express written permission of Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y o w n e r s M a n u a l
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P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y o w n e r s M a n u a l 1
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y o w n e r s M a n u a l 2
t a b l e o f C o n t e n t s 3
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
M o r e o n 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 2
s e C t i o n 2 u n C r a t i n g y o u r P o l a r i s 1 5
s e C t i o n 2 1 u n C r a t i n g t h e P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y 1 7
i n i t i A l c h e c k 1 7
U n c r A t i n g t h e p o l A r i s c o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y 1 7
s e C t i o n 2 2 C r a t e C o n t e n t C h e C k l i s t 1 8
p o l A r i s c o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y c r A t e 1 8
s e C t i o n 3 1 t h e w i l s o n a u d i o s e t u P P r o C e d u r e 2 3
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 ) 2 3
Z o n e o F n e U t r A l i t y : M A i n l e F t A n d r i g h t c h A n n e l 2 3
s e C t i o n 3 2 r o o M a C o u s t i C s 2 5
s l A p e c h o 2 5
s t A n d i n g W A v e s 2 8
c o M b F i l t e r e F F e c t 2 9
s e C t i o n 3 3 r e s o n a n C e s 3 0
s t r U c t U r A l r e s o n A n c e 3 0
v o l U M e r e s o n A n c e 3 0
s e C t i o n 3 4 y o u r r o o M 3 1
r o o M s h A p e s 3 1
p o l A r i s c o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y i n A d e d i c A t e d t h e A t e r 3 2
Table of Contents
Wilson Audio Specialties
T a b l e O f C O n T e n T s
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 3 3
s p e A k e r o r i e n t A t i o n 3 3
p o l A r i s c o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y 3 4
s e C t i o n 4 i n i t i a l s e t u P 3 5
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 7
r e M o v i n g t h e p r o t e c t i v e F i l M 3 7
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 3 8
M A t e r i A l s r e q U i r e d 3 8
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 3 8
r o o M s e t U p 3 8
A l i g n M e n t p r o c e d U r e 3 9
s e C t i o n 4 3 M o u n t i n g t h e M i d r a n g e M o d u l e 4 2
M A t e r i A l s r e q U i r e d 4 2
i n s t A l l t h e M i d r A n g e M o d U l e 4 3
s e C t i o n 4 4 M o u n t i n g t h e t w e e t e r M o d u l e 4 4
s e C t i o n 4 5 C o n n e C t i n g u P P e r M o d u l e s s i g n a l C a b l e 4 4
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 4 5
s p i k e A s s e M b l y 4 5
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 4 6
M A t e r i A l s r e q U i r e d 4 6
i n s t A l l A t i o n p r o c e d U r e 4 7
l e v e l i n g t h e p o l A r i s 4 8
s e C t i o n 4 8 r e s i s t o r s 4 9
M i d r A n g e A n d t W e e t e r r e s i s t o r s 5 0
W o o F e r d A M p i n g r e s i s t o r 5 0
s e C t i o n 4 9 b r e a k - i n P e r i o d 5 1
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y o w n e r s M a n u a l
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s e C t i o n 5 f i n a l s e t u P 5 3
s e C t i o n 5 1 t i P s f o r f i n a l v o i C i n g , h o M e t h e a t e r 5 5
s e C t i o n 5 2 - l e f t a n d r i g h t C h a n n e l s 5 6
d e t e r M i n i n g F r o n t t o b A c k d i s t A n c e 5 6
d e t e r M i n i n g s i d e t o s i d e d i s t A n c e 5 7
s e C t i o n 5 3 - i n t e g r a t i n g t h e P o l a r i s i n t o a t h e a t e r 5 8
c o r r e c t p o l A r i t y 5 8
i n t e g r A t i n g t h e p o l A r i s A s A c e n t e r c h A n n e l 5 8
i M A g e h e i g h t 5 9
i n t e g r A t i n g t h e W A t c h s U r r o U n d c h A n n e l s 5 9
i n t e g r A t i n g t h e p A s s i v e W A t c h d o g o r t h o r s h A M M e r 6 0
s e C t i o n 6 C a r e o f P o l a r i s 6 1
s e C t i o n 6 1 C a r e o f t h e f i n i s h 6 3
d U s t i n g t h e p o l A r i s c o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y 6 3
c A r e o F t h e g r i l l s 6 3
s e C t i o n 6 2 e n C l o s u r e t e C h n o l o g y 6 4
M A t e r i A l s 6 4
A d h e s i v e 6 5
s e C t i o n 6 3 d e P t h o f d e s i g n 6 5
