Download NHT VT-3 User's Manual

N o w H e a rT h i s - 5 2 7 S t o n eR o a d ,B e n i c i aC
, A 94510
TechnicalSupport 800-NHT-9993
Parts & Warranty 800-225-9847
CAUTION
CAUTION:TO REDUCE RISK OF ELECTRICALSHOCK, DO NOT RE 4OVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USERSERVICEABLE
PARTSINSIDE.REFERTO QUALIFIEDSERVICEPERSONNEL.
A
/i\
to alerlthe userto thepresen@ol uninsulated
symbol,wilhinan equilateratriangleis inlended
Thetightning
ilashwithth€anowhead
'dangercus
a riskof eiectricshocklo persons.
lo conslitute
withinthe produclsenclosure
thatmaybe of suficientmagnitude
voltage"
pointwilhin
of mpodantoperalifgandmanlenance
to alefttheuserlo lhe presence
an equihteE triangl€is intended
Theexclamation
(seruicing)
the appliance.
instructions
in the litsraluEaccompanying
TO RAINoR MoISTURE
SHocK,DONOTEXPoSETHlsAPPLIANCE
THERlsKoF FIREORELECTRIo
WARNING:
TO REDUCE
- All safetyandoperatnginstructions
is operated
shouldbe rcadbeforetheappliance
1.READINSTRUCTIoNS
' safetyandopsrating
shouldbe rclained
forfulurcrcference.
inslructions
2. RETAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
-Allwamings
to
inslructions
shouldbe adhercd
on theappliance
andin operating
3. HEEDWARNINGS
-All opelating
anduseinstructions
shouldbefollowed
INSTRUCTIONS
4. FOLLOW
kitchen
sink,laundry
tub;in a wel base'
washbowl,
Theappliance
shouldnolbe usednoarwaler' neafbathtub,
5. WATER
ANDt\4otsTUREmenl n€ara swimming
Pool,etc,
- Do noiplacethisproducion an lnstablecart,stand,tripod,blackel,or tabie.Theappliance
shouldbe usedonly
ANDSTANDS
6. CARTS
byth€manufacturot
witha cadof stsndthatis r€commended
- Th€applianoe
do nol int€ferewiihprcperventilalion.Th6 appllance
andposilion
shouldbe siluatedso thatits locatlon
7. VENTILATION
thslmayobstruct
cabln€lopsnings
on s bed,sofa,rug,or anyeurfac€
shouldno!b6slluated
(including
amplih€alregisters,
stov6s,
orotherdevices
suchas ladiatols,
€houldb€situat€d
awayfrcmheatsourc€s
8. HEAT-Theappttance
tlerc)thalprcducshoat.
- Thisproduct
onthemarking
label.lf youar€notsura
onlyfromth6typeof powersourcoIndlcaled
SOURCES
shouldb€operst€d
9. POWER
power
Inlended
to op€rale
lrombattery
yolr product
company.
Forproducls
d€al€ror localpower
of thetypepow€rsupplyin yourhome,consull
€fer to lheoperatlng
Inslructlonr
or othersources,
- Powersupplycordsshouldb€ rout€dso thatth6yare notlikelyto b€ walk6duponor pinch€dby il€mLr]
10.POWER
CORDPROTECTION
ptac€duponor egalnst
receptecles,
andthepointwh€rsthsysxilfrcmlheappliance.V
to cordsandplugs,conveni€nce
them,payingsttention
pola
pllg
(a
plug
having
onebladewidff thanth€oth€o.Thisplugwillft
ls
with
a
z€d
lin€
POLARIZEO
PLUG
Thls
appllance
equippsd
11.
"
lheplug.ltlhe
lfyou ar€unableto ins€nth€plugfullyintotheoutl6l,try r€v€rsing
Intothepoweroutl€tonlyon6way.Thlsb a saf€tyf€ature.
plugstllltalleto lit, contact
your€lectrlclan
outl6t.Donotatt6mpt
lo det€stthissal6lyf6alur€.
to feplac€yorirobsolet€
- Foradd€dproteciion
8ndunussdforlongp€tiods
oftlm6,
storm,orwh€nit is l6ftunatlend€d
torthisproduct
duflnga llghtning
12.LIcHTNING
andpowor
Thlswillpr€vsnidamag€to ths prcdlcidueto lightning
theantenna
or cablesystem.
unptug
it frcmth6walloutl€tanddisconn€ct
- Do notovedoad
r€ceptacles,
as thiscanresultin a rlskof tir€of
walloullets,
€xtonsion
co.ds,or integfalconv€nlenc€
13.OVERLOADING
Usea dampclothfor
Donotuseliquidcleanels
or aercsolcl€ansrs.
beforccleaning.
