Dialing In Your System

The final step to enjoying you new system is to dial it in for optimal sound. First, consult the manual for your receiver. It contains all the information you will need to dial in your system. As always if you need help, visit our website or feel free to call, email or use live chat for technical support.

Speaker Setup: Enter the speaker setup menu on your receiver and proceed to set all of your 522D bookshelf speakers to the “small” setting. 522D towers should be set to the “large” setting. Also, if you have a 6.1 or 7.1 channel receiver but you are using a 5.1 speaker setup, be sure to set the back surrounds to “off” or “none”. The same is true for the center channel if, for some unlikely reason, you are not using a dedicated center channel, you can disable the center and send the dialogue to the front left & right main speakers.

Speaker Distance: Sit in the most common listening position with a tape measure and have a friend help you measure the distance to each speaker. Then enter the speaker distance menu on your receiver and input the distance. This step is important because it sets the appropriate time delay for your surround sound system. Some receivers require you to calculate the delay using a mathematical formula. Please consult your receiver manual for details on setting the delay.

Subwoofer Setup: In the speaker setup menu there is usually a subwoofer selection option. Set the subwoofer selection to “Yes” or “On” if you are using a separate subwoofer. Many receivers have a number of crossover settings but we recommend starting with the crossover set at 80Hz and your bookshelf speakers set to “small”. Power towers should be set to “large”. If you are setting the crossover frequency on your receiver, you will be using your receiver for bass management. We recommend that you set the variable crossover setting on you subwoofer amplifier between 80Hz -120Hz until you get a good blend. If the subwoofer is in the same plane as the front speakers, the "0 degrees" phase position is the correct setting. Start with the volume level at 1/3-1/2 and adjust it up or down based on the source material and your personal preference.

Speaker Level Calibration: One of the most important steps to setting up your system is level calibration. Some speakers will play louder or quieter than they should because of differing placements or efficiencies. The speaker level calibration menu will allow your receiver to compensate for this by using a test signal for balancing the channels. The signal moves from channel to channel, allowing you to adjust the levels until each channel plays at the same volume. You can do this by ear but it's better to use a SPL (sound pressure level) meter. If you notice with actual program material that the surround speakers play much lower than the fronts, this is normal. They are simply supplying the subtle ambience the director intended.