WILSON AUDIO Thor's Hammer, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...T h o r s H a m m e r O w n e r s M a n u a l ...

Page 2: ...duced by the W ilson Audio Engineering and the Sales and Mar keting Department The information contained herein is subject to change without notice Current Revision 1 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 W ilson Audio Specialties Inc Any reproduction in whole or in part without the express written permission ...

Page 3: ...e c t i o n 3 2 R o o m A c o u s t i c s a n d S u b w o o f e r s 1 9 R o o m R e s o n a n c e 1 9 S t r u c t u r a l R e s o n a n c e 1 9 V o l u m e R e s o n a n c e 2 0 S e c t i o n 3 2 I n i t i a l P l a c e m e n t o f T h o r s H a m m e r 2 0 S e c t i o n 3 3 T h o r s H a m m e r i n a M u s i c S y s t e m s 2 1 B y p a s s i n g T h e H i g h P a s s F i l t e r 2 3 U t i l i z ...

Page 4: ...i o n 5 2 E n c l o s u r e T e c h n o l o g y 3 7 M a t e r i a l s 3 7 A d h e s i v e 3 7 S e c t i o n 5 3 D e p t h o f D e s i g n 3 8 S e c t i o n 6 S p e c i f i c a t i o n s 3 9 P a ss i v e T h o r s H a m m e r S p e c i f i c a t i o n s 4 1 T h o r s H a m m e r D i m e n s i o n s 4 2 S e c t i o n 7 W a r r a n t y I n f o r m a t i o n 4 3 S e c t i o n 7 1 W a r r a n t y I n f...

Page 5: ... 5 Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s ...

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Page 7: ...S e c t i o n 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n ...

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Page 9: ...ive crossover The Controller s comprehensive control allows the Thor s Hammer to be optimized for both music and multi channel applications even within the same system The Controller s adjustments allow critical setup ensur ing the best possible performance in a wide range of rooms and with a variety of speak ers You haven t truly experienced home theater until you ve felt the impact power and pas...

Page 10: ...tions One of Wilson Audio s most important criteria in speaker development is that a speaker meets the accuracy and dynamic demands of studio monitoring analytical hardware and software evaluation and of course critical music and theater soundtrack listening The Thor s Hammer has been designed to deliver all of the speed dynamics and musical accuracy to satisfy even the most demanding music lovers...

Page 11: ...rmance quality of build and longevity Wilson Audio delivers a product that maintains the strictest structural tolerances durability and reliability You will have consistent repeatable performance unaffected by the climatic conditions any where in the world The Thor s Hammer will provide an experience with film or music only obtainable through Wilson products 11 Figure 1 Thor s Hammer in Theater Sy...

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Page 13: ...S e c t i o n 2 U n c r a t i n g y o u r T h o r s H a m m e r ...

Page 14: ...T h o r s H a m m e r O w n e r s M a n u a l 14 Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s ...

Page 15: ...Remove the lid Remove the foam packing material that is positioned be tween the casters on the bottom of the Thor s Hammer The Thor s Ham mer will not roll out of the crate with this packing material in place 2 Carefully rotate the crate so that the Thor s Hammer is upright 3 While one person holds the crate another person should gently roll the Thor s Hammer out of the crate Be careful not to scr...

Page 16: ...Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s ...

Page 17: ...S e c t i o n 3 I n Yo u r R o o m ...

Page 18: ...T h o r s H a m m e r O w n e r s M a n u a l 18 Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s 18 ...

Page 19: ... Audio dealer perform the subwoofer s setup and crossover settings as well as the final voicing of your primary loudspeakers If you are using Thor s Ham mer with Wilson loudspeakers our dealers are specially trained in setting up Wilson loudspeakers and will ensure that you realize the full value of your purchase Section 3 2 Room Acoustics and Subwoofers Room Resonance Resonance in listening rooms...

Page 20: ...oom will also support standing wave modes and resonances at frequencies determined by the size of that room Larger rooms will resonate at a lower frequency and have more complex better modal distri butions than will smaller rooms Volume resonances wall panel resonances and low frequency standing waves combine to form a low frequency coloration in the sound At its worst it is a grossly exaggerated ...

Page 21: ...io Controller placement flexibility of Thor s Hammer is further enhanced The ideal position of the Thor s Hammer subwoofer is somewhat dependent on its primary use Section 3 3 Thor s Hammer in a Music Systems For the best musical results it is recommended that the Thor s Hammer be used in conjunction with the Wilson Controller in music systems The Thor s Hammer subwoofer was designed to enhance th...

Page 22: ...the two main speakers or in the left or right corners behind the main loudspeakers It is possible to successfully integrate the Thor s Hammer in other locations using the Controller s phase control See Control ler manual Corner place ment provides the greatest low frequency reinforce ment up to 6dB but care is required in order to avoid upper bass colorations resulting in less coherent integration...

Page 23: ...akers when listening to music This is achieved by switching between the Line and Processor inputs on the Controller Low and High Pass filter settings are also switchable allowing the Thor s Hammer to be optimized for both music and home theater even within the same sys tem See Controller owner s manual for detailed information on critical setup Bypassing The High Pass Filter In systems where the m...

Page 24: ... power Some rooms have extreme bass nonlinearities that can be better ameliorated when the main speaker is bass limited See the Controller owner s manual for connection details Section 3 4 The Thor s Hammer in a Home Theater The Thor s Hammer can be connected in a variety of ways depending on your sys tem needs It can be used as the LFE Low Frequency Effects channel for a dedicated home theater sy...

