Definitive Technology Mythos Five User manual

Congratulations

Congratulations on your purchase of a Deﬁnitive Technology

Mythos Audio/Video Loudspeaker System. These superb

loudspeakers utilize state-of-the-art components (cast-basket

homopolymer-coned bass-midrange drivers, moving coil

ferroﬂuid-cooled pure aluminum dome high frequency radiators,

long excursion pressure coupled woofers, uniphase crossover

networks, etc.), a non-resonant aircraft-grade aluminum mono-

coque cabinet, low diffraction construction and complete magnet-

ic shielding in order to achieve the most lifelike sound possible

in your listening room for many years to come.

The Deﬁnitive Technology Mythos loudspeakers are high-

deﬁnition loudspeaker systems designed for use in audio/video

systems of the highest quality.Because of their wide range, high

power handling and natural articulate clarity,they are ideal for

use in conjunction with all surround sound decoding systems,

including Dolby Pro Logic*, Dolby Digital AC-3*, DTS*, Dolby

Digital EX*, as well as all 6.1 and 7.1 systems. In addition, the

Mythos loudspeakers are ideal for use as rear or side surround

speakers in all surround sound decoding systems or as audiophile

quality main speakers in a high quality stereo system.

In order to ensure that you experience the ﬁnest performance

possible, we encourage you to take a moment to fully read this

owner’smanual and familiarize yourself with the proper installa-

tion and set-up procedures.

Main or Surround

Audio/Video Magnetically Shielded Loudspeakers

Owner’s Manual

*Registered Trademark

Mythos™Four &

Mythos™Five Towers

Unpacking Your Mythos Loudspeakers

Base Installation Instructions

Please Inspect For Shipping Damage

Each loudspeaker leaves our plant in perfect condition. Any visible or

concealed damage most likely occurred in handling after it left our plant

and should be reported at once to your Deﬁnitive dealer or the delivery

company that delivered your loudspeaker. Please unpack your system

carefully. Save all cartons and packing materials in case you move or

need to ship your system. Record the serial number found on the back of

the Mythos loudspeakers in the appropriate place on your warranty card.

Tools required: 4mm (or 5/32") Allen Wrench

(also called Hex Key driver) (supplied)

Parts required: Tempered Glass Base (supplied), four Allen head bolts

(supplied), four plastic washers (supplied)

Instructions:

1. Carefully lay the Mythos on its side. Lift the base of the speaker about

six inches and support it with a soft padded object, such as a pillow.

Do NOT support the speaker with a hard object, as you might dent or

scratch the aluminum ﬁnish.

2. Place one plastic washer on each bolt.

3. Insert the bolts into the glass base from the same side that the silver

feet are attached to.

4. Finger tighten all four bolts into the threaded hole on the bottom of

the Mythos. If this has been done correctly,washers will be located

between the glass base and the heads of the bolts.

5. GENTLY tighten each bolt with the Allen head wrench. Do NOT

overtighten or you may crack the glass.

6. Note the label showing the height adjustment ring and locking collar

on the silver feet. Carefully return the speaker to the upright position

and adjust the feet to level the speaker.

“Spiking” Your Loudspeakers

An optional “spiking” kit has been provided should you desire to

“spike” your loudspeakers. “Spiking” your loudspeakers will provide

much greater stability when placing your loudspeakers on carpeting. It

will also, according to many experts, result in an overall improvement in

sonic performance. Care should be taken when using spikes as they may

cause damage to wooden or other ﬂoors which are susceptible to being

scratched. Deﬁnitive Technology is speciﬁcally not responsible for dam-

age which may result from the use of spikes.

The spike kit contains ﬁve spikes. To install, unscrew the non-marking

tips from the centers of the ﬁve leveling feet and screw the ﬁve spikes in

their places. Then, with the help of another person, lift the speaker upright

and lower it to its exact desired position on the ﬂoor. You must lower the

speaker to the exact position you want because once the spikes are in

place you cannot move the speakers sideways on the rug or ﬂoor – this

may damage the ﬂoor or the speakers. Next, adjust the spikes so the

speaker sits solidly on all ﬁve spikes (and does not rock).

Positioning Your Mythos Speakers in Your Room

Your new Mythos speakers are very ﬂexible in terms of positioning

and placement options and they will produce excellent sound in almost

any location. Following a few simple guidelines can, however, optimize

their performance for the more critical listener. Please remember that

although the following recommendations are usually valid, all rooms and

listening sets-ups are somewhat unique, so do not be afraid to experiment

with the speakers. Remember,whatever sounds best to you is correct.

Positioning Mythos Towers as Left/Right Main

Speakers

When used as left and right front speakers, the Mythos Towers can be

placed right next to your TV with excellent results or may be separated by

adistance greater than the width of the TV. As with any speaker, a greater

separation (5 to 7 feet or more) will normally result in a bigger sound-

stage and this is recommended from a sonic point of view. Speakers may

be angled in toward the listening position or left parallel with each other.

