Table of Contents. Bang & Olufsen BeoLab Penta

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6 Assembling stand and column

7 Connections

10 Placement

11 Setting the front panel switches

14 Display

16 Dynamic Clipping Attenuator

17 Protection circuit

18 Optional accessories

18 Maintenance

19 International guarantee

Your Beolab Penta is the top of the line in the Bang &

Olufsen range of audio equipment. It consists of the best

Bang & Olufsen loudspeaker and amplifier ever, united in a slim, pentagonal sound column with stainless steel finish.

Owing to its sculptural design, the Beolab Penta takes up very little floor space. It adopts the colour of its surroundings and enhances the beauty of your home while giving you extraordinary musical experiences. The Beolab Penta consists of a loudspeaker unit matched by a powerful, fully automatic one-channel amplifier. The amplifier unit is equipped with the Dynamic Clipping Attenuator which reduces any audible distortion. The speaker unit contains a display which gives you useful information about the current state of your audio or video system.

This manual describes how to assemble the Beolab Penta, where to place it and how to connect and adjust it to your

Bang & Olufsen audio or video system.

6

Assembling stand and column

It is easiest to assemble the stand and the column if the column is lying on a table.

In order to protect the table from being scratched, we recommend that you first place the wrapping foam on the table.

Fasten the stand to the column by hooking the stand onto the

5 bolts fitted to the base of the column.

Screw the 5 nuts onto the bolts and tighten them securely using the box spanner.

The parts required for assembling the Beolab Penta are supplied with the speaker:

1 box spanner

5 nuts

5 plastic feet

The 5 plastic feet may be used to prevent wooden/parquet floors from being scratched. Insert them into the holes provided under the stand of the speaker.

7

Connections

The Beolab Penta can be connected to either a receiver, a

TV set, a Master Control Link 2 A or a Master Control Link 2 AV

(MCL 2 A/2 AV).

For lengths and parts numbers of the cables which can be used, see the section “Optional accessories”.

NOTE! Before connecting the

Beolab Penta to the receiver, TV set or MCL 2 A/2 AV, make sure that the MODE switch on the front panel is set to OFF. This precaution applies to both the initial set-up and to later rearrangements of connections.

Do not switch on your audio or video system until you have set the switches on the front panel to their correct position (see pp 11-13).

Connection to a Bang & Olufsen receiver or TV set or an MCL 2 A/2 AV

When connecting your Beolab

Penta, you may use either the

POWER LINK socket or the

SPEAKER LINK socket.

POWER LINK 1

POWER LINK 1 & POWER LINK 2 sockets

(using an 8-pin DIN Power Link cable).

The sockets marked POWER

LINK 1 & 2 are identical. This means that either socket can be used when you connect your

Beolab Penta by means of a

Power Link cable.

Plug one end of the cable into one of the POWER LINK sockets on the Beolab Penta.

Plug the other end of the cable into one of the POWER LINK sockets on your receiver, TV set or MCL 2 AV.

Repeat the procedure for the other speaker.

POWER LINK 2

8 In order to avoid running cables from both speakers to your receiver, TV set or MCL 2 AV, you may loop the signal through as illustrated:

Using one Power Link cable, connect one speaker to your receiver, TV set or MCL 2 AV.

Using the other Power Link cable, connect the speakers to one another.

SPEAKER LINK socket

(using a shielded cable with 2-pin,

3-pin or 4-pin DIN speaker plugs)

Plug one end of the cable into the SPEAKER LINK socket on the

Beolab Penta.

Plug the other end of the cable into the appropriate socket on your receiver, TV set or MCL 2

A/2 AV.

Repeat the procedure for the other speaker.

AUDIO/VIDEO switch

In order to obtain the correct status reading from the display, the AUDIO/VIDEO switch must be set to the correct position:

AUDIO if the Beolab Penta is connected to a Beomaster,

Beocenter or MCL 2 A/2 AV.

VIDEO if the Beolab Penta is connected to a Beovision.

SPEAKER LINK

9

Connection to other receivers

When connecting your Beolab

Penta, you may use either the

SPEAKER LINK socket or the LINE

IN socket.

SPEAKER LINK socket

(using a shielded cable with 2-pin

DIN speaker plugs)

Plug one end of the cable into the SPEAKER LINK socket on the

Beolab Penta.

Plug the other end of the cable into the appropriate loudspeaker socket on the receiver.

Repeat the procedure for the other speaker.

LINE IN socket

(using a shielded cable with phono plugs)

Plug the appropriate cable end into the LINE IN socket on the

Beolab Penta.

