Rotel RSP-985 owner manual Speaker Setup Menu

Speaker Setup Menu

SPEAKER SETUP

Main	:
Center	:
Surrounds	:
Subwoofer	:

VOL buttons to set

DOWN/UP to move

BACK to return

This menu, which is reached from the MAIN menu, allows you to configure the RSP-985 to make optimum use of the capabilities of the speakers in your system. Using these settings, the RSP-985 adjusts its crossovers and digital processing to direct signals to the appropriate speakers.

Home theater speaker systems vary considerably in their size and performance, particularly in their bass output. For this reason, today’s surround sound processors feature elaborate logic which can send bass information from movie soundtracks to the speaker(s) best able to handle it – subwoofers and/or LARGE speakers. For optimum performance, it is necessary to tell the RSP-985 the number and type of speakers in your system.

The following configuration instructions refer to LARGE and SMALL speakers. The size refers more to the bass performance of the speaker than its physical size. A full-range speaker that has extended bass response is considered LARGE. A compact minispeaker with limited bass response or power handling is con- sidered SMALL.

While understanding the terms LARGE and SMALL is useful, it is probably more important to understand what these different speaker types mean in terms of system performance. This will help determine how you should configure your system. As a gen- eral rule, the system will redirect bass information away from SMALL speakers and send it to the LARGE speakers and/or the SUBWOOFER in your system.

Things become a little more complex in systems with a subwoofer.

For example, the system will generally not redirect bass informa-

tion away from a LARGE speaker to the subwoofer. Thus, the de- cision you often need to make when faced with a choice of LARGE or SMALL is whether you want the particular speaker to play the deep bass or whether you would prefer that the deep bass be sent to the subwoofer. If you have invested in a subwoofer for your system, you might decide to send all of the bass to it, regardless of how capable the other speakers in the system may be. In this case, you would tell the RSP-985 that all of your speakers are SMALL, without regard to how big they may actually be.

An alternative configuration for setting up front SMALL speakers with a subwoofer would be to follow the speaker manufacturer’s instructions, wiring the SMALL speakers to the subwoofer’s

RSP-985

crossover and then connecting the subwoofer directly to the front speaker connection terminals. In this arrangement, the speakers would be classified as LARGE and the subwoofer setting would be OFF for all surround modes. No information will be lost during playback because the system knows to redirect the bass informa- tion to the front LARGE speakers. This configuration may be opti- mal for many users as it can improve the way the bass integrates into the listening room and ensure correct satellite speaker op- eration by using the speaker manufacturer’s own crossovers.

To configure your system, highlight each of the following menu lines and use the VOLUME DOWN/UP buttons to make the setting that best matches your speakers.

MAIN (Small/Large): This menu setting tells the RSP-985 what kind of main front left and right speakers you are using. Use the LARGE setting if your main left and right speakers are full range designs with good bass response capability. If you are using sat- ellite mini-speakers or if you have THX certified front speakers, choose the SMALL setting to redirect LFE bass frequencies to the subwoofer. Highlight this menu line and use the VOLUME DOWN/ UP buttons to make the appropriate setting. If you have THX certi- fied front speakers, choose the SMALL setting.

CENTER (small/large/none): Surround sound derives much of its spatial accuracy from a center channel speaker located very close to a TV. This center channel speaker anchors dialog infor- mation to your screen for greater coherence between the appar- ent point of origin for picture and sound.

Use the LARGE position if your system’s center channel speaker is capable of full-range, extended bass response. In

this position, bass frequencies are handled by the center channel speaker itself.

Use the SMALL position if your center channel speaker has more limited low frequency capability or if you have a THX certified center channel speaker. Low frequencies below 80 Hz are redirected to the front left and front right speakers (or to a subwoofer) so they will not overload the center channel speaker. When no subwoofer is used, all bass frequencies below 80 Hz are sent to the front left and right speakers. When a subwoofer is used, bass below 80 Hz is automatically sent to the subwoofer.

Select the NONE setting if your system does not have a cen-

ter channel speaker. The RSP-985 turns the center channel output off and divides the center channel signal equally be- tween left and right front speakers.

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