s e C t i o n 7 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 1 t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g : 6 9
s e C t i o n 8 - r e P a i r P r o C e d u r e s 7 1
s e C t i o n 8 1 - r e P a i r P r o C e d u r e s 7 3
r e p l A c i n g A b l o W n r e s i s t o r 7 3
r e p l A c i n g A d A M A g e d d r i v e r 7 4
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 9 s P e C i f i C a t i o n s 7 7
s e C t i o n 9 1 - P o l a r i s s P e C i f i C a t i o n s 7 9
e n c l o s U r e t y p e : 7 9
d r i v e r s : 7 9
M e A s U r e M e n t s : 7 9
d i M e n s i o n s : 7 9
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y d i M e n s i o n s 8 0
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y i M P e d a n C e C u r v e 8 1
s e C t i o n 1 0 a l i g n M e n t t a b l e s 8 3
s e C t i o n 1 0 1 P o l a r i s P r o P a g a t i o n d e l a y t a b l e 8 5
f o o t n o t e s t o a l i g n M e n t t a b l e s 8 9
s e C t i o n 1 1 w a r r a n t y i n f o r M a t i o n 9 1
s e C t i o n 1 1 1 w a r r a n t y i n f o r M a t i o n 9 3
l i M i t e d W A r r A n t y 9 3
c o n d i t i o n s 9 3
r e M e d y 9 4
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 4
d e M o n s t r A t i o n e q U i p M e n t 9 5
M i s c e l l A n e o U s 9 5
P o l a r i s C o n v e r g e n t s y n e r g y o w n e r s M a n u a l
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Section 1 – Introduction
Wilson Audio Specialties
Section 1.1 – Introduction
From all of us at Wilson Audio Specialties—thank you for purchasing the Polaris Con-
vergent Synergy loudspeaker. The information contained within the pages of this manual
will inform and instruct on the proper assembly, set up, and long term care of your Polaris
Convergent Synergy.
The Polaris Convergent Synergy was formulated and engineered with a specific func-
tion in mind: a loudspeaker endowed with similar authority and dynamic range as Wilson’s
large floorstanding loudspeakers, Alexandria® XLF and MAXX®, but in a low-profile pack-
age. When used as a center channel, Polaris Convergent Synergy seamlessly matches the
acoustic signature of Wilson’s larger loudspeakers – whether the main left/right speakers are
Alexandrias, MAXXs or two more Polarises. The Polaris Convergent Synergy also provides
an unprecedented level of musical accuracy in music systems and home theaters where
its low-profile form solves architectural challenges, such as in those installations where a
tall loudspeaker would block the view afforded by large windows, or would obstruct wall-
hanging artwork. Whether it is used as a center channel or as a main loudspeaker, Polaris
Convergent Synergy matches the tonal beauty, dynamic speed, tonal sophistication, resolu-
tion, and sense of “thereness” of its taller Wilson brethren.
The Polaris Convergent Synergy is the latest effort from the Wilson Special Applica-
tions Engineering team. Arguably Wilson’s first Special Applications product was the
WATT. Dave needed an accurate and portable location monitor for the series of audiophile
recordings he was making at the time. In a way, Dave began the project out of frustration;
nothing available on the market suited his exacting need. Dave set out to design and build
a monitor for this specific purpose. The result was the Wilson Audio Tiny Tot (WATT). Ev-
erything about the WATT’s form was incorporated by Dave to serve its purpose as a porta-
ble monitor. This was perhaps best signified by the thick cylindrical aluminum handle that
traversed the two blades in the rear of the WATT, which was placed so as to provide Dave
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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
a safe and convenient handle by which to carry the speaker into and out of the recording
locations. Prior to Polaris, Duette was the Wilson Special Applications Engineering team’s
most ambitious project. Here, the goal was to design a loudspeaker that would perform
to Wilson Standards in environments hostile to good sound, such as against a wall or in a
custom cabinet. Duette changed what was previously thought possible for these types of
installations, bringing Wilsons trademark transparency, tonal accuracy, and dynamic agil-
ity to thearchitectural” arena.
