About the Pinnacle Quantum System with SubSonic Subwoofer
There are home theater speaker systems, and then there's the Pinnacle Quantum satellites/SubSonic subwoofer team. Mark Fleischmann of Home Theater concluded that, judged against similarly priced speaker systems, "the Pinnacles kick butt and kick it real hard. They're not merely, as the old saying goes, 'competitive in their category.' They sit smack on top of it, and few others come close" (July 2002). Here's how Pinnacle did it.
First of all, they took a serious look at the usual problem of eliminating internal cabinet resonances. The five sleek cabinets are made of die-cast aluminum and braced inside. Resonance issues solved, Pinnacle turned to producing ultra-crisp, accurate sound. The cabinets are acoustic suspension. The two-way, three-driver design includes dual 3" carbon graphite extended range drivers with rubber surrounds, and a 1" liquid-cooled titanium tweeter.
And to avoid the problems associated with titanium tweeters when reproducing sound at the highest frequency ranges, Pinnacle used a patented process called Cathodic Arc Evaporation™ — the tweeter receives a protective plasma vapor coating which helps it retain control under stress (and gives it an attractive purple shade as well!). The end result of all this careful design is satellites with superb sonic clarity. As such, they make great companions to the unbelievably small, SubSonic subwoofer.
When Pinnacle made this little box (without grilles and feet, it's essentially an 8" cube!) they took the audio adage "Subwoofers should be heard and not seen" to ridiculous levels. The SubSonic matches dual 6-1/2" woofers in a bipolar configuration with a 200-watt RMS amp — the lows are ample and wonderfully smooth. Mark Fleischmann labeled it "arguably . . . the deepest-voiced baby sub sold today," and when we heard it, we had to agree. Best of all, its integration with the five aluminum Quantum satellites is silky smooth.
A final notable touch for the Quantum satellites is the innovative base that comes with each satellite. This base is adjustable to work as a center channel pedestal. It can also be used as a mounting bracket (wall- or ceiling-mount your surrounds; even pivot them for additional flexibility) or in conjunction with the optional Pinnacle Quantum stands! Want 6.1- or 7.1-channel sound? Just add another two Quantum satellites.
Details:
- Satellites:
- video-shielded
- acoustic suspension
- die-cast aluminum cabinet
- frequency response 100-21,000 Hz (-3dB)
- handle up to 100 watts
- 8-ohm impedance
- sensitivity 86 dB
- unique pivot base (can be used as stand, center pedestal, or wall-mount bracket; hardware and Allen wrenches included)
- gold-plated 5-way binding posts
- 3-13/16"W x 10-1/8"H x 8-7/16"D (with grille and base, when positioned vertically); 9-3/8"W x 4-11/16"H x 8-7/16"D (with grille and base, when positioned horizontally)
- warranty: 10 years
- 200-watt RMS amp
- frequency response 28-150 Hz (-3dB)
- bipolar configuration
- continuously variable 50-150Hz crossover
- crossover bypass switch
- phase switch
- signal-sensing power on/off
- volume control
- line-level inputs
- speaker-level inputs and outputs
- brass isolation cones included
- 7-7/8"W x 7-7/8"H x 9-15/16"D (without grilles, brass isolation cones, or connections)
- brushed dark platinum vinyl finish
- warranty: 7 years drivers, 2 years amplifier
SubSonic powered subwoofer:
What's in the box:
Pinnacle Quantum System with SubSonic Subwoofer owner's manual
- One large box containing: An Introductory Letter/2 Product Brochures/and 3 Smaller Boxes (Quantum 3-Pack/Quantum 2-Pack/SubSonic Subwoofer)
- The Quantum 3-Pack Box contains:
- 3 Quantum satellite speakers
- 3 Grilles
- 3 Pivot bases (attached to speakers)
- 5/32" Allen wrench
- 3/32" Allen wrench
- Six 1-1/2" mounting screws
- Owner's Manual
- The Quantum 2-Pack Box contains:
- 2 Quantum satellite speakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Pivot bases (attached to speakers)
- 5/32" Allen wrench
- 3/32" Allen wrench
- Four 1-1/2" mounting screws
- Owner's Manual
- The SubSonic Subwoofer Box contains:
- Powered subwoofer
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Brass isolation cones
- 4 Hex nuts (on isolation cones)
- Owner's Manual
- Safety instructions
- Warranty registration card
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More details on the Pinnacle Quantum System with SubSonic Subwoofer
Product Research
Satellite Speaker Features
Subwoofer Features
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Dimensions and Specifications
Warranty Notes
Enclosure: The Pinnacle Quantum satellite speakers feature a solid diecast aluminum acoustic suspension enclosure. The solid aluminum cabinet resists resonance, so no distortion is added to the original signal. The cabinet is internally braced to eliminate internal resonance and to provide maximum clarity at higher volume levels.
