Behringer TRUTH B2031P - Manual (Page 6)

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TRUTH B2030P/B2031P
3. APPLICATION
3.1.1 The truth about speaker cables
Carefully approach the choice of what cables you use. Which
cables you use can have a major influence on your sound.
Cables of various lengths and diameters affect the resistance
value—causing a loss in power.
On the other hand, that doesn’t mean that you should be buying
high-end cables that cost as much as your speakers. Simply use
the following rule of thumb: Whenever possible, use cables with
large diameters (gauge) and keep the cable length to a minimum.
The screw clamps on your TRUTH can accept cable thickness
of up to 7 mm² (9 AWG).
3.1.2 Amp
The power rating of the amp you use should be roughly twice
the load capacity of your TRUTH. Consequently, the B2030P
should be operated with an amp with a load capacity of 2 x 200
Watts, and the B2031P with an amp with a load capacity of
2 x 300 Watts.
Also, you should keep in mind the impedance of your TRUTH in
order to guarantee optimal power delivery. The B2031P’s
impedance is 4 Ω, whereas the B2030P’s is 8 Ω. Use an amp
whose power rating roughly corresponds to the values
recommended in the table. The impedance should correspond to
the values listed in the table:
TRUTH Amp power rating
B2030P 200 W into 8 Ohm
B2031P 300 W into 4 Ohm
Tab. 3.1: Recommended amp power ratings
Of course, you can use amps with higher power ratings.
However, make sure not to exceed the load capacity of your
TRUTH. Damage to speaker components caused by exceeding
their load capacity is not covered by the warranty.
3.1.3 Protecting your TRUTH
To ensure that your B2030P/B2031P last for years to come,
you should definitely keep the following in mind:
s
Always turn the volume down on your amp before
switching it on or off.
s When powering your equipment up/down, the amp should
always be the last one to be powered up and the first one
to be powered down. This way, you avoid loud crackling
noise that occurs when you turn studio equipment on or
off.
s Always make sure your audio signal level is optimally set.
Avoid overdriving your amp.
s Do not push your studio monitors beyond their physical
limitations. Even though your TRUTH has sufficient power
overhead, you can still damage it if you drive it too much or
crank the volume all the way up for longer periods of time.
3.2 Speaker placement suggestions
Since the sound of a speaker depends to a great extent from
its surroundings, placing your TRUTH correctly is very important.
Please try to follow these suggestions through. Your efforts will
be rewarded with better sound and higher resolution.
Both speakers are built identically. There is no need to concern
yourself with which speaker should be placed left and which
speaker should be placed right. Place the TRUTHs on a flat and
stable surface, if possible use a dedicated speaker stand. In this
way, the speaker is acoustically decoupled and won’t induce
vibrations in nearby objects, which would affect the bass
response. If you cannot use a stand, put the TRUTHs on spikes
or damping foam material. Another aspect is the distance between
speaker and wall: keep the speaker away from the wall, as this
would emphasize the bass response, particularly in corners,
where two walls form an angle.
The BEHRINGER TRUTH B2030P/B2031P is a so-called near-
field monitor, which means that the impact of the room acoustics
on the sound will be reduced considerably owing to the short
distance between speaker and listener.
Fig. 3.2: Incorrect speaker setup
This illustration shows how you shouldn’t do it: you can clearly
see that a portion of the sound bounces back from the walls
before it reaches the listener’s ears. Thus, direct and reflected
sound waves overlap which results in a coloration of the sound.
Fig. 3.3: Correct speaker setup
This effect can be reduced by turning the speakers towards
the listener. To make reflections from ceiling or floor less likely,
the tweeters should be on the same height as your ears. Please
note that the TRUTH should be operated vertically. Where this is
impossible, place it horizontally as shown in the illustration (i.e.
woofers closer to each other), to allow for an improved stereo
image.
Fig. 3.4: TRUTH setup horizontally
Not only the physical location of speakers but also the acoustic
characteristics of the room have a substantial effect on the way
your TRUTH sounds. Make sure that the room neither sounds too
hall-like nor too dull—basically, neither like a bathroom nor totally
without an echo. You can alter the room acoustics easily by
installing or removing carpets, curtains or furniture. Fabric
covering on the wall opposite the speakers might be a good idea
if the room is too reflective. The next chapter describes how to
adapt the TRUTH to the room acoustics, once it has been set up
properly.