AIM Cinema Three - Pregnant SpeakerCraft - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL AIM Cinema Three SpeakerCraft

Pivoting Home Cinema Speakers

Exterior view of a multi-tiered speaker or audio unit with visible sound waves and mechanical components (no text or symbols)

AIM CINEMA FIVE | AIM CINEMA THREE | AIM CINEMA ONE

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on purchasing Speakercraft's AIM CINEMA speakers. The AIM CINEMAS feature a pivoting sub-baffle for mid-bass, mid-range, and high frequencies. Below that are two high performance 6-inch paper cone woofers on a separate stationary sub-baffle to increase output and extend the low frequencies.

PLACEMENT

Single Pair

SpeakerCraft highly recommends the use of a qualified custom installation specialist when installing your AIM CINEMA speakers. If you need assistance in locating a dealer, please contact SpeakerCraft at 1-800-448-0976.

1. Determine Your Primary Listening Area

The area where you will most likely be sitting when listening to your speakers is your primary listening area.

2. Decide Distance Apart

Consider how far apart the speakers should be. To do this, think of your listening area as one tip of a triangle with each leg of the triangle being equal. See Figure 1.

3. Decide Speaker Height

For optimum performance, the tweeter should be placed at or slightly above the listener's ear level. For conditions that do not allow the speaker to be put at the optimum height, please see "SPEAKER ADJUSTMENTS".

4. Check for Obstructions

Before confirming the placement of your AIM CINEMA speakers you should carefully consider the location of studs, fire blocks, electrical, plumbing and other fixtures that may get in the way. If you are installing the speakers into an existing wall, you can locate obstructions by noting the placement of wall fixtures and if possible gaining access to an attic or crawl space for further analysis. A good quality stud-finder, found at any building supply store, will help you determine where the studs are located in the wall.

PLACEMENT

Multiple Speakers for Home Theater

The AIM CINEMA speakers can be used in four channels of a home theater system: main left, main right, rear left and rear right. See Figure 2.

1. Placement of Front Channels

Follow the recommendations under "PLACEMENT - Single Pair".

2. Placement of Center Channel

For best results, a single speaker should be placed close to the screen, usually just above or below it. However, please note that the AIM CINEMAS were not designed to be used as dedicated center channels. We recommend using an alternate model such as the AIM LCR FIVE (ASM84650). If you need assistance on deciding which model would be best for your application, please contact an authorized Speakercraft dealer or contact us directly at 1-800-448-0976.

3. Placement of Rear Channels

There are a number of options for using the AIM CINEMA as rear channels in a home theater. For optimum results, they should be placed behind the listener with the tweeter at ear level. It is usually desirable to diffuse the sound from the rear channels by pointing the tweeter in a direction away from the listener.

Figure 1 Figure 2

A=B=C B C A

RL FL C RR FR

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Prior to the actual installation of the speakers, it will be necessary to run cables to the speaker location. See your Authorized SpeakerCraft Dealer for more information on cable installation. After the cable has been installed, you are ready to mount the speakers.

INSTALLATION PREPARATION

New Construction

When installing the AIM CINEMA into a newly built wall, please follow these instructions carefully:

1. Determine Placement

Determine where in the wall the speakers will be placed, using the recommendations under "PLACEMENT". Pay careful attention to the section on avoiding obstructions.

2. Mount InstaLLock™ Bracket

For best results, mount the SpeakerCraft InstaLLock - New Construction Bracket for the AIM CINEMA following the instructions included with the bracket. See Figure 3.

3. The Location is Ready for Drywall

The bracket provides a stable opening around which the drywall installer can cut out an opening, providing a perfect location for installation of the AIM CINEMA. See Figure 4.

Figure 3 Figure 4

Pure mechanical cross-section diagram without any text, numbers, or symbols

Line drawing of a hand holding a laptop next to a window frame (no text or symbols)

INSTALLATION PREPARATION

FINISHED WALL

When installing the AIM CINEMA into a finished wall, please follow these instructions carefully:

1. Determine Placement

Determine where in the wall the speakers will be placed, using the recommendations under "PLACEMENT". Pay careful attention to the section on avoiding obstructions.

