Owner’s ManualInsight Series L8iPlanar Magnetic HybridLine Source Loudspeaker
DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS
This document contains general safety, installation, and operation instructions for the Wisdom Audio Insight Series L8i loudspeakers. It is important to read this document before attempting to use this product. Pay particular attention to:WARNING: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition, or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in injury or death.CAUTION: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, condition, or the like that, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage to or destruction of part of or the entire product.Note: Calls attention to information that aids in the installation or operation of the product.
Introduction
Congratulations on purchasing your Wisdom Audio loudspeakers. They in- corporate many design features designed to give you decades of pleasure and performance. Many of these design choices are uncommon among loudspeaker manufacturers and bear some explanation. See the following section entitled “Description” for more information.While we expect your local Wisdom Audio dealer to take care of the setup and calibration of the system, we still recommend that you at least brie y review this and your other manuals in order to better understand your system’s full capabilities.You do not have to do anything to register your warranty for your Wisdom Audio products. (Isn’t that a pleasant surprise?)In the unlikely event that your loudspeakers ever require service, please contact the dealer from whom you purchased them. Between their records and ours, you should be all set.However, please keep your sales receipt in a safe and easily found place.Should you move or lose touch with your original dealer, it will serve as your proof of purchase for warranty purposes.
Overview
Your Insight Series L8i loudspeakers take advantage of several critical technologies to deliver a level of performance that has never been possible in a loudspeaker that intruded so modestly on your living space. In fact, this level of performance has rarely been attained, regardless of the space and budget at one’s disposal.Since several of these technologies cannot readily be found elsewhere, we will take the time to describe them in more detail than would be necessary for more conventional designs.Our planar magnetic drivers use an advanced, thin-film membrane to move the air. This film can respond instantly to the smallest detail in the signal. It has vastly less inertia than traditional “cone & dome” drivers, so the signal is never blurred in any way.One of the most remarkable things about the sound of well-designed planar magnetic speakers is their lack of thermal or dynamic compression. There are several reasons for this:
- The lightweight diaphragm responds quickly to even the smallest signals, yet is robust enough to handle a great deal of power.
- The voice coil is laid out at and is exposed to the air on both sides; the large resulting surface area dissipates heat extremely quickly and efficiently.
- Since heat does not build up in the voice coil (as it does in conventional dynamic drivers), the load seen by the amplifier does not change at high power levels.
When you become accustomed to the sound of your new Insight Series L8i speakers, conventional speakers sound a bit bland and lifeless. You may also discover yourself earing details at even modest levels on the L8i that were previously inaudible even at loud volumes on more conventional speakers.The “voice coil” in the planar magnetic driver is spread out over a large, area that is exposed to the open air. As such, when a huge transient comes along, any heat that is generated is immediately dissipated. This compares quite favorably to other designs in which the voice coil is buried inside a massive piece of metal, where the heat has effectively no place to go.The excellent heat dissipation of these drivers makes them remarkably reliable. Planar magnetic speakers can handle a great deal of power without undue stress or audible strain. In fact, for a given size, they can handle many times the power of a traditional dynamic driver.Because the conductor of a planar magnetic driver is essentially a long, thin wire, it presents a purely resistive load to the amplifier. This is comparable to the simple test loads that amplifier companies use when measuring their amplifiers to show how terrific they are. As such, you can be assured that your amplifiers will sound and work their best.Authoritative, deep bass requires that you move a lot of air. We have chosen to use dynamic woofers for the bass because they can provide excellent performance at lower frequencies.In order to get comparable bass performance from a planar magnetic design, you would need to have a huge speaker that would be impractical in most domestic living spaces. It simply makes more sense to use the best transducer technology in each area of the reproduced spectrum. One of Wisdom Audio’s strengths is in seamlessly blending these technologies — particularly important given the high standards set by our planar magnetic drivers.Of course, the dynamic woofers themselves must be rather extraordinary in order to “keep up” with the planar magnetic drivers right up to the crossover frequency.Our woofers are different because they must be in order to do their job. Specifically, we need highly dynamic, uncompressed bass (to keep up with the planar magnetic drivers) that does not depend on a critical amount of enclosure volume (since these speakers are mounted in your wall and use the space inside the wall as their “enclosure”). These two design goals require rather extraordinary attention to myriad details.The motor and suspension system of these woofers, therefore, includes all the critical damping required for optimal operation. (In most speakers, the woofers depend on the air trapped inside their enclosures as an additional “spring” to help them behave properly.) Technically, this approach is known as an “infinite baffle” design. In practice, the volume of air behind the speaker does not have to be infinite, of course. It just needs to be large enough to not act like an acoustic “spring”. Recommended and minimum enclosure volumes for the speaker are listed in the Specifications section and repeated on the Dimensions page.Many speakers include a mid-bass “bump” in their response to giving the illusion of going deeper in the bass than they actually do. Unfortunately, this “bump” makes blending them seamlessly with a high-quality subwoofer almost impossible.All Insight Series speakers have been designed optimally at the response to 80 Hz, which is the most common crossover frequency used with subwoofers.