Plug the other end of the cable into the appropriate phono socket (pre-amplifier output) on your receiver.

Repeat the procedure for the other speaker.

LINE IN

SPEAKER LINK

10

Placement

When the Beolab Penta has been securely fastened to its stand and the connecting cable has been plugged into the appropriate socket, the speaker must be placed vertically on a stable surface.

Make sure that ventilation to the amplifier is not impeded, and do not lean against the Beolab

Penta.

The Beolab Penta is designed for use in dry environments only!

Because of its unique design, the

Beolab Penta can be placed almost everywhere in your room.

However, the ideal sound performance is achieved if the speakers are placed 3 metres apart and if there are 3 metres from the listening position to the centre point between the speakers.

11

Setting the front panel switches

Before switching on your audio or video system you must set the three switches on the front panel of the amplifier to their correct position. To open the front panel, press gently on the upper middle part of the panel and release.

INPUT LEVEL switch

Set the INPUT LEVEL switch to the position required to match the

Beolab Penta to the output of your receiver or TV set. If in doubt about your receiver/TV output, consult your Bang & Olufsen dealer.

POWER LINK socket:

If you are using Power Link cables, set the switch to .

SPEAKER LINK socket:

Switch Receiver/TV output* position 4 ohm 8 ohm

40 - 40 W

40 - 80 W

80 - 80 W

40 - 20 W

20 - 40 W

40 - 80 W

LINE IN socket:

Switch position

Pre-amplifier output

1.4 - 1 .4

V

1 .4

- 1.4 V

1.4 - 1.4

V

* 4 ohms and 8 ohms receiver/TV output specified for 4 and 8 ohms speaker impedance.

12

MODE switch

Once connected to the mains supply, the Beolab Penta is in the stand-by mode. The stand-by mode is indicated by a red light on the front of the amplifier unit.

The speaker switches on automatically when it receives a signal, unless, of course, the MODE switch is set to OFF. When the speaker switches on, the light on the front of the amplifier turns green.

Set the MODE switch to either

AUTO, L (left) or R (right):

Sockets MODE switch

POWER LINK

Left speaker

Right speaker

SPEAKER LINK

Receiver without built-in loudspeaker relay

L

R

AUTO

Receiver with built-in loudspeaker relay

LINE IN

L / R

AUTO

When the signal disappears, the speaker automatically switches off, i.e. reverts to the stand-by mode, after a delay of approx. 10 seconds (MODE switch in L or R position) or approx. 3 minutes

(MODE switch in AUTO position).

13

BASS EXTENSION switch

The BASS EXTENSION switch can be set to three different positions:

Placement of speaker in listening room:

Floor area of listening room:

< 30m 2 30-50m 2

II I for no bass equalization

I II for medium bass equalization

(+3dB/40 Hz)

III for maxium bass equalization

(+6dB/40 Hz)

Pos. 1

The purpose of the BASS EXTEN-

SION switch is to ensure that the bass level suits the environment and the placement of the speaker.

Which switch position to choose depends on the distance from the loudspeaker to corners and walls and on the floor area of your room.

The examples given in the table are only meant as a guideline.

You may of course set the switch to any of the three positions which you prefer.

We recommend that the BASS

EXTENSION switches on the two speakers be set to the same position. If the two speakers cannot be placed in comparatively similar positions related to room boundaries, both BASS EXTENSION switches should be set to the posi-

Pos. 2

Pos. 3

(30m 2 ∼ 300 sq feet; 50m

60 cm ∼ 2’)

2 ∼ 500 sq feet tion prescribed by the placement of the speaker with the lowest position number in the table.

> 50m 2

14

Display

If connected to a compatible Bang

& Olufsen receiver, TV set or MCL

2 A/2 AV, your Beolab Penta displays information about the source of the sound reproduced by the speaker.

However, in order to give full status reading in the display, the

Beolab Penta must be connected to a Bang & Olufsen product with

POWER LINK sockets. If you use a

4-pin DIN shielded speaker cable to connect your Beolab Penta to the SPEAKER LINK socket on a

Bang & Olufsen product equipped with POWER LINK sockets, you still get full reading in the display.

If the Beolab Penta is connected to a product without POWER LINK sockets, the status reading will be either slightly reduced or completely missing, depending on the product. If in doubt about which kind of status reading you can get, consult your Bang &

Olufsen dealer.

Source Program

Track

Volume

The displayed cues and symbols are not all visible at the same time.

