CENTER CHANNEL PLACEMENT
High quality accurate loudspeakers such as our Discovery, Kayak or Skiff that radiate sound
evenly will let you hear voices clearly and centered in your home theater system. The center
loudspeaker has to be accurate because it is reproducing all the information produced by the
other front loudspeakers in addition to dialogue. Without the center channel speaker only the
person in the "sweet spot" will hear dialogue that is centered. For other listeners the dialogue
will drift towards the speaker they are sitting closest to. Your center channel loudspeaker
should be "timbre-matched," with the left and right front speakers.
The best placement for the center channel is directly on top, or directly below the TV,
recessed enough to make the center channel and the front loudspeakers equidistant from
someone sitting directly in front of the TV. The center channel loudspeaker should be tilted, if
necessary, so that its top and bottom edges are the same distance from the listener.
Preferred Center Channel Placement
common alternative placement is to align the front of the loudspeaker with the TV. While
this placement is not optimal, it is visually more harmonious with the TV.
Alternative Center Channel Placement
For flattest frequency response, position the loudspeakers to ensure the tweeters are
close to the height of the ears of the seated listener as possible (if necessary use
loudspeaker stands to achieve the desired height). height of roughly 35 inches from
the floor to the tweeter will generally match the height of the ear of a person of average
height who is seated on a couch. Place the loudspeakers six to eight feet apart and
eighteen inches or more from the rear wall. For greater bass response place the
loudspeakers closer to the rear wall. If you cannot realize this basic placement, moving
the loudspeakers even six to twelve inches from the rear wall will significantly improve
the depth of the stereophonic soundstage. Consult the section on " lternative Stereo
Placement" for techniques to improve on this basic placement.
No two listening rooms are the same. Therefore you are encouraged to spend some
time experimenting with which placements work best in your listening room. Trust your
ears and be willing to experiment freely. Start with our basic recommendations.
What About Placement on Bookshelves and in Wall Cabinets?
Placement on bookshelves and in wall cabinets will generally reduce the soundstaging
and imaging performance of loudspeakers, while it can often provide a richer, more full-
bodied sound. Because our minimonitors and bookshelf loudspeakers are acoustic
suspension designs they are the most well suited loudspeakers for placement on
bookshelves and in wall cabinets. Because of their acoustic suspension design, our
small loudspeakers are widely used in custom installations, where the loudspeakers
are often fitted into custom wall units, with excellent results.
Remember, for any placement, try to maximize the performance of the loudspeakers.
Moving them just a few inches and changing the angle of the loudspeaker can provide
noticeable improvements in performance.
SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT
Placing a subwoofer near to walls or in corners will generally reinforce bass response.
lthough, in some cases the resulting bass response can be unpleasant. For the most
audiophile response, locate the subwoofer on the same plane between, and slightly
ahead of, the front satellite or main speakers. For convenience, the subwoofer may be
located away from the main or satellite speakers. For greatest bass reinforcement,
locate the subwoofer near to a wall or corner. Once placement is determined, if the
subwoofer has a phase switch, engage the phase switch to find the setting that
provides the loudest output and coherence with the satellites. In the correct setting the
speaker system will sound louder and produce more bass. djust the crossover switch
to get the best acoustical match with the satellite speakers. For more extensive
information on setting up subwoofers, refer to the users manual that is shipped with
your subwoofer.
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