Gateway Speaker SW103 User Manual

Owner’s Manual  
Model SW103 Model SW203 Model SW303  
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4
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5 / ˝ 100 watt  
6 / ˝ 200 watt  
10˝ 400 watt  
Powered Subwoofer  
Powered Subwoofer  
Powered Subwoofer  
 
A
Congratulations on your purchase  
of a Gateway® SW103/SW203/SW303 pow-  
ered subwoofer. It will give your stereo sys-  
tem unparalleled low frequency output.  
Bass frequencies are critical to realistic  
sound reproduction. After you’ve hooked  
up your SW103/SW203/SW303 subwoofer,  
you’ll discover just how much “punch”  
and depth you’ve been missing. No matter  
what kind of music or videos you listen  
to...whether you listen to it loud or soft,  
you’ll experience sound that’s richer and  
fuller. Bass guitar and string bass will  
have more impact. You’ll be able to FEEL  
as well as hear percussion – just the way  
you would at a live performance. If you  
have an audio/video system, movies will  
come alive with thunderous sound effects  
that were never possible without the  
ered subwoofer that frees your receiver or  
power amplifier from the power demands  
of reproducing very low frequencies. To  
do this, the SW103/SW203/SW303 incor-  
porates its own built-in crossover system  
that automatically “assigns” higher fre-  
quencies to your main speakers and lower  
frequencies to its own power amplifier,  
contained within the subwoofer enclosure.  
The SW103/SW203/SW303 has been  
meticulously designed and tested to insure  
high performance, durability and longevity.  
This manual is designed to take you  
step-by-step through the setup and  
operating process. This procedure is not  
difficult, but it IS slightly different than  
setting up a line level component such as  
a cassette deck or CD player. Reading this  
manual carefully will insure that you get  
maximum performance from your  
UNPACKING  
Remove the SW103/SW203/SW303 from  
its packing carefully and inspect it for any  
shipping damage. If you discover damage,  
contact your Gateway® dealer immediately.  
If possible, save the carton and internal  
packing. It’s the best possible protection  
for your SW103/SW203/SW303 if you  
need to move it or return it for service.  
Keep your sales receipt in a secure  
place. It helps establish the duration of  
your warranty and is good for insurance  
purposes (just in case anything happens  
to your stereo system).  
3
SW103/SW203/SW303.  
The SW103/SW203/SW303 is a self-pow-  
SW103/SW203/SW303.  
B
SW103 AMPLIFIER  
PANEL TOUR  
Before setup, you should familiarize  
yourself with the connections on the back of  
the SW103 as shown in Drawing 1.  
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2
1. POWER INDICATOR. When the amplifier  
is ON, this indicator will be green. When the  
amplifier is in the STANDBY mode, this indi-  
cator will be red.  
2. VOLUME CONTROL. Rotating this knob  
clockwise increases the output level of the  
subwoofer. To start out, make sure that the  
VOLUME is turned all the way down (fully  
counterclockwise). Later, after some initial  
listening tests, you can adjust the volume to  
your own tastes. However, care should be  
taken not to overdrive the subwoofer to the  
point of audible distortion.  
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3. SUB IN. This connection is used to connect  
to the subwoofer line output of your receiver.  
4. REMOVABLE FUSE HOLDER. By pushing  
in and turning counter-clockwise, you can  
remove and replace the fuse. Check the rating  
on the fuse for proper size of your unit.  
DRAWING 1 - SW103 rear panel  
 
4. VOLUME CONTROL. Rotating this  
knob clockwise increases the output level  
of the subwoofer. To start out, make sure  
that the VOLUME is turned all the way down  
(fully counterclockwise). Later, after some  
initial listening tests, you can adjust the vol-  
ume to your own tastes. However, care  
should be taken not to overdrive the sub-  
woofer to the point of audible distortion.  
switch is in the AUTO position, the amplifier  
will stay turned on as long as a signal is  
being fed to the subwoofer amplifier. 15 to  
20 minutes after you stop playing music or  
a video, the amplifier goes into STANDBY  
mode – see (1). When you again begin to  
play music or a video, the amplifier will  
automatically turn on.  
