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I couldn't find the manual a couple years ago either. I was having problems with my D5s and wanted to consult the manual, which I had long since thrown away, but couldn't turn one up anywhere on the internet. I ended up contacting Equator directly, and even though they couldn't fix the problem (or more correctly they chose not to believe the easily measured behavior I was describing was actually happening), they were at least responsive via email. Could be worth just shooting them an email and requesting a copy.
Bummer... maybe that kind of stuff helped put them under. Mine seem good, but I haven't really put them through much yet.
Oh wow, I didn't know that. The issue that mine were having was that one speaker of the pair was putting out more high frequency content than the other. I confirmed this with a calibrated electret microphone and a frequency analyzer (as basic a test as I could conceive), and was able to duplicate it by swapping the XLRs on my interface, as well as by using other interfaces. I sent them in to Equator for service and they basically said "our test equipment tells us that they're fine, so they're fine." I told them they were wrong and they suggested upgrading to the newer transducers, which could be done at my expense. I gave them the okay, so they did it and after receiving them the problem persisted. I sent them back and did the same "our test equipment tells us they're fine, so they're fine" dance and I'd had it. I sold them and switched to ADAM monitors. I was disappointed with their customer service on this because other than that they were very nice nearfields.
As to your original request, is there something specific that you were looking for in the manual? I used D5s for several years and am quite familiar with them, so I might be able to help.
Thanks! Just the basics really- how I should position them, what the 1, 2, and 3 boundary settings are for. Also whether I should calibrate them and how. I'm starting with 0 information- just upgraded from some Monoprice monitors.
They are sitting on either side of my computer monitor right now, about 2.5-3ft from me.
Side note- I think I read something about your experience with Equator while doing my research. It was the only one that gave me any significant pause, but I decided to move forward anyway as I felt that they'd still be much better than the monitors I had been using even if they did exhibit the same issue. Again- Thanks so much for the help.
That depends mostly on your room. Assuming you have a small'ish room (i.e. you can' t place the monitors many feet from your listening position) then your best is to do the following:
- Place the monitors so that their back is as close to the front wall of your room as possible without actually touching it.
- Elevate them (ideally on stands, not the mix desk) such that the high frequency driver (the center of the coax in the case of the D5s) is in line with your ear.
- Space them wide enough and angle them to form an equilateral triangle with a point about 12-14" behind the back of your head when seated in the mix position. It's worth taking the time to do the basic trigonometry (or an online calculator) to figure out this geometry. Use a tape measure, a means of measuring a 60-degree angle and a friend to help you get it setup correctly. Too narrow and you lose stereo imaging potential. Too wide and you get a weak phantom center.
- If you add a subwoofer later don't place it in the center. Instead, place it as close to one of the monitors as possible.
These are a basic high pass filter that reduces low end reproduced by the monitors. The closer to the wall you place them the more you're likely to need as boundary reinforcement will increase low end performance. You can use something as simple as a spectrum analyzer on your phone to see which position gives you the flattest response (if you're mixing on them) or just use your ears for your preferred position if you're just using them for casual (i.e. non-critical) tasks and listening.
Despite the issues I had, they're still EXCELLENT monitors. For the price they're even more excellent. I happily mixed many records on those monitors in a too small room, and could happily do it again. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.
I have a pair of D5's and D8's. I positioned my D5's pretty close to a wall, with the boundary switch set to 3 (max bass freq response). That got them sounding pretty close to the D8's, but not quite. They would benefit with an added sub, but as is they never let me down. I love how small they are.
The D8's are just rounder/fuller down low overall, which is what I am using now. Both models are double-great sounding monitors for the money, it's too bad the company disappeared. Somebody on gearslutz posted some scuttlebutt about some kind of trouble with the factory in China which caused them to shut down(?)....internet hearsay, so who really knows...
The D8's are just rounder/fuller down low overall, which is what I am using now. Both models are double-great sounding monitors for the money, it's too bad the company disappeared. Somebody on gearslutz posted some scuttlebutt about some kind of trouble with the factory in China which caused them to shut down(?)....internet hearsay, so who really knows...