2. Locate Obstructions

Find the studs nearest the desired speaker mounting location. The use of a good stud-finder tool is highly recommended for this procedure. The speakers should be centered between the two 16" on center studs. Make sure that there are no studs or obstructions where you plan to install the speaker. Read "Check for Obstructions" under the section "PLACEMENT".

3. Trace Template

Place the cutout template at the location you have decided to place the speaker. Keep in mind that the flange of the speaker baffle will extend beyond the cut opening by 78 " in most cases. Center the template between the studs. With the template in place, use a level along the top or bottom edge to make sure it is even with the floor and ceiling. Use a few pieces of tape or small tacks to hold the template in place. See Figure 5. Trace an outline on the wall with a pencil.

Figure 5 Figure 6

Line drawing of a hand holding a control panel with three buttons, enclosed in a rectangular frame (no text or symbols)

TOP VIEW OF WALL First Cut 45° Second Cut 90°

4. Cut the Hole

CAUTION: This is the most important part of the entire installation. If you are not certain whether or not an obstruction exist behind the desired mounting area, you should start by cutting a small hole in the center of your penciled mounting hole with a drywall saw. Cut at a 45° angle towards the inside of the hole. See Figure 6. Cutting the small hole at this angle will make drywall repair much easier as the piece cut out can be installed neatly back into the hole. Once you have determined that there aren't any obstructions in your desired mounting location, start cutting the finished hole at a 90° angle to the wall surface.

SPEAKER INSTALLATION

The unique integral ten foot mounting system incorporated into each AIM CINEMA speaker allows for a quick installation by following these easy steps:

1. Remove the grille. It may be necessary to push one or two of the mounting screws and its attached foot towards the baffle and against the inside surface of the grille to force the grille out of its retaining groove.

2. Attach the speaker cable (observing the proper polarity with your amplifier, + to + and - to -). Make sure the left channel of the amplifier is connected to the left speaker, and the right channel is connected to the right speaker.

Note: For best bass response be sure to mount your Cinema speaker with the low frequency (paper cone) drivers towards the bottom as illustrated on Figure 7

3. BI AMPING

To use your speakers in a bi-amplified configuration, you will need two separate amplifiers to drive the bass/midrange and treble section of your speakers. See Figure 9. It will further enhance the loudspeakers performance. IMPORTANT: Be sure to remove the jumper wires only when bi-amplifying the system. See figure 8.

1. Make sure the mounting feet are turned inward to clear the opening, and insert the speaker into the wall cut-out. Position the speaker into the cut-out. NOTE: The flange of the speaker is designed to flex and conform to any small imperfections in the wall's surface. Tighten the ten screws on the front of the baffle only enough to make the flange become snug against the wall. As you tighten the screws, the feet will automatically flip into an outward position (Figure 7), thereby clamping the drywall between the feet and the flange. CAUTION: Over tightening may warp the baffle, crack the wall, cause flange to distort, and make the grille difficult to install.

2. Push the grille firmly into the slot in the speaker baffle.

Figure 7

Mounting Feet Flange

Figure 8 JUMPER WIRE

Remove when Bi-Amping

Figure 9 BI-AMP CONFIGURATION

LEFT MAIN RIGHT MAIN AMPLIFIER 1 SpeakerCraft+ Model: B0275 AMPLIFIER 2 SpeakerCraft+ Model: B0275

SPEAKER ADJUSTMENTS

Pivoting Inner Baffle Adjustment

Your AIM CINEMA Series speakers inner baffle come from the factory in the straight fixed position. This will result in the overall smoothest response. However, depending on your particular primary area, room acoustics, ceiling height, or personal preference, you may find the sound more pleasing by pointing the inner baffle in a particular direction. If additional sound is desired in the primary listening area, pivot the inner baffle towards that area; and if less sound is required, pivot the inner baffle away. Using both hands, push the ridged triangle areas located at each corner of the baffle to point it in the desired direction. See Figure 10.

