Bipole Mode is Typically Used When | JBL S4VC, S4HC, S4Ai specs

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

WHICH DIFFUSE MODE IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR THE JOB?

DIPOLE MODE IS TYPICALLY USED WHEN:

•The speaker is located relatively close to the listening position.

•Multiple side or rear speakers are being used in a small listening room.

•The speaker is mounted near, but not in, a corner

and will be subject to negative reflections from nearby walls.

• The room is highly reflective.

BIPOLE MODE IS TYPICALLY USED WHEN:

•One speaker location is used to drive both side and rear channels in a dual-drive configuration.

•The speaker is located relatively far away from the listening position.

•Multiple side or rear speakers are being used in a large listening room.

•The speaker is mounted in a corner, at a 45-degree angle.

PREPARING THE S4Ai FOR THE CORRECT OPERATIONAL MODE

PHASE	PHASE
SWITCH	SWITCH
SWITCH OUT (SHIPPED)	SWITCH IN (OPTIONAL)

Figure 9. Dipole phase relationship

It will be necessary to choose which of the two diffuse modes to use at the time of installation. The S4Ai is shipped from the factory in the Bipole mode. If this is your choice and the speaker will be placed in the vertical orientation, no changes are required and the S4Ai can be directly installed into its permanent location.

Setting the phase in relation to the other speakers in the room only applies when the S4Ai speakers are set in Dipole mode. If you choose to use the S4Ai in Dipole mode, the following information for proper phase relations between speakers will apply:

The S4Ai speakers are shipped from the factory with the phase switch in the OUT position. In this position, the posi- tive phase array is pointing toward the left as you face the speaker. That is, when positive voltage is applied to the cone, the cone will move outward. Usually, when the Dipole mode is used in a 5.1 system, the positive phase array should fire toward the front of the room. The array facing the rear of the room will have a negative orientation. That is, when positive voltage is applied to the cone, it will move inward, in the opposite direction of the other array on the speaker. As shipped from the factory, the S4Ai is set up for placement in the right-side wall in a 5.1-channel sys- tem. The speaker that will be placed in the left-side wall should have its phase switch pushed in so that the positive phase array will be firing toward the front of the room when installed (see Figure 10).