14.CLEANING
" Unplugthisproduclfrcmthewalloutlet
- Thisamplili€r
is lefiunused
for a longpedodot llme.
PERIODS
shouldbe unplugg€d
fromtheoulletwhentheappliance
15.NON,USE
as lheymaytouchdangsrous
voltage
lhroughopenings,
16.OBJECTAND
LIOUID
ENTRY- Neverpushobjectsof anykindinlothisproduct
poinrsor short-out
pansthaicouldresultin a fireoreleclricshock.Nevsrspillliquidofanykindon lhisproducl.
- Theappliance
personnel
shouldbe serviced
by qualified
when:
REQUIRING
SERVICE
17.DAMAGE
6. Thepowersupplycordor plughasbeendamaged;
or
or
b. Objects
havefallenon or liquidhasb€enspiliedinlotheappliance;
hasbeenexposed
to rsin:or
c. Theappliance
or exhibits
a marked
changein periomancei
or
d. Theappliance
doesnolappearloopeEtenormally
is damaged.
e. Theappliance
hasbeendrcppedorlhe enclosure
producl
youlself,
coversmayexposeyou
to dangerous
voltagsor olher
18.SERVICINGDonotaiismplio seruicethis
as opening
orremovinq
pgrsonnol.
calllheNHTHotline
number:1-800-NHT-9993.
hazards.
Referallservicing
lo qualitied
seryice
Forservice
waffantyinformation
parlsspecfiedby
padsarc rcquircd,
PARTS Whenrcplacemenl
be suretheservicetechnician
hasusedreplacement
19.REPLACEMENT
mayrcsultin frre,olectcshock,orolher
themanutacturcr
orlhai havethesamecha€cteristics
as theo ginalpad.Unaulhozedsubslitution
lo pedomsaletychecksio deier20.SAFEryCHECK- Uponcompletion
olany seruice
of repaiEto ihisproduct,
asklheservieiechnician
minelhallhepmductis in pfoperopeElingcondition.
TO PREVENTELECTRICSHOCK,DO NOT USETHIS{POLARIZED)
PLUGWITHAN EXTENSION
CORD,RECEP
TACLEOR OTHEROUTLETUNLESSTHE BLADESCANBE FULLYINSERTED
TO PREVENTBLADEEXPOSURE.
!
\l
VT-3HomeTheaterReference
System.Pleasetakea few minutesto read
Thankyoufor youfpurchaseof the NHTNrodel
provided
will helpyouto obtainmaxithroughthis Owner'sl/anual priorto installingyour newspeakers.The information
you
questions
pedormance
your
at
any
time
du ng the installation
or
from
audio
system.
li
have
or
need
assistance
mum
CustomerHotlineat:
operationof yournewspeaker,pleasecallyourNHTDealeror our Toll-Free
1-ao0-225-9847
io protectihe speakerin the eventthat you moveor transpoftit.
Pleaseretainthe lvlodelVT-3'spackaging
v
ModelVT-3Specifications
Loudspeaker: VT-3 Towers
. SystemType:4-way& 2-wayacousticsuspension
. DriverComplementlTwo10"sideloadedsubwoofers,
One5.25"uppefmidrange,
Two6.25"lowermidranges,
midrange,
1"liquid{ooled
aluminum
domet/veeter,
5.25"rear-firing
1" rear-firingsofrdometlveeter;All Videoshielded
. Crossover:Active100H212dBloctave,
passive250H212dBloclave
& 2.1kHzlSdBloctave
. FrcquencyResponsei21Hz- 26kHz.+l- 3db
. Sensitivity:87db(2.83Vat 1M)
. l m p e d a n c e :o6h m s
. RecommendedAmplitier Power:30W- 300w
. Inpul Connections:Twopairsof goldplateds-waybindingposts;8-pinmini-D.l.N.
input
.Weight:130lbs.each
. Dimensions:48"Hx 8"Wx 22.25"D
.Flnlsh:ltaliansatinblacklaminate
Electronics:
VT-3Controller
. Inputs:Gold-plated
- L, R, LFEfromsufioundpreamplifier
RCAconnectors
' Oulputs: cold-platedRCAS- L&Rto mainamp;LFEto optionalsubwoofer;
&pin mini-D.l.N
oriFutto W-3 towers
. FrequencyResponse:100H2- lookHz+^ 3dB
' Tolal HarmonicDistortionr0.005%
'Signalto NoiseRatio:103d8
. Input SensitivityiVadable
. Input lmpedance:10Kohms
'Voltage Gain at Full volume: 24dB
-Weight:5lbs.
