NHT SB 1 user manual Background, Placement Tips

Thank you for your purchase of the NHT SB1 Super Bookshelf loudspeaker.

Like all NHT loudspeakers, the SB1's development has been guided by the study of human hearing, its design rigorously tested, and its components optimized to deliver clean, clear musical sound.

Since the quality of your speakers is one of the most important factors in maximizing the sound you'll get from your music and home theater system, we're sure that you'll find your purchase of the SB1 a good investment, and invite your comments.

If you find your experience with SB1 speakers as satisfying as we believe you will, and wish to expand into a larger surround system, you'll find specifications for their sonically matched companions, the SC1 center channel and SW10 subwoofer, on the back of this manual.

Background

The Model SB1, a new generation of speaker based on NHT's critically acclaimed SuperZero, offers not only the detailed midrange clarity for which its predecessor was known, but incorporates significant performance improvements, as well. Its acoustic suspension design offers deeper bass response, which is better suited to digital surround audio, and its proprietary neodymium magnet tweeter can be placed far closer to the woofer, improving sonic coherence and overall frequency response. Attached to the rear of the tweeter is a massive heat sink, which both improves power handling and strengthens the cabinet to minimize resonance. The result of these design enhancements is a compact system that reproduces recorded music with superb frequency response and remarkable accuracy.

Please take a few minutes to read through this owner's manual before setting up your speakers; this information will help you get the most out of them. Also, please keep the SB1's packaging to use in case you move or transport them.

If you have questions at any time during setup or use, feel free to call your NHT dealer or our Toll-Free Customer Hotline at 1-800-NHT-9993.

Placement

The SB1's compact size of allows them to be used in virtually any (indoor only) placement: on shelves, on cabinets, on speaker stands, or mounted on walls (see Placement Accessories).

Please remember that small changes in speaker position can have a significant effect on sound: moving speakers nearer to walls or corners will increase bass output, but also may add "boom." Placing them farther away tends to decrease bass output, but can improve imaging.

Room furnishings also play an important role. Soft furnishings (sofas, carpets and curtains) absorb midrange and high frequencies, potentially dulling the sound, while hard surfaces and emptier rooms brighten it.

Experimenting with the effects of different placements in your own listening/viewing room is the key to finding the sound you like best.

Placement Tips

Ideally, you'll usually get the best sound when your speakers are:

•1.5 times as far away from you as from each other

•L and R speakers are equidistant from the listener

•both at the same height (tweeters close to ear level)

Note: the SB1 is not designed to be oriented on it’s side.

Once you've placed them, finish by moving them around so that they're:

•Near the front edge of shelves and cabinets

•Greater than 1 foot from back walls, 2½ feet from side walls, if on stands

•Pointing inward a bit toward your ears

Taking these steps -- all shown in Figure 1 -- will give you the smoothest response, and put you right in the center of the stereo image at its most well-defined point.

Fig. 1

For five-channel music and home theater systems, use the same basic setup -- all shown in Figure 2 -- and when possible, set up the system so that:

•The center speaker is right above or below the TV

•The rear speakers are in an equilateral triangle with the listening position, the speakers at least 5 feet apart

•The rear speakers are at the same height or slightly higher than the fronts