Atlantic Technology 8200E Placement, Acoustic Controls, Surround Effects and Speaker Locations

4 Placement

System 8200e/6200e High Performance Loudspeakers

Acoustic Controls

System 8200e and 6200e LR speakers include unique acoustic controls to help maximize their performance in your room. These controls are explained in greater detail on page 9.

Model 8200e C and 6200e C Center Channel Speakers

It is vital to the accurate reproduction of a multi-channel soundtrack that the three front speakers have the same sonic signature.Therefore,the 8200e C and 6200e C Channel Speakers have the same voicing as the LR speakers (see Figure 2). It is designed for use only with a dedicated subwoofer and includes the same unique acoustic controls mentioned above.

The 8200e and 6200e C are designed to be placed horizontally.

IMPORTANT NOTE Try to keep the LR and C tweeters approximately centered at or aimed at ear level when seated. This is because the align- ment of the drivers on the front panel results in limited vertical spread of the mid and high frequency sounds to reduce unwanted floor and ceiling reflections. If the speakers are too high or too low however, you will miss a significant portion of the upper middle and high range elements of the sound. This alignment of the drivers provides enhanced horizontal spread of the sound making for a much better sound experience for a group of listeners and reducing the need to sit in a precise “sweet spot.”

The center channel speaker should be placed directly above or below your television.It is important that the speaker is centered on the screen,not off to the side. The pivoting design of the 8200e and 6200e C allows you to tilt it up or down so that the speaker points most directly at the listening position.

Models 8200e SR and 4200e SR Surround Speakers

The Model 8200e SR and 4200e SR Dipole/Bipole Surround Speakers (Fig- ure 3) are intended for use in multi-channel audio/video sound systems only as dedicated side or back surround channel speakers.The 8200e SR uti- lizes dual 5¼-inch GLH drivers and two of the same tweeters as described above. The 4200e SR utilizes dual 4½-inch GLH drivers and two of the same tweeters as described above.The surround speakers can be switched between Dipole and Bipole operation.These settings are explained on page 10,“Dipole/Bipole Operation of the SR Speakers.”

Note: Although the speakers in the Atlantic Technology Systems 8200e are acoustically and cosmetically matched to each other for ideal results, they may also be used with other Atlantic Technology components with extremely satisfying results.

Placement

Speaker/room interactions have a huge impact on the sound of the system. Moving the speakers just a little can make a dramatic difference in what you hear. Remember that the best acoustic placement of the speakers will vary from room to room.Use the following placement guidelines (see page 5) as a starting point.But also feel free to experiment.In fact,it may be beneficial to hook up the front LR and surround speakers with some extra wire and to simply drape the wire across the floor before installing the speakers per- manently.This will allow you the opportunity to move the speakers around easily so you can find the best sonic and visual locations.

Surround Effects and Speaker Locations

The 8200e SR and 4200e SR’s shape allows great flexibility in placement.Due to their switchable Dipole/Bipole design, it’s possible to place the speakers almost anywhere within the rear third of the room and get good results. However,the best location for surround speakers is straight out to the sides of,or slightly behind the primary listening area,approximately 1-2 feet above seated ear level to no less than 2 feet down from the ceiling.

As noted above, the surround speakers (as opposed to the back speaker(s) in a 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 channel system, see below) are primarily intended to re-create the ambient sounds taking place in the movie scene. Therefore, throughout most of a movie or TV program you may not be consciously aware of output from these speakers.In other words,don’t worry if you aren’t hearing the surround speakers. Please try to avoid the trap of turning the surrounds up and up so that you hear them most of the time.The result will be a much less believable surround experience.

There are dedicated LEFT and RIGHT model SR speakers. This is clearly marked on the back of each speaker. Be sure that the Left side surround speaker is placed directly to the left side of the prime listening area (facing the screen) and the Right speaker is directly to the right side. As an easy reference, the Dipole/Bipole switch should always be facing the back of the room. Should you wish to hang them on the wall, closer than 24 inches to the ceiling, you should remove and re-install the keyhole hangers upside down. Then turn the speakers over, hanging them upside down, and swap them side to side for proper operation.

Home Theater

Remember that the primary goal of a good home theater is not to make you believe that you are in a movie theater. It’s to make you believe you’re in the movie. For a home theater system, place the LR speakers on either side of the television. The left and right front speakers should be far enough apart (6 to 10 feet is usually best) that you get a good stereo“image” when they are playing alone, but not so far apart that the sound seems to be disembodied from the TV,distracting you from the picture. When using a center channel speaker,a wider separation of the left and right front speakers is usually pos- sible.You may chose to“toe” the LR speakers in,aiming them approximately at the prime listening position.This can be particularly useful if the front LR speakers are fairly far apart.