Placement - Cambridge SoundWorks Powered Subwoofer Instructions Manual

Placement

Before connecting your Powered
Subwoofer, place it in your listening
room using the guidelines that
follow. Then make the connections.
Once your sound system is
operating with the Powered
Subwoofer, listen and experiment
further with placement before
making the installation permanent.
1. The ear cannot localize the very
low bass sounds reproduced by
the Powered Subwoofer. This is
why it is possible to use a single
powered subwoofer to reproduce
all the 25 to 40 Hz bass a sound
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Powered Subwoofer
A. LEAST BASS
Surround Surround
FIGURE 4: HOW ROOM PLACEMENT AFFECTS BASS RESPONSE
system requires. It is also the rea-
son why the subwoofer need not be
located particularly close to other
speakers or aimed directly at the
listeners. The Powered Subwoofer
should be positioned vertically
(stick-on feet are provided for
attachment once you have decided
on its final orientation). It can sit in
a variety of positions within the
listening room, although we don't
recommend placing it behind listen-
ers. Also, do not place the Powered
Subwoofer underneath furniture.
Make sure there is a clear air space
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Powered Subwoofer
B. MORE BASS
Surround Surround
of at least 18 inches surrounding
the Powered Subwoofer. Don't
place objects on the Powered
Subwoofer (such as clothing) that
could inadvertently drape down
the front or back of the unit,
restricting air flow or speaker
output. Similarly, do not conceal
the Powered Subwoofer behind
draperies or other similar material.
2. The maximum low-bass output of
the Powered Subwoofer is markedly
affected by its placement with
respect to adjacent room surfaces.
Start by placing the subwoofer on
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Powered Subwoofer
C. MOST BASS
Surround Surround
5
the floor against the same wall
as your front speakers, prefer-
ably close to a corner (Figure 4, B
or C). The strongest output will
be produced with the speaker on
the floor directly in the corner.
The least bass output will result
if the speaker is placed out in the
room, away from the walls (see
Figure 4, A).
3. Corner placement "confines" the
bass output to the listening
room, minimizing bass transfer
to other rooms.
4. The listening room's construc-
tion can have a marked effect
upon the very low frequencies
reproduced by the Powered
Subwoofer. Thin, relatively
flexible walls allow these fre-
quencies to dissipate readily, as
do open doors, archways open-
ing into other rooms, and even
open windows. In addition, the
larger the room, the greater the
demand for low-frequency
acoustic energy. Therefore, the
best type of room for bass repro-
duction in a home theater would
be one moderate in size, solidly
constructed, with no openings to
other rooms.