Poweredsubwoofers

page 14

Here are the instructions for speaker setup.

1.Locate the front speakers. The left, right, and center speakers should be equidistant from the main listening position. Try to set up the speakers so that they are reasonably symmetrical to room surfaces. A tape measure may be very helpful.

2.Locate the subwoofer.

A.The best place for the subwoofer is the corner with the best structural strength. If the corners are roughly equal in construction, use the corner nearest the listening position. If the listening position is in the front half of the room, place the subwoofer in a front corner. If it is in the back of the room, place the subwoofer in a back corner.

If possible, avoid corners near doorways or openings.

B.If you are willing to experiment, another option is to place the subwoofer at the listening position and walk around the room. Stand in and near each corner. The location where you hear the tightest bass with the most impact is probably the best location in the room for the subwoofer.

C.If multiple subwoofers are used, place them in the same location. Stacking is best, but you can also put them side by side.

Another option for multiple subwoofers is to place them in different locations. This is appropriate when you have limited choices in locating the subwoofer and none of the available locations work well. Try to place multiple subwoofers at equal distances from the listening position to avoid phase cancellation.

3.Locate the surrounds. Determine the best position in the room. It will probably be the position used for THX speaker, directly to the right and left of the main listening position on the side walls (so that a listener in the center seat is directly between the speakers). If that doesn’t work or is not practical because of the room, try these locations: on the ceiling; on the back wall, or in the back corners (using an M&K ST Corner bracket).

4.Install all wiring and interconnects.

5.Aim the front speakers (this is a must for THX front speakers). Use a laser level to align each speaker. Place the level on the flat surface between the midranges and tweeters that is roughly in the center of the front baffle. The red dot of the laser should be aligned to the center of the listener’s forehead at ear height. Make sure that the volunteer who sits in the main listening position keeps their eyes closed!

Make sure that you aim the left and right speakers in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Horizontal toe-in is important for the best possible imaging.

6.If you have a Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 channel processor/receiver, follow these instructions. If you have a Pro-Logic processor/receiver, go to item 7 below.

SPECIAL NOTE: Always check the processor/receiver’s owner’s manual. Different manufacturers use different descriptions for the same function, and sometimes the same description for different functions!. Your component may use terminology different from that used below.

A.High-Pass Filters: All Dolby Digital processor/receivers have built-in high-pass filters for the Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, and Right Surround channels. Always turn these filters ON by using the SMALL setting. If you have a THX component, use the THX setting. See the owner’s manual of the processor/receiver for instructions.

B.Bass Management: If the processor/receiver has a setting to turn the Subwoofer off or on, make sure that it is set to SUBWOOFER YES or ON.

C.Dialog Normalization: If your component has this function, turn it off to avoid any possible effect on sound quality.