Pioneer SC-LX85 - Manual (Page 105)

En 105
14 Additional information
Speaker Setting Guide
In order to achieve an even better surround
effect, it is important to accurately position
the speakers and make their volume and tone
characteristics uniform so as to finely focus the
multi-channel sound.
The three major elements in positioning the
speakers are distance, angle and orienta-
tion (the direction in which the speakers are
pointing).
Distance: The distance of all the speakers
should be equal.
Angle: The speakers should be horizontally
symmetrical.
Orientation: The orientation should be horizon-
tally symmetrical.
In most homes, however, it is not possible to
achieve this environment. For the distance, on
this receiver it is possible to automatically cor-
rect the speaker distance electrically to a preci-
sion of 1 cm using the Full Auto MCACC Setup
function (page 34).
For the volume and sound quality as well, accu-
rate sound field correction using the equalizer
and speaker phase characteristic correction
using the Full Band Phase Control function
(page 48) together make it possible to achieve
the ideal listening environment.
Step 1: Speaker layout and
distance adjustment
Use speaker stands or the like to make sure
the speakers are steady, and leave at least 10
cm from the surrounding walls. Position the
speakers attentively so that the speakers on the
left and right are at equal angles from the listen-
ing position (center of the adjustments). (We
recommend using cords, etc., when adjusting
the layout.) Ideally all the speakers should be
equidistant from the listening position.
Note
! If the speakers cannot be set at equal
distances (on a circle), use the Auto MCACC
Setup speaker distance correction and Fine
Speaker Distance (or Precision Distance – SC-
LX85 only) functions to make them equalize
the distance artificially.
Step 2: Adjusting the speaker
height
Adjust the heights (angles) of the different
speakers.
Adjust so that the front speaker units reproduc-
ing mid- and high frequencies is roughly at the
height of the ears.
If the center speaker cannot be set at the same
height as the front speakers, adjust its angle of
elevation to point it to the listening position.
Set surround speaker 1 so that it is not under
the height of the ears.
Step 3: Adjusting the speaker
orientation
If the left and right speakers are not pointing
in the same direction, the tone will not be the
same on the right and left, and as a result the
sound field will not be reproduced properly.
However, if all the speakers are pointed towards
the listening position, the sound field will seem
cramped. Testing by the Pioneer Multi-channel
Research Group has shown that a good sense
of sound positioning can be achieved by point-
ing all the speakers towards an area 30 cm to 80
cm behind the listening position (between the
surround speakers and the listening position).
However, the sense of sound positioning can
differ according to the conditions in the room
and the speakers being used. In smaller envi-
ronments in particular (when the front speakers
are close to the listening position), with this
method the speakers will be pointed too inward.
We suggest you use this example of installation
as reference when trying out different installa-
tion methods.
Step 4: Positioning and adjusting
the subwoofer
Placing the subwoofer between the center
and front speakers makes even music sources
sound more natural (if there is only one sub-
woofer, it doesn’t matter if it is placed on the left
or right side). The low bass sound output from
the subwoofer is not directional and there is no
need to adjust the height. Normally the sub-
woofer is placed on the floor. Put it in a position
at which it will not cancel out the bass sound
output from the other speakers. Also note that
placing it near a wall may result in sympathetic
vibrations with the building that could exces-
sively amplify the bass sound.
If the subwoofer must be installed near a wall,
place it at an angle so that it is not parallel to
the wall surface. This can help reduce any sym-
pathetic vibrations, but depending on the shape
of the room this could result in standing waves.
However, even if standing waves are generated,
their influence on the sound quality can be
prevented using the Auto MCACC’s standing
wave control function (page 83).
Step 5: Default settings with the
Auto MCACC Setup (auto sound
field correction) function
It is more effective to perform the Full Auto
MCACC Setup (page 34) and Precision
Distance (SC-LX85 only) (page 84) procedure
once the adjustments described above have
been completed.
Note
! The distance to the subwoofer may be slightly
larger than the distance actually measured
with a tape measure, etc. This is because this
distance is corrected for electric delay, and is
not a problem.
Positional relationship between
speakers and monitor
Position of front speakers and
monitor
The front speakers should be as equidistant as
possible to the monitor.
L R
45° to 60°
Position of center speaker and
monitor
Since mostly dialogs are output from the center
speaker, keeping the center speaker as close
as possible to the screen makes the overall
sound more natural. For TVs using Braun tubes,
however, when installing the center speaker on
the floor, adjust its angle of elevation to point it
towards the listening position.
Installation on floor (Diagram as seen
from the side)
Monitor