Owners Manual
S E R I E S
4. Neo Three Installation
Tighten three of the lock-nuts on each speaker with a 13mm spanner leaving
The Aegis Neo Three is a floor-standing loudspeaker
intended to be positioned clear of room boundaries
and coupled to the supporting floor through spikes.
If spikes are inappropriate for your floor covering,
metal protection pads, coins for example, may be used
between the spike and the floor.
one lock-nut finger-tight to aid adjustment once the speaker is upright in its final
position. Once the final position of each speaker has been established adjust the
length of the loose spike so that the speaker is vertical and does not rock. If the
floor is particularly uneven it may be necessary to loosen one of the tightened
spikes to ensure that the speaker can be levelled.
Finally, tighten all loose lock-nuts. It may be necessary to re-adjust to minimise rock
once the speaker has settled on the floor. Take care when installing floor spikes.
They are sharp and can cause injury or pierce electrical cables.
The separately packed plinths must be attached to the
bottom of each Aegis Neo Three before they can be
installed. Invert each speaker onto a “protective” piece
of material so as not to damage the top of the cabinet.
Insert the four screws (supplied in the packaging)
through the holes in the plinth and line them up with
the pilot holes in the cabinet. Screw them into the
cabinet making sure that the plinth is firmly attached.
Failure firmly to attach the plinths will degrade the
speakers’ performance.
The Aegis Neo Three can be “mass-loaded” in a compartment at the bottom of the
cabinet. Mass loading can significantly improve the performance of the speaker.
The compartment can be filled with washed, fully dried and non salt contaminated
sand, or suitable metal chips, via the access hole in the back panel. A plastic bung
is provided to seal the cabinet. If you decide not to mass-load the speakers, we still
recommend fitting the plastic bung to avoid unwanted resonance. Be aware that
the plastic bung has not been designed to be removable after insertion. You may
wish to use a temporary removable plug until you have made a decision whether to
mass-load.
Four M8 floor spikes and lock-nuts are supplied within
the Aegis Neo Three packaging. The spikes and lock-
nuts should be fitted to the underside of each Aegis
Neo Three plinth once the speaker has been moved
near its final location. Carefully lay the speaker on its
back to gain access to the tapped holes in the plinth.
Screw a spike and lock-nut into each hole leaving a
length of spike extending beyond the lock-nut so that
when the speaker is upright the lock-nuts will “float”
just above the floor covering.
Thanks to the use of neodymium magnet systems the Aegis Neo Three is
intrinsically magnetically shielded and can be positioned in close proximity to
magnetically sensitive equipment and media.
5. Neo Centre Installation
The Aegis Neo Centre is intended to be used in a home theatre system located
either directly above or below the screen. It can be stood either directly on a
furniture unit, integrated within a screen stand, mounted on a dedicated speaker
stand or on a wall using appropriate bracket hardware.
Best results are likely to be gained if the Aegis Neo Centre is directly coupled to
the floor via a dedicated spiked stand. If the screen stand is to carry the Aegis Neo
Centre it is advisable to de-couple it from the screen with the supplied adhesive
rubber feet so that it does not disturb the picture. If a wall bracket is to be used it
should be as rigid as possible and firmly attached to a brick-built wall.
Thanks to the use of neodymium magnet systems the Aegis Neo Centre is
intrinsically magnetically shielded and can be positioned in close proximity to
magnetically sensitive equipment and media.
The following section provides further general advice on Home Theatre speaker
positioning and room layout.
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6. Neo One and Three Positioning
the pair is located in a similar acoustic environment
The position of speakers within the listening room is likely to have more influence
over their performance than any other aspect of their installation. It is worth
spending some time experimenting both with the finer points of speaker
positioning, as well as the larger scale issues of room layout.
(different environments would be, say, a curtained area
and a solid wall). The acoustic character of the side
walls of the room in the area where the main reflection
between speakers and listening position will occur
should also be similar. Diagram One illustrates a typical
layout.
If you are already familiar with the acoustic characteristics of your listening room,
and the way speakers perform in it, you may already have a good feel for where
to position your new Aegis Neos. However, installing any new hi-fi component
provides a good opportunity to review an existing set-up and perhaps make
improvements.
Once your speakers are connected (see Section 8)
and working, and you begin to become familiar
with their performance, it is likely to be worthwhile
experimenting a little more with their positioning.
The position requirements for a pair of Aegis Neo Ones or Neo Threes installed in
an average sized and furnished listening room (say 4m x 5m) are as follows:
Reducing the distance between the speakers and
the rear wall will increase the level of bass and low
midrange making the speakers sound warmer. The
warmth however is likely to be gained at the expense
of some mid-range clarity and stereo image focus and
depth. Increasing the toe-in angle of the speakers may
regain some image focus but again this is likely to be at
a cost of image width and openness. Learning through
experimentation how speakers behave in your room
will help you find the optimum solution.
