Sherbourn Technologies PT-7010A - Manual (Page 47)

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dipole speakers, intended for use as an effects or surround
speaker, have excellent details on optimum positioning
for the best overall results based on the application.
Conventional surround speakers can be placed behind the
listener, on the rear walls or the side walls or in the ceiling.
Adjust the angle so they do not point directly at the listener
but cause reflections from the sidewalls, floor, or the
ceiling. Avoiding direct aim at the listening positions will
give the effect of broadening the rear soundstage so that
you cannot distinguish the sound as coming from a small
box on the wall but from a larger area behind you.
Surround Back Speakers
The PT-7010A has two extra outputs for surround back
speakers. These create a wonderful sense of realism in
surround effects during playback of Dolby Digital EX,
Dolby Pro Logic 11x, and DTS ES.
The PT-7010A can be configured for one or two surround
back speakers. Ideally, all the surround speakers should
be of the same make and model, and fitted at similar heights
to produce a smooth continuous sound field. If you are
connecting one surround back speaker, connect its
amplifier input to the PT-7010A LEFT CHANNEL
SURROUND BACK output. Place the speaker behind
your listening position.
Subwoofer Location
The PT-7010A has identical output connections for up to
three subwoofers, in addition to a fourth, balanced sub
output.
A subwoofer typically sounds best in a corner with at least
5 feet of wall to either side. Due to the short wave-lengths
of high-frequency sounds, they don’t interact strongly with
the size and shape of a room. Lower frequencies long
wavelengths can cause “Standing wave” problems. Placing
the subwoofer in a corner usually creates the best possible
situation for the sound to interact with the room, allowing
even distribution of the bass frequencies. Often the corner
that offers nearby placement to the front speakers may
yield the best results, but you should try several locations
before settling on just one.
The best location for a single subwoofer can be found by
playing a couple of different low frequency test tones
(or
some music with heavy sustained bass passages) and
proceeding with the following easy
1 -2-3 process:
1. Place the subwoofer right on the seat of your couch or
listening chair.
2. You can then either run the calibration (noise) signal
through it, or simply plug the analog outputs of a CD player
directly into your subwoofer’s low-level inputs. Turn down
the subwoofer’s volume level before turning on the CD,
then play the test tones or some music with heavy sustained
bass passages.
3. Walk around the room, standing in all the positions
where you might be able to place the subwoofer. Again,
this is usually near the corners of the room. Try locations
fairly close to the front speakers.
Notice where in the room the bass output from the
subwoofer sounds the loudest. Shut things down and install
the subwoofer there. This is the best position for the
subwoofer. The bass will sound the best when you are
sitting in your normal listening position.
If your subwoofer seems to sound best when it is near the
front speakers (often the case), keep in mind that most
television sets may not react well to the subwoofer if it is
not built specifically for use in a home theater application.
While most front Left/Center/Right speakers do have
shielding when intended for use in a home theater
application, subwoofers are not always magnetically
shielded and may damage the television if placed too close.
If you want to check if this will be a problem, select an
unused video input on the television to bring up a single
color screen. If you see any color distortion anywhere on
the screen, an unshielded speaker is too close to the screen
and should be moved away from the television until the
color distortion disappears.
Note - most powered home subwoofers feature a phase
control with a range between 0-180 degrees. This is present
so that in situations where the optimum location is not
particularly desirable, you can locate the subwoofer
elsewhere nearby and make a slight adjustment to the
phase so that is sound arrives to the listener at the same
time as the other speakers. Ideally, sound arriving at the
same time is what allows the subwoofer to create the
illusion of the main speakers making the bass. This is what
enhances the listening experience.