. Dimensions:
2"Hx 16"Wx 8"D
. Finish:Matteblack
Electronics: VT.3 Subwoofer Amplifiers
. Inputs:8-pinminiD.l.N.
input
. Power:500Wmonoaural
. FrequencyResponse:20 - 100H2+l 3dB
. Total HarmonicDistortionat Full RatedPower:0.3%
. Signalto NoiseRatio:95dB
. VoltageGain:26dB
Specinetonsae subjeclio changewiihoLtrolice,in accodancewithour policyot continuously
upgEdingthe pedormance
ol ouf p.oducts.
I
Design
NHT productsare designedto deliverrefined,musicalsoundfrom attractiveand affordablepackages.Our efJortsare
guidedby the studyof humanhearingand are optimizedfor real worlduse. EveryNHT productundergoesrigorous
testingand qualitycontrolat the factoryto ensureyou yearsof listeningpleasure.
v- _The. .NHT
. .vT-3
_ .Home
. _ ^Theater
. . Referencesystemis designedto optimizeone loudspeakefsystemfor the divergent
Audio(for2
of audioand hometheater Twodiffercntmodesof operationare selectable:
imagingand bassrequirements
hometheater).The VI-3
musicreprcduction)
and Video(for multi-channel
channelstereoand discrcetmulti-channel
fronlpanelselectionofAudiomodeor Videomode
featuresan outboardController(withrcmote)that allowsconvenient
(two
of volume,fiiteringand equalization
for the subwoofers.lt employsfouf highoutput10"subwoofers
and adjustment
per side)similarto thoseusedin our Suboneand SubTwoSubwoofers.Theyare mountedverticallyin a solidlybuilt,
sealedrectangula.enclosure. The two (one pef side) built-in500-wattamplifiersuse patentedBob Carver/Sunfire
technology,
which allowsthem to delivefvery high outputpowerto the subwoofersin an efficientand cool-running
manner.
extended
TheVT-3was designedto be firstand foremosta musicalspeakerwithflatfrequencyresponse,low distortion,
for hometheateruse(Video
bassandprecisestereoimaging(Audiomode).TooptimizetheVT-3'sfadiationcharacteristics
ambientdriversto createa morespaciousbut less precisesoundstage.Theseambient
mode),we employrear-firing,
the
doesnoteffectthe system'soveralltonalbalance.Operating
driversoperateat a reducedlevelso thattheifoperation
VT-3in Videomodealso changesthe outputof the subwoofers.They are equalizedto providemoremid-bassoutput
(whenoomparedto theAudiomode)to emphasize
the lowfrequencyeffectsaddedto moviesoundkacks.
@
ftp
Amplifier
@
Controller
Amp (Figure
A)
1. PMr SwitchAdi€ies porer torsubsefer ampliferandConholls
3. SLbwfer npd InpLn
id &pinD.l.N.dnedor i_omC.nto ler
4. PMr ndietor ThegEn ightis lilwhenlt€ syslemison.
6 Spe€ks npui- Re!.
Controller(Figure
B)
Front of Confoller
The amber lighiis lil when t,le sLb$m€r is in slandbymode.
The P(rer Indlebr is lil when lhe s)stem s adi!€.
8. Subr@fervoLumeCdlrol Adjci d1eloudll* of the sub{e€6.
10. Vdeo ModeAcli€ LED
13. AmbientDdve6 Adi@ Swiich
Remote
14.lnrbienl DivasAcllveLED
15.LFEGainKnob
16.LN PassFibrKnob
Backof Conboller
17. Subweler Oubul Righl
18. Sub@ier oLlpLnLefl
19. SubwierGain Seledor A!l@s tor addi[onaLgaintor ]w inpLi sigmls.
20. LFE Inpd
21. LFEThT
22. Lneln L nelryel Rc,AinpdonneclDts
23. LnelLbd
UelerelRcAoulpul jacks lo €ciwr/ ma n ampliner
24. Ext TdggerinpLn ffibl6 vid@ modeun€n +5V is p@nt
Remote (Figure
c)
26. Ambientdn!€rsswibh
27. Vrd6 Bas ConicurLp/d@n
28 LorBass EO uddown
I
SpikeKitinstallation
A SpikeKitis includedwiththe [,'lodeJ
VT-3to provideoptimumstabilityand to fifmlycouplethe speakefsto the flooffor
improvedbassperflrmance(asifthe'130+lbs
ofwood,speakersande,ectronics
wasn'tenoughl).EachVT-3loudspeaker
is shipped with its own SpikeKit. Cautioni the VT,3 is unstabte without the SpikeKit (or at teast the
stabilizerbars) installed.
!
