Placement
Speaker/room interactions have a huge impact on the sound of the system. Moving the speakers just a little can make a dramatic difference in what you hear. Remember that the best acoustic placement of the speakers will vary from room to room. Use the following placement guidelines as a starting point. But also feel free to experiment. In fact, it may be beneficial to hook up the speakers with some extra wire and to simply drape the wire across the floor before installing the speakers permanently.This will allow you the opportunity to move the speakers around easily so you can find the best sonic and visual locations.
Using the AT-2 in a 2-channel Music System
When using the AT-2 as a 2-channel music speaker (in a “stereo” system), place the speakers approximately 6-10 feet apart, so the distance between the speakers is roughly equal to the distance from the speakers to the listen- ing position.(See figure 3) Place the AT-2 on speaker stands or on furniture such that the tweeters are at approximate seated ear height. Begin with the AT-2 about 1 foot away from the wall behind it.Moving it closer to the wall will increase the apparent bass balance; pulling them farther away will yield a somewhat “leaner” bass balance. Experiment with the positioning to achieve the most satisfying balance in your room.
The AT-2 has very wide horizontal dispersion, due to its Low Resonance Tweeter (LRT™) design and low woofer-to-tweeter crossover frequency. Therefore, it’s not necessary to “toe in” the speakers as one ordinarily does with conventional speakers. However, this is also a matter of individual preference, so again we encourage you to experiment and find the degree of sonic imaging precision that you find most pleasing.
Figure 3
2-channel music configuration
Using the AT-2 in a Home Theater System
The AT-2 works extremely well as part of a home theater system. In such a system, place the AT-2’s on either side of the television. The left and right front speakers should be far enough apart (6 to 10 feet, 2-3 meters, is usu- ally best) that you get a good stereo “image” when they are playing alone, but not so far apart that the sound seems to be disembodied from the TV, distracting you from the picture.
Like all Atlantic Technology speakers, the AT-2 is tonally“voiced” to mix and match with our other models. The 4400 C or 6200e C both make excellent center channel speaker companions to theAT-2 LRs in a home theater system.
When using a center channel speaker in a home theater system, a wider separation of the left and right front speakers is usually possible than in a conventional 2-channel stereo system. Therefore, you may choose to toe in the AT-2 LR speakers slightly, aiming them towards the prime listening position. (See figure opposite)
IMPORTANT: Try to keep the AT-2’s and Center channel speaker’s tweeters at approximately the same height (within about 18” of each other) and aimed at ear level when seated. The AT-2’s driver align- ment provides an enhanced horizontal spread of the sound, mak- ing for a much better sound experience for a group of listeners and reducing the need to sit in a precise “sweet spot.”
Setting Bass Management
Even though the AT-2 delivers strong, deep bass response on its own, it is nonetheless desirable to use a powered subwoofer in a home theater system for the following reasons:
1.The bass level of the powered subwoofer is controllable by the receiver’s remote control.This is an extremely important feature to being able to“dial in” a satisfying bass level for your home theater system from your listening chair.
2.When employing AT-2 speakers (along with a powered subwoofer) in a theater system,set your receiver’s setup menu to“Subwoofer— Yes,” and set your front speaker configuration to “Small”. Set the receiver's crossover to the AT-2 to the around 60Hz.’
Follow your receiver and powered subwoofer manufacturers’recommenda- tions for bass crossover setting and subwoofer placement.Generally,it’s best to set the receiver’s subwoofer crossover no higher than 80 Hz, in order to maintain non-localizability of the stand-alone powered sub.
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