Atlantic Technology 444 SB Care of Your Subwoofer, Dual Subwoofer Placement, Phase Invert Control

Care of your Subwoofer 9

Instruction Manual

Dual Subwoofer Placement

When two subwoofers are used,you may wish to place them asymmetri- cally; that is, in slightly different positions in the room (Figure 7). This will reduce common mode room resonances that occur with symmetri- cally positioned subwoofers.You can also try placing the subwoofers in the same corner,if you wish.Experiments have shown this to be a viable means of producing smooth bass response in many rooms.

Figure 7

Asymmetrical arrangement for 2 subwoofers in a home theater, for example, one closer to a corner than the other

Place subwoofers

assymmetrically in room

for smoother bass

Using the Low-Pass Crossover Control

		When used with the System 1400 or 2400,
	LOW-PASS
		the Crossover control should be set at
60	100	around 100Hz unless you are using a pro-
		cessor with its own built-in crossover. The
		goal is to optimize the performance of the
		system by ensuring that the subwoofer and
40	160	satellites produce a cohesive and well inte-
		grated sound“picture.”

Many surround sound receivers and processors offer a choice of crossover settings, typically between 80 Hz and 120 Hz. If yours does, we recom- mend using the 100Hz setting when using small speakers such as those in the System 1400 or 2400. Consult your electronics owner's manual for more details.

Higher crossover frequencies pass more bass to the sub but can sound boomy and may be more easily localized to the subwoofer.Higher cross- over frequencies may be suitable, however, when using very small satel- lites that have no real low frequency performance. Settings lower than 80Hz should be employed if you are using larger speakers that have extended bass response.This way,the subwoofer will only reproduce the very lowest bass frequencies that are in the range where the large main speakers begin to roll off.

It’s generally undesirable to have the main speakers and the subwoofer overlap too much. Larger speakers means a lower Low-Pass crossover frequency, smaller speakers means a higher Low-Pass crossover fre- quency. Consult the manufacturer’s specified low frequency response for your main speakers to determine the appropriate Low-Pass setting on your subwoofer.In the end,however,a little time spent experimenting will generally result in dramatically better bass response.

The Phase Invert Control

	A subwoofer operating out of phase with the rest of the
PHASE
	system won’t provide optimum low frequency perfor-
	mance.To correct for this,a switch that will reverse the
	phase of the subwoofer is provided on the amplifier
	panel.Listen to a monaural musical source with strong
NORMAL
	bass content. (For example, you can use the mono
	switch on an FM tuner or preamp,or use aY-connector
INVERT	on the outputs of one of your source components to get
	a mono signal.)

Experiment with the position of the phase switch to get the smoothest bass. It should be obvious which is the correct setting. In particular, there will be a more integrated transition between the satel- lites and the subwoofer when they are properly phased.

A Word About Bass, Center Channel Modes and System Set Up

Many surround processors and receivers feature a“Wide” and“Normal” mode for the center channel speaker.Atlantic Technology recommends that the center channel be operated in the “Normal” mode when using a powered subwoofer. The center channel speaker will sound more dynamic and the intelligibility of the system will generally be improved when in the“Normal” mode.

With discrete digital systems (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.) many control- lers provide a Bass Management option,which lets you set the front and rear speakers in a limited bandwidth (Small) or full range (Large) mode. When using a subwoofer with Atlantic Technology speakers we recom- mend setting such a controller to the Small position for all the speakers in the system.

Care of Your Subwoofer

The 224 SB, 334 SB and 444 SB are constructed from Medium Density Fiberboard. MDF is a non-resonant material ideal for speaker system enclosures. To clean the cabinet you may use a soft cloth either dry or slightly dampened with clean water. Be careful not to wet the cabinet or allow any water to enter the cabinet seams.Avoid placing your speakers in direct sunlight or near a source of heat that may, over time, damage the finish.

IMPORTANT: Save Your Boxes! If you can do so, save the carton, packing pieces and plastic bags that came with your subwoofer. They will be useful in case you move or have to ship your sub- woofer for any reason. In any case, save all packing materials until you are certain that the system has suffered no damage in ship- ment. If you find such damage, either visible or internal, contact your dealer immediately for the proper return procedure.