Spendor THEATRE AC1 User manual

Advanced Set-up Guide
SPENDOR THEATRE

2ADVANCED SET-UP GUIDE
AW1AC2AC1
DC1 DS1

Thank you for purchasing Spendor Theatre products.
When properly installed, these loudspeakers will bring
out the best in all your entertainment; delivering film
soundtracks as their creators intended them to sound
and reproducing music with outstanding clarity
and realism.
This guide is for the Spendor AC1, AC2, DC1 centre
channel products and the AW1 & DS1 wall mount
products. To get the most out of your new
loudspeakers, please read this guide thoroughly
before you begin installation.
To attain the best performance, Spendor recommends
that these products be installed by a Spendor
Authorised Retailer/Installer.
INTRO

4ADVANCED SET-UP GUIDE
LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT FOR DS1
IN STEREO (2.0)OR STEREO & SUBWOOFER (2.1)
LEFT AND RIGHT CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKERS
Place the left & right channel loudspeakers on the
listening wall, anywhere from 1.8m to 3m (5’10”- 9’10”)
apart and 0.8m (2’6”) to 1.2m (3’9”) from the floor,
measured from the bottom of the cabinet. This roughly
corresponds to the height of your ears when you’re
seated on a sofa or chair, to be level with the HF unit.
If possible, locate the speakers at least 0.5m (1’7”)
away from the side walls.
The main seated listening position should be between
2m (6’6”) and 3m (9’10”) away from the loudspeakers.
For optimum playback in a dedicated stereo set up,
mount the DS1 on the wall so the LPZ HF Unit is level
with your ears when you are seated.
.8m - 3m
(5’0”- 9’0”)
Apart
0.8-.2m
(2’6”- 3’9”)
From the ground
0.8-.2m
(2’6”- 3’9”)
From the ground
0.5m
(’7”)
From
side
wall
0.5m
(’7”)
From
side
wall
SUGGESTED LEFT & RIGHT LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT

2m - 3m
(6’6”- 9’0”)
0.8-.2m
(2’6”- 3’9”)
From the ground
IDEALLY, THE HF UNIT SHOULD BE LEVEL WITH YOUR EARS IN THE SEATED POSITION

6ADVANCED SET-UP GUIDE
LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT FOR 5.1SYSTEMS
LEFT AND RIGHT CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKERS
Place the left & right channel loudspeakers on either side
of the video screen, anywhere from 1.8m to 3m (5’10”-
9’10”) apart and 1.5m (4’11”) from the floor (which
roughly corresponds to the height of your ears when
you’re seated on a sofa or chair).
If possible, locate the loudspeakers at least 0.5m (1’7”)
away from the side walls.
The main seated listening position should be between
2m (6’6”) and 3m (9’10”) away from the loudspeakers.
CENTRE CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKER
If possible, locate the centre loudspeaker at the same height
as the left & right loudspeakers (1.5m/4’11”) from the floor.
If you must place the centre loudspeaker above or below
a video screen, we recommend placing it no more than
0.5m (1’7”) above or below the centre of the left and right
loudspeakers.
Keeping the loudspeakers within this window will maintain
consistent tonality between all 3 front loudspeakers.
.8m - 3m
(5’0”- 9’0”)
Apart
.5m
(4’”)
From the
ground
.5m
(4’”)
From the
ground
0.5m
(’7”)
From
side
wall
0.5m
(’7”)
From
side
wall
SUGGESTED LEFT, CENTRE & RIGHT FRONT LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT

LEFT & RIGHT SURROUND CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKERS
The left & right channel surround loudspeakers should
be placed on the walls directly to the sides of the listening
position, between 1.5m (4’11”) and 2.1m (6’10”) off the
floor and 0.6m – 1.8m (1’1”-5’10”) behind the
listening position.
If placing the loudspeakers on the walls directly to the sides
of the listening position isn’t possible, you can mount them
on the rear wall. Locate the loudspeakers directly to the left
and right sides of the listening position, between 1.8m
(5’10”) and 3m (9’10”) apart and 3m apart.
.5m - 2.m
(4’”-6’0”)
0.6m - .8m
(’”- 5’0”)
SUGGESTED SURROUND LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT

