•ROOM ACOUSTICS
The Athena Technologies® speakers can provide great sonic performance in virtually any environment if proper placement is respected in a good listening environment. Factors such as placement of furniture, room dimensions, and wall construction materials all play roles in the final sound reproduction. Therefore, both acoustic and aesthetic factors must be considered, but since aesthetics are personal and vary greatly, some basic guidelines should help determining optimum placement for sonic performance.
The music we hear is a combination of direct (on axis) and reflected (off axis) sound. The direct sound arrives at your ears directly from the source while the reflected sound arrives after bouncing off room surfaces. The on and off axis performance is affected by the various surfaces in the room. Various surfaces reflect sound differently so a balance of soft and hard furniture, as well as floor or wall hangings are ideal. Too much soft material, like sofas and carpeting, can deaden sound reproduction. Conversely, hard furniture and floors can produce a harsh, brighter sound. Reflective surfaces have individual sound absorption characteristics so it is important that the left and right reflective walls have the same, or very similar, reflective qualities. For example, a tapestry or curtain on wall will absorb more frequencies than a plain painted surface.
The distance the speakers are placed from room boundaries can affect the amount of bass. Placement closer to corners generates more bass output, farther away from corners will generate less bass. Rooms with different height, width and length are preferable for best bass performance. If possible, place the speakers so they are firing along the longest wall in order to fill the room most efficiently with music. In other words, if the room is 10-feet (3m) wide and
20-feet (6m) deep, place them along the 10-foot (3m) wall. There will be less wall reflection and therefore a more natural sound.
•SPEAKER PLACEMENT
Stereo front speaker pair
For best stereo imaging, the left and right speakers should be the same distance from their respective side walls. If the distance from one speaker to the listener is very different from the other it can affect the soundstage or stereo imaging. Therefore, the ideal position is having the speakers equidistant to the listener.
A general guideline for speaker placement is to set up the space between speaker and listener at approximately 1-1/2 times the distance between the speakers. For example, if the speakers are placed a minimum of 6-feet (1.8m) apart (the absolute minimum), the best seating position would be 9-feet (2.4m) away.
Another guideline is referred to as the rule of thirds. This formula dictates that the room should be divided into thirds, with the speakers placed a third of the way into the room. The listener is positioned in the second third of the room, with the last third of the room behind the listener. This may be impractical or difficult to integrate into some decors, so try to at least respect an adequate distance from side and rear walls. Do not make the side and rear wall distances (from the speaker) similar as it will cause acoustic problems.
owners manual
Center Channel
A center channel can be expected to reproduce as much as 60% of a movie's soundtrack, most of which is dialogue. In order to maintain the effect of voices emanating from the actor's mouth, the C1 should be centrally located between the left and right main channels and placed above or below the television. Be sure that the C1's front baffle is flush with the front face of the television or cabinet to maximize dispersion.
Surround speakers
The chosen Athena Technologies® products to be used as the surround speakers can be positioned in a variety of locations. The most popular places used for surround speaker placement are side wall, and rear wall.
Side walls: To maximize the ambient field for side wall mounting, position the speakers adjacent to and slightly behind the primary listening area at a height of approximately 6 feet.
Rear walls: To maximize the ambient field for rear wall mounting, position the speakers so they flank the main listening area. They should be raised to a height of approximately 6 feet and should ideally have a space of 6 feet between them.
Optional
Stand mount: Place the stand mounted speakers slightly behind and on each side of the main listening area. They can be anywhere from 1-6 feet behind or to the side of the main listening area.
If you have followed these guidelines, then there should be speakers surrounding your listening area, which will result in the encompassing surround sound feeling.
These are basic guidelines and can be tailored to suit the décor of your room. Following these guidelines will help to provide a sense of spaciousness and ambience for all music and surround sound formats.
•SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT
Using the Athena Technologies Subwoofers with Athena Technologies® speakers
One of the main goals of the Athena Technologies® series was to eliminate the problems that commonly arise with subwoofer placement. The large, bulky box appearance normally associated with subwoofers is difficult to integrate into a room without negatively influencing the décor. The Athena Technologies® series subwoofers were designed in a slim, upright fashion to serve as a speaker stand and docking base for the Athena Technologies® series speakers, transforming them into powered speakers that acoustically blend better than subwoofer satellite systems.
How to Dock an Athena Technologies® Speaker to an Athena Technologies® Subwoofer
Determine the ideal location for the speakers. Place the subwoofer in this location. Then, remove the two long rubber strips on the bottom, front of the speaker that cover the metal tracks. Remove the plastic cover on the top of the subwoofer, to expose the docking tracks. Lift up the speaker to the subwoofer's height, starting from the back of the subwoofer and line up the tracks. Slide the speaker forward on to the subwoofer, ensuring that both tracks are connected together. Stop movement when the speaker will not slide any further forward. The rear of both cabinets should be flush with each other. Your speakers are now securely attached.
