Micca MS10, MS12 - Home Theater Subwoofer Manual

Introduction

Thank you for your purchase! The Micca Media Series subwoofers have been designed to deliver impactful performance that belies their modest price, resulting from a combination of high excursion subwoofer driver, well-tuned enclosure, and an efficient class-D topology that provides 80 watts of RMS power and 120 watts of Peak power. Add one or more Micca Media Series subwoofers to your home theater or stereo system and explore the true depth of sound.

Feature Highlights

Driver

MS10: 10-Inch (nominal) long throw driver with treated pulp cone and rubber surround. MS12: 12-Inch (nominal) long throw driver with treated pulp cone and rubber surround.

Enclosure

MS10: Front-firing, ported, 36Hz tuning.

MS12: Front-firing, ported, 29Hz tuning.

Amplifier

• Power: 80W RMS, 120W Peak.
• Low-Pass Crossover: 40Hz to 150Hz, adjustable.
• Phase: 0 and 180 degrees selectable.
• Power: On, or Auto trigger on
• Inputs: RCA and speaker-level input.
• Outputs: Speaker-level signal pass-through, no crossover applied.

What's Included

• Micca Subwoofer
• User's Manual

Note: All information contained in this manual was correct at the time of publication. However, as our engineers are always updating and improving the product, your device may have a slightly different appearance or modified functionality than presented in this manual. These changes will be reflected in future revisions of this manual.

Product Overview

Connections and Controls

Placement Recommendations

Before connecting and setting up the Micca Media Series subwoofer, it is important to identify the best location for placing the subwoofer to minimize the effect of room modes. Room modes are frequencies at which a room acts as a reverberation chamber. The frequency and location of these room modes are dependent on the size and shape of the room, but suffice to say all rooms have room modes. Here are some general guidelines and best practices for placing subwoofers within a listening environment to minimize the effect of room modes.

Near the Listening Position – The most predictable location to place a subwoofer is close by the listener, which minimizes the effect of potential room modes. Popular locations include behind the sofa or under a side table. Difficulties associated with this position are the length of the subwoofer cable required, and access to a power plug.

Near the Front Main Speakers – The second best location is usually to place the subwoofer near the front main speakers and pointed towards the listener. This location is more susceptible to the effects of room modes, but the subwoofer can be moved left or right to identify a spot that minimizes the modes at the listener's position. One benefit of this location is that the connections are much easier to make due to close proximity to other electronics and power source.

Corner Near the Listener – The third best location is to place the subwoofer at a corner near the listener. While corners are usually a bad location since it triggers the most room modes, the corner that is closer to the listener has fewer potential issues. One positive with a corner placement is that the output level is boosted due to reinforcement effect by the walls.

Far Corner Away From the Listener – The worst place to put a subwoofer is in a corner far away from the listener. Unfortunately, this often the most popular place to put a subwoofer, since it is usually along the same wall with the main speakers, and is tucked away in a corner. If being visually hidden away is the most important consideration, this may be the only option available.

Notwithstanding the above, due to the unpredictable nature of room modes, the best location for a particular application may in face be in a far corner away from the listener. Therefore, use the above recommendations only as a general guideline and always let your ears make the final decision as to the ideal location for a subwoofer.

Connection and Setup

Micca Media Series subwoofer can be used in a variety of configurations, such as in a home theater, or as bass augmentation for a pair of speakers. This chapter explains the various ways in which the connections and settings should be used.

Use With a Home Theater Receiver

This section explains how to use the Micca Media Series subwoofer with a home theater receiver that is equipped with a subwoofer/LFE channel output. If your receiver or amplifier does not have this output, please follow the directions in section 5.2. Refer to the diagram below for making connections:

Locate the subwoofer/LFE output jack on the back of the home theater receiver, and use a subwoofer cable of suitable length (not included) to connect to the subwoofer's "Line In" jack marked "R/LFE". Leave the left input jack disconnected. Next, make the following settings on the subwoofer's back panel:

• Set power switch to "Auto"
• Set phase switch to "0"
• Set volume to the center position
• Set the low-pass crossover knob to 150Hz/LFE position

Next, you must configure your receiver to use the subwoofer. Most modern home theater receivers have auto calibration capabilities and can automatically set the subwoofer channel volume, delay, and crossover frequency. If your home theater receiver does not have auto calibration capabilities, these settings must be configured manually and are explained in the receiver's user manual. Please follow the instructions in your receiver's manual for optimal results.

Use With a Stereo Amplifier

This section explains how to use the Micca Media Series subwoofer with a stereo amplifier or receiver that does not have a subwoofer/LFE channel output. In this case, the subwoofer must make use of the speaker level signals from the amplifier. Refer to the diagram below for making connections:

First, make the following settings on the subwoofer's back panel:

• Set power switch to "Auto"
• Set phase switch to "0"
• Set volume to the lowest position
• Set the low-pass crossover knob to 120Hz

Next, using speaker wire (not included), connect the speaker outputs from the back of the amplifier to the "High Level Input" on the subwoofer, making sure to match left-to-left, and rightto-right. The connection between the amplifier and speakers can remain as is; if it is difficult to connect two sets of wires to the back of the amplifier, the speakers can be connected to the "High Level Output" on the subwoofer instead. When speakers are connected to the "High Level Output" on the subwoofer, the signal is passed through as-is without any crossover filtering.

Please select speaker wire thickness based on the following minimum recommendations:

• 50 feet or less - 16 Gauge 2 Conductor
• 50 to 80 feet - 14 Gauge 2 Conductor
• 80 to 120 feet - 12 Gauge 2 Conductor (must use banana plug)
• 120 to 200 feet - 10 Gauge 2 Conductor (must use banana plug)

Note: When working with speaker wire, it is important to make sure that wire strands are not touching each other. Micca recommends using speaker wires with banana plugs for a clean and reliable connection.

Next it is important to adjust the operating parameters of the subwoofer, which is best done with a familiar piece of music with prominent bass. Follow the directions below:

• Play a familiar piece of music and set the playback volume to a comfortable level.
• Gradually increase the subwoofer volume until desired bass level is reached. There is a natural tendency to add too much bass, so be patient in adding volume in small amounts.
• Try listening to the music with the phase switch in either the 0 or 180 degree position. Keep it in the position that sounds the best. If they sound the same or similar, keep the switch at the 0 position.
• For the low-pass crossover, most bookshelf speakers with a 4 to 6.5" woofer benefit from a crossover setting between 80 to 120Hz. Adjust the knob within this range for the most natural transition sound.

Use With Self-Powered Speakers

This section explains how to use the Micca Media Series subwoofer with a self-powered speakers such as powered bookshelf speakers or studio monitors. The steps are different depending on whether the self-powered speakers have a subwoofer output.

Self-Powered Speaker With Subwoofer Output

For self-powered speakers that have a subwoofer output, the connection is usually a 3.5mm jack or standard RCA jack, use an appropriate cable (not included) to connect the output to the "Line In" input jacks on the subwoofer. If the subwoofer output signal from the speakers is stereo, connect it to both "L" and "R" jacks on the subwoofer. If the signal is mono, connect it to the "R/LFE" input only; leave the left input jack disconnected. Refer to the diagram below for making connections:

Self-Powered Speaker Without Subwoofer Output

To use a subwoofer with self-powered speakers not equipped with a subwoofer output, it is necessary to use the music source as the volume control, and split the audio signal between the speakers and the subwoofer. The most common way to do this is with a stereo Y-splitter (not included).

With the source signal split using a stereo Y-splitter, connect one set of the split signal to the self-powered speakers, and the other set to the "L" and "R" jacks on the subwoofer.

Settings and Adjustments

With the connections complete, make the following settings on the subwoofer's back panel:

• Set power switch to "Auto"
• Set phase switch to "0"
• Set volume to the lowest position
• Set the low-pass crossover knob to 120Hz

Next it is important to adjust the operating parameters of the subwoofer, which is best done with a familiar piece of music with prominent bass. Follow the directions below:

• Play a familiar piece of music and set the playback volume to a comfortable level.
• Gradually increase the subwoofer volume until desired bass level is reached. There is a natural tendency to add too much bass, so be patient in adding volume in small amounts.
• Try listening to the music with the phase switch in either the 0 or 180 degree position. Keep it in the position that sounds the best. If they sound the same or similar, keep the switch at the 0 position.
• For the low-pass crossover, most bookshelf speakers with a 4 to 6.5" woofer benefit from a crossover setting between 80 to 120Hz. Adjust the knob within this range for the most natural transition sound.

Specification

General

Power Source Voltage: 110-120VAC 60Hz

Maximum Current: 1.3A

Stand-by Power: 1W

Dimensions (MS10):
14.2" (W) x 15.1" (H) x 16.6" (D)
360mm (W) x 384mm (H) x 421mm (D)

Weight (MS10): 27.6lb (12.53kg)

Dimensions (MS12):
16.1" (W) x 17.1" (H) x 18.5" (D)
410mm (W) x 435mm (H) x 471mm (D)

Weight (MS12): 31.9lb (14.46kg)

Audio

RMS Power: 80 Watts

Peak Power: 120 Watts

Frequency Response (MS10): 36Hz ~ 150Hz (in-room)

Frequency Response (MS12): 29Hz ~ 150Hz (in-room)

Crossover Range: 40Hz ~ 150Hz

Phase: 0 or 180 Degrees

Input Sensitivity: 0.085 to 1.9Vrms

Auto-On Trigger: 0.006Vrms

Got a Question or Need Help?
Email our technical support team at: support@miccatron.com for personalized assistance with the setup and use of this product. Please visit our product information website www.miccatron.com for the following:

• Product Updates
• User's Manuals
• Troubleshooting Wizard
• Technical Support Request

Warranty: 1 Year

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