Question 1

What is the BIC America Warranty Policy?

Accepted Answer

All BIC America products are engineered with superior components and careful quality control enabling us to offer some of the longest warranties in the industry. BIC products should give you years of enjoyment, however, in the unlikely event service should be required:
BIC warranty applies for new products purchased from “Authorized” BIC America Dealers. For warranty service outside of the United States, please contact the “Authorized” BIC America Distributor or Dealer in your country. The U.S. and Canada warranty term for your product is stated in the BIC owner’s manual. To find an owner’s manual for your product, go to that product’s page on this website. For U.S. and Canada warranty service, please contact BIC America at 877-558-4242, ext. #2 or email bicamericaservice@gmail.com
BIC America’s liability for any defective product is limited to repair or replacement of the product. Our techs will assist in determining what part requires service and we will, at our option, repair or replace the defective part.
All BIC America warranties are subject to the following restrictions:
Damage caused by abuse, accident, misuse, negligence or improper operation.
Products that have been altered or modified by unauthorized persons.
Products operated in conjunction with unsuitable, inappropriate or faulty equipment.
Any product whose serial number has been altered, defaced or removed.
Normal wear and maintenance.
Damages caused by shipping. (All claims for shipping damage must be made with the carrier.)
Sustained cosmetic damages.

Question 2

If my Speaker Requires Warranty or Repair Service, will | be Required to ship the Entire Speaker to the BIC Warranty/Repair Center?

Accepted Answer

If your speaker requires service, you will not be required to ship the entire speaker to our BIC America Service Center.
If BIC Tech Support determines you have a defective part (such as a woofer or tweeter) our BIC Warranty Department will ship you a new replacement part. Drivers are extremely easy to remove and replace by simply removing a few screws and disconnecting a positive and negative lead.
If BIC Tech Support determines your subwoofer amplifier is not working properly:
If you have owned it 30-days or less, our BIC Warranty Department will ship you a new replacement amplifier.
If you have owned your subwoofer for over 30-days, you will remove the amplifier (which weighs about 2 pounds) from your subwoofer and ship it to our BIC Warranty Repair Center. The repair center will either repair or replace you amplifier, depending on what caused your amplifier to malfunction and then ship it back to you. Like replacing a woofer or tweeter, the amplifier is extremely easy to replace by simply removing a few screws and disconnecting a positive and negative lead.

Question 3

How do | choose the front speakers in a surround or stereo speaker system?

Accepted Answer

Front speakers are very important in your system. They not only recreate many of the the effects in video, but they also act as the stereo channels when listening to music. If you are using a subwoofer you may use small mini-sized or bookshelf speakers. If you do not use a subwoofer in your system, tower speakers are recommended for right and left. Tower speakers paired with a subwoofer will provide an even better audio experience.
Using large speakers for the front channels will allow them to reproduce lower bass. One dissadvantage is that these speakers take up more space than mini-speakers but they are capable of reproducing a greater range of sound.
Using mid-sized speakers (bookshelf speakers) as your front channel speakers can be a good alternative to towers when space is a concern. Most bookshelf speakers can reproduce adequate amounts of bass along with excellent midrange and highs even though they do not have large woofers. Bookshelf speakers typically do not have large enough woofers to reproduce deep bass, so a powered subwoofer is recommended in this type of configuration.
Using mini-speakers (satellite speakers) as the front channel is the best option for those that are really concerned about the space that the speakers occupy. The sound that mini-speakers can reproduce is very impressive however, because they are incapable of reproducing low bass by themselves, it is not recommended that you use them as front (stereo) channel speakers unless you are using a powered subwoofer. With the appropriate powered subwoofer you will be able to fully recreate the full range of sounds comparable to larger speakers.

Question 4

What is the Difference between Horn Tweeters and Dome Tweeters?