Grilles: Each speaker has a removable cloth grille. It is curved to match the styling of the speakers. The Pinnacle logo can be rotated in case the speakers are placed horizontally.
Tweeter: The Quantum speakers have a 1" liquid-cooled titanium substrate dome tweeter with a Plasma Vapor treatment. Ultra lightweight titanium exhibits superb acoustical characteristics which results in an excellent high frequency response. To tame the harshness that metal tweeters can sometimes exhibit, the tweeters go through a special patented process known as Cathodic Arc Evaporation, which provides a protective plasma vapor coating to the titanium diaphragm. This process gives the tweeter its purple coloration.
Woofers: Each speaker has two 3" carbon graphite cone woofers. Each woofer has a rubber surround for extra durability.
Automatic Overload Protection: The Quantum speakers feature an overload protection circuit designed to help protect the speaker from accidental overload. This protection circuit will automatically attenuate the overall output of a speaker when it senses excessive volume levels. When the audible protection circuit engages, the volume level should be reduced immediately. The speakers will quickly return to normal operation.
Video Shielded: The speakers are video shielded, so you can place them on or near a TV or monitor without distorting the picture.
MVP Base: The MVP (Multi-Variable Positioning) pivot base allows for vertical or horizontal orientation, or easy wall-mounting installations. The 2-piece base mounts to the speaker with a ball-and-socket type fastener. The speaker has two sockets (a lower socket for use with a vertical orientation, and an upper socket for use with a horizontal orientation) and a removable plate for adjusting the position of the speaker. If you wish to wall mount the speakers, the "foot" of the pivot base is removed and the remaining bracket can be directly bolted to the wall with two supplied 1-1/2" screws. Once the base is mounted to the speaker, it can be swiveled in all directions for more accurate positioning. Note: The 5/32" and 3/32" Allen wrenches needed to adjust the base are included.
Optional Q Stands: The Quantum speakers can be placed on Pinnacle's 27" aluminum Q Stands (see item 584QSTAND). The bolt pattern in the MVP Base perfectly matches the bolt holes in the top of each speaker stand.
Speaker Setting: When setting bass management parameters, the speakers should be set to Small (Normal).
Enclosure: The Pinnacle Subsonic powered subwoofer features an acoustic suspension enclosure made from 3/4" MDF (medium-density fiberboard).
Drivers: The subwoofer has two 6-1/2" heavyweight fibercone woofers with rubber surrounds. Each driver has a 2" voice coil and a 30 ounce magnet. They are mounted in a bipole configuration to give you maximum bass in a minimum of space.
Not Video Shielded: The subwoofer is not video shielded. The speakers' powerful magnets will cause picture distortion when placed in close proximity to a TV or computer monitor. Furthermore, it is recommended that magnetic media, such as audio/video tapes and computer discs, be kept at least 2-3 feet away from the subwoofer to prevent damage.
Amplifier: The Subsonic's amplifier is rated at a powerful 200 watts RMS, 350 watts peak.
