Positioning your loudspeakers properly is critical in order to achieve the sonic performance of a home theater. Please read the following section and the “Fine-Tuning Your Audio System” section for guidance in correct and optimal placement.
LEFT AND RIGHT SPEAKERS: If you have purchased a Synthesis Four Digital Home Theater System, then the model S4VC will serve as your front left and right main speakers.
Since the left and right speakers have been designed for maximum localization of sound, they should be placed with the center of the speakers at about the same height on screen as the actors would be, to aid in the illusion that the actors’ voices are coming directly from their on-screen images. Ideally, the speakers will be placed about 45 degrees apart from each other, viewed from the listening position, so that the distance between the speakers is the same as each speaker’s distance from the listener (see Figure 1).
CENTER CHANNEL SPEAKERS
S4VC: If you have purchased the vertical channel speaker (model S4VC) for the center position, be sure to place it vertically during installation in order to take advantage of its sound-dispersion characteristics. If you mount it horizontally, it will not provide the correct dispersion pattern. If the speaker is being used with a perforated projection screen, it should be mounted behind the center of the screen (see Figure 2). If a nonperforated projection screen, plasma display or other fixed video device is being used in the installation, the preferred center speaker is the model S4HC (below).
S4HC: If you have purchased the horizontal channel speaker (model S4HC) for the center position, be sure to position it horizontally during installation in order to take advantage of its sound-dispersion characteristics. If you mount it vertically, it will not provide the correct dispersion pattern. Although the preferred speaker model to be used with a perforated projec- tion screen is the vertical model S4VC (above), the S4HC horizontal speaker may be used instead and should be mounted behind the center of the screen. If a nonperforated projection screen, plasma display or other fixed video device is being used in the installation, then the recommended location is directly below and as close as possible to the video display (see Figure 3), although the inverse of this method will work also.