SW203/SW303  
AMPLIFIER  
PANEL TOUR  
Before actual setup, you should  
familiarize yourself with the connections on  
the back of the SW103/SW203/SW303, as  
shown in Drawing 2.  
3. PHASE SWITCH. This switch is used to  
set the subwoofer’s phase to either normal  
“0º” or reverse “180º” (out of) phase.  
Once you determine the placement of the  
SW103/SW203/SW303, you will need to try  
both positions of this switch for the best bass  
output for your listening position. The physical  
location of your subwoofer and main speak-  
ers determines the phase setting that will  
sound best at your main listening position. If  
this requires using the “180º” mode, don’t  
worry, there is nothing “abnormal” about it.  
5. CROSSOVER FREQUENCY CONTROL  
This control determines what lower part of  
the frequency spectrum will be reproduced  
by the SW103/SW203/SW303 and what high-  
er parts will be handled by your main  
speaker. It is a “crossover” control. Rotating  
the knob sets the point where all lower fre-  
quencies will be handled by the subwoofer  
and all higher frequencies will be routed to  
your main stereo speakers.  
As a starting point, set the control around  
80 Hz. if you are using left and right tower  
speakers, 100 Hz. with bookshelf speakers,  
and 120 Hz. with small mini-speakers.  
Note: If you use the SUB IN connector, the  
RECEIVER TYPE toggle switch must be in the  
Pro Logic mode for the crossover frequency  
control to operate.  
1. POWER INDICATOR. When the amplifier  
is ON, this indicator will be green. When the  
amplifier is in the STANDBY mode, as men-  
tioned in item 2, this indicator will be red.  
2. POWER/AUTO ON SWITCH. This toggle  
switch turns the SW103/SW203/SW303 on  
and off. When the switch is in the ON posi-  
tion, the amplifier will stay on as long as the  
switch remains in that position. When this  
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6. SUB IN. This connection is used  
to connect the subwoofer to the receiver.  
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7. RECEIVER TYPE TOGGLE SWITCH.  
You must set this switch to the type of  
receiver mode you are using.  
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Note: When this switch is set to DIGITAL  
RECEIVER 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, the CROSSOVER  
FREQUENCY control (9) does not affect  
the signal.  
11  
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8. POWER INPUT. This connector is the  
AC power in. Your subwoofer is supplied  
with a removable power cord that mates to  
this plug.  
6
9. REMOVABLE FUSE HOLDER. By pushing  
in and turning counter-clockwise, you can  
remove and replace the fuse. Check the rat-  
ing on the fuse for proper size of your unit.  
10. FROM RECEIVER. Connects to a  
receiver’s speaker terminals. These binding  
post, color-coded connectors are used to  
hook the subwoofer to another receiver that  
may not have subwoofer out or LFE (Low  
Frequency Effects) output connections.  
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9
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11. OUT TO SPEAKERS. If you are using  
the SW103/SW203/SW303 from receiver  
inputs, you will hook your main speakers to  
these binding post, color-coded connections.  
They are NOT used if you are using the LFE  
(SUB) IN line level connection.  
DRAWING 2 - SW203/SW303 rear panel  
 
3. Connections to your receiver,  
integrated amplifier or preamplifier.  
If your receiver or integrated amplifier  
does not have a subwoofer output or LFE  
output (see next page), setup between  
the amp and SW103/SW203/SW303 will  
be made with speaker wire. You can basi-  
cally place the SW103/SW203/SW303 any-  
where in a normal-sized room.  
is no “right” or “wrong” place to put the  
SW103/SW203/SW303(assuming it’s less  
than ten feet from a wall receptacle). It all  
depends on how much bass you want.  
Another reason to experiment – because low  
bass waves are very large (up to forty feet or  
more across!), they tend to cancel and rein-  
force each other, causing places in the room  
where there is lots of bass and others where  
there isn’t very much at all. If you walk  
around your listening room while playing  
music, you’ll probably discover these sorts of  
areas where bass is either exaggerated or  
reduced.  
C
PLACEMENT  
Where to position your  
SW103/SW203/SW303  
The SW103/SW203/SW303 operates at  
low bass frequencies which are essentially  
omni-directional. That means you can place  
the SW103/SW203/SW303 almost anywhere  
in a room without compromising the effec-  
tiveness of your main stereo speakers.  