SOURCE

RADIO

RADIO FM

Radio

FM broadcast

RADIO AM AM broadcast

CD

A.TAPE

A.TP2

PHONO

A.AUX

Compact disc player

Audio tape recorder

Second audio tape recorder

Record player

Auxiliary audio product

TV

SAT

V.TAPE

V.TP2

V.AUX

Television

Satellite television

Video tape recorder

Second video tape recorder

Auxiliary video product

Recording:

A-REC

V-REC

Recording on audio tape recorder

Recording on video tape recorder

15

PROGRAM/TRACK

10 Preset radio or TV station;

Track number on CD, audio tape or video tape

>

Tuning towards a higher frequency

<

Tuning towards a lower frequency

< >

>>

The highest/lowest frequency has been reached

Winding forwards towards the end

<<

Rewinding backwards towards the beginning

< >

Pause/stop

VOLUME

00-98

-- --

><

Volume level range

Speakers muted

Equal balance in both speakers

LOUDNESS OFF Loudness function cut out

LOUDNESS ON Loudness function cut in

BALANCE

BALANCE

BALANCE 1

><

Balance is neutral

>

1 More sound in right speaker

(

>

1 to

>

9)

<

More sound in left speaker (1

< to 9

<

)

CNT-BAL

< >

Center balance is

CNT-BAL

CNT-BAL neutral

<

1

>

Sound shifted 1 step

( outwards from center

<

1

> to

<

9

>

)

>

1

<

Sound shifted 1 step inwards towards center

(

>

1

< to

>

9

<

)

BASS 0

BASS + 1

BASS – 1

Bass is neutral

Bass 1 step above neutral (+1 to +6)

Bass 1 step below neutral (–1 to –6)

TREBLE 0

TREBLE + 1

TREBLE – 1

Treble is neutral

Treble 1 step above neutral (+1 to +6)

Treble 1 step below neutral (–1 to –6)

16

Status reading on recording

Missing source

Recording pause:

A-REC

RADIO 10

Recording in progress:

A-REC

RADIO 10

LOAD

CD

22

22

Shown alternately at short intervals

22

22

Shown for 5 seconds after the recording has started and is then followed by

Remains in the display as long as recording is in progress

If, during a recording, you adjust the sound, the above sequence is repeated afterwards.

Shown alternately 3 times at short intervals

Dynamic Clipping Attenuator

The Beolab Penta features a special circuit called Dynamic Clipping

Attenuator.

Clipping is a form of output signal distortion which occurs in cases of severe overloading of the amplifier. The peaks of the audio waveform will be clipped if an amplifier is unable to reproduce extreme input levels (transients).

To resolve this problem, Bang &

Olufsen developed the Dynamic

Clipping Attenuator. It ensures that the clipping of the output signal takes place with much less audible distortion than would otherwise be the case.

17

Protection circuit

The Beolab Penta is equipped with a protection circuit which is automatically activated if something is wrong, e.g.

– if the amplifier unit is overheated,

– if a fault occurs in the amplifier which could damage the loudspeaker units.

Should this happen disconnect the Beolab Penta from the mains supply, allow the amplifier time to cool off, make sure that the ventilation to the amplifier is not impeded, reconnect the Beolab Penta to the mains supply.

If the light is still yellow, contact your Bang & Olufsen dealer. Do not cut the power supply in and out several times in a row.

If the protection circuit is activated, the sound disappears and the light on the front of the amplifier turns yellow.

18

Optional accessories

The accessories listed below are all available as optional extras from your Bang & Olufsen dealer.

Cables

4-pin DIN shielded speaker cables

5 m (16’)

10 m (33’)

8-pin DIN Power Link cables

2.5 m (8’)

5 m (16’)

10 m (33’)

2-pin DIN shielded speaker cable

5 m (16’)

Adaptor for Power Link

8-pin DIN female/8-pin

DIN female

Part No

6270336

6270352

6270417

6270418

6270419

6270350

7229075

Maintenance

To make the stainless steel surfaces shiny, polish them thoroughly using a dry, soft cloth.

Remove fingerprints and grease stains using a mild detergent on a soft cloth.

19

International guarantee

This Bang & Olufsen product carries a guarantee against defects in workmanship and materials. The terms of the guarantee apply to the country of purchase but will be met by authorized Bang &

Olufsen dealers in other countries.

The guarantee period applying to the country of purchase takes priority over guarantee periods applying in other countries, even where differences exist.

In order to obtain service under this guarantee, a certificate stating the following information is required:

– Name of product and type number

– Serial number

– Date of purchase

– Guarantee period

– Dealer’s or supplier’s signature