Q. What does the switch on the back of the supertweeter do?
A. This selects between two different filters that are both designed for your speakers. They are both suitable filter designs and simply allow for personal taste in what sounds best. Usually the 'up' position uses a slightly higher filter point and thus the supertweeters contribution is more subtle. The 'down' position is usually a lower filter point and the supertweeter makes more contribution to the sound.
Q. What amp power do they require?
A. Supertweeters use such little power it is not really a consideration.
Q. What cable do you recommend?
A. AudioSmile does not recommend any specific cable brand, but does suggest something with low impedance and capacitance. As supertweeters use little power, cable resistance is not important so a thin cable that will have low capacitance is probably best.
Q. How should the supertweeters be connected?
A. The supertweeters should be linked from the binding posts on the back of your speakers using a short length of cable. Click here to see a diagram.
Q. What is the maximum speaker sensitivity the supertweeters can be designed for?
A. This depends strongly on the filter points used in the supertweeter, and the sensitivity is one of the variables set in the design process. If the supertweeters comes in at a higher point, more sensitivity can usually be achieved. However, up to 94dB is easily possible for all filter points.
Q. How will the addition of supertweeters effect the impedance seen by my amplifier?
A. The supertweeter has a very high impedance, so when connected in parallel with the main speakers it will not change what is seen by the amp very much. The impedance will also be affected at high frequencies only where the supertweeter works.
Q. How should the supertweeters be placed?
A. The supertweeter is usually best placed in vertical alignment with the main speakers. This usually means sitting it on top. Forward and backward positioning as well as the angle of toe-in or out should all be experimented with by the user for optimal performance. In some cases the supertweeters will be designed to be used with a 30° toe-out towards the side walls of the room, but this would be mentioned during the design process.
Q. Is it safe to disconnect the supertweeters while music is playing?
A. Yes, this will be okay, provided the main speakers remain connected to the amp, and under no circumstances are the wires to the supertweeters or speakers allowed to cross.
Q. Is it safe to change the filter switch position while music is playing?
A. Yes this is okay.