Accepted Answer

Everyone has personal preferences when it comes to listening to music or movies. Sound engineers have been debating the benefits of both horn speakers and dome speakers for years. Our highly regarded BIC engineering team has designed excellent speakers of both series featuring dome tweeters and horn tweeters.
Tweeters reproduce high audio frequencies such as cymbals, guitar strings, soprano vocals or any high-pitched instrument or sound effect. Tweeters also are best at localizing sound for sound staging and separation such as listening to a song and hearing drums from the left side and the guitar from the right side.
Dome tweeters prove great for acoustics because of their sound dispersion. Dome tweeters disperse sound in the widest patterns.  Since high-frequency sound waves are very directional, a wider dispersion of the sound waves will provide better off axis listening. It is this feature which makes the dome tweeter require more power than a horn tweeter at any given output level.
Horn tweeters narrow the dispersion of the tweeter creating higher on axis output. All of the mid/high frequencies that come from the horn tweeter are naturally amplified resulting in greater output (loudness) making them more sensitive, efficient and able to play louder than a dome tweeter. Horn tweeters are great for vocals in music, TV and movies.

Question 5

How Much Power do | Need?

Accepted Answer

The measurement of power is usually represented by a figure known as RMS: Root Means Square. The speaker power ratings tell users the recommended range of amplifier power for best performance and how much RMS (continuous power) a speaker can handle. If a peak power rating is given for a speaker, it indicates how much power can be handled by a speaker for an instantaneous duration, which is the way peaks are recorded in most program material. Certain types of signals can push a speaker to its limits even if the levels are below the stated power rating.

Question 6

What is Impedance?

Accepted Answer

Impedance, which is the property of a speaker that restricts electrical flow through it, is measured in ohms: 4, 6 and 8 are typical values. Lower levels of impedance force the speaker to place a greater demand on an amplifier, so it’s important to make sure to match up the impedance of both the speakers and the amplifier. For proper performance, be sure to connect your speakers according to the owner’s manuals of both the speakers and the amplifier/receiver.

Question 7

How do | Match Speakers for a Home Theater System?

Accepted Answer

Generally, (except for subwoofers) it is not recommended to mix and match different brands of speakers in a surround sound system. Even better, for the smoothest transition of sound between your center, left and right speakers, keep the speakers within the same series (i.e. all Acoustech or all BIC Venturi). Matching tweeters makes the sound transfer much more seamlessly. In order to maintain a reasonably consistent timbre between different speakers, it’s best to have a matched system.

Question 8

Are BIC Subwoofers Compatible with All Speaker Brands?

Accepted Answer

BIC America subwoofers are designed to match up with all speaker brands front, left, center and right speakers as well as all brands of surround speakers. This is due to their built-in variable Crossover Frequency Control and Volume Control that enables you to properly match up to speakers of any size, efficiency and impedance rating. Timbre matching is unimportant for frequencies covered by powered subwoofers (200Hz and under).

Question 9

Subwoofers- Why Should You Buy a Subwoofer?

Accepted Answer

Bass frequencies are critical to realistic sound reproduction. A well-matched subwoofer will dramatically enhance the sound and low bass frequencies of your system. Adding a subwoofer makes a bigger difference than upgrading your electronics. BIC subwoofers have a volume control so you can decide how loud your subwoofer plays without overpowering the other speakers in your room.
Most speakers have diminished output beginning at frequencies in the 50-80 Hz range. But music and movies are recorded to play a full range of frequencies, in some cases all the way down to 20 Hz. Adding a subwoofer will enhance and deliver the deep bass you both hear and feel. No matter what kind of music or movies you listen to… whether you listen to them loud or soft, you will experience sound that is richer and fuller. Bass guitar and string bass will have more impact. You will be able to FEEL as well as hear percussion – just the way you would at a live performance. Movies will come alive with thunderous sound effects that were never possible without a subwoofer. Adding a powered subwoofer not only dramatically improves your system’s bass output and power, but it also takes some of the load off your receiver.

Question 10

Are 2 Subwoofers Better than 1 Subwoofer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, two or more subwoofers will naturally outperform a single subwoofer.
The advantages of 2 or more subwoofers are:
The ability to play louder with a greater dynamic range.
More consistent bass throughout the room due to bass coming from more than one location.
Even with careful placement, a single subwoofer will not have an optimal frequency response at all listening positions in the room. Adding more subwoofers will result in a smoother frequency response at more listening positions in the room, with less potential for peaks/nulls in the frequency response.
Reduced output compression and lower distortion at any given volume level.

Question 11

How Do I Set My Crossover?

