Bowers & Wilkins ASW608

Features

8" Woofer with 200 Watt Amplifier: The Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 powered subwoofer houses an 8" paper/aramid fiber cone long-throw woofer with rubber surround inside an acoustic suspension (sealed) cabinet for fast, tight, and dramatic bass from your movie and music soundtracks. The 8" woofer is driven by a powerful 200W Class D amplifier for dynamic, distortion-free bass performance.

Subwoofer Controls: The ASW608 offers a variety of controls to tailer the powered sub's bass performance to your preference, room, and application.

• Volume Level: Adjust the Volume Level of the powered sub relative to the rest of the loudspeakers in your system to achieve well balanced bass. The volume controls only operate on their respective volume inputs (Line or Speaker); an unused volume control is best set to minimum.
• Low Pass Crossover: The ASW608 features a built-in Low Pass Crossover with variable Frequency settings and a Low Pass Filter In (On)/Out (Off) switch. Adjust the variable Low Pass Frequency setting (25-140Hz) to give the smoothest transition between the powered subwoofer and your loudspeakers. If you are using an AV receiver or processor with an LFE output, then the Low Pass Filter switch should be set to Out (Off).
• Bass Extension: The subwoofer's Bass Extension offers three settings. Position A (-6dB @ 20Hz) gives the greatest extension and position C (-6dB @ 30Hz) gives the least extension. Position B (-6dB @ 25Hz)provides a compromise setting. If the system is to be used at very high volume levels or in a large listening room, restricting the bass extension by selecting either B or C may help ensure that the subwoofer is not asked to exceed its performance limits. In most situations the Bass Extension should be left in position A.
• EQ (Equalization): The EQ alters the subwoofer's bass roll-off alignment. The bass you hear is a combination of the subwoofer plus the effects of the room. You should choose the EQ position that best complements your room and the location of the subwoofer. Position A is suited to placing the subwoofer in a corner or compensating for a resonant room. Position B is suited to a less resonant room acoustic and use away from a corner.
• Phase Switch: Normally the phase will be set to 0°, but if the subwoofer is positioned at a distance significantly different from the other speakers, or the power amplifier driving the other speakers happens to invert the signal, the 180° position may be preferable. Listen with the switch in both positions and choose the one that gives the fullest sound. If there is little difference, leave the switch at 0°

Line-Level & Speaker-Level Inputs: The B&W ASW608 powered sub is outfitted with line-level and speaker-level inputs. The line-level inputs consist of stereo RCA jacks, while the speaker-level inputs consist of binding-post terminals. If using an AV receiver, preamplifier, or processor with an LFE out, then you will only need to connect the powered sub's "Left" line-level input. The speaker-level, binding-post terminals will accept bare wire (up to 12AWB), pin-connectors and banana plugs (single or dual). You'll need to remove the plastic inserts from the binding-post terminals to utilize banana plugs.

12V Trigger Input: The ASW608 is equipped with a 12V Trigger input consisting of a 3.5mm minijack. The 12V Trigger input allows the powered sub to turn on from the 12V Trigger output of an AV receiver, integrated amplifier, or preamplifier.

3-Way Power Switch: The Bowers & Wilkins ASW608 features a 3-way power switch that can be set to On, Auto, or Standby. It also provides a status LED to indicate active (green) or sleep (red). It includes a detachable 6.5' AC power cord.

• On: With the 3-way power switch set to On, the powered subwoofer will remain fully active and the LED status indicator will glow green.
• Auto: With the switch set to Auto, the powered sub will initially become fully active and the indicator will glow green. After about 5 minutes without an input signal, the subwoofer will automatically enter "sleep" mode. The indicator will glow red. When an input signal is detected, the subwoofer will automatically become active and the indicator will glow green. The subwoofer will return to sleep after about 5 minutes with no input signal.
• Standby: With the switch set to Standby the powered sub will become active when 12V is applied to the Trigger input. Zero volts at the input will return the subwoofer to sleep. The indicator will glow green when the subwoofer is active and red when the subwoofer is in sleep.

Note: AV receivers incorporating an auto-calibration procedure may be "confused" by powered subs with an auto switch-on/sleep function. A potentially damaging fault condition can arise. Powered subs are best left switched On and fully active during the auto-calibration setup. After setup is completed, the subwoofer can be switched to Auto.

Rubber & Spike Feet: It is important to ensure the powered subwoofer stands firmly on the floor using either the included rubber or spike feet. The rubber or spike feet screw into the bottom of the powered sub. Use the rubber feet for hardwood, laminate, tile, and vinyl flooring. Use the spike feet for carpet flooring.

• Dimensions with Rubber Feet: 10.25" (w) x 10.6875" (h) x 13.75" (d)
• Dimensions with Spike Feet: 10.25" (w) x 11.5625" (h) x 13.75" (d)

Note: The ASW608 powered sub should always be used with the feet installed (either the rubber or spike option) for optimum performance and proper stability.

Placement Options: The human ear poorly perceives the source location of low frequency sound so the position of subwoofers in the listening room is generally less critical compared to full-range speakers. However, best results are usually obtained if the subwoofer is placed between the left and right speakers or in the vicinity of one of them. If two subwoofers are used, it is best to put one near the left and one near the right speaker. As with all speakers, the proximity of room boundaries affects the sound of a subwoofer. Bass volume increases as more surfaces come into close proximity with the speaker. Subwoofers positioned near corners often generate more low-frequency room resonances, making the bass more uneven with frequency.