Speaker Placement - Emotiva AIRMOTIV User Manual

Speaker Placement

Speaker placement is often a compromise between optimum performance, personal preference,
and site requirements. The optimum location for stereo speakers will depend on the speakers
and the acoustics of your listening room. Many surround sound standards have specific
recommendations about the optimum position for each speaker, and the different surround
sound systems recommend slightly different locations. The important thing to remember is that
each room is different, and so these recommendations should be considered to be guidelines
rather than rules; you should always position your speakers where they sound the best to you, in
your room, with your other equipment.
(In this section we're going to offer some recommendations you may try. However, we strongly
recommend that you experiment, try several different locations, and pick the one that works best
in your system.)
The Airmotiv T1 towers are intended to stand directly on the floor (with the carpet spikes or
rubber feet), and should not be placed on top of other objects, stands, or furniture. The
Airmotiv B1 bookshelf monitors are intended to be positioned on speaker stands, tables, or
shelves.
Guidelines for stereo speaker placement:
• For good imaging, always try to place speaker pairs in symmetrical locations (equidistant from
side and back walls).
• Facing the speakers directly forward will tend to produce a wide sound stage; adding toe-
in (so that the speakers directly face the listening position) will make the sound stage more
focused.
• Moving the speakers further apart will make the sound stage wider, but may cause a gap in
the center of the sound stage.
• Placing the speakers at least a few feet from front and side walls will usually improve imaging
and smooth frequency response.
• Placing speakers close to room corners will usually boost bass, but often at the cost of making
the bass more boomy and less smooth.
• If possible, try to make the room acoustically symmetrical from side to side; doing so will
usually significantly improve imaging. (If you have something reflective, like a large window,
on one side, have a large picture or bare wall on the other. If you have a large absorptive
couch on one side wall, balance it with a tapestry on the opposite wall.)
• If possible, stereo speakers should be placed symmetrically, and the listening position located
equidistant from both speakers.
AIRMOTIV SPEAKERS
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