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IWS-SYS-1
IWS-SYS-2
Owner’s Manual
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within CAUTION the product’s enclosure that may be of RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of DO NOT OPEN electric shock to persons. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRI
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1 2 ) C l e a n i n g — The subwoofer and amplifier should be cleaned only as recommended in the operating instructions. 13) N onuse Periods — The power cord of the subwoofer amp should be unplugged from the outlet when the subwoofer is left unused for long periods of time. 14) L ightning and Power Surges — We recommend that you disconnect the subwoofer amp from the electrical outlet during electrical storms and/or recurring power interruptions to prevent damage due to power surges. 15)
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FCC COMPl IANCE STATEMENT Jl AUDIO TECHNOl OGIES INCl UDED IN Fathom IWS SUBWOOFERS NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in DMA-Optimized Motor System a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy DMA is JL Audio’s proprietary Dynamic and, if not installed in accordance with the instructi
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PRODUCT OVERVIEW JL Audio Fathom IWS subwoofers combine a state-of-the-art JL Audio subwoofer driver and electronics/amplifier package with a highly optimized enclosure to deliver an exceptional listening experience in your home theater or home audio system. The subwoofer driver in your Fathom subwoofer system is capable of outstanding linear excursion without distress or audible distortion. This reference-quality driver enables your Fathom to reproduce powerful low frequency events with st
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Pl ACING YOUR FATHOM IWS CABINETS IN YOUR l ISTENING ROOM: Your listening room or theater is an integral part of your sound reproduction system. The physical dimensions of the room and its furnishings, materials, doors and windows play an important role in defining how your system sounds. When you place a sound source in an enclosed rectangular space, “standing waves” are created, resulting from the relationship between the sound’s wavelength and your room’s dimensions. In other words, s
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SMOOTHER Recommended Subwoofer Placement Options for One Fathom IWS Enclosure MORE INTENSE MORE INTENSE AVOID AVOID CORNER CORNER PLACEMENT PLACEMENT RECOMMENDED SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT ZONES (For Single Subwoofer) COMPROMISED SEATING POSITIONS (Results in weaker, uneven bass performance) CENTERLINE OF ROOM BEST SEATING POSITIONS APPROX. 1/3 OF TOTAL ROOM (Most accurate bass performance) LENGTH AWAY FROM BACK WALL COMPROMISED SEATING POSITIONS (More intense, but less accurate bass performance) CLOS
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SPECIAl AMP l IFIER CONSIDERATIONS FOR RACK MOUNTING OR CUSTOM CABINET INSTAll ATIONS Fathom IWS amplifiers are designed to be “built-in” friendly. All typically needed controls are located on the front panel. A Fathom IWS amp can be easily integrated into an equipment rack or custom cabinetry by following a few simple guidelines. 1) Allow adequate clear space around the Fathom IWS amp’s side-mounted heatsinks for adequate cooling. Also allow space behind the amp for connector clearan
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Using Two Fathom IWS Enclosures Recommended Subwoofer Placement Options for Two Fathom IWS boxes When using two Fathom IWS boxes, try placement along the front wall near the front left and right speakers, or at the center points of opposing walls as shown at right. Experimentation with listener placement is recommended to achieve the best results – the benefits can be substantial. High-resolution measurements and professional system calibration are recommended for the best possible res
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Recommended Subwoofer Placement Options for Three Fathom IWSs Using Three or Four Fathom IWS boxes Research indicates that the 1 2 smoothest bass response for a large 1 2 listening area can be achieved using four subwoofers, placing one at the midpoint of each of the four walls (although using two or three subwoofers can be almost as good). Experimentation with subwoofer and listener placement is recommended to 3 3 achieve the best results – the benefits can be substantial. High-reso
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Front Control Panel The labeled Figure below depicts the front control panel of a Fathom IWS subwoofer. A.R.O. l evel Mode lights l P freq. (Hz) phase (deg.) page 12-13 page 13 page 14 page 14 page 15 Power Input Mode Master l evel l P Filter e.l.f. trim (dB) Polarity page 12 page 13 page 14 page 14 page 15 page 15 Rear Controls and Connectors The labeled Figure below depicts the rear panel of a Fathom IWS subwoofer. Unbalanced Input Mode Subwoofer IEC-Style AC Inputs Switch Output(s) Conn