Among the technical innovations of the Polaris Convergent Synergy:
The Polaris features the ground-breaking Wilson midrange drivers devel-
oped originally for the Alexandria Series 2. When listening to live music,
the interaction of the hall with the instruments in the ensemble created
an interaction. Dave Wilson and Wilson’s engineers teamed up with a new
driver to implement a new design strategy inspired by Dave’s ongoing re-
search into the sound of live, unamplified music. Dave and the Wilson en-
gineers set out to redefine what was possible in cone midrange technology
– and to capture certain qualities of live music heretofore not achieved in
any other design. Their efforts were rewarded. The result was the new Wil-
son midrange driver. One has to hear the clarity, tonal density and truthful-
ness, and dynamic clarity to appreciate the resulting vast improvement in
midrange over other designs.
Wilson Audio’s Convergent Synergy tweeter was originally developed for
the Alexandria XLF. During the development of the Convergent Synergy
tweeter, Dave and the engineers tested a wide spectrum of tweeters fab-
ricated with exotic materials such as diamond and beryllium. Each have
their own unique qualities and virtues. Many exhibit flat frequency re-
sponse, or are extended several octaves above the audible bandwidth.
But none matched the dynamic contrast and harmonic expression of Wil-
son’s existing titanium design. But most importantly, none of them were
an ideal match to our midrange driver. Dave began a renewed quest for an
improved tweeter that culminated in a proprietary Wilson design for the
Alexandria XLF. Wilson’s tweeter, which was named Convergent Synergy,
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rejects exotic materials in favor of a uniquely constructed silk dome design
that better meets all of Dave’s musical design goals. With the Convergent
Synergy driver, Dave’s design requirement of ultra-low distortion and very
robust power handling down in the lower part of its range are beautifully
met. These qualities converge with a much a higher resonant frequency and
flatter frequency response when compared to the original inverted titanium
design. Wilson’s Convergent Synergy tweeter is extremely linear. It crosses
over synergistically to Wilson’s midrange driver. The noise floor is lower
than the titanium driver it replaces.
Proprietary woofer. Working with an outside vendor, the Wilson engineer-
ing team designed a new ten inch woofer. The design goal was to marry
the high-speed, dynamic range, and low-frequency reach typical of Wilson
loudspeakers to a compact, low-profile cabinet. Transient speed and grand-
scale weight and authority, typically mutually exclusive loudspeaker traits,
are revealed by Polaris with alacrity and effortlessness.
The Convergent Synergy tweeter’s acoustic and mechanical demands are
somewhat different from the titanium tweeter it replaces. Using the latest
version of Wilson’s proprietary composite, X-material, Wilson’s engineers
designed an all-new tweeter module. The new tweeter module accounts for
the Convergent Synergy tweeter’s dispersion characteristics. The midrange
module was also modified to better complement the new tweeter module,
which sits directly above. Both modules are extremely inert and non-reso-
nant. Great care was taken to address diffraction—a type of time-domain
distortion that results from reflections off the speaker cabinet. The shape of
the two new modules is the result of this effort, as is the shape and materi-
al of the energy-absorbing pad that surrounds the tweeter. The upper array
geometry was designed to address the challenges of a low-profile design,
with the two woofers mounted horizontally and flanking the mids. Two
upper modules are acoustically optimized in terms of volume, structural
rigidity, and low cabinet resonance.
Aspherical Propagation Delay. Achieving near perfect alignment at the
listening position requires controlling both the rotational angle of the head
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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(for proper dispersion) and the time alignment of the driver (its relative dis-
tance to the listener).
Crossovers. Applying new technology adapted from the Alexandria XLF,
MAXX Series 3, and Sasha W/P Series 2. The goal was to continue to re-
duce propagation delay jitter and to lower the noise floor. Polaris’s overall
resolution, intertransient silence, dynamic speed and nuance rival MAXX
and Alexandria XLF.
“S” Material midrange baffle. S-material is a new enclosure composite de-
signed in conjunction with the Sasha W/P project. The S-material midrange
baffle reduces measurable and audible noise and coloration in the critical
midrange. Wilson’s proprietary X-material is used in the balance of the en-
closure walls, continuing Wilson’s practice of building ultra-low resonance
cabinets.
More on 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. A challenge
typically ignored by speaker designers is preserving the precise time relationships of the
leading edge of the musical waveform.
The key to solving this problem lies in Wilsons innovative and patented Adjustable
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 wave-
form propagation “matches up” with the other drivers in the system in such a way as to
create the sonic equivalent of a single point source. There are certain loudspeaker makers
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other than Wilson that 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
figure 1 using teChnology froM alexandria and Maxx, Polariss Modules Move asPheri-
Cally to CorreCt ProPagation delay
Figure 1a - Typical loudspeakers exhibiT less Than opTimum
propagaTion delay and dispersion characTerisTics. The sound
qualiTy is compromised For all lisTeners in all rooms.
