Fine Tuning; Care Of Finish - Energy Reference Connoisseur RC-R Owner's Manual

Energy Ref. Conn.-9 lang printers 6/20/05 10:04 AM
ADJUSTING THE SOUNDFIELD TM MANAGEMENT CONTROLS - RC-R
The exclusive and patented "Soundfield TM Management" System allows adjustment
of the surround field in different room environments, to compensate for different
direct to reflected sound ratios. The controls permit adjustment of the sound field
type, and the relative level of the side firing drivers compared to the front drivers. In
a perfect world, all of the 5 speakers in a home theater would be the same distance
from the listener. But when trying to implement a system into your room
environment, this isn't always possible. The direct to reflected sound ratio is what
allows the ear to judge distance and depth of the sound. There are two controls on
the "Soundfield Management" Control panel which is located behind the speaker
grille on the right side.
MODE SWITCH - RC-R
The first control is the 2-Position Mode Switch. It allows you to customize the type of
sound field the speaker will produce. Note: Regardless of the switches' position, the
two side drivers will continue functioning.
1) In the "Bi-pole" position the two side firing drivers are engaged and are
operating in phase with each other. The resulting sound field is expansive, and
with correct placement, the sound will reflect off of room boundaries to create a
large sounding surround field.
2) In the "Di-pole" position the side drivers are active, but are wired out of phase
from each other. The resulting sound field is even more expansive, and can create
an even larger effect than the bi-pole mode.
3) The RC-R can also be used as a direct radiating or monopole speaker - simply
turn the level control all the way to the "minimum" position. When at the
minimum position the side-firing drivers will emit no sound at all.
LEVEL CONTROL - RC-R
The Level Control adjusts the relative output of the side firing drivers compared to the
front drivers. At the maximum setting the side firing drivers are 1 dB lower in volume
than the front drivers. The minimum setting turns the side firing drivers completely off,
turning the RC-R into a direct radiating speaker.
HOW TO SET UP THE CONTROLS - RC-R
1