MartinLogan Speaker P

Generally, subwoofers have the most output when placed

in the corner of a room. However, this can also exagger-

ate the subwoofers output making blending difficult. We

recommend starting by placing the subwoofer in a corner.

It should be placed in such a way that there are 2 inches

between the grill and the wall. This will avoid blocking

the output of any woofers. If, after the full range of tuning

techniques have been employed, the subwoofer sounds

like it has too much upper bass energy try pulling it away

from the wall, toward the listening position. This will less-

en the reinforcement of these problematic frequencies

from the wall and likely smooth out the response. Repeat

the setup procedure with the woofer controls after you

move it (see figure 16).

It is common for people to place their subwoofer(s)

inside of cabinetry. The Descent i’s unique, three-woofer

design does not compromise the ability to be successfully

installed in such a configuration. However, it is recom-

mended, as with any quality multi-driver subwoofer, that

there be a minimum of three inches of open space

between the cabinet and the front, left and right sides (see

figure 17).

Your MartinLogan dealer can suggest many options for

optimal subwoofer placement. They also have many tools

at their disposal, such as experience, familiarity with the

associated equipment, and even sound analysis equip-

ment which may make the task of determining optimal

subwoofer placement easier.

The Descent i is a very refined subwoofer and will benefit

from care in setup. With the above placement tips in mind

you will find, over months of listening, that small changes

can result in measurable differences. As you live with your

subwoofer, do not be afraid to experiment with position-

ing until you find the optimal relationship between your

room, settings, and subwoofer that gives to you the best

results. Your efforts will be rewarded.

Figure 16. Descent i Subwoofers as the LFE (effects) channels, MartinLogan

Summit speakers as front channels, MartinLogan Stage as the center chan-

nel, MartinLogan Script i as side surround (effects) channels. Note the

corner placement of the Descent i at the front of the listening room.

Figure 17. Placing the Descent in a cabinet requires a minimum of three

inches of open space on the front, left and right.

16 Placement

PLACEMENT