AUDIO SETUP
The <Audio setup> menu enables you to modify tone-control settings and other listening options. Modifications you make on this menu will remain in affect until changed again, or until a Preset containing different settings is recalled (see below). This menu also serves to calibrate the S170's Bass limiter, a function that will generally be a one-time setup task.
BASS/TREBLE
From the <Audio setup> menu, select the <Bass> or <Treble> item using the remote's [Cursor up/down], keys. Using the [Cursor <>] keys, you may increase or decrease Bass or Treble settings by ±12 dB by 1 dB steps.
•Bass/treble settings affect only the front channels (left, center, and right), and are active in all listening modes.
•It is often better to "cut" (a minus setting) than boost (a plus setting); for a "warmer" overall sound try reducing Treble by a few dB instead of boosting Bass, and vice versa.
•If you frequently find yourself selecting large tone control settings, you may be better served by reexamining your choice of loudspeakers, and your loudspeaker and listening-position locations to better exploit your room's acoustics.
LFE CHANNEL
The Low-Frequency Effects channel—the "point-one" channel in "5.1/6.1/7.1"—is active only with Dolby Digital or DTS multichannel sources. LFE is employed most often as a supplementary channel to enhance the dynamic range of very low-frequency sounds; it should not be confused with the S170's Subwoofer output-channel, which may carry most or all bass information from some or all channels, depending on the configuration of the <Speaker setup> menu page.
From the <Audio setup> menu, select the <LFE channel> item using the remote's [Cursor up/down], keys. Using the [Cursor <>] keys, you may decrease the LFE channel setting by as much as 10 dB in 1 dB decrements.
•In most systems the LFE channel setting may be left at 0 dB (no change), because the S170's Bass Limiter (see below) will be set to prevent subwoofer overload. However, if your subwoofer's headroom is known to be limited, or if the low-frequency effects of film soundtracks generally seem excessive in your system, you might profitably try decreasing the <LFE channel> setting by a modest degree.
THX DEFAULT
From the <Audio setup> menu, select the <Default THX mode> item using the remote's [Cursor up/down], keys. Using the [Cursor <>], you may set the THX default to "EX on" or "EX off." With <Default THX mode> set to "EX on," the S170 delivers 6.1/7.1-channel Surround EX processing whenever the THX mode is engaged and a Dolby Surround EX program source is detected; with sources that are not Dolby Surround EX programs , the S170 derives a center-back channel to preserve 6.1/7.1-channel reproduction.
NOTE
THX Surround EX creates a sixth, "center-back" channel intended for reproduction by one or more loudspeakers located behind the listening area. With recordings bearing the Dolby Surround EX mark, this delivers a specifically engineered center-back channel that is encoded into the left/right surround channels much as the center channel was encoded into the left/right front channels in matrix-encoded Dolby Surround mixes.
BASS LIMITER
The S170 incorporates a Bass Limiter that you can set to eliminate any chance of your subwoofer producing audible distortion. You will do this by auditioning a built-in test-noise signal the S170 sends to your subwoofer, and increasing the Bass Limiter's "headroom" setting to the point of audible distortion. The Bass Limiter now prevents any program-material signals exceeding this level from being sent to the subwoofer.
