Definitive Technology

SSA-50 OWNER’S MANUAL

Mythos Solo Surround Array Loudspeakers

Thank You

Thank you for choosing the Definitive Technology Mythos Solo Surround Array
Loudspeaker System. The Mythos SSA-50 is a unique speaker that provides a stunning
5-channel surround experience from just one speaker. This extraordinary speaker
makes enjoying a high performance surround audio system more convenient than
ever before. You chose wisely.

Our engineers spent many years developing this product. In order to ensure that you
experience the finest performance possible, we encourage you to take a moment to fully
read this owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with the proper installation and set-up
procedures for your Mythos SSA-50 speaker.

Specifications Unpacking Your SSA Speakers

SSA-50
Dimensions: 461/4" W (117.45 cm) x 41/8" D (10.48 cm) x 53/8" H (13.65 cm) Please Inspect For Shipping Damage
(speaker only, not including bracket)
Each loudspeaker leaves our plant in perfect condition. Any visible or concealed
Driver Complement: Three 41/2" (11.4 cm) BDSS High-output drivers with coincident
array 1" (25 mm) ferro-magnetic fluid damped pure aluminum damage most likely occurred in handling after it left our plant and should be reported
dome tweeter. at once to your Definitive dealer or the delivery company that delivered your loud-
Two 41/2" (11.4 cm) BDSS High-output full-range drivers.
speaker. Please unpack your system carefully. Save all cartons and packing materials in
Four 31/4" (8.3 cm) full-range high-output surround drivers
with butyl rubber surrounds. case you move or need to ship your system. Record the serial number found on the
Frequency Response: 50 Hz – 30 kHz back of the Mythos SSA in the appropriate place on the product registration card,
Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms answer all questions and send it in.
Rec. Assoc. Amplification: 20 – 200 Watts/channel
Sensitivity: 90 dB
Weight: 31 lbs. (4.52 kG) VERY IMPORTANT: Accessories
Various parts and accessories that you will need to use your Mythos SSA are in the
carton but are easy to overlook. Open both ends of the shipping carton. Carefully
examine the contents of the shipping carton and packing material to find the plastic
bags with accessories.

Specifications subject to change without notice.

Definitive Technology SSA-50 OWNER’S MANUAL
Positioning the SSA

If placed on a shelf under a TV, adjust the

leveling feet (screwed all the way in) to
aim the speaker up towards the listeners.
The SSA speaker may be mounted on
the wall above or below the video screen. The SSA speaker may be placed directly
on top of TVs that have at least 5-inches
(13 cm) of flat surface on top. Do not
place the SSA speaker on top of any
surface that is not large or stable enough
to securely support the speaker. If the
speaker seems at all unstable or “tipsy”
place the speaker somewhere else. The
warranty does not cover damage
caused by falls due to improper
It may be SSA-50
placed on a table orTemplate
Mounting shelf Revised positioning of the speaker. If the
in front of the TV. speaker is above seated listener height,
extend the leveling feet to point the
speaker downward [See Using the Leveling
Feet on page 3].

Even if you intend to place the SSA speaker on a TV or shelf you must attach the wall-mount bracket to the speaker. See Using the Leveling Feet on page 3.

Wall Mounting the SSA

• We recommend that the SSA speaker be wall mounted

by professional installers or by those appropriately skilled in the
use of power tools and who have knowledge of building codes
and structural issues.
•We recommend that you determine a suitable location for
your speaker installation, and that you complete all wiring
(especially
SSA-50 Mounting “hidden”
Screw Diagram in-wall wiring) before mounting the 5. Use a bubble level to make sure the template is level. If the
bracket to your wall. TV is wall mounted and not level, the speaker will look better
• Mythos Brackets are not suitable for ceiling mounting. if it is off-level in exactly the same way as the TV.
6. Use push pins to secure the template to the wall.
The Mythos Solo Surround Array loudspeaker comes with a wall
7. Mark the location of pilot holes noted on the Mounting
mounting bracket and template that makes secure mounting a breeze.
Template with a pencil; remove the template.
Follow these directions for installing the wall mounting bracket.
8. Pre-drill the pilot hole locations for mounting screws
(not included). Use screws rated to hold securely in the
wall material (we recommend #10 screws).
9. It is best if at least one screw hits a wall stud. If there is no
THREADED INSERTS
1/4" – 20 SCREWS BACK OF SPEAKER stud behind the pilot hole location, install wall anchors (not
included) to secure the bracket screws. Follow the wall anchor
manufacturer’s directions. Each wall anchor should be rated
to hold at least one-half of the product net weight
[see specifications on front cover].
TOP OF SPEAKER

