Datasheet

SECRET NO. 4: Place Front Speakers on an Arc, Not a Line

A common mistake made in home theater setups is to place the three front speakers on the same vertical plane

with a large format television. The result: the center speaker is closer to the listener area than the left and right

speakers, which results in time-misalignment. Although this can be corrected with the distance control in many

AV receivers, the best solution is to physically place the speakers equidistant to the listener. For more information,

please read speaker placement guidelines.

SECRET NO. 5: The Right Speaker Cable Lengths Provide Optimum Performance

Ideally, the speaker cable you use to hook-up all your speakers should to be cut to the same equal length to ensure

correct time-alignment and optimum performance. To determine length, choose the speaker furthest from the

amplifier/AV receiver, run the cable from the amp/receiver to the speaker, measure and cut. Then, cut equal lengths

of cable for the remaining speakers.

If that is not practical for you, at the very least, make sure that the speaker cable length for the front three speakers

is the same. Cable length for the rear channels should also match each other.

SECRET NO. 6: Why “LFE” and “Subwoofer” are Not Synonymous

Movies – A true LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel on a DVD does not perform the same function

as a traditional subwoofer. The LFE channel only outputs specific low frequency information from

the .1 channel as indicated by the movie director for maximum artistic effect—adding impact to

sound effects such as crashes and explosions.

Not every low frequency sound is directed to the LFE channel.

Because subwoofers output all low frequency audio information, having a subwoofer connected

only

to the LFE channel shortchanges your audience. Some directors may require a lot of low frequency

information be sent to the LFE channel, but others do not.

Music – Subwoofers enhance the lowest octave of the music performed—the frequencies that cannot

be reproduced by a full-range speaker. In a music system, this is typically not a dedicated LFE channel.

Subwoofers are necessary to reproduce all low frequencies below the chosen crossover frequency.

The LFE channel is active only when the recording producer directs information to it. (Example: a kick drum

or bass guitar.) Many of the first multi-channel recordings commercially available were produced with no

LFE information. In fact, in the early days of SACD and DVD-Audio engineers rarely used the .1 channel.

However, music enthusiasts would assume their subwoofers were malfunctioning, when in fact the

subwoofer was connected only to the LFE. Today, engineers go out of their way to output information

to the LFE channel.

SECRET NO. 7: Why You Should Use Four Subwoofers for Maximum Performance

It’s often assumed that one subwoofer, tucked discretely in a corner, is sufficient for a typical home theater system.

Unfortunately, the bass sound is unbalanced, and the subwoofer has to work very hard to push sufficient amount

of air to create the desired effect.

Also, a single subwoofer system with the subwoofer tucked in the corner depends a lot on the power of sound

waves reflected off the walls. When a significant portion of bass sound waves are reflected, indistinct,

muddy bass is the result.

Many listeners may perceive some directionality in a single subwoofer system—no matter how powerful.

TEN MONSTER HOME THEATER “SECRETS”