Isolation Cones: The subwoofer comes with four solid brass isolation cones to be installed on the bottom of the cabinet. These isolation cones are adjustable to allow you to level the cabinet, and improve the bass definition of the subwoofer. If you are placing the subwoofer on wooden or vinyl floors, it is recommended that a penny be placed under each cone to prevent any indentations.
Auto-On Circuit: The Subsonic has an Auto-On Circuit which automatically turns on the amplifier when an audio signal is detected. It will automatically shut off the amplifier a few minutes after the audio signal stops. The LED indicator glows green when the unit is on, and red when the unit is off.
Volume Control: This unit has a rotary control to adjust the volume of the subwoofer, relative to the other speakers in the system.
Anti-Clipping Circuit: The Subsonic has an anti-clipping circuit to eliminate distortion when the bass is played at high levels.
Phase Switch: The subwoofer's phase switch allows you to select normal (0 degrees) or reverse (180 degrees). If the bass sounds muddy or unclear, toggling the phase control can sometimes strengthen the bass "attack."
Crossover: The Subsonic offers a 24dB/octave, continuously variable low-pass crossover, adjustable from 50Hz to 150Hz. This adjusts the upper end of the sub's frequency range. There is also a 6dB/octave fixed 80Hz high-pass crossover on the speaker level outputs.
Crossover Bypass Switch: If you are connecting the subwoofer to a receiver with a Dolby Digital or DTS processor, the Crossover Bypass Switch (a two-position switch on the rear panel) should be in the On position, allowing your processor to set the crossover point. If you are not using a Dolby Digital or DTS processor, the switch should be in the Off position, activating the low-pass crossover in the subwoofer.
5-way Binding Posts: The Quantum satellite speakers have 5-way binding posts, allowing you to connect the speaker wire using dual banana plugs, single banana plugs, spade connectors, or pin connectors. You can also connect bare wire to the binding posts.
Line Level Inputs: The Subsonic subwoofer has gold-plated left and right line level inputs. If you are connecting the subwoofer to a receiver with a mono subwoofer output, you can use either the left or right input--no "Y" adapter is necessary.
Speaker Inputs/Outputs: The subwoofer has left and right spring clip inputs for connecting the subwoofer to your receiver with speaker wire. Only 12, 14 or 16 gauge speaker wire is recommended. Smaller gauge wire will result in degraded performance. There is also a set of spring clip outputs for passing the signal through to the main speakers. Connecting the subwoofer in this manner is only recommended if your receiver/amplifier does not have a line-level subwoofer output, or if your system could benefit by having the bass removed from the main speakers by the 80Hz high-pass filter on the speaker outputs.
Satellite Speaker Dimensions:
- Without Base: Width= 3.781", Height= 9.323", Depth= 8.139" (7.476" without grille)
- With Base (Vertical): Width= 3.781", Height= 10.1", Depth= 8.393" (7.73" without grille)
- With Base (Horizontal): Width= 9.323", Height= 4.681", Depth= 8.393" (7.73" without grille)
- Weight: Each speaker weighs 5 pounds
Subwoofer Dimensions:
- Cabinet With Feet, Grilles and Connected RCAs: Width: 9.443", Height: 9.224", Depth: 9.479"
- Cabinet Without Feet, Grilles or Connections: Width: 7.875", Height: 7.875", Depth: 9.375"
- Weight: 25 pounds
Subwoofer Specifications:
- Power Output: 200 watts RMS, 350 watts peak
- Specifications Note: The power output specification listed in the manual was 350 watts. According to the manufacturer, the RMS (continuous) power output is 200 watts, while 350 watts is a peak power rating.
Satellite Speaker Warranty: The Quantum speakers have a transferable 10 year parts and labor warranty.
Subwoofer Warranty Correction: The warranty listed in the subwoofer manual is incorrect. The Subsonic has a transferable 7 years warranty on the drivers and 2 years on the amplifier.
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