1. Two 1⁄4"–20 screws have been factory installed on the back of the
speaker. Gently hand-turn the screws to make sure they are in as
far as they can go. Do not force them beyond the “stop” point.
The screws cannot screw all the way into the speaker and should
protrude as shown in the illustration.
2. Make sure the location you have selected for wall-mounting
does not conceal behind-wall electrical wiring or plumbing.
3. Hold the cardboard template (included) in the intended
location. Make sure the speaker clears the ceiling, adjacent
walls, corners, beams, lighting fixtures and door/window
10. For masonry walls, use a masonry drill bit to pre-drill holes,
frames. Leave at least 11/2" (38 mm) above the speaker location
and use masonry anchors and screws (not included).
to allow the speaker to slide down onto the bracket.
11. Pull the five sets of speaker wires through the hole in the bracket.
4. Make sure the center of the template is perfectly centered with
the TV screen. 12. Screw the bracket to the wall.
2
 SSA-50 OWNER’S MANUAL
13. When the wall mounting bracket is securely screwed to the wall, line or receiver to the red (+) terminal on your speaker and the wire from the
up the speaker’s protruding Mounting Screws with the keyhole slots black (–) terminal of your amplifier or receiver to the black (–)
on the wall mounting bracket. Let the speaker slide straight down, terminal on your speaker. Most speaker wire has some indicator (such as
allowing the screw heads to slip behind the smaller end of the keyhole color-coding, ribbing or writing) on one of the two conductors to help you
slots. Gently push the bottom front edge of the speaker toward the wall maintain consistency. It is essential to connect all channels
until the speaker snaps onto the lower lip of the bracket. of the speaker to the amplifier in the same way (in phase). If you
experience a poor surround effect, it is likely that one or more of the chan-
nels is connected in incorrect polarity and needs to be rewired.
Pay close attention and connect positive to positive; negative to
negative on all channels.

FRONT CENTER SURROUND SSURR. BACK/REARR

RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT
FT

+
–
SPEAKERS

Mounting the SSA to an articulating TV bracket

If you have a 6.1 or 7.1 channel receiver, connect the SSA’s surround
channel inputs to the “Surround” outputs of your receiver, not the
If you have a Plasma or LCD TV that is attached to the wall via a “Rear” or “Surround Back” outputs.
swing-out articulating bracket such as those offered by Chief, Sanus
and OmniMount, the SSA speaker may be attached to the bracket
without using the SSA wall-mount plate. Simply use 1⁄4"–20 screws to
attach the SSA speaker directly to the TV bracket. Consult the TV
bracket manufacturer’s user manual for more specific speaker
mounting instructions.
To connect wire to the binding post [see figure above], unscrew the knurled
nut and insert the bare wire into the hole near the base of the binding
Using the Leveling Feet post. Do not insert the insulated part of the wire into the hole as this will
not give you a good connection. Twist the nut back down the binding post
If you are going to use the speaker on a TV, shelf or table, first attach until it firmly meets the wire. Do not over tighten.
the wall-bracket to the speaker as described above. Attach the two “L”
brackets to the wall-bracket using two M4 x 10 mm screws provided. Connect a single RCA cable from the “SUB OUT” of your receiver
Thread the foot screws into the two “L” brackets and adjust to the to the LFE input of the subwoofer (not included). This connecting
required height. method bypasses the subwoofer’s internal “crossover” or low pass
filter and relies on the crossover filter built into your receiver.
NOTE: Make no other signal connections. Do not use speaker wire to make
the connection to the subwoofer

SSA-50

+
–
Connecting the SSA SURROUND FRONT
RIGHT RIGHT
CENTER FRONT
LEFT
SURROUND
LEFT

Your Mythos SSA has one pair

of 5-way binding posts for each
channel — Left Front, Right Front, 95
Left
High Level
Right

+
Center, Left Surround 40 150 In
Variable

and Right Surround. Low Pass Crossover

–
LFE
IN

– COMPONENT VIDEO
To start, strip 1/2" (3 mm) of Out
MULTI INPUT AUDIO VIDEO
Automatic +
insulation from each speaker Power
ON/OFF

ProCinema®
wire to expose the bare metal Subwoofer
Active Crossover
and Power Amplifier

wire and twist each of the

individual conductors into FRONT LEFT FRONT RIGHT SURROUND RIGHT SURROUND LEFT
+ – + – + – + –
120V 80Hz T 3.2A L 250V
SUBWOOFER IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
(LFE)
single un-frayed strands. OUTPUT CENTER

AUDIO + –
Note that one of the terminals for
each channel is marked with red
band (+) and the other is marked
with black band (–). Make certain
RECEIVER
that you connect the wire from the
red (+) terminal of your amplifier SUBWOOFER 3
 SSA-50 OWNER’S MANUAL
Receiver/Speaker Set-up Service

DO NOT USE THE “AUTO SETUP” FEATURE IF IT IS INCLUDED Service and warranty work on your Definitive loudspeakers will
IN YOUR RECEIVER. Because the SSA produces surround sound from normally be performed by your local Definitive Technology dealer.
a single front mounted speaker, the auto setup feature will not operate If, however, you wish to return the speaker to us, please contact us
correctly and will actually make your system sound worse. 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.
Access Your Receiver’s “Speaker Set-up” or
Under no circumstances should loudspeakers be shipped to
“Speaker Configuration” menu our offices or returned without contacting us first and
obtaining return authorization.