Angling the speakers in (pointed directly at the listener) will result in a

somewhat brighter, clearer sound with a sharper focus and a more solid

central image (generally, we recommend this), while leaving the speakers

parallel with each other will result in a less bright, warmer sound.

Positioning Mythos Towers as Rear/Side Surrounds

When used as rear or side surround speakers, Mythos Towers may

be located on the side or behind the listeners. When used on the sides,

take care never to locate the speakers forward of the listeners. If the

speakers are placed on the rear wall, it is suggested that they be positioned

fairly wide apart if possible. (For instance, if there is a couch in the center

of the rear wall on which the listeners will sit, try to position the speakers

wider apart than the couch.)

Your Mythos loudspeakers should sound good right out of the box;

however, an extended break-in period of 20-40 hours or more of normal

playing is required to reach full performance capability. Break-in allows

the suspensions to work in and results in fuller bass, a more open

“blossoming” midrange and smoother high frequency reproduction.

Speaker Break-In

Hooking Up Your Mythos Loudspeakers

Your Mythos loudspeakers each have one pair of gold 5-way binding

posts. Normally, you will hook up the left main/front channel red(+)

terminal of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the red(+) terminal of your left

Mythos loudspeaker and the left main/front channel black(-) terminal

of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the black(-) terminal of your left Mythos

loudspeaker. Connect the right channel main/front channel red(+) termi-

nal of your ampliﬁer or receiver to the red(+) terminal of your right

Mythos loudspeaker and the black(-) terminal of the right main/front

channel of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the black(-) terminal of your

right Mythos loudspeaker.

If you are using the Mythos as side/rear surround speakers, hook up

the left surround red(+) terminal of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the red(+)

terminal of your Mythos left surround speaker and the left surround

black(-) terminal of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the black(-) terminal

of your Mythos left surround speaker. Connect the right surround red(+)

terminal of your ampliﬁer or receiver to the red(+) terminal of your

Mythos right surround loudspeaker and the black(-) terminal of the right

surround channel of your receiver or ampliﬁer to the black(-) terminal

of your Mythos right surround loudspeaker.

If your receiver/ decoder has a bass management system and you are

using a separate subwoofer, set bass management to “Small”left and right

main speakers, “Small”center channel, “Small”surround speakers and

“Yes”subwoofer. If your receiver/decoder has a choice of crossover

frequencies, set the crossover to 80 Hz. If you are not using a separate

subwoofer,set bass management to “Large”left and right main speakers,

“Large”center channel and “Large”surround speakers, and “No”

subwoofer. Normally we recommend that these speakers be used

with a subwoofer in order to realize their full performance potential.

Connecting Your Mythos Loudspeakers

Setting Bass and Treble Controls on Your

Receiver or Ampliﬁer

Normally we recommend that you set the Bass and Treble controls on

ﬂat or 0 dB. This will give you the most linear and natural sound. Also,

if your ampliﬁer or receiver has a graphic equalizer, we recommend that

you leave it ﬂat. The reason for this is that we have spoken with many

consumers about what they thought were improperly sounding speakers

when, in fact, the problem was misadjusted tone controls. When in

doubt, leave them ﬂat; this almost always sounds the best.

Usually if distortion is heard when the speakers are being driven

at loud levels, it is caused by driving (turning up) the ampliﬁer too

loud and not driving the speakers with morepower than they can

handle. Remember, most ampliﬁers put out their full-rated power

well before the volume control is turned all the way up! If your

speakers distort when you play them loud, turn down the ampliﬁ-

er or get a bigger one.

Mythos Tower Home Theater Systems

Acomplete Mythos Home Theater System will normally combine

your Mythos front left and right Tower loudspeakers with a Mythos Three

or Seven center channel loudspeaker and rear surround speakers (which

can also be Mythos or any other Deﬁnitive Surround Loudspeaker, our

Bipolar In-Walls, ProMonitors, StudioMonitors, etc.) and one or more

Deﬁnitive subwoofers. These superb systems offer exceptional music and

home theater performance with all decoding technologies. Remember, to

achieve proper blending and full performance, it is essential to use only

Deﬁnitive speakers to complete your home theater system.

Using Your Mythos Loudspeakers with

aSeparate Subwoofer

If you use a subwoofer, we strongly suggest using a Deﬁnitive

PowerField SuperCube, PowerField or ProSub in order to achieve

the highest level of sound quality possible.

With Dolby Digital Receivers and Decoders

Most systems using the Mythos loudspeakers with a subwoofer will

be Dolby Digital Systems. Simply hook the Mythos speakers up to the

left and right front (main) channels (assuming you are using them as

front speakers) and hook the Mythos Center Channel to the center

channel. Using a low-level RCA cable, hook the subwoofer up to the

LFE output on your receiver or processor (if you are using a Deﬁnitive

subwoofer input this LFE cable into the LFE input on the sub). Then set

the bass management system on the receiver or decoder to “Small”left

and right main speakers, “Small”center, and “Yes”subwoofer. If your

receiver/decoder has a choice of crossover frequencies, set the crossover

to 80 Hz. The circuitry inside the receiver or decoder will perform the

necessary crossover functions.