8ADVANCED SET-UP GUIDE
LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT FOR 6.1& 7.1SYSTEM
The surround back loudspeakers in a 6.1 or 7.1 channel
system should be placed on the rear wall of the listening
room at the same height as the left and right surround
loudspeakers. Place the loudspeakers from 1.3m (4’3”) to
2.7m (8’10”) apart.
N.B. You can use any Spendor A-Line, D-Line and Classic
models in your Theatre system, for front left and right
channel duties or rear surround duties. To achieve the best
performance or to talk about adding subwoofers, Spendor
recommends you consult with your Spendor Authorised
Retailer/Installer for more detailed advice.
RIGHT SURROUND
LEFT SURROUND
LEFT
SURROUND
BACK
LEFT
FRONT
CENTRE
RIGHT
SURROUND
BACK
RIGHT
FRONT
SUGGESTED 7.1 CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT
.3m - 2.7m
(4’3”-8’10”)
Apart

LOUDSPEAKER CONFIGURATION
Front: Set the front loudspeaker size.
Large: Use the large loudspeaker setting that can reproduce
very low bass frequencies.
Small: Use the small loudspeaker setting that has insufficient
playback capacity for very low bass frequencies.
Centre: Set the presence and size of the centre loudspeaker.
Large: Use the large loudspeaker setting that can reproduce
very low bass frequencies.
Small: Use the small loudspeaker setting that has insufficient
playback capacity for very low bass frequencies.
None: Select when a centre loudspeaker is not connected.
Subwoofer: Set the presence of a subwoofer.
Yes: Use a subwoofer.
No: Select when a subwoofer is not connected
BAND FREQUENCY
Sub bass 20-60 Hz
Bass 60-250 Hz
Low Midrange 250-500 Hz
Midrange 500-2,000 Hz
Upper Midrange 2,000-4,000 Hz
Presence 4,000-6,000 Hz
Brilliance 6,000-20,000 Hz
N.B. Subwoofers are specially designed to produce the lower
frequencies, including the lower register of the bass and the
entirety of the sub-bass band frequency.
If you know your loudspeaker’s frequency range, set the
crossover point roughly 10 Hz above the lowest frequency
your loudspeakers can handle cleanly.
The most common crossover frequency recommended as a
good starting point (and the THX standard) is 80 Hz.
Surround: Set the presence and size of the
surround loudspeakers.
Large: Use a large loudspeaker that can reproduce very low
bass frequencies.
Small: Use a small loudspeaker that has insufficient playback
capacity for very low bass frequencies.
None: Select when the surround loudspeakers are
not connected.
Surround. Back: Set the presence, size and number of
surround back loudspeakers.
Large: Use a large loudspeaker that can reproduce very low
bass frequencies.
Small: Use a small loudspeaker that has insufficient playback
capacity for very low bass frequencies.
None: Select when the surround back loudspeakers are
not connected.
N.B. For all other AV amplifier/receiver settings, please refer
to the owners manual for that product or for more detailed
advice, Spendor recommends you consult with your Spendor
Authorised Retailer/Installer.
AV AMPLIFIER/RECEIVER SETTINGS
If you are using the Manual Setup Mode in your AV amplifier; select whether loudspeakers are present,
their reproduction capacity for low bass frequencies and the loudspeaker size.

0 ADVANCED SET-UP GUIDE
RUNNING-IN
Your Spendor loudspeakers will benefit from a period of
‘running-in’. During this period, the stresses in the suspension
system will relax and stabilise. This period is dependent on
many factors and can vary from days to weeks depending on
how often and how loud you play your loudspeakers. This is
not a cause for concern; your loudspeakers will improve as
you use them during this initial period.
It is extremely important for the loudspeakers to be properly
‘run in’ before you try and optimise the position, so don’t
subject them to an extended testing session as soon as
you’ve unboxed and connected them to the rest of your
system.
It is unlikely you will want to do this at any extreme volume
but be careful not to push them too hard straight away. Let
them ease in and don’t ask too much of them. Check the
power handling advice for your product.
CONNECTIONS
Set your amplifier to minimum volume and switch off
the power. The amplifier output marked RIGHT should
be connected to the loudspeaker on the right, and the
amplifier output marked LEFT should be connected to the
loudspeaker on the left. These instructions should be read
in conjunction with your amplifier owner’s manual. Connect
a twin conductor cable to the terminals on the rear of the
loudspeaker.
Please refer to the instructions supplied with the DS1 for the
correct way to wire the Neutrik speakON plug.
The positive (+ or red) terminal on your loudspeaker
must be connected to the positive (+ or red) terminal on
your amplifier. The negative (- or black) terminal on the
loudspeaker must be connected to the negative (- or black)
terminal on your amplifier.
Check the connections periodically to make sure they are
secure. Some Spendor loudspeakers can be bi-wired or
tri-wired.
Loudspeaker cables can have a noticeable effect on sound
quality. Choose a good quality cable with high purity
conductors and low-loss insulation. Ask your dealer for
advice on cables and connection options to suit your system.
AMPLIFIER

SPENDORAUDIO.COM
MAY 2023