Definitive Technology Offices

11433 Cronridge Drive, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
1. In the Speaker Set-up/Configure function of your Phone: (800) 228-7148 (US & Canada),
receiver, set all channels to “Small.” 01 (410) 363-7148 (all other countries)

Limited Warranty:
5-Years for Drivers and Cabinets,
2. Select “Yes” when asked if you are using a subwoofer. 3-Years for Electronic Components
3. Set the subwoofer crossover frequency on the receiver to 120 Hz. Definitive Technology warrants to the original retail purchaser only that this
Definitive Technology Loudspeaker Product (the “Product”) will be free from
In the receiver’s “Speaker Distance” Set-up Menu, select the same defects in materials and workmanship for a period of five (5) years covering the
distance for all channels. If your receiver or processor uses a drivers and cabinets, and three (3) years for the electronic components from the
“Channel delay” setup function that requires a delay-time entry, date of the original purchase from a Definitive Technology Authorized Dealer.
However, this warranty will automatically terminate prior to the expiration of
use the minimum setting (in Ms) that it allows for the center and
five (5) years for the drivers and cabinets and three (3) years for the electronic
surround channels. components if the original retail purchaser sells or otherwise transfers the
Product to any other party. The original retail purchaser shall hereinafter be
Surround Sound Settings referred to as “you.” Defective Products must be shipped, together with proof of
date of purchase, prepaid insured to the Authorized Dealer from whom you pur-
chased the Product, or to the nearest factory service center. Product(s) must be
shipped in the original shipping container or its equivalent; in any case the risk
of loss or damage in transit is to be borne by you. If, upon examination at the
Factory or a Definitive Technology Authorized Dealer, it is determined that the
Dolby Digital or DTS on all 5.1 channel programming; Dolby unit was defective in materials or workmanship at any time during this Warranty
ProLogic or Dolby ProLogic II for all 2 channel sources such period, Definitive Technology or the Definitive Technology Authorized Dealer
as radio and CDs. will, at its option, repair or replace this Product at no additional charge, except as
set forth below. All replaced parts and Product(s) become the property of
Definitive Technology. Product(s) replaced or repaired under this Warranty will
Set Surround Volume Levels: be returned to you, within a reasonable time, freight collect.
1. Set Left, Center and Right to “Zero” (0dB). This Warranty does not include service or parts to repair damage caused by
accident, misuse, abuse, negligence, inadequate packing or shipping procedures,
2. Set Left and Right surround levels to a minimum of “+5” dB. commercial use, voltage in excess of the rated maximum of the unit, cosmetic
Don’t hesitate to set surround channels to “+7” dB or higher in appearance of cabinetry not directly attributable to defects in materials or work-
order to hear enveloping surround sound. manship, or service, or repair or modification of the Product which has not been
authorized by Definitive Technology. Definitive Technology makes no Warranty
with respect to its Products purchased from dealers or outlets other than
Definitive Technology Authorized Dealers. This Warranty is in lieu of all other
Optional 6.1 and 7.1 Channel Hookup expressed Warranties. If this Product is defective in material or workmanship as
warranted above, your sole remedy shall be repair or replacement as provided
If you choose to use additional speakers with a 6.1 or 7.1 channel above. In no event will Definitive Technology be liable to you for any incidental
receiver, connect those speakers to the "Rear" channel outputs of your or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the Product,
receiver. Consult the receiver owner's manual for specific information even if Definitive Technology or a Definitive Technology Authorized Dealer has
about 6.1 or 7.1 channel operation. been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other
party. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of consequential dam-
ages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.
Technical Assistance All implied warranties on the Product are limited to the duration of this
expressed Warranty. Some states do not allow limitation on how long an implied
Warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not apply to you. This Warranty
It is our pleasure to offer assistance if you have any questions
gives you specific legal rights, and you also may have other rights which vary
regarding your Mythos SSA or its set-up. Please contact your nearest from state to state.
Definitive Technology dealer or call us directly at (800) 228-7148
(US & Canada), 01 (410) 363-7148 (all other countries) or e-mail
[email protected].

This product complies with the essential requirements

4 EJAT 012309 of the EMC directive 89/336/EEC.

For more information on Definitive Technology Loudspeakers and accessories,

visit www.definitivetech.com, or email [email protected].
Definitive Technology, Owings Mills, Maryland, USA. 800-228-7148