With Non-Dolby Digital Systems

With non-Dolby Digital systems, there are many options for using your

Mythos loudspeakers with a subwoofer. The speciﬁc hook-up will depend

on the speciﬁcsubwoofer you are using. With Deﬁnitive subwoofers, you

can run the Mythos loudspeakers full range (i.e. hook them up normally

to the ampliﬁer receiver) and connect the subwoofer to the sub-out with a

low-level RCA cable (with Deﬁnitive subwoofers this would input into

the left or right channel input). You would then set the woofer’s low-pass

crossover.We would suggest starting around 80 Hz and then experiment

up or down from there.

You also have the option with Deﬁnitive subwoofers of using the

subwoofer’s built-in speaker level high-pass crossover as described

in the subwoofer instruction manuals. In this case, also start with the

subwoofer low-pass crossover at about 80 Hz and experiment.

Mythos Tower loudspeakers make excellent rear or side surround

speakers. In order to use the Mythos speakers as rear or side surround

speakers, simply hook them up as normal to the rear or side channel

ampliﬁer outputs of your system. Set the bass management system of

your decoder to “Small”rear and/or side surrounds if your system is using

aseparate subwoofer, or “Large”rear or side surrounds if your

system is not using a separate subwoofer.

Use of Mythos Towers as Rear or Side Surround Speakers

It is our pleasure to offer assistance if you have any questions

regarding your Mythos loudspeakers or their set-up. Please contact your

nearest Deﬁnitive Technology dealer or contact us directly at

410-363-7148 or www.deﬁnitivetech.com.

Technical Assistance

Service and warranty work on your Deﬁnitive loudspeakers will

normally be performed by the Deﬁnitive Technology dealer from whom

you have purchased your loudspeakers. If, however, you wish to return

the speaker to us, please contact us ﬁrst, describing the problem and

requesting authorization as well as the location of the nearest factory

service center. Please note that the address given in this booklet is

the address of our ofﬁces only. Under no circumstances should loud-

speakers be shipped to our ofﬁces or returned without contacting us

ﬁrst and obtaining return authorization.

Deﬁnitive Technology Ofﬁces

11433 Cronridge Drive

Owings Mills, Maryland 21117

Phone: 410-363-7148

Service

Visit us at www.deﬁnitivetech.com

VERY IMPORTANT:

SETTING CHANNEL BALANCE AND BASS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Dolby Digital and Dolby ProLogic systems and decoders have a critical

channel balancing procedure for the left and right front speakers, center

channel, rears and subwoofer (if it is hooked up through the LFE or Sub Out

low level connection) which must be followed if the system is to perform

properly. We have spoken with many system users with problems relating to

the overall sound of their system which could be clearly traced back to

improper system balance.

Also note that Dolby Digital decoders have bass management systems (sys-

tems which direct the bass to the various channels) which vary from unit to

unit. This bass management system must also be properly adjusted. If your

Mythos loudspeaker is hooked up with speaker level wires and you are using

aseparate subwoofer, your receiver or decoder’s bass management system

should be set for “Small”left and right main speakers, “Small”center,

“Small”surrounds, and “Yes”subwoofer. If you are using rear surround

speakers with very extended low frequency response set the rear channels of

your decoder’s bass management system to “Large.” If not, set them to

“Small”(if you are using the Mythos speaker as a rear or side surround

speaker, set the rear or side surround bass management to “Small”). If you

areusing Mythos loudspeakers without a separate subwoofer,set bass man-

agement to “Large”left and right main speakers, “Large”center, “Large”

surrounds, and “No”subwoofer

(Also, do not be afraid to experiment.)

Remember,whatever sounds best to you is correct.

All speciﬁcations subject to change.

Mythos Four

Dimensions 5.19" W x 5.13" D x 44" H

Frequency Response 35 Hz – 30 kHz

Efﬁciency 91 dB

Nominal Impedance 4 – 8 ohms

Driver Complement Two 4.5" cast-basket high-deﬁnition bass/

midrange drivers, two 4.5" cast-basket high-

deﬁnition bass drivers, two 4.5" pressure-

driven planar low-frequency radiators, one

1" pure aluminum dome tweeter

Recommended

Associated Ampliﬁcation 20 – 225 watts/channel

Magnetically Shielded

Mythos Five

Dimensions 4.07"W x 4.07"D x 40.5"H

Frequency Response 40 Hz – 30 kHz

Efﬁciency 89 dB

Nominal Impedance 4 – 8 ohms

Driver Complement Two 3.5" cast-basket high-deﬁnition bass/

midrange drivers, two 3.5" cast-basket high-

deﬁnition bass drivers, two 3.5" pressure-

driven low-frequency radiators, one 1" pure

aluminum dome tweeter

Recommended

Associated Ampliﬁcation 10 – 200 watts/channel

Magnetically Shielded

Mythos Speciﬁcations

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