Arcam AV8 manual Cables, Speaker Installation

GENERAL

The inputs are named to make it easier to reference when connecting e.g., a DVD or VCR, but they all have the same input circuit, so there is no reason why you should not connect a different device to any of the inputs. For example, if you had two DVD players and the AV input was not being used, then the second DVD player can be connected to the AV input.

CABLES

We recommend the use of high quality screened analogue, digital and video cables, as inferior quality cables will degrade the overall quality of your system. Only use cables that are designed for the particular application as other cables will have different impedance characteristics that will degrade the performance of your system.

Video and digital connections must be made with cables that are designed for this purpose, i.e., coaxial cable with a 75Ω impedance. If substandard cables are used you may suffer from poor picture quality such as ghost images and or grainy picture quality (snow).

Speaker cables should be kept short and low impedance wire should be used throughout to ensure efficient power transmission and avoid audible distortion.

All cables should be kept as short as is practically possible.

It is good practice when connecting your equipment to make sure that the mains power supply cabling is kept as far away as possible from your audio and video cables, as this will provide the best sound and picture quality. Failure to do so may result in unwanted noise in the audio and video signals.

SPEAKER INSTALLATION

The AV8 allows you to connect up to seven channels of amplification and three active subwoofers in the main system. The output channels correspond to speakers installed in the front left, centre, front right, surround left, surround right, surround back left, surround back right and an active subwoofer (see diagram).

Front	Centre	Front
left		right
	Subwoofer
Surround		Surround
left		right
Surround		Surround
back left		back right

GENERAL

All speakers, with the exception of the subwoofer, should be arranged around your normal viewing/listening position (see diagram). The subwoofer can be placed almost anywhere and we recommend experimenting with it in various positions to obtain the best result.

The configuration and placement of your speakers are very important. For THX surround EX playback we recommend that you use a THX speaker system that is certified by Lucasfilm Ltd. If you are not installing a full THX surround EX system then ignore the instructions regarding the surround back left and right loudspeakers.

FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT

Position your front left and right speakers to achieve a good stereo image for normal musical reproduction as well as for the multichannel modes. If they are placed too close together there will be a lack of spaciousness; if they are placed too far apart a stereo image will appear to have a large ‘hole’ in the middle and will be presented in two halves. If there is no practical alternative to placing the speakers widely apart, this effect can be overcome in music reproduction by using centre sound extraction from the left and right speakers (see Dolby ProLogic II Music Mode).

CENTRE

The centre speaker allows for a more realistic reproduction of dialogue and centre sounds. The centre speaker should have a similar tonal balance to the front left and right speakers and be positioned at a similar height.

SURROUND LEFT AND RIGHT

The surround left and right speakers reproduce the ambient sound and effects present in a multichannel home cinema system and should be installed approximately one metre higher than the listener’s ears.

SURROUND BACK LEFT AND RIGHT

The surround back left and right speakers are used to add extra depth and better sound localisation and should be installed approximately one metre higher than the listener’s ears. Place the two surround back speakers such that there is an arc of approximately 150 degrees between each surround back speaker and the centre speaker. The surround back speakers should face the front of the room as shown in the diagram to provide the largest ‘sweet spot’. You will then need to measure the distance between the two surround back speakers and set the ‘Advanced Speaker Array’ line of the ‘THX Settings’ menu accordingly.

SUBWOOFER

A subwoofer will greatly improve the bass performance of your system. This is useful for reproducing special cinema effects, especially where a dedicated LFE (Low-Frequency Effects) channel is available, as with many Dolby Digital or DTS encoded discs.

Multiple subwoofers may be required for larger installations, particularly in rooms of a timber frame construction. Multiple subwoofers need care in placement because there may be cancellation effects between the units. Seek expert advice on multiple subwoofer placement.

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