Vandersteen Audio VCC-5 - Manual (Page 5)

P LACEMENT
The triaxial design of the VCC-5 enables it to be
placed at any height relative to the main speakers and the
listeners without affecting its performance. If possible,
the center speaker should be located farther away from
the listeners than the main speakers. This additional dis-
tance will slightly delay the center channel sound which
often improves the spatial characteristics of the system.
D IRECT V IEW O R R EAR P ROJECTION TV S
In most systems with a direct view or rear projection
TV, the VCC-5 should be centered on the top front edge
of the TV. The center speaker will probably be some-
what higher than the main speakers which will raise the
overall image up slightly and localize the dialog and
other center channel information on the upper part of the
screen. When your TV is built into a cabinet or wall
unit, the VCC-5 should be built in directly above the
center of the TV. If your TV is tall or mounted high
enough that the center speaker is two feet or more above
the listener’s heads, some rubber or plastic feet can be
put below the rear of the speaker to tilt the front of it
slightly downward toward the listeners. In situations
where direct view TVs are mounted very high, the center
speaker may perform better placed under the TV.
F RONT P ROJECTION TV S
The large screen of most front projection TVs along
with their lack of a suitable surface to hold the center
speaker can present some special challenges to position-
ing the VCC-5. With a conventional nonperforated
screen at a normal height, the center speaker is usually
mounted on a stand just below the screen. With smaller
screens or screens that are lower than normal, the center
speaker may perform better mounted above the screen. If
the center speaker is mounted two feet or more above the
listener’s heads, it should be angled slightly downward as
described in the earlier section. With a perforated screen,
the VCC-5 should be placed behind the screen, as close to
the center as possible.
We do not recommend using double center speakers in
any installation. Two VCC-5’s will interfere with each
other and cause a loss of definition and linearity. If for
some reason you have to run two center speakers, they
should be mounted above and below the screen, not to the
sides, and they both should be the same distance from the
listeners.
M AGNETIC S HIELDING C ONSIDERATIONS
While it is impossible to totally eliminate the magnetic
field of a high-quality, large-magnet driver such as the
ones in the VCC-5, we use two stages of shielding to re-
duce it to a level where it will not present a problem in
most applications. We have used the VCC-5 on many dif-
ferent TVs and even on the most sensitive, we have always
been able to eliminate any interference with the following
methods.
The VCC-5 has a stronger magnetic field to the front
and rear than it does to the top, bottom or sides. On a sen-
sitive direct view TV, hold the speaker high above the top
of the TV as you approach it and then lower the speaker
directly down onto the top of the TV.
When the position of the VCC-5 on the TV has been
set, you should degauss the TV either by pushing its de-
gauss button or turning the TV off and on several times.
(Modern TVs automatically degauss after a set number of
power cycles.) If the center speaker is moved, the TV
should be degaussed again.
The VCC-5 contains protection circuitry that tracks voice coil temperatures and reduces
the current to one or more of the driver elements if excessive temperatures are detected.
When this happens, the sound of the speaker will change. If this occurs, immediately re-
duce the volume level to allow the speaker components to cool down. Please remember
that no protection circuitry is 100% effective and that repeated activation could cause the
circuits themselves to fail.
Vandersteen Audio 5 VCC-5 Operation Manual
With a direct view TV, when the final positioning for the VCC-5 has been set, the TV
should be degaussed. If your TV does not have a degauss bottom, turn the TV on and off
several times. Modern sets will automatically degauss within a few power cycles. If the
center speaker is moved, the TV should be degaussed again.