Line Source Speakers
Almost all loudspeakers radiate sound into the room as imperfect “point sources”.This means that most of the energy they put into the room expands as an ever-enlarging sphere, as though emerging from a single point in space. This results in a multitude of reflections from the ceiling and floor that can degrade sound quality.
By contrast, the Wisdom Series LS4 speakers radiate sound as a “line source”. The sound moves into the room as an expanding cylinder, rather than as an expanding sphere — as though from a vertical line suspended in space.
Line source speakers provide two significant advantages:
- Ceiling and floor reflections are minimized, resulting in greatly reduced interference, letting you hear more of the speaker and less of the room;
- The sound pressure level (SPL) throughout the room is much more evenly distributed, making it much easier to set the “right” volume, no matter where the audience is seated.
To achieve this highly desirable line source behavior, it is essential to have a tall and slim driver. (Simply stacking multiple “cone & dome” high-frequency drivers does not create a proper line source. Instead, it creates a series of point sources, which end up interfering with each other.) With Wisdom Audio’s planar magnetic technology, it becomes possible to have drivers that are extremely tall and slim. Because of this shape, the sound (even at high frequencies) is distributed uniformly across the width of the room from a driver that “looks” only less than an inch wide acoustically. However, the sound is launched in a much more directional way vertically. By minimizing early reflections from the ceiling and the floor, the clarity of the system is greatly enhanced. This is heard in both tremendous musical detail and in much-improved dialog intelligibility.For more detailed information on planar magnetic drivers and the difference between point source and line source speakers please visit www.wisdomaudio.com.
Unpacking & Installing the L8i
Your new Wisdom Audio Insight Series L8i in-wall speaker is a substantial piece of equipment, which is shipped fully assembled. Please exercise caution when unpacking your L8i to ensure that you do not strain yourself from its (perhaps unexpected) weight.Caution! Do not attempt to lift your L8i while bending or twisting from the waist. Use your legs for lifting, not your back. Always stand as straight as possible and keep the L8i close to your body to reduce strain on your back.
- Use the included cardboard template to trace the outline of the hole for the speaker and carefully cut to the line.
- Carefully removed the magnetic grille, tipping it off from one side to the other (not from one end to the other), so as to avoid damaging the grille. Set it aside, laying it fat.
- Unscrew and remove the speaker module itself (baffle plate, drivers, crossover) from the UniGrip™ mounting system and carefully set it aside.
- Remove one long clamping rail from the UniGrip™ mounting system, and loosen the other side. Angle the UniGrip into the cutout so the remaining clamping rail is sandwiching the wall, and snug it down lightly. Insert the removed clamping rail through the wall opening, and reattach it to the UniGrip. Check everything for plumb, and snug both rails down.
- Push any insulation in the wall to the side. If there is no insulation in the wall, loosely fill the stud bay with insulation to reduce cavity resonances and improve performance.
- Using assistance to hold the speaker away from the wall, connect the speaker cable to the + and – connectors on the rear of the speaker, paying attention to proper polarity.
- Screw the speaker module into the UniGrip frame.
- Place the grille on the front of the speaker, registering it around the edges of the baffle. It is held magnetically and will gently snap into place.
Maximum wall thickness
The Uni-Grip system on the L8i can handle wall thicknesses of up to 1.25” (11⁄4” or 3.175cm). If you are planning a double-wall construction, you may use two 5⁄8” layers. You may also consider using MDO (medium density overlay) plywood, which is quite strong and has a smooth paper surface like a gypsum board.
Proper Planar Placement for front L&R and Rear Surrounds
When using the L8i for front L&R and or Rear Surrounds the planar drivers should always be placed on the inside as shown below in a front screen wall LCR example.
Your L8i and Subwoofers
All Insight Series loudspeakers are optimized for use with subwoofers, with a crossover of 80 Hz. (This is the most common frequency below which subwoofers are used.)When properly installed in the wall, your L8i has inherently at the response to 80 Hz, without the common “bass bump” that characterizes most in-wall speakers and is placed there to yield the impression of “more bass” than there really is. This makes it easy to blend seamlessly with a high-quality subwoofer such as one of Wisdom Audio’s Regenerative Transmission Line™ (RTL™) subwoofers.You should set up your surround processor speaker bass management to “Small” and or with an 80 Hz crossover to maximize the speaker’s output. Doing so ensures that all content below 80 Hz is directed to the subwoofer(s) for reproduction.