Tobeginassembly,
unpackihe SpikeKitand inspectall tfle parts.TheSpikeKitincludes:(2) aluminumstabilizerba|s,(4)
aluminlmcones,(4) stainlesssteelallenstuds,(1) allenheadwrench,(8) Phillipsheadmachinescrewsand (4) rubbei
teet. lmportanti We recommend installing only the stabilizer bars until final placementof the speakeF is
delermined.This makesthe speakersmuch easierto move, Carefullytum the speakersupsidedown,andattachthe
stabilizerbarswilh the Phillipsheadmachinescrews,usinga#3 Phillipsscrewdriver
(seefig 1). Whenjnstallingthe bars
ontothe bottomofthe speaker,useyourfingersto startallthe machinescrewsin theirholesbeforetightening
themdown.
Thiswill preventcross-threading.
Onceyou havefoundthe ideallocationfor yourspeakers,you are rcadyto installthe metalcones. Havesomeonehelp
you:Whileone persontiltsand holdsthe speakerto one side,carefullyinstallthe conesflushagainstthe stabilizerbars,
usingthe suppliedallenstuds. Thespeakersare awkwardto moveafterthe conesare nstalled.Caution:Theconesarc
verysharp. To avoidinjury useextfemecarewhenhandlingand installing
them.
I
Placement
TheVT-3 is a floorstanding
towefspeakerthatrequiresno standsor mountinghardwareotherthanthe includedSpikeKit.
TheVT-3is designedfor indooruseonly.As the VT-3is a magnelically
placement
shieldedloudspeaker,
nextto a televisionwill nol distortor discolorthe picturc.
To realizethe maximumperformance
of the VT-3,you shouldinvestsometimefor fine-tuning
adjustments.Followsteps
#1-6,referringthe diagramin fig.2. Priorto beginningthis process,we suggestyou selecttwo or threeof yourfavorite
recordingsto use while you optimizethe speaker placement. Each time you move the speakersto a new
position,take note of the changesyo(Jare hearing. This will help you to find the uttimateptacementfor your
VT-3s.Be sureto havea tapemeasureand levelhandy.
._-..
D
Y
1.5xD
'1.Movelhe speakerswiihin
10"-'12"
ofthe frontwall.
Unlikemanyspeakers,the VT-3sare designedto be placedcloseto the fiont wall. This placementallowsoptimum
loadingofthe lowfrequency
drivers.lt alsoloadsthe ambientorreaFfiringddversfor optimirmeffect. 1O',-12"
ipacing
will produceexcellentresultsin mostsituations,
but you can placethe vr-3s as closeas 6" or as far as 24" fromth;
yourroom'sacousticsionature.
wallto accommodate
2. Determine
roughplacement
by listenjngposition.
Forthe smoothestresponse,
the distancetromthe sidewallsshouldbe differenttbanthe distancef.om the frontwall.
The.speakers
shouldbe arrangedas sj'mmetrically
as possible:Equidistant
from the sidewalls,perpendicular
to the
lront wall and parallelto each other. The front-firingdriversshouldface the listeningarea with6utobstruction
from
5
Arrangethe speakersso that the distancebetweenthe listenerand the centerof the speakerplaneis '1.5
fuaniture.
putsthe listenerin the centerof the stereoimage. Begin
timesthe distancebetweenthe speakers.Thisconfiguration
yourlisteningby sittingcenteredbehveenthe speakers.Whilelisteningto the firstseleciion,closeyoureyesand listen
for imagefocusand depthof soundbetweenthe speakerc-Balancethis imagefocusand deplhwith apparentstage
width,listeningfor sound beyondlhe boundariesof the left and right speakers. Play all three recordingsbefore
completing
thisstep.
\v
Image Focus: Thelocalizabilityof a pafticularmusicalevent in the soundfield (e.g., the bassis to the left, the saxophone
is to the ight, and the piano is centeredbetweenthem).
Depth of sound: The sensationthat one musicalevent occurcbehindanother. Themusic shouldnl seemconfinedto a
flat plane betweenthe speakers(e.9., the piano is centercdbehindthe bassand saxophone).
fine placementby movingthe speakersinwardor outwardfromeachother
3. Determine
N,,love
the VT-3sno morethan l" eithertowardor awayfrom each other Initially,makesurethat the speakersare
pa€llelto eachother.Playthe samethreerecordings
again,listeningfor imagefocus,stagewidthanddepth.Evaluate
is imprcved,markthe positionwith a pieceof masking
whetherthereis an impfovement.lf the overallperformance
width.
the bestbalanceof imaging,depthand soundstage
tape,and continuethisprocessunlilyou havedetermined
the toe-inafleryou are satisfied
to obtainthe bestimagefocus. Determine
A smalldegreeof toe-inmay be necessary
withthe depthand widthof the soundstage.No morethan 10 degreesshouldbe required(i.e.,the outsidecornerof
the speakeris about1"fartherfromthe frontwallthanthe insidecorner).
