Speaker
Set-Up and
Configuration
Lexicon
Notes on Amplifiers
How much power do you need? That depends on a number of variables — How efficient are your speakers? How big is the room? How loud do you play the system? Generally, the demands on the side and rear channels are higher for film sound than for music. The center channel is actually the most important channel on most film soundtracks. Your center amp/speaker combination should be able to achieve the same sound pressure levels as the main left and right speakers. Increasing the Bass Blend parameter in the Pro Logic and Stereo Logic modes will help relieve the center channel of the heavy low frequency demands, but is not a suitable substitute for a decent amp/speaker combination. The surrounds will not generally require quite as much power, but there can be substantial energy requirements during crescendos. Consider at least
Notes on Speaker Placement
For Film
The
2 |
Good |
6 |
Better |
10 |
Best |
The film enthusiast with only two stereo speakers should place them relatively close on either side of the screen and use Panorama for both music and films. Beyond this, the very first priority should be a center channel above or below the screen for dialog (Configuration 2). An alternative is Configuration 3, in which two front speakers and one rear are used with either the Panorama or Pro Logic programs.
A dramatic improvement will be noticed when increasing from two or three speakers to four. These should be arranged as in Configuration 6, but with the front left and right speakers spread quite wide, perhaps all the way around to the sides — making a diamond pattern with the listener in the center. How widely you space the front channels will depend on how deeply immersed in the sound track you want to be; the full diamond configuration can considerably heighten the sense of emotional involve- ment in many movies. This arrangement has the advantage of using amplifiers and speakers in pairs.
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