Care & Maintenance
To remove dust from the front of your L8i, use a feather duster or a lint-free soft cloth.To remove stubborn dirt and fingerprints from the grille, we recommend isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth. Lightly dampen the cloth with alcohol first and then clean the grille of the L8i with the cloth. Do not use excessive amounts of alcohol—there is no need for the cloth to be wet; merely damp is better.Never attempt to clean the drivers themselves.Caution!Do not touch the surface of the planar magnetic drivers, under any circumstances. The thin film has been carefully pre-tensioned at the factory; any subsequent contact can only damage it.
North American Warranty
Standard WarrantyWhen purchased from and installed by an authorized Wisdom Audio dealer, Wisdom Audio loudspeakers/transducers are warranted to be free from defects inmaterial and workmanship under normal use for a period of five years from the original date of purchase.Harsh Conditions UseThe Insight Series loudspeakers are designed for installation and operation in environmentally controlled conditions, such as are found in normal residential environments. When used in harsh conditions such as outdoors or in marine applications, the warranty is three years from the original date of purchase.During the warranty period, any Wisdom Audio loudspeaker exhibiting defects in materials and/or workmanship will be repaired or replaced, at our option, without charge for either parts or labor, at our factory. The warranty will not apply to any Wisdom Audio loudspeaker that has been misused, abused, altered, or installed and calibrated by anyone other than an authorized Wisdom Audio dealer.Any Wisdom Audio loudspeaker not performing satisfactorily may be returned to the factory for evaluation. Return authorization must first be obtained by either calling or writing the factory prior to shipping the component. The factory will pay or return shipping charges only in the event that the loudspeaker is found to be defective as mentioned above. There are other stipulations that may apply to shipping charges.There is no other express warranty on this loudspeaker. Neither this warranty nor any other warranty, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness, shall extend beyond the warranty period. No responsibility is assumed for any incidental or consequential damages. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and other states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. This warranty is applicable in North America only. Outside of North America, please contact your local, authorized Wisdom Audio distributor for warranty and service information.
Obtaining Service
We take great pride in our dealers. Experience, dedication, and integrity make these professionals ideally suited to assist with our customers’ service needs.If your Wisdom Audio loudspeaker must be serviced, please contact your dealer. Your dealer will then decide whether the problem can be remedied locally, or whether to contact Wisdom Audio for further service information or parts, or to obtain a Return Authorization. The Wisdom Audio Service Department works closely with your dealer to solve your service needs expediently.IMPORTANT: Return authorization must be obtained from Wisdom Audio’s Service Department BEFORE a unit is shipped for service.It is extremely important that information about a problem be explicit and complete. A specific, comprehensive description of the problem helps your dealer and the Wisdom Audio Service Department locate and repair the difficulty as quickly as possible.A copy of the original bill of sale will serve to verify warranty status. Please include it with the unit when it is brought in for warranty service.WARNING: All returned units must be packaged in their original packaging, and the proper return authorization numbers must be marked on the outer carton for identification. Shipping the unit in improper packaging may void the warranty, as Wisdom Audio cannot be responsible for the resulting shipping damage.Your dealer can order a new set of shipping materials for you if you need to ship your loudspeaker and no longer have the original materials. There will be a charge for this service. We strongly recommend saving all packing materials in case you need to ship your unit someday.If the packaging to protect the unit is, in our opinion or that of our dealer, inadequate to protect the unit, we reserve the right to repackage it for return shipment at the owner’s expense. Neither Wisdom Audio nor your dealer can be responsible for shipping damage due to improper (that is, non-original) packaging.
Specifications
All specifications are subject to change at any time, in order to improve the product.
- Frequency response: 80Hz – 20 kHz ± 2dB relative to the target curve
- Crossover frequency: 550 Hz
- Nominal Impedance: 4Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 2.5Ω
- Sensitivity: 91 dB/2.83V/1m
- Power handling, peak: 500w
- Maximum SPL: 118 dB @ 1m
- Dimensions: see appropriate dimensions drawings on next page
- Recommended Enclosure Volume: 2.63 cubic feet (74.6 liters) or more
- Minimum Enclosure Volume: 1.47 cubic feet (41.63 liters)
- Maximum Wall Thickness: 1-1/4” (3.175cm)
For more information, see your Wisdom Audio dealer or contact:
Wisdom Audio1572 College Parkway, Suite 164Carson City, NV 89706www.wisdomaudio.com[email protected]Ph: 775.887.8850
L8i Dimensions
WISDOM and the stylized W are registered trademarks of Wisdom Audio.Wisdom Audio1572 College Parkway, Suite 164Carson City, Nevada 89706 USATelephone: 775.887.8850Fax: 775.887.8820www.wisdomaudio.com
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References
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