4. Proximity to walls and corners.  
Physical placement of the subwoofer will  
have a definite impact on the frequency  
response and the perceived amount of  
SW103/SW203/SW303 bass output.  
Because low frequencies have long wave-  
lengths, they are influenced by proximity  
to a boundary such as a wall or floor.  
See Drawing 3 below. When you place  
the SW103/SW203/SW303 well away from  
a wall, it will produce bass at a certain  
level. Move the subwoofer close  
Incidentally, moving the SW103, SW203,  
or SW303 around won’t affect the stereo  
imaging of your main stereo system, so  
feel free to try various subwoofer positions.  
Four factors need to be considered:  
1) distance from your main speakers;  
2) distance from a wall outlet;  
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to the wall, it will produce more output  
(about 3dB more). Putting the subwoofer  
in a corner will increase output another  
3dB (6dB more than when placed away  
from walls and corners).  
3) distance from your receiver; and  
4) proximity to walls and corners.  
Connecting the  
SW103/SW203/SW303  
to a wall plug  
The SW103/SW203/SW303 draws a  
moderately high amount of current. We do  
not recommend plugging it into a “conve-  
nience” outlet (switched or unswitched)  
that is often found on the back of receivers  
and other stereo components.  
Instead, connect the SW103, SW203, or  
SW303 ONLY to its own AC outlet. See items  
8 and 9 in the Safety Instructions at the  
beginning of this manual.  
1. Distance from your main speakers.  
The best placement for your subwoofer is  
on the same wall as the main speakers, espe-  
cially if you are matching up with small book-  
shelf speakers. With tower speakers, side wall  
or rear placement is also acceptable.  
All this technical jargon may sound con-  
fusing, but it basically means that you have a  
number of options, each of which produces  
a different amount of bass. For example, if  
you like a lot of heavy bass, consider putting  
the SW103/SW203/SW303 into a corner. If  
you like smoother, less-obvious bass,  
2. Wall outlet. Since the SW103, SW203,  
and SW303 require AC power, it must be  
placed within ten feet of a wall outlet. We  
don’t recommend extending that range  
with an extension cord.  
move the subwoofer out into the room.  
The main thing to remember is that there  
Away from walls:  
Normal bass  
Against walls:  
More bass  
In Corner:  
Most bass  
Away from walls:  
Normal bass  
Against walls:  
More bass  
In Corner:  
Most bass  
DRAWING 3 - SW103/SW203/SW303 placement  
 
SURROUND SOUND RECEIVER  
D
SUBWOOFER  
CONNECTION  
See Drawings 4 and 5  
Note: Use the RCA to RCA connector cable  
that was supplied with the speaker system.  
IMPORTANT: Make sure that ALL  
stereo system components including  
the SW103/SW203/SW303 are turned  
OFF before proceeding.  
o 1. Locate the subwoofer output connect-  
or on the rear of your receiver and connect  
one end of the RCA line level cord to it.  
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o 2. Route the line cord to the subwoofer  
location (trying to minimize areas where it  
may be stepped on) and connect the other  
end directly to the SUB IN.  
o 3. Connect your main (and surround  
speakers if applicable) to the receiver  
according to the receiver’s owner’s manual.  
DRAWING 4 - Setup for SW103  
SURROUND SOUND RECEIVER  
o 4. For the SW203 and SW303, set the  
RECEIVER TYPE toggle switch to receiver  
mode you will be using. Note: If you are  
using a Dolby Digital type receiver, the sub-  
woofer crossover control does not work.  
You must set the crossover frequency in  
your receiver (check the receiver’s owner’s  
manual).  
SW203 connection  
o 5. You are now ready to put your  
SW103/SW203/SW303 subwoofer into use.  
SW303 connection  
NOTE:  
SEE ITEM 4 ABOVE FOR  
PROPER RECEIVER  
TYPE SWITCH SETTING  
DRAWING 5 - Setup for SW203 and SW303  
 
E
o 7. While playing music, move the sub-  
woofer around, in and out of corners,  
closer and farther from the wall, etc. as  
much as the power cord and other con-  
nections will allow.  