•
•
•
•
•
Between 0.2 and 0.6 metres from the rear wall.
Between 0.4 and 0.8 metres from the side walls.
Between 2.5 and 3.5 metres apart.
Clear of corners.
Angled inward (to a maximum of 15°) towards the listening position.
Don’t worry if, thanks to the architecture or layout of your room, it is not practical
to follow each requirement. The most important thing is to experiment with the
different options that are practical and find the one that works best.
While it is often the first instinct to position a pair of speakers against the shorter
wall of a rectangular room, it is often the case that a position against the longer
wall will produce better results. This is because the long wall position tends to
result in less prominent reflections from the side walls of the room. However,
whether used against the long or short wall, it is important that each speaker of
Diagram One
0.2 to 0.6 metres
from back wall
angle
inward
2.5 - 3.0 metres
(15° max)
Reflection
region. Keep
similar each
side.
Listening position
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7. Neo Centre Positioning
The position of the speakers in a home theatre
installation will have great influence over its
performance. It is worth spending some time
experimenting both with the finer points of speaker
positioning, as well as the larger scale issues of room
layout. Diagram Two illustrates an idealised general
home theatre speaker layout.
The position requirements for an Aegis Neo Centre are as follows:
•
•
•
Between 0.05 and 1.0 metres from the rear wall.
Generally in-line with the display screen.
Directly above or below the display screen.
Don’t worry if, thanks to the architecture or layout of your room, it is not practical
to follow each requirement or the layout diagram exactly. The most important
thing is to experiment with the different options that are practical and find the one
that works best. Aegis Neos are magnetically shielded and can be used in close
proximity to CRT screens.
If you are already familiar with the characteristics
of your home theatre room, and the way speakers
perform in it, you may already have a good feel for
where to position your Aegis Neo Centre. However,
installing any new speaker component provides a good
opportunity to review an existing set-up and perhaps
make improvements.
Once your Aegis Neo Centre is connected (see Section 8) and working, and
you begin to become familiar with its performance, it is likely to be worthwhile
experimenting a little more with its positioning. For example, reducing the distance
between the speaker and the rear wall will increase the level of bass and low
midrange making the speaker sound warmer. The warmth however is likely to be
gained at the expense of some mid-range clarity.
8. Connecting
Diagram Two
Each Aegis Neo is fitted with a pair of binding-post
terminals. The terminals can accept either stripped
wires, spade connectors, or 4mm plugs. Each of these
termination methods is potentially equally effective
and the choice is likely to be influenced by the type
of speaker cable used. Your dealer, distributor or cable
manufacturer will be able to offer advice.
Left
Front
Right
Front
Centre
Sub-woofer
To connect the speakers, simply connect the speaker
cable to the terminals ensuring correct connection
polarity as described below. Take care when
connecting cables not to touch the negative and
positive terminals together and “short-circuit” the
amplifier. Make connections with the amplifier off.
Viewing/listening position
Right
Surround
Left
Surround
Connection Polarity.
It is important when connecting speakers to ensure
that each terminal is connected with the correct
polarity. Positive speaker terminals should always be
connected back to amplifier positive terminals, and
negative speaker terminals connected back to amplifier
negative terminals. Performance will be degraded if
connections are made with incorrect polarity.
Alternative
or Extra Left
Surround
Alternative or
Extra Right
Surround
There are however some simple guidelines to consider:
•
•
•
Cable runs to each speaker should be kept as short as possible consistent
with each being of equal length.
Cable Choice.
Short cable runs are especially important if the cable is of relatively small
cross-sectional area.
Choice of cable type will be influenced by the
characteristics of other components in your hi-fi system
and your dealer or distributor will be able to advise.
If the cable is advertised as “directional” care should be taken to ensure that
its orientation is as recommended.
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9. Amplifiers
The Aegis Neos are relatively high sensitivity speakers that do not require
generously rated power amplifiers for adequate volume levels to be achieved in an
average listening room. A minimum of 25 and maximum of 120 Watts into 8 Ohms
per channel is recommended. Aegis Neos also offer a relatively easy load to the
amplifier and do not make unusually heavy demands on its power delivery.
10. Listening
It is wise before listening to your speakers to make
one final check of the cables and connections. If all
appears well begin listening at a relatively low level
to confirm that the system is operating as expected.
Only increase the volume if you are happy that the
sound at low levels is fundamentally as expected. If you
are unhappy, turn the system off and re-check all the
cables and connections.