Accepted Answer

BIC subwoofers allow you to set the crossover frequency to various settings depending whether your front speakers are floor standing speakers, bookshelf speakers or tiny satellite speakers. Typically, crossovers are set to around 50 Hz for floor standing, 60-80 Hz for bookshelf speakers (depending on their size) and 125-180 Hz for tiny satellites and soundbars. It is best to place your sub(s) near the front main speakers if you are setting the crossover to 125 Hz or higher.
If your receiver does not have a low level SUBWOOFER or LFE (RCA) output jack, you will connect speaker wire from your receiver’s front main speaker outputs to the HIGH LEVEL INPUTS on your subwoofer amplifier. Then, connect speaker wire from your front main speakers to the OUTPUT TO SPEAKERS on your subwoofer amplifier. When using this hookup, you will set the crossover from your subwoofer by turning the crossover knob on your sub amplifier to where it sounds best.
If your receiver has a low level SUBWOOFER or LFE (RCA) output jack, you will set the crossover in your receiver’s set-up menu. Please see your receiver and BIC America subwoofer manuals for more information on setting your crossover.

Question 12

Where Should my Speakers be Placed?

Accepted Answer

Left/Right front speakers
Place your speakers at least 1.5 to 2 feet on either side of the television screen. It’s best to have the speakers a little forward of the screen, placed a few inches from the back wall and away from the side walls. The speakers should be placed with the tweeters as close as possible to seated ear height, about 35-40” off the floor. Experiment with them angled in towards the prime listening position or facing straight out into the room.
Center Channel
The center channel speaker is important for home theater because it will be handling up to 80 percent of all the dialog and center effects in movie soundtracks. Your center channel speaker should be located directly on top of or below the center of the TV screen. Aim the speaker towards the main listening position for better dialogue audibility.
Subwoofer(s)
Placement is extremely important because it dramatically affects the bass quality. An optimally placed subwoofer is much more powerful and better sounding than a poorly placed one.
1) Distance from your main speakers – The best placement for your subwoofer is on the same wall as the main speakers. However, if you are not able to place your subwoofer on the same wall as your main speakers, avoid placing the subwoofer halfway between the front and back walls. This is where you get a strong null from your room’s standing waves. No matter how powerful the subwoofer is, there will not be as much bass around the center of the room.
2) Distance from a wall outlet – Since the subwoofer requires AC power, it must be placed within 10 feet of a wall outlet. We don’t recommend extending that range with an extension cord. For long runs, the best option is “wireless subwoofer” placement. This can be done with a BIC wireless subwoofer kit.
3) Positioning and Proximity to walls and corners – Physical placement of the subwoofer will have a definite impact on the frequency response and the perceived amount of subwoofer bass output. Because low frequencies have long wavelengths, they are influenced by proximity to a boundary such as a wall or floor. When you place the subwoofer well away from a wall, it will produce bass at a certain level. Move the subwoofer close to the wall and 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). The main thing to remember is you can place your subwoofer in many areas of your room dependent on how much bass you want. If you like a lot of heavy bass, put the subwoofer into a corner. If you like smoother, less obvious bass, move the subwoofer next to a wall.
Since low bass waves are very large (up to forty feet or more across!), they tend to cancel and reinforce each other, causing places in the room where there are lots of bass and other places where there isn’t very much bass at all. To locate the best place in your room to put your subwoofer, you can use a technique called the “subwoofer crawl”. First place the subwoofer where you will be sitting (ex. couch or chair) in your listening area. Turn on music with steady/constant bass and crawl around the room at/near knee level until you find the place where the bass sounds most accurate and balanced. This is where the subwoofer should be placed.
4) What are the Best Locations for Multiple Subwoofers?
For absolute maximum output place both in corners. This will give the maximum exaggerated “punch”.
For smooth response and lots of output, place both on the front wall about ¼ the distance from the side walls.
While the options above are proven performers with typically excellent results, all rooms are different so we recommend staying flexible and trying all possible placement options for the best results.
Surround Speakers
Try to place your surround speakers so their sound can’t be “localized”.  They should be placed for creating and enhancing three-dimensional sound effects.  The rear speakers should be located on the left and right behind the listening area if possible and side speakers (in 7.1 systems) should be slightly behind and above the listening area.