Caring for Your  
SW103/SW203/SW303  
INITIAL  
LISTENING TEST  
The SW103/SW203/SW303 enclosure is  
finished in a very high quality polymer  
laminate covering that is both attractive  
and excellent protection for the wood  
cabinet. To remove fingerprints, splat-  
ters of diet soda, peanut butter or other  
real-world substances that mysteriously  
seem to appear on stereo components,  
use a damp, soft cloth on the laminate.  
You may also use a high-quality furniture  
polish to maintain the original luster.  
It’s now time to test the SW103, SW203,  
and SW303 subwoofer in your listening  
environment.  
The following steps apply to the SW203  
and SW303 only:  
o 8. Now that you have adjusted the  
quantity of bass via the volume, it’s time  
to work on the quality of the bass with  
the CROSSOVER FREQUENCY control,  
PHASE switch – and experimentation with  
SW103/SW203/SW303 room position.  
o 1. Double-check all connections.  
o 2. Make sure that the volume controls  
on both the subwoofer and your receiv-  
er/integrated amp/preamp are turned all  
the way down (fully counterclockwise). Set  
the PHASE switch to normal. For the SW203  
and SW303, set the CROSSOVER FREQUEN-  
CY knob to 80 Hz. Set the SUB IN switch to  
the type of receiver mode you will be using.  
o 8a. Change the PHASE switch back and  
forth from 0º to 180º while someone sits  
in the main listening position. Leave the  
switch in the position where you like the  
bass most.  
7
o 8b. Change the CROSSOVER FREQUENCY  
control (for Dolby Pro-Logic receivers)  
to higher and lower settings. If the  
o 3. Turn on your stereo system. THEN  
turn on the SW103/SW203/SW303. Confirm  
that the SW103/SW203/SW303’s green  
POWER indicator is glowing. If it isn’t,  
check the power connections between the  
SW103/SW203/SW303 and the wall socket.  
CROSSOVER FREQUENCY control is set too  
high, you’ll start to hear low midrange  
(voices and instruments) through it. This  
will negatively affect the stereo imaging of  
your main speakers. Back the CROSSOVER  
FREQUENCY setting off until you hear only  
bass from the SW103/SW203/SW303. If the  
CROSSOVER FREQUENCY control is set too  
low, you simply won’t get much output from  
the subwoofer. Move it back closer to 80Hz.  
o 4. Play a musical selection that you are  
familiar with. Pick a song that has regular  
low bass beats. Advance the receiver/inte-  
grated amp/preamp’s volume control up to  
a normal listening level. If you don’t hear  
sound through your main speakers, turn off  
the system and check connections. Also  
consult the troubleshooting tips on page 8.  
o 9. After you are satisfied with the  
output of your SW103/SW203/SW303, you  
can make all your volume settings through  
your receiver’s volume control. The only  
time you might want to re-adjust the  
SW103/SW203/SW303’s VOLUME is when  
you encounter a musical selection that has  
abnormally low – or high – bass.  
o 5. If sound is coming out of your main  
speakers, turn the SW103/SW203/SW303’s  
VOLUME control clockwise until you hear  
noticeable additional bass. If you don’t hear  
bass by the time you have advanced the  
subwoofer’s VOLUME control halfway, turn  
off the system and check connections. Also  
consult the troubleshooting tips on page 8.  
You can leave the SW103 in the ON mode,  
and your SW203 or SW303 turned on and  
in AUTO mode when not in use. It does  
not draw much power in this state and  
will be ready to add low bass the  
moment you begin to play music. The  
SW103/SW203/SW303 will automatically  
go into STANDBY mode after 10 to 20  
minutes, when no music is playing.  
o 6. Adjust the SW103/SW203/SW303’s  
VOLUME control until you are satisfied with  
the amount of bass. You may want to try  
several different movies, tapes, compact  
discs or DVDs while determining how high  
to adjust the SW103/SW203/SW303’s  
VOLUME. The amount of bass varies from  
disc to disc and between different types of  
music.  
If you’re not using your stereo system  
for a long period of time (such as when  
you’re on vacation), unplug it from the AC  
wall outlet.  
 
F
G
SPECIFICATIONS TROUBLE-  
SW103/SW203/SW303  
SHOOTING AND  
Design  
Venturi ported system  
SERVICE  
Before returning your SW103, SW203, or  
SW303 for service, you can save time (and  
often embarrassment) by checking for a few  
problems that are most often encountered.  
subwoofer output to turn on. Check your  
receiver’s owner’s manual for subwoofer  
operation.  
