reinforces the direct sound, putting less of

ademand on the power amplifier to reach higher sound pressure levels.

It is important that the corner has good structural strength, or the low-frequency energy can cause rattling and other distracting vibrations.

Experiment with the orientation of the subwoofer. The driver in the SW•10 faces out the front. It may be helpful to play steady- state tones or pink noise while a partner moves the subwoofer (perhaps on a small wheeled cart), to make it easier to hear the differences in the sound as the changes in placement and orientation are made.

Principle of Reciprocity

One trick that has been used successfully to find the best location for a subwoofer

is placing the subwoofer in your listening position. The principle of reciprocity says that you can find the best location for the subwoofer by switching places between the listening position and the subwoofer position. It is important that the cabinet be raised off the ground and at the same level as your ears. If that’s not possible, at least put the subwoofer in the same location as your listening position to achieve a close approximation.

Play music with a good strong bass line and crawl on the floor on your hands and knees until you find a spot where the bass sounds the best, with a smooth, tight response. Your ears need to be at the same height that the subwoofer’s driver will be when it is sitting on the floor. If you have access to a real-time analyzer (RTA), play pink noise over the system and use the RTA to find a location that exhibits the flatest bass response. Once you’ve found the place where the bass sounds the best, put the subwoofer there and it should sound just as good from your listening position.

Polarity

The setting of the polarity switch can affect how the low frequencies sound in relation to the main speakers. Listen to bass- heavy music with the polarity switch in and out. In one position the low frequencies should sound full, while in the other position they may sound hollow and thin. Choose the position that yields the fullest low- frequency sound.

Feel free to experiment

In many respects, every room is unique in terms of its acoustics. Even after you’ve placed your subwoofer where you think it will sound best, try moving it around. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Additional Tidbits of Wisdom:

•Avoid using EQ to compensate for dips in the frequency response caused by room modes. It is better to place the subwoofer in a position where dips are minimized and use the EQ to smooth out any peaks.

•Provide at least six inches clearance around the heatsink to allow air to get at it.

•Never listen to loud music for prolonged periods. Please see the Safety Instructions on page 2 for information on hearing protection.

•When you shut down your equipment, turn off the SW•10 active studio subwoofer first (and any other powered speakers in the system) to prevent thumps and other noises generated by any upstream equipment from coming out the speakers. When powering up, turn on the powered speakers and subwoofer last.

•Save the shipping boxes and packing materials! You may need them someday. Besides, your cat will love playing in them and jumping out at you unexpectedly. Remember to pretend like you are surprised!

•Save your sales receipt in a safe place.

•Also record the SW•10 serial number in the space provided on the inside front cover, along with where and when you bought it.

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