Introduction; Where To Locate Your Subwoofer - MK Sound V-850 Operation Manual

POWERED SUBWOOFER
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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! You have just made perhaps the most exciting and dramatic addition that you could make to your audio
or multichannel audio/video system. The new dimension of deep and powerful bass provided by your M&K Deep Bass Powered
Subwoofer will thrill and excite you.
We encourage you to read this owner's manual, as there is a great deal of information provided here to help you get the
best possible performance. This manual gives you basic hook-up instructions first, followed by more detailed technical,
installation, and service information.
If you have any questions about your subwoofer, please contact your M&K dealer, or call us directly at (818) 701-7010,
from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Or you may send an e-mail to support@mksound.com. We will be more than happy to
help you with any question. You can also access our web site at: www.mksound.com.
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WHERE TO LOCATE YOUR SUBWOOFER

M&K subwoofers perform well in most room locations. Unless your ear is a foot or two away from the subwoofer, you will
hear the deep bass coming exclusively from your satellite (or main) speakers. There is no need to place your subwoofer
in-between the satellite speakers.
The ideal place for the subwoofer is the corner with the best structural strength. If the corners are roughly equal in
construction, use the corner nearest the listening position. If the listening position is in the front half of the room, place the
subwoofer in a front corner. If the listening position is in the back of the room, place the subwoofer in a back corner.
If possible, avoid corners near doorways or openings.
Feel free to experiment with the orientation of the subwoofer cabinet. Sometimes the best sound results from aiming the
subwoofer's front driver directly into the wall (1" to 2" from the wall itself).
Another option to find the best location for the subwoofer is to place the subwoofer at the listening position and walk around
the room. Stand in and near each corner. The location where you hear the tightest bass with the most impact is probably the
best location in the room for the subwoofer.
If you are using multiple subwoofers, place them in the same location. Stacking is best, but you can also put them side by
side.
Alternately, you can put multiple subwoofers in different locations. This is appropriate when you have limited choices in
locating the subwoofer and none of the available locations work well. Try to place multiple subwoofers at equal distances from
the listening position to avoid phase cancellation.
Ultimately, the amount and quality of bass you get in your room are dependent on the room itself. Low frequency bass
sounds are affected most by the size of the room and the method of construction used to build it. All rooms are different when
it comes to reproducing bass, and in any given room, bass quantity and quality changes when the subwoofer is moved from
one location to another.
A simple rule to remember is that you get more bass when you move the subwoofer towards any wall or corner. Moving it
away from a wall or corner gives you less bass. Remember that the floor also loads the subwoofer, and that maximum bass is
found with the woofer on the floor in a corner.
In some rooms, a corner location may excite resonance modes, resulting in a muddy or boomy sound. In these rooms, a
more central location along a wall, away from the corner, may give better results. If you experiment, try to find a spot where no
bass notes seem to overpower others and the overall sound is powerful and clean. The goal is to achieve a smooth sound
quality, with the entire bass spectrum equally prominent. In most rooms, this is directly in the corner, not the center of the room.
Because the subwoofer generates a great deal of energy, its output may vibrate objects close to it. If you hear such
vibration, you may need to damp the vibration of nearby objects.
One subwoofer is sufficient in a stereo system because of the nature of human hearing. The ear-brain hearing system is
unable to locate the direction of bass sounds below approximately 100 - 150 Hz. The direction of low frequency sounds (drums,
basses, etc.) is determined by the higher frequency overtones and harmonics that are reproduced by the satellite speakers.
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