4. For digital receivers – make sure  
the subwoofer is “ON” and the subwoofer  
level is set to “0dB” or greater.  
Amplifier Power  
SW103: 100 watts RMS  
SW203:  
SW303:  
100 watts RMS (200 max.)  
150 watts RMS (400 max.)  
Power light is not lit.  
No sound.  
Signal-to-Noise Ratio  
Greater than 80 dB  
Damping factor >500  
8
Sound comes from the  
subwoofer but not your  
main speakers  
1. Is your SW103/SW203/SW303 plugged  
in to a live AC wall socket?  
2. Is the power cord firmly plugged into  
the subwoofer amp power input connector?  
(8) on page 4.  
Crossover  
SW103: 120 Hz fixed  
SW203/SW303: 40-180 Hz. (user variable),  
active low-pass, 24 dB/octave  
• confirm that the power amplifier is  
turned on.  
3. Is the power switch on?  
• check the RCA patch cord  
• check the speaker wire connections  
between the power amplifier and  
main or satellite speakers.  
4. Has the SW103/SW203/SW303 over-  
heated and shut off temporarily?  
5. Is the fuse OK?  
Subsonic Filter  
18 dB/octave below 20 Hz.  
Driver Complement  
1
4
SW103: One 5 / ˝ (13.3 cm) long-throw woofer  
No sound from either set of  
speakers.  
Bass is muffled or weak  
1
2
SW203: One 6 / ˝ (16.5 cm) long-throw woofer  
1. Check speaker wire polarity of  
all connections.  
2. Reposition your subwoofer. At  
some points in the room, its output may  
be cancelled by the geometry of the  
room. Moving the SW103/SW203/SW303  
can eliminate this problem.  
SW303: One 10˝ (25.4 cm) long-throw woofer  
1. Are your other components turned on?  
2. Is the receiver or preamp set to the  
appropriate input and is that sound source  
playing?  
3. Do you have an unconnected tape  
monitor selected?  
4. Is the SW103/SW203/SW303 correctly  
connected to your receiver, preamplifier or  
integrated amplifier and turned on?  
Frequency Response  
SW103: 36-150 Hz.+/- 3dB  
SW203: 30-125 Hz.+/- 3dB variable  
SW303: 23-180 Hz.+/- 3dB variable  
Output  
Normalized 1 meter maximum SPL  
SW103: 103 dB average from 36 Hz.-100 Hz.  
SW203: 109 dB average from 34 Hz.-100 Hz.  
SW303: 112 dB average from 27 Hz.-100 Hz.  
Please refer to Item 10 in the Safety  
Instructions for conditions that ALWAYS  
require service by qualified personnel.  
If you have tried all the above and  
still cannot get the SW103, SW203, or  
SW303 to operate properly, consult  
Gateway® Customer Service and Support  
at 1-800-846-2301.  
Sound comes from main  
speakers but not subwoofer  
Dimensions  
1
2
SW103: 15 / ˝ (39.4 cm) H x 11˝ (27.9 cm) W  
7
8
x 7 / ˝ (20 cm) D  
1. Is the SW103/SW203/SW303 turned  
on (power light in the green mode) and  
VOLUME control turned up?  
2. Check the speaker connections for  
small strands of wire touching both  
terminals.  
3. Some digital receivers only send a  
subwoofer out signal when in the movie or  
digital mode. In the 2 channel (stereo  
music) mode, no subwoofer out signal is  
sent to the subwoofer. You may need to set  
your main speakers to “small” mode in  
your receiver setup to get the receiver’s  
SW203: 17˝ (43.2 cm) H x 13˝ (33 cm) W  
x 10˝ (25.4 cm) D  
1
2
SW303: 18 / ˝ (47 cm) H x 17˝ (43.2 cm) W  
x 14˝ (35.6 cm) D  
Shipping Weight  
SW103: 20 lbs. (9 kg.)  
SW203: 24 lbs. (10.9 kg.)  
SW303: 41 lbs. (18.6 kg.)  
Finish  
Black laminate  
©2003 Gateway®  
 

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