4. lnstallthe metalcones.
Nowthatyou havethe speakefsin the besfsoundingposition,installthe metalconeson to lhe stabilizerbars(referto
makingsure that the
SpikeKitinstallationabove). Once all four conesare installed,recheckyour measurements,
speakersare stillexactlywhereyou wantthem.
5, Adjustspoakertilt.
(useyourlevelto be
to ensuretheVT-3is levelanddoesnotrockin anydirection
Tost€rt,adjusttheconesas needed
position.At one
yourear levelin the listening
withthe verticalaxisby raisingand lowerlng
sure). Experiment
particular
youmaynoticemoreambience
occufs
verticalposition,
anddepthjn the sound6tage.lf theimprovem€nt
byslowlyunsctewing
thetwometalcones
whenyourears
areat a lowerposilion,
raisetheheightattherearofspeakers
if the improved
soundoccurswhenyour6arsars at a higherposition,
raige
on the r€arstabilizer
bar, Likewise,
byslowlyunscrewing
ihetwomelalconesonthoftontstabilizer
bar, Besurenot
theh€ightat thoffontofthespeaker
to unscrew
toomuch,or theconesmaycomeoff.
."'
6.
Finalpointsto rem€mber
to livewiththeW-3sfora while.
Youmaywantto r€peatthosotupproc€dures
at som€pointafteryouhavea chance
duringthe initialset-up.
Youwill find that subtleimprov€ments
can be madethat you may have overlooked
in yourlistening
envhonmont.
Bo patient,
havefun,and
Experimentation
is thekeyto findlngthe bestarrangements
position
in speaker
cansometimes
havea significant
efrocton thesound.ln addition,
remember
thatsmallchanges
playan important
roomfurnishings
rolein absorbing
andreflecting
soundwaves.
Midrange
andhighfrequencies
in
particular
will be absorbed
by softfurnishings
suchas sofas,carpetsandcurtains.A largenumberof thesesofl
furnishings
willdr.illthesound,whilea "live"roomwithfewfurnishings
willbrighten
thesound.
I
Connections
Before connecting speakers to your system, it is very imporbnt that you tun otr the power to your amplifier /
receiver to avoid damage to lhe equipment
To minjmizenoisepickup,segregatecablesby function.Do not run low levelsignalcablesparallello powercables,or to!_digitalcables. Also do not run speakercablesparallelto powercordsor digitalcables. lf differenitypesof cablesare
placedneareachotherat someplacein yoursystem,separatethemby the maximumpracticaldistanceand crossthem
at rightangleswheretheymeet. Do nottie AC powercordsand speakercablestogether.
I General Connections
and Controller
are connected
via hvo2o-foolong 8-pinD.l.Ncables.Onlythe subwoofer
TheVT-3subwooferamplifiers
amplifiers
are pluggeddirectlyintolhe AC outletin thewall. TheVT-3Controllerreceivespowervia the 8-pinD-l.Ncable.
lf the distancebetweenthe subwooferamplifiersand the Controlleris greaterlhan twentyfeet,NHToffersan extension
cable(ModelX20,whichis 20 feet longand coupleswiththe originalcable).
amplifierplalethereare two pairsof bindingposts(fig.A) with metalshortingstraps
On the backof the VT-3'ssubwoofer
pairs.
connecting
top and bottom
Thereare lwo differentwaysto connectthe VT-3sto yoursystem:Witha singleampli
are alreadybiamplified
fier,or withtwo amplifiers
andtwosetsof speakercable. Keepin mindthai the VT-3s'subwoofers
via theirown 500WDoweramDiifiers.
SingleAmplifierMethod
To run the VT-3swith one externalampliner/ rcceiver,simplyconnectlhe speakercablesto e therthe top set or bottom
set of bindingposts(it doesn'tmatterwhich). Leavethe shortingstrapsin place.
TwoAmDlitierMethod
onelo powerihe rear"ambient"
driversandone
Completeisolationcanbe achievedby the useof two separateamplifiers,
methodprovidesincreaseddynamicrangeand powef
to powerthe midrange/ highfrequencydrivers.The two-amplifler
all theirheadroomtowarda specificgroupof drivers,sparingthernthe
output,as it allowsbothamp|fiersto concentrate
taskof ddvingall the speakers.