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FRONT PANEl CONTRO l S IN DETAIl Power Switch IMPORTANT The “Power” switch determines the operational readiness of the Fathom IWS system and should be the only switch used to turn the Fathom IWS amp on and off. Do not use a power strip switch, switched outlet or any other external switch as these may result in undesirable and potentially damaging transient pops. Do not unplug the Fathom IWS’s AC power cord while the unit is turned on. The power switch has three positions: “On”: The Fathom IW
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Demo Button The Demo button triggers a 20 second long tone sequence that briefly demonstrates the sound of the Fathom IWS subwoofer. The Demo function is useful for showcasing the output capability of the Fathom IWS and to verify that the Fathom IWS (or multiple Fathom IWSs) are operational during system troubleshooting. The Demo button is also used (in combination) to clear (return to flat) the A.R.O. equalizer settings. To clear the A.R.O.’s settings & turn off the Calibrate light, pres
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Master l evel Knob The Master Level Knob is used to control the output level of the Fathom IWS when the Variable Level mode is selected on the front control panel. When rotated fully counter clockwise, the Fathom IWS’s output will be fully muted. When at the “0” or straight up position, the Variable gain level matches the Reference level setting. When turned fully clockwise, the Fathom IWS’s output level is 15 dB higher than the Reference setting. l ights The “Lights” selector switch
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E.l .F. Trim The Extreme Low Frequency (“e.l.f. trim”) knob allows the user to apply a certain amount of signal equalization at 23 Hertz (extremely low bass). At full counterclockwise rotation, the signal at 23 Hz is cut by 12 dB. At “0” the equalizer is set flat for zero contribution to the signal. At full clockwise rotation, the signal at 28 Hz is boosted by 3 dB. The E.L.F. Trim feature is useful for tailoring the Fathom IWS’s very low frequency output for your particular room. Adding s
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CONNECTING YOUR Fathom IWS Balanced Inputs If your home-theater receiver or preamplifier/processor provides balanced outputs, the Fathom IWS amp’s balanced inputs are the preferred connection. Balanced connections are used extensively in professional studios and sound reinforcement applications for a number of very good reasons. Besides ensuring proper grounding between components, balanced signal transmission is designed to cancel induced cable noise from the surrounding environment (part
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Unbalanced Inputs The Fathom IWS subwoofer amp features individual left and right unbalanced RCA-type input connectors. These are the most commonly used connectors for home audio applications and must be used if your receiver or preamplifier/ processor does not provide balanced outputs. While unbalanced connections are not as noise-immune as a balanced connection, Fathom IWS subwoofers employ optical isolation on the unbalanced inputs to minimize the possibility of noise in your system. F
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Input Mode Switches: Two switches are located on the rear panel to control unbalanced signal grounding and master/slave operation. “Grounded / Isolated” Switch The “Grounded / Isolated” Input Mode switch affects only the unbalanced RCA inputs and is designed to facilitate a quiet, hum-free connection to your audio or home theater system. This feature is included to deal with the signal grounding issues often encountered in home theater systems when several components from different manufac
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IMPORTANT: PLEASE REFER TO THE “SYSTEM CONNECTION DIAGRAMS” IMPORTANT ON PAGES 26-29 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON USING THE INPUT / OUTPUT CONNECTIONS. “Output to Slave” Connector If you are operating more than one Fathom IWS subwoofer in one home theater system, you will designate one Fathom IWS as the Master (see page 20), and then feed signal from it to the remaining “Slave” Fathom IWSs via this balanced XLR output. The “Output to Slave” cable can be connected to the “Left or Mono” balanced
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PROCESSOR (BALANCED OUTPUTS) RECEIVER / PROCESSOR (UNBALANCED OUTPUTS) SYSTEM CONNECTION DIAGRAM 1: One Fathom IWS to PRE OUT FRONT L REAR CENTER Home Theater Receiver or OUTPUTS Home Theater Preamp/Processor Most home theater receivers and OR preamp/processors provide a single FRONT R REAR SUB (mono) subwoofer output. When connecting a mono subwoofer output to your Fathom IWS, you will only use the Fathom IWS’s “Left or Mono” input. Two connection types are available for connecti
