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Gain Control Knobs for Channels 1–5
The Gain control knobs should be left at the 12 o’clock Normal setting for most applications.
When a Gain control knob is set to Normal the gain for that channel is 29. This is the THX
Ultra2 Reference level where 1V input = 28.28V output. 28.28V driving an 8 speaker = 100
watts. If you are unsure where to set the Gain control knobs it is best to start with them in the
Normal position and only change them if needed as described below.
When to Set the Gain Control Knobs Above or Below Normal
You can increase loudness by turning the Gain control knobs clockwise if your system will not
play loud enough with the Gain control knobs set at Normal. This could be the case if your
5125 v.2 is driven from the pre-out jacks on many AV receivers. We recommend advancing the
gain as little as possible past Normal. As you increase gain settings you increase the chance of
hearing a “hiss” sound from your speakers. You also run the risk of damaging your speakers
(not to mention your hearing) if the volume level is too high.
The primary reason to reduce the gain would be if your speaker efficiency is extremely high and
your listening position is close to your speakers. Reducing the gain would reduce audible “hiss”
from your speakers.
Don’t worry about setting the 5125 v.2 Gain control to exactly the same levels for all channels
because you can always balance the speaker volume using the speaker level calibration in your
home theater AV receiver or processor’s setup menu. We recommend re-calibrating your AV
receiver or processor’s speaker levels after adjusting the 5125 v.2 gain controls.
7.1 Channel Speaker Connections
If you plan to use your 5125 v.2 in a 7.1 system you will need to use a two channel power
amplifier for the two additional speakers. You have two hookup options which depend on the
quality of the separate two channel power amplifier. We recommend using the better amplifier
for the left and right front speakers because their sonic contribution to your listening is more
significant than the surround back channel speakers.
It also assures the best results when you’re listening to pure stereo.
• If the 5125 v.2 is more powerful than the two channel amplifier, we recommend the preceding
5.1 channel connections for the 5125 v.2. Use the two channel amplifier for the surround back
channels.
For example, if your two channel amplifier is the Parasound Model 275 v.2 rated at
75 watts/channel, use the 275 v.2 for the surround back channels and your 5125 v.2 for
the other five channels.
• If the two channel amplifier is of high quality, with at least the same power rating as the
5125 v.2, we recommend that you use the two channel amplifier for the front left and right
channels, and the following connections for the 5125 v.2
For example, you might prefer a Parasound Model 2125 v.2 to drive your left and right speakers,
and use your 5125 v.2 for the other five channels. Even with the same 125w/channel power
rating, the 2125 v.2 has a performance edge over the 5125 v.2, with superior channel separation
and lower channel-channel crosstalk.
REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS AND CONTROLS continued
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