Subwoofer Placement And Configuration - Emotiva Airmotiv S8 User Manual

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Subwoofer Placement and Configuration

The best location for your subwoofer will depend on a lot of things - including the acoustics of
your room, the characteristics of your main speakers, and practical considerations like where
you have room for it. Whole books have been written about the subject - and even experts often
disagree. The compact footprint of the Flex Sub simplifies the task of find a location that delivers
the sound you want but doens't intrude on your room decor.
Some frequently chosen locations include: in the front between your main front speakers,
in a front or rear corner, or in the center of a side wall or rear wall. Each has advantages and
disadvantages, and each may or may not work well in your particular system.
One way of choosing a good location is sometimes humorously referred to as the "subwoofer
crawl". To use this method, you connect your subwoofer temporarily to your audio system, place
the sub in your normal listening position, where you would normally sit, and play music through
it with plenty of bass. You then crawl around on the floor, stopping and listening at each location
where you're considering putting your sub. Once you find the spot where the bass sounds the
best and cleanest, you switch places with the subwoofer, placing it in the location where the bass
sounded the best. This often turns out to be a good location for your sub.
Note: Your Flex Sub contains a powerful yet efficient Class D amplifier. While the back plate of
the Flex Sub will get slightly warm in normal use, no special ventilation or clearance is required.
The Airmotiv S8 Flex Subwoofer may be used with a wide variety of different systems. How
you configure your Flex Sub will depend on the type of system you have. The following section
provides several typical examples of how the Flex Sub may be connected and configured. Please
feel free to call us at Emotiva Technical Support if you have any questions about how to connect
or configure your Flex Sub.
A properly configured subwoofer should add depth and a solid foundation to your listening
experience, but should not be audible as a separate sound source, and you should not be able
to detect its physical location in the room by listening to it. The visceral low bass delivered by a
subwoofer should simply fill the listening area.
Note: The way your main speakers and sub blend together will sound slightly different at
different locations in the room. These adjustments should be made by listening at your normal
listening location. If your equipment is located across the room, walk back to your favorite
chair and listen to the results from there each time you make an adjustment.
Note: After you've configured everything on your pre/pro, or used your automatic room
correction to do so, you should AVOID changing the Crossover and Phase Control settings on
your Flex Sub, as this will change the way it sounds. However, you may use the Volume Control
to increase or reduce the overall amount of bass to suit your tastes.
WARNING: The Airmotiv S8 Flex Subwoofer has speaker drivers installed on both the front and
BOTTOM surfaces of its cabinet. USE CARE TO AVOID PRESSING ON THE CONE OF THE DRIVER
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CABINET WHEN LIFTING OR HANDLING THE FLEX SUB. DO NOT set the
Flex Sub on soft surfaces that may touch or press against the driver on the bottom side.
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