A mainampliflerfor the upperrangedrivers(toppairof bindingposts),and a secondampiYouwill needtwo amplifiers:
fierfor the rear"ambient"drivers.Removethe shorting straps,
\g
Connectlngthe subwooferamplitiers
Connectthe fightVT-3towersubwooferamplifierto the "R Speaker"outputfromthe Conhollerwith the provided8-pin
amplifierto lhe "L Speaker"outputffomthe Controllerwith
the other
D.l.N.cable.Connectthe eft VT-3towersubwoofer
8"pinD.l.N.cable. Be carefulnotto mis-insert
the D.l.N.cable,as the pinsare smal andcan bendeasiy. I\,4ake
surethe
cableconnectoris fullvinsertedinlothe socket.
Note: Both D.l.N. cables must be attached to the Controllet in order for it to function prcpe y. Irls ls becausethe
left speaketpowers the analogaudio functionsand the ight speakerpowers the digitaland rcmate controlfunctions. By
keepingthe powet suppliesseparate,the potentialdigitalnoise generatedwill be kept out of the criticalanalogpath.
I Audio Connections
TheVT-3Contrcllerwas
designedfor a separateprocessor
andamplifiers
or for a receiverfeatufingpre-ampoutand main
ln RCAjacks.No speakerlevelconnections
arc availablewiththe VT-3Controller.
Connecithe pre-ampor majnouis fromyourprocessor
or feceiverto the LineInputon the backof the VT-3controller lf
you are not runninga separatesubwoofer,
likea SubTwo,you can also connectthe LFE outpuito the Low Frequency
EffectsIn jack. The LineOuiputsfromthe backof the Controller
connectto the maininputson yourreceiveror ampljfier.
Be carcfulto maintainthe pfoperleftand rightpolarity.
I Power Connections
1. Connectthe powercordto the rightsubwooferamplifierand an AC walLoutet.
2. Connectthe powercordto the leftsLrbwoofer
amplifierand an AC walloutlet.
3. Swiichlhe powerto "Auto"on the rightspeaker.
4. Swtchthe powerto "Auto"on the leftsoeaker.
I
Explanation of Features (seefigureB)
TheSUBWOOFER
VOLUMEcontrolallowsyouto adjustthe volumeofthe subwoofers
rclativeto the restof the system.
[,4anylistenersmakethe mistakeof settingthe subwooferleveltoo high,whichcan causeexcessbloatand lossof detail
andmusicali9.A pfoperlyset-upsubwoofer
blendsin withtheothefspeakersanddoesnofcallattention
to itself.Observe
for volumesettingl
. rhefollowingguidelines
YTurn downt-hdvolume
Tumon youraudiosystem.Play
controlonthe Coniroller
to its lowestposition(counteFclockwise).
volumeto a comfortable
listeninglevel. Slowly
some musicyou are familiarwith and set your receiver/ preamplifier
listeningfor the properlevelbalance.Whenthe outputof the subwoofers
is
increasethe volumeon the VT-3Controller,
balancedwiththe restofthe system,you will hearimprovedbassextension,but you shouldbe unawarethat it is coming
fromthe subwoofersl
will controlthe overallvolumeof your system,
Fromthis pointon, the volumecontrolon your receiver/ preamplifier
includingthe subwoofersThefrontpanelMUSIC/ VIDEOMODEswitchand VIDEOBASS CONTOURallowyou to optimizethe VT-3sfor music
listeningor movieviewing,givingyouthe bestof bothworlds-Whenwatchinga movie,lhereis oflena disparitybetween
to you. Youreyestellyouthateventsare occurdng
the sizeof the sonicspaceandthe sizeofthe visualspacepresented
in a largespace,for example,whileyourearstell you that eventsare occurringin a spaceroughlythe sizeof yourroom.
allowinga closermatchbetweensonicandvisualspaces.The
Activatingthe rear-firing
driversenhancesthe soundstage,
is not desired.Similarly,
whenlisteningto music,manylistenrear-firing
driverscan be switchedoff if the enhancement
any individualfrequencies.
Flatbassresponsemorerealislically
ers prefera flat bassresponsethal doesnot emphasize
the soundof liveinstruments.However,
whenwatchingmoviesin a hometheatersystem,manylistenersprereproduces
withmoreoutputin the
fer a punchier,
soundslikeexplosions
andgunfire.Subwoofers
"boomie/'soundthatemphasizes
lvlodeswitchallowsyou to
mid-bassregiontendto deliverthis punch,at the expenseof flat response.The l\4usic^y'ideo
add mid'basspunchif you so desire.
the operatingmodeof the VT-3. In the l\4USlCmode,the VT-3'sresponse
TheMUSIC/ VIDEOMOOEswitchdotermines
reproductaon.