Pivoting Tweeter Adjustment

Your AIM CINEMA Series speakers come from the factory with the tweeter facing straight out from the baffle. This will result in the overall smoothest response. However, depending on your particular primary area, room acoustics, ceiling height, or personal preference, you may find the sound more pleasing by pointing the tweeters in a particular direction. If additional treble is desired in the primary listening area, point the tweeter towards that area; and if less treble is required, point the tweeter away. Push gently at the edge of the tweeter to point it in the desired direction. See Figure 11. CAUTION: Avoid touching tweeter dome as damage WILL occur on metal dome tweeters.

For home theater use, we recommend the following tips:

• If the speakers are being used as main front channels, the AIM CINEMA should be angled towards the listener.
• If the speakers are being used for rear surround channels, you may wish to pivot the AIM CINEMA away from the listener to achieve a more diffused sound.

Treble Adjustment: (AIM CINEMA FIVE AND THREE)

The switch labeled TREBLE allows for 6dB of tweeter adjustment. Your speakers were shipped with the Treble switch in the "+" position, providing +3dB of treble. If you want less treble, slide the switch to the "-" position and the tweeter will play -3dB of treble. See Figure 12.

Midrange Adjustment: (AIM CINEMA FIVE AND THREE)

The switch labeled Mid allows for 6dB of midrange adjustment. If you want less midrange, slide the switch to the "-" position and the woofers will play -3dB of midrange. See Figure 13.

Bass Adjustment:

The switch labeled BASS allows for 6dB of bass adjustment. Your speakers were shipped with the Bass switch in the "+" position, providing +3dB of bass and an impedance of 6 ohms. If you want less bass, slide the switch to the "-" position and the woofer will play -3dB of bass and increase the impedance to 8 ohms. See Figure 14.

Remember that altering the impedance affects the number of speakers able to be driven by an amplifier. If multiple pairs of speakers are to be driven by one amplifier, SpeakerCraft suggests using the lowest output position (switch set to the "-" position) until it is determined that the amplifier will operate properly with the speakers switched to a higher output mode. If you want to safely operate multiple pairs of speakers, consider purchasing SpeakerCraft S4 or S8 Speaker Selectors.

PAINTING THE SPEAKERS

If you plan to paint your speakers, we recommend that it be done prior to installation. If you decide to paint your speakers sometime in the future, it is best to remove them by simply reversing the steps for "SPEAKER INSTALLATION". When painting the speakers, the paint masks provided in the carton must be installed in place of the grille. The grilles can also be painted, however, great care should be taken not to clog the holes, as this will greatly reduce the sound quality of the speakers. Before painting the grilles, remove the under grille material. Put this material back into place once the grille has been painted. SpeakerCraft recommends only light spray painting, using 5 parts thinning agent to 1 part paint. Do not paint grilles while they are attached to the speaker. If it is necessary to paint the under grille material, follow the same procedure used to paint the grilles.

Figure 10

Close-up of a speaker tower with multiple speakers and a hand adjusting its top panel (no visible text or symbols)

Figure 11
Push Tweeter Here

Close-up of a hand pressing a button on a white mechanical component (no visible text or symbols)