Page 25: ...d Processor You must use a dedicated amplifier to power your Thor s Hammer The Thor s Ham mer subwoofer can be used in conjunction with your surround processor without the need of an additional crossovers In those systems where the Thor s Hammer is be ing used as the point one channel in a surround system the subwoofer is connected through the sub output of the surround processor Connect this outp...

Page 26: ... to measure bass output from your Thor s Hammer please be aware of the following regarding the interpretation of measurements A Use slow meter response ballistics to help average out the reading and to keep from going crazy trying to read it B Ears and meters are not directly interchangeable They neither sample nor pro cess the sound in a completely analogous manner see Figure 7 Summary In summary...

Page 27: ...S e c t i o n 4 F i n i s h i n g u p ...

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Page 29: ...undred pounds 181 43 Kg Two strong indi viduals are required to safely install spikes After determining the Thor s Hammer s position as semble the spikes as follows Assembly Vertical Placement 1 Remove the casters from the bottom of the Thor s Hammer 2 Carefully tilting the Thor back exposing the two front spikes holes be neath insert threaded bolts in the bolt holes in the front of the subwoofer ...

Page 30: ...contact with the hard sur face beneath The spikes installed properly decouple the Thor s Hammer from the floor reduc ing resonances within the room They also provide a stable platform for the Thor s Ham mer to launch bass energy into the room The result is cleaner faster more dynamic bass with improved extension and linearity Plinth and Spike Installation Horizontal Placement Note Thor s Hammer is...

Page 31: ...nstruc tions in the previous section by first screwing the spike into the diode Install the spikes into thread ed holes in the bottom of the plinth Note Remove the casters when tipping Thor s Hammer on its side Thor s Hammer is very heavy over four hundred pounds 182 Kg and can bend or break the caster shaft as the subwoofer rotates horizontally Tip the Hammer onto its side near adjacent to the pl...

Page 32: ... at tached using Wilson s unique austenitic stainless pin system Each of the two grills contain four pins Assemble the grill by screwing each pin into the four thread ed holes in each grill The grill frames are milled from solid X material The threads are tapped directly into the X material Avoid cross threading the grill pins Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s Figure 10 Thread Steel Pins ...

Page 33: ...S e c t i o n 5 C a r e o f t h e F i n i s h ...

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Page 35: ...oose dust Shake out the dust cloth Dust the finish using linear motions in one direction parallel to the floor Avoid using circular or vertical motions Because the paint requires a period of several weeks to fully cure we recommend that no cleaning fluids such as glass cleaners be used during this initial period of time When the paint is fully cured heavy fingerprints and other minor smudges may b...

Page 36: ...s Often Wilson speaker own ers desire to change the look of their listening room by changing the color of their speaker grills In addition to basic black Wil son Audio offers a variety of grill colors to match most WilsonGloss finishes Contact your local deal er for grill cloth samples or to order replacement grills for your Thor s Hammer Break in Period All audio equipment will sound best after i...

Page 37: ... the best materials are not suited to all aspects of enclosure construction Therefore like all Wilson loudspeakers the Thor s Hammer is constructed of several exotic materials chosen for their specific performance attributes relevant to different portions of the enclosure The Thor s Hammer is constructed using non resonant high density composites which are then cross braced to further reduce cabin...

Page 38: ... employed to achieve truly exceptional speaker cabinet performance The use of these materials in the Thor s Hammer results in an enclosure that is inherently inert and non resonant All of these structural aspects are combined allowing Wilson Audio to deliver a product that maintains the strictest structural tolerances durability and reliability This also means that the Thor s Ham mers will have co...

Page 39: ...S e c t i o n 6 S p e c i f i c a t i o n s ...

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Page 41: ...ive Thor s Hammer Specifications Enclosure Type Woofer Nominal Impedance Sensitivity Overall Dimensions Weight Front Ported 2 each 15 inch dual spider 4 ohms 93 dB 1 watt 2 83v at one meter Height 59 149 86 cm with spike Depth 25 1 2 65 25 cm Width 20 50 80 cm 412 lbs 186 88 Kg 545 lbs 245 21 KG in shipping crates ...

Page 42: ...Thor s Hammer Dimensions T h o r s H a m m e r O w n e r s M a n u a l 42 Wi l s o n A u d i o S p e c i a l t i e s ...

Page 43: ...S e c t i o n 7 Wa r r a n t y I n f o r m a t i o n ...

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Page 45: ...ally installed by the Wilson Audio dealer that sold the product to the customer FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH EITHER REQUIREMENT NO 1 OR REQUIREMENT NO 2 WILL RESULT IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD BEING LIMITED TO A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS ONLY Conditions This Limited Warranty is also subject to the following conditions and limitations The Limited Warranty is void and inapplicable if the product has been used or handl...

Page 46: ...dio Dealer within the Warranty Period for service or repair of the product without charge for parts or labor which service or repair at the Dealer s option shall take place either at the location where the product is installed or at the Dealer s place of business or 2 if purchaser has timely sought service or repair and the product cannot be serviced or repaired by the Dealer then purchaser may ob...

Page 47: ...hip for the same time periods as if the product had originally been bought for immediate resale to the retail customer Wilson Audio products are warranted for a period of 90 days unless extended to 5 years as provided above by return and filing of completed Warranty Registration at Wilson Au dio within 30 days after product delivery to customer and the product was profession ally installed by the ...

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