In the VIDEOmode,the re6ponse
ischangedfor moviesoundtrack
is flatforaccuratemusicalreproduction.
ThebluelightdenotesVIDEOmode.Whilein VIDEOmode,the ambientdriversare selectable.TheAMBIENTDRIVERS
ACTIVEswitchselectsbetweenthe activeand inactivestatefor the ambientdrivers.Theambienldriversare activewhen
the bluelightis on. TheAMBIENTDRIVERS
ACTIVEswitchfunctionsonlywhenthe MUSIC/ VIDEOMODEswitchis in
the VIDEOmode.The controlof thisfeatur€is presenton boththe controllerand lR remote.
variablefrom0 to +7.5dB, centeredat 60H2. The
BASSCONTOURprovdesbassboost,whichis continuously
ITVIDEO
- equahzation
has a fairlylow O, coveringthe rangebetween40Hzand the hightrequencycutoffof the subwooters.The
fesponserollsoff below35Hzto providegrealerpowerhandlingat elevatedlisteninglevels.VIDEOBASSCONIOURis
activeonlywhenthe VT-3sare in VIDEOmode. The controlof thisfeatureis pr€senton boththe Controllerand the lR
remote,
No'€: Q refercto the range of frcquenciesover which the equalizationhas an etfect (low Q neans a broad nnge of trequencies,high Q meansa rclativelynanow mnge of frcquencies).
The LOW BASS EQ providesgain,continuously
adjustable
from-7 to +7 dB, centeredat 30H2. lt has a fairlyhighO,
whichwill leavethe low-frequency
crossoverpointof the subwoofers
undisturbed.
This is usefulin conhollingthe lowest
bassfrequencies
wjthouteffectingthe mid-or upperbass. Roomswithconcretewallsandfloorstendto supportoutputin
the bottomoctave,and may requirea slightdecreaseof the LOWBASSEQ level. Roomsof lighter(wood)construction
tendto providerelativelylesssupportfor the bottomoctaveand mayneedan increasein LOWBASSEQ level. Theconkol of thisfeatureis presenton boththe controllerand lR femote,and it is activein boththe MUSICand VIDEOmodes.
The continuously
variableLOW PASSX-OVERADJUSTMENT
detefminesthe rangeof frequencies
that the subwoofers
willreproduce.The LowPassFilteris variablebetween40Hz(lowbass)and 180H2(upperbass),to accommodate
a variety of roomconditions.Adjustmeot
shouldbeginwiththe indicatorpointingin the "straightup"position.Afteradjusting
the
basslevel,experiment
withsmallchangesclockwise
to warmor thickenthe lowermidrange/upper
ba6s,or counter-clockwiseto lightenor thin the lowermidrange/upper
bass. Listeningto malevocalswill aid in findinga goodsettingfor this
contol_
The LFE GAINcontrolallowsfor levelmatchingbetweenthe mainleftand rightinputsand the LFE input.Youmayfeed
the LFEoutputfromyoursignalprocessor
to the VT3controllefvia the LowFrequency
EffectsInjack (andto a subwoofer
or otherdevicesvia the LowFrequencyEffectsThrujack).The LFEgaincontrolallowsyou to setthe levelofthe lowfrequencyeffectschannelsentto the VT-3srelativeto the totalspeakeroutput.
\rlhe GAINSWITCHallowsyou to increasethe line-levelinputsensitivityofthe Controllerby 10d8. This is usefulifyour
receiveror preamplifier
has a low line-leveloutputvoltagethat limitsyour rangeof volumeadjustability
on the VT-3
controller.
TheVT-3hasa STANDBYMODEfeaturethat is automaticand rcquiresno usefadjustments.Whenno signalis prcsent
goesintoStandbyl\/ode,and it will usea minimumof powerto remain"asleep".When
for 45 minutes,theVT-3controller
turnson as soonas a signalis received.Thereis no needto turnihe VT-3son
the systemis usedagain,it immediately
and off everytimetheyare used.
The VIDEOMODETRIGGERINPUTis an auxiljarytriggerinputthat fo.cesthe VT-3 into the VIDEOmode. N,4anJlr
preamplifiers
and processors
havea triggeroutput(+4.sVDCto +25VDC)whichis enabledwhenthe userselectsa videowillswitchintoVIDEOmodeif the previousmode
function,suchas DVDof DSS. lf thetriggeris aclive,theVT-3processor
was l\rUSlCor stayin VIDEOif it wasalreadyin that mode-Thesystemwill remainin the VIDEOmodeuntilit is switched
backto MUSICmodeeitherby the lR remoleor by the Conkoller
I
Operation
TheVT-3systemwas designedto handlea widerangeof listeningleveis,but everycomponenthaslimits. lt is important
distortionor harshbreakup
to use commonsenseand listenfor signsof possjbledistressfromthe speakers.Noticeable
is an indicationthat the speakeris runningbeyondits capacity,and the volumeshouldbe decreased.lf you feel heat
Speakerdamagemostoftenoccursfrom
fromthe frontof any of the speakers,reducethe levelimmediately.
emanating
sustainedhighvolumelevels,not frcm transientsoundsor briefmusicalpeaks. Excessiveboostingof bass,treble,of
equalizercontrolscanworcenthe problemand is not recommended-
I
Maintenance
undernofmaluse.
