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.
The Airmotiv E2+ surround speakers can be configured as either bipole or dipole speakers (when
configured as a dipole, either tweeter may be configured as the in-phase side). We recommend
trying various combinations to determine which works best in your particular application. In
general, the bipole configuration will provide more precise localization, while the dipole options
will provide a more diffuse presentation.
(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 T0+, T1+, T2+, and T3+ 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+ and B2+ bookshelf monitors and Airmotiv C1+, C2+, and C3+ center
channel speakers are intended to be positioned on speaker stands, tables, or shelves. When
choosing a location for the C3+ be sure to choose a location that can support the weight of the
C3+ and that is stable enough to avoid tipping to the side. The Airmotiv E2+ surround speakers
are typically mounted on the side or rear walls.
The Airmotiv A1 surrounds may be mounted on a side wall as a direct radiating surround speaker,
high on a side wall as a direct radiating height speaker, of placed on top of your main speakers as
a ceiling reflection height speaker. The Airmotiv A2+ can be mounted on a wall or ceiling.
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.
AIRMOTIV SPEAKERS
Page 23