F
igure 1b - aspherical propagaTion delay opTimizes driver/room
inTeracTion For a varieTy oF siTuaTions. This provides consisTenTly
opTimized resulTs in a wide range oF rooms and lisTening posiTions.
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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
transient accuracy, soundstage height, depth, and width. Misalignment of the drivers will
also introduce tonal anomalies that destroy the otherwise convincing “presence” of an in-
strument or a singer’s voice. Wilsons solution for propagation delay correction has long
set the standard for precise driver positioning in order to insure correct time-alignment for
a wide range of real room listening distances and ear heights.
The Polaris Convergent Synergy cabinet is a further evolution of Wilsons philosophy
that truly great forms follow a corresponding function. It is a visual metaphor for the solu-
tion Wilson Audio pioneered to address issues of phase coherence exacerbated by large
speaker systems. Typical of the creative process, the solution itself is 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 sug-
gested a solution to the similar problem of time domain accuracy for large speaker systems
at both near and far listening positions.
With Polaris, 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 forward
and back, but also able to rotate on their vertical polar axes.
With Polaris, 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 Polaris is delightfully
revolutionary.
P O l a r i s O w n e r s M a n u a l
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Section 2 – Uncrating your Polaris
Wilson Audio Specialties
Section 2.1 – Uncrating the Polaris Convergent Synergy
Note: To avoid damaging the Alexx’s painted surface. Please remove any jewelry such as
rings, watches, necklaces, and bracelets during this process.
Initial Check
The Polaris Convergent Synergy is shipped in two wooden crates. Upon receiving the
crates, please check their condition. If there is any damage, please report it to the shipping
company immediately for insurance verification.
Uncrating the Polaris Convergent Synergy
The following items are recommended for this procedure:
Supplied hardware kit
Tape measure
Known listening position
Electric screwdriver
Phillips head drive bit or Phillips head screwdriver
Open the top of crate and determine the side where the casters are connected to the
bottom of the Woofer Module. Remove the packing material from between the casters. Ro-
tate the crate up on its end so that the casters on the woofer are toward the floor. Gently
roll the Polaris Convergent Synergy out of the crate. Remove the plastic outer bags from
each of the three modules. The Woofer Module is extremely heavy; removing the bag is a
two-man job. Inventory the crate contents. Move the Polaris Convergent Synergy into the
desired location.
Note: Be careful not to touch the driver elements when you are moving your Polaris
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s e C T i O n 2 . 1 u n C r a T i n g T h e P O l a r i s C O n v e r g e n T s y n e r g y
Convergent Synergy.
Section 2.2 – Crate Content Checklist
Now that you have unpacked your Polaris Convergent Synergy, you can inventory all
the additional items in the crate.
Polaris Convergent Synergy Crate
1 – Owner’s Manual
1 – Warranty Registration
1 – Polaris Convergent Synergy Midrange Module Grill
1 – Polaris Convergent Synergy Tweeter Module Grill
1 – Polaris Convergent Synergy Woofer Module Grill
4 – Hex Nut
4 – Threaded Pin
4 – 3/8-16 X 1 1/2” Set Screw
2 – 3/8-16 X 2” Set Screw
2 – ‘A’ Spike
4 – ‘B’ Spike
3 – ‘C’ Spike
2 – ‘D’ Spike
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2 – ‘E’ Spike
2 – Large Spike Spacers
4 – Spike Diodes
4 – 2” Brass Spike Pad
1 3/32” Allen Wrench
1 1/8” Allen Wrench
1 – 1/2” Nut Driver
1 3/16” Long Arm Allen Wrench
1 5/32” Allen Wrench
1 – 9/16” Comb Wrench
1 – Caster Wrench
1 – Blue Polish Cloth
1 – 7/16” Ratchet Wrench
1 – Wilson Audio Spike Jack with Bag
1 – 2.1 ohm (parallel) spare resistor
1 – .5 ohm (parallel) spare resistor
1 – 18 ohm barrel spare resistor
s e C T i O n 2 . 2 C r a T e C O n T e n T C h e C k l i s T
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WILSON AUDIO POLARIS Owner's manual

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Owner's manual

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