No overload protection systems are fitted to the Aegis Neos so it is possible to
cause damage through over-driving. Such damage can occur whatever the power
rating of the amplifier and is not covered by any warranty. If ever the sound at
high volumes becomes distorted your speakers are at risk of damage. In such
circumstances the volume must be reduced.
Aegis Neos may take a little time to “run-in”, and
similarly the system will also perhaps take some
time to reach normal operating temperatures. It is
unwise therefore to make rapid judgements about the
performance of the speakers. Your ears too will take
some time to adjust to the new sound, so revisiting the
system set-up, speaker positioning especially, is best
left for a few days.
11. Specifications
Model:
Type:
Aegis Neo One
2-way, reflex loaded.
N/A
Aegis Neo Three
Aegis Neo Centre
2.5-way, reflex loaded.
2.5-way, sealed enclosure.
130mm pressed alloy cone.
LF Driver
130mm pressed alloy cone.
LF/MF Driver:
130mm pressed alloy cone.
Neodymium.
130mm pressed alloy cone.
Neodymium.
130mm pressed alloy cone.
Neodymium.
LF & LF/MF Magnet Systems
HF Driver:
25mm Neodymium Ring Radiator.
3rd order at 3.5kHz.
25mm Neodymium Ring Radiator.
25mm Neodymium Ring Radiator.
Filter Network:
1st order at 200Hz
3rd order at 3.5kHz.
1st order at 200Hz
3rd order at 3.5kHz.
Cabinet:
Braced 15mm MDF carcass.
60Hz to 40kHz 3dB
45Hz to 45kHz @ -6dB
120W peak programme
25 - 120 Watts into 8 Ohms
8 Ohms
Braced 15mm MDF carcass.
43Hz to 40kHz 3dB
35Hz to 45kHz @ -6dB
170W peak programme
25 - 170 Watts into 8 Ohms
8 Ohms
Braced 15mm MDF carcass.
75Hz to 40kHz 3dB
63Hz to 45kHz @ -6dB
120W peak programme
25 - 150 Watts into 8 Ohms
8 Ohms
Frequency Response:
Frequency Range:
Power Handling:
Amplifier Compatibility:
Nominal Impedance:
Sensitivity:
89dB for 1 Watt at 1 metre
357 x 182 x 237mm
90dB for 1 Watt at 1 metre
905 x 203 x 242mm
90dB for 1 Watt at 1 metre
178 x 480 x 195mm
Dimensions (H x W x D):
Weight:
6 kg (single, unpacked)
14 kg (single, unpacked)
9 kg (single, unpacked)
Acoustic Energy reserves the right to modify product specifications.
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12. Warranty
Your Acoustic Energy speakers are guaranteed
against original defects in materials, manufacture
and workmanship for three years from the date of
purchase.
Please retain all original packaging materials for possible future use.We suggest that
you complete details of purchase now and keep this information in a safe place for
future reference.
Name:
Under this warranty Acoustic Energy agrees to repair
any defect or, at the company’s discretion, replace
the faulty component(s) without charge for parts or
labour. This warranty does not imply any acceptance
by Acoustic Energy or its agents for consequential loss
or damage and specifically excludes fair wear and tear,
accident, misuse or unauthorised modification.
Address:
Dealer:
Purchase Date:
Serial Numbers:
This warranty is applicable in the United Kingdom only
and does not in any way limit the customer’s legal
rights. If you have reason to claim under the warranty
please contact your dealer in the first instance
13. Contact
Claims and enquiries under the warranty for Acoustic
Energy products purchased outside the UK should be
addressed to the local importers or distributors.
Acoustic Energy Limited
16 Bridge Road
Cirencester
Gloucestershire GL7 1NJ
UK
Tel:
+44 (0)1285 654432 (Sales)
+44 (0)1285 656890 (Technical)
+44 (0)1285 654430
Fax:
Email:
Web:
Products that display the crossed-out wheeled bin logo
cannot be disposed of as domestic waste but must
be taken to a facility capable of re-cycling them and
appropriately handling any waste by-products. Contact
your local authority for details of the nearest such facility.
Page ꢅ
S E R I E S
Acoustic Energy Limited, 1ꢄ Bridge Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GLꢅ 1NJ.
Tel: +ꢂꢂ (0)1ꢀ8ꢃ ꢄꢃꢂꢂꢁꢀ (Sales), +ꢂꢂ (0)1ꢀ8ꢃ ꢄꢃꢄ890 (Technical). Fax: +ꢂꢂ (0)1ꢀ8ꢃ ꢄꢃꢂꢂꢁ0
Email: [email protected]
Manual Part No. MAꢀꢁ01
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