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

SPECIFICATIONS

	AIM CINEMA FIVE	AIM CINEMA THREE	AIM CINEMA ONE
Speaker Type:	3-Way In-Wall	3-Way In-Wall	3-Way In-Wall
Tweeter:	Pivoting 1" Aluminum Dome	Pivoting 1" Aluminum Dome	Pivoting 1" Silk Dome
Midrange:	(2) 5" Pivoting Kevlar Cones	(2) 5" Pivoting Aluminum Cones	(2) 5" IMG Cones
Woofers:	(2) 6" Paper cone woofers with Kevlar fibers	(2) 6" Paper cone woofers with Kevlar fibers	(2) 6" Paper cone woofers with Kevlar fibers
Impedance:	8 ohms compatible	8 ohms compatible	8 ohms compatible
Sensitivity:	91dB 1W/1m	86dB 1W/1m	85dB 1W/1m
Frequency Adjustments:	Front-Mounted Treble, Mid & Bass Adjustment Switches	Front-Mounted Treble, Mid & Bass Adjustment Switches	Front-Mounted Bass Adjustment Switch
Frequency Response:	35Hz - 20kHz	39Hz - 20kHz	40Hz - 20kHz
Power Handling:	200 watts	175 watts	125 watts
Cut Out Dimensions (L x H):	2834" × 712" (730.250mm x 190.500mm)	2834" × 712" (730.250mm x 190.500mm)	2834" × 712" (730.250mm x 190.500mm)
Dimensions (L x H x D):	30916" × 914" × 4" (776.374mm x 234.950mm x 101.600mm)	30916" × 914" × 4" (776.374mm x 234.950mm x 101.600mm)	30916" × 914" × 4" (776.374mm × 234.950mm × 101.600mm)

In our attempt to constantly improve our products, features and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Declaration of Conformity W. Speckercraft Inc. SAR Colombia Asia Renaultia, CA 19937 ISSN Copyright, under our sole responsibility that the products are classified in the owner's owned or in compliance with both listed standards. EN 00087-2 EN 00087-2 E&C Limited EN 00087-2 E&C Limited Specialty Corp. SAR Colombia Asia Renaultia, CA 19937 ISSN 448-84976 Fax [phone] www.spc108C.CITI.COM

LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

SpeakerCraft Inc. warrants to the original retail purchaser only that this SpeakerCraft product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship, provided the speaker was purchased from a SpeakerCraft Authorized Dealer.

Defective products must be shipped, together with proof of purchase, prepaid insured to the SpeakerCraft Authorized Dealer from whom they were purchased, or to the SpeakerCraft factory at the address listed on this installation instruction manual. Freight collect shipments will be refused. It is preferable to ship this product in the original shipping container to lessen the chance of transit damage. In any case, the risk of loss or damage in transit is to be borne by the purchaser. If, upon examination at the Factory or SpeakerCraft Authorized Dealer, it is determined that the unit was defective in materials or workmanship at any time during this warranty period, SpeakerCraft or the SpeakerCraft Authorized Dealer will, at its option, repair or replace this product at no additional charge, except as set forth below. If this model is no longer available and can not be repaired effectively, SpeakerCraft, at its sole option, may replace the unit with a current model of equal or greater value. In some cases where a new model is substituted, a modification to the mounting surface may be required. If mounting surface modification is required, SpeakerCraft assumes no responsibility or liability for such modification. All replaced parts and product become the property of SpeakerCraft Inc. Products replaced or repaired under this Warranty will be returned to the original retail purchaser, within a reasonable time, freight prepaid.

This Warranty does not include service or parts to repair damage caused by accident, disaster, misuse, abuse, negligence, inadequate packing or shipping procedures, commercial use, voltage inputs in excess of the rated maximum of the unit, or service, repair or modification of the product which has not been authorized or approved by SpeakerCraft. This Warranty also excludes normal cosmetic deterioration caused by environmental conditions. This warranty will be void if the Serial Number on the product has been removed, tampered with or defaced.

This Warranty is in lieu of all other expressed warranties. If the product is defective in materials or workmanship as warranted above, the purchaser's sole remedy shall be repair or replacement as provided above. In no event will SpeakerCraft be liable for any incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the product, even if SpeakerCraft Inc. or a SpeakerCraft Inc. Authorized Dealer has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the above limitation and exclusion may not apply.

All implied warranties on the product are limited to the duration of this expressed Warranty. Some states do not allow limitation on the length of an implied warranty. If the original retail purchaser resides in such a state, this limitation does not apply.

Limited LIFETIME WARRANTY

SpeakerCraft offers a variety of accessories to make your installation of this and other SpeakerCraft products easy, economical, and professional. Contact your authorized SpeakerCraft Dealer for more information. For technical inquires, please call 1-800-448-0976 or e-mail us at [e-mail]. We are available to assist you every weekday, except holidays, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST.