Connecting speakers
Solo Mini is designed to drive a pair of full-bandwidth
speakers, rated between 4 and 8 ohms. Arcam Muso
speakers ideally complement the performance and design
values of Solo Mini, but other high quality speaker units
will also give good results.
Solo Mini is fitted with speaker terminals that can accept
either 4mm banana plugs, spade terminals or bare wires.
To connect the speakers, unscrew the corresponding
terminals on the back of Solo Mini, insert the speaker
wires (or spades) and screw the terminals back up. Make
sure that the red (positive/+) terminal of the speaker is
connected to the red (positive/+) terminal on the back
panel, and the black (negative/–) terminal of the speaker
is connected to the black (negative/–) terminal on the
back panel.
It is important that no stray strands of wire from these
connections are allowed to touch another cable or the
product casing. Failure to ensure this can cause a short
circuit and damage your Solo Mini.
Do not over-tighten the loudspeaker terminals, or use a
wrench, pliers, etc., as this could damage the terminals and
this would not be covered under warranty.
Speaker cables
The speakers should be
connected to the amplifier
using good-quality, high-purity,
copper cables. Solid core cables,
or those with surface-only
conductors, are particularly
suitable. Bell wire and very
cheap speaker cables should
be avoided – they are a false
economy and can significantly
degrade the sound quality.
The cable runs to the two
speakers should be of roughly
equal length and yet as short
as practicable. Connections to
the speaker terminals should
always be tight, whether
using bare wires or spade
connectors, but do not use
tools such as pliers, wrenches
or spanners to tighten the
connectors as these may
cause damage to the terminals.
speakers
Speaker setup
Proper speaker placement is the key to the sound from
your speakers. As a rough guide, speakers should be
placed on rigid stands at about 15cms from the rear wall
and at least 60cms from any side wall. Speakers should
never be placed on the floor (unless they are floor-
standing speakers), or in corners. The speaker drivers
should be about ear-level height when seated. If possible,
centre your seating area between the speakers.
The final sound will depend on the acoustics of
the listening room and experimenting with speaker
positioning is very worthwhile.
Speaker installation
The advice given here is a general guideline for setting
up speakers. Refer to the documentation supplied with
your speakers for more precise positioning and installation
information.
Room acoustics
Your room’s shape and how it is furnished will affect the
sound you hear. For instance, too many bare surfaces can
cause reflections that may add harshness to the sound.
Carpets, wall-hangings and curtains can all help.
If you have a choice of listening rooms, avoid one that
is perfectly square or has one dimension exactly twice
another. Such a room can aggravate resonances that
colour the sound.
The closer you place a speaker to corners and the
intersection of wall and floor or wall and ceiling, the
stronger the bass output, which may over-emphasise the
bass. Moving a speaker just a few inches can sometimes
make a big difference.
Speaker stands
The more firmly a speaker is held, the better it will
sound. We recommend the use of rigid metal stands of
40–60cms height. Properly damped types that do not
‘ring’ when tapped with a pencil (either by virtue of
construction, or because they are filled with dry silver
sand) will bring out the best in a speaker. Ensure that the
stands and/or speakers do not wobble.
Arcam can supply specially designed floor stands for
Muso (and other bookshelf-sized) speakers. Arcam’s
adjustable wall-fixing brackets are a very practical
alternative. Ask your dealer for details.
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