YourVT-3shavebeendesignedfor yearsol trouble{reeoperationand requireminimalmaintenance
glasscleaner.Tocleanthe gril, firstremove
TheVT-3cabinetmaybe cleanedusinga dampclothor a mild,non-abrasive
it fromthe speaker,thenbrushlightlywitha softbrushor usea vacuumon its lowestsetting.TheVT-3controllermaybe
of
cleanedby wipingwith a lint-freecloth. Do not exposethe toweror Conkollerto directsunlight,hightemperatures
moisture.In the eventthat serviceis required,do not openthe VT-3amplifleror Controller.Referthe unitto a qualllied
servicetechnician.
I Troubleshooting
lf tho VT-3failsto operatewhenbothPowerSwitchesare turnedon, checkthe powercordsand all the inputand output
are properlymade.
connections
thoroughly.lf the siatuslighton the controlleri6 noton, vorifythatthe all the connections
your
present,
for
assistance.
contaci
localAuthorized
NHTDealeror NHTlmmediately
lf no lightis
U
!
LimitedWarranty
ValidOnlyin the U.S.A.
(thewarfantyperiod)froman authorzed NNTdoalerNow
Forthe ;eaodor 5 vearsIor oansand5 vearsfor laboriromdatsof or q na purchaso
-ri"iifl ,r.l|-ri,".,"rsriariroro'ioucr,a'sroru1crolorcpe{Lnde,rrnar,eoJerorm"rrradrrgde'ecrwl'ellstaLeda.d
ops,areO"i"ortingrolh"o*oer'smanuatinsrrucronsencrosed;,rirheun(,rwlrbereparredor,epacedwithauniofcomparablevalu
wo . Partsslpp ed underthiswaranlymaybe newor rebuiiatlhe optlonoi Nl-lT
optonof NHTwilh;ri chargelo youfor parlsor aclualrepair
al applcalon'
commerc
Thiswamntydoesnotcoverany prodlctwhch is usedin anytradeor businessor n an jndusirialor
lrom ateralons modfications
tem or anydarnag€calsedio lhe produciresulling
Ths wananlydoesnotcoverrhecabinetor anyappearance
lo powern excessof
misirseor abuse,damaqedle Io ighhns or powersuraes,or beingsobtected
nol authoz;d if wlring by NHT,accidenr,
thespeakefspoblshedpowerralng.
lromany source
witholtchargeunderlhs waranty obtained
Thiswarrantydo6snot coverlhe cosi of partswhichwolld othedse be provided
parlsor labot
NHTseNicetocaton.Ths warantydoesnoi coverdefectsor damagecalsedby lhe lse oi unaulhorzed
olherthana; authorized
mainlenance.
or lromimproper
Altered.defac€dor removedserlalnumbefsvoid this warranty
damages NHT
or consequential
prce of the product,
and NHTw ll not be I ablelor ncidental
Thetiabiiity
of NiTwitbe miledto lhe purchase
the wamrty perlod. Somestatesdo nol alow
understatelawsto a periodnol exceeding
underany impledwarranties
timis its o-btigations
on-howongan npliedwarantytasls.andsomestaiesdo nol alow theexcusionor lmitallonof ncidertalorconsequentialdamages
timtations
legalrights,andyoumayhaveothe.r ghlswhichvary
;r excusionsmaynotappy ro you. Th s warranlygivesyou specific
Theabovetmilalions
a numberoiaulhorized
s€toice@mpanesthrolghoutthe USAshoudyou.producteverrequnesefr@. To receivewarcnty
NHThasappoint€d
yoriwil needio presenlyolr salesreceipishowingplaceanddaieoforlgjnaownefsiransaclon
seryice,
@l orwrile:
NilT seruicelocallon,
Tonndthe nameandaddressofthe neareslaulhorized
MA 01747. 1-a00'225'9a47.
AB TechSeruices,'l7c Airport Drlve,HoPedale,
irro@abechseryices.@r
Keepthis warrantywith your salesreceipt, Recorddats and placeof purchasaforfuture reference.
AD 29990
2/2000