page 11
powered subwoofers
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE VX-7 Mk II:
The VX-7 Mk II does not have a back panel "PHASE" switch. Therefore, to check phase, follow
these instructions: Instead of moving the switch's position, you must reverse the Positive and Negative
speaker inputs on the back of BOTH Satellite speakers. Move the lead on the Positive (+) terminal to
the Negative (—) terminal, and vice versa. You can also do this at the subwoofer's "TO SPEAKERS"
terminals, but never switch the inputs at both the backs of the Satellite speakers and the Subwoofer.
6. USE OF THE "LOW PASS FILTER" CONTROL
The back panel control "LOW PASS FILTER" sets the upper rolloff point of the Subwoofer,
eliminating mid-bass and midrange that are being reproduced by your Satellite speakers. The control
is a means of fine-tuning the transition between your Subwoofer and Satellite speakers, and it provides
a rolloff of 12 dB/octave up to 125 Hz, where the filter shifts to 36 dB/octave. In most systems, including
M&K Satellites, 85 Hz gives the best blend. If you don't want to experiment, set the control at 85 Hz.
The goal is to get a balanced
acoustic output in your room. This is not necessarily the same as
flat electrical output. Rooms typically reinforce bass frequencies around 100 Hz, so by leaving an
electrical gap, you may actually get a smooth acoustical response where it matters, in the room.
Think of this control as a mid-bass fine tuning adjustment that you set to achieve the best transition
between the Satellite speakers and the Subwoofer. When you hear a smooth sound overall, well
balanced between the deep bass and the rest of the audible spectrum, the control is set properly.
7. USE OF THE "BYPASS" SWITCH
(MX-700, MX-200, MX-125 Mk II, MX-105 Mk II, VX-100, V-125)
If you have a THX, Dolby Digital, or DTS component with a built-in Low-Pass filter as part of its
subwoofer output, or if you are using a separate Electronic Crossover, set the “VARIABLE” / “BYPASS”
switch on the back of the subwoofer to “BYPASS” position. This bypasses the internal low-pass filter
so that there is no interaction between the subwoofer’s filter and your component’s filter. If you have
any questions regarding the filters, please contact your M&K dealer or the M&K factory.
8. USING MULTIPLE SUBWOOFERS
Using two (or more) subwoofers in your system gives you the ultimate in bass performance. You'll
hear improved impact and definition, as well as greater output and dynamic range. See Section 4 on
page 5 for more information.
If multiple subwoofers are used, place them in the same location. Stacking is best, but you can
also put them side by side. Alternately, you can put multiple subwoofers in different locations. This
is appropriate when you have limited choices in locating the subwoofer and none of the available
locations work well. Try to place multiple subwoofers at equal distances from the listening position to
avoid phase cancellation.
With two Subwoofers, simply run one speaker wire or interconnect to each Subwoofer. Because
the left and right channel input signals are combined in the Subwoofer's input stage, the only thing this
changes is amplifier gain. To compensate, just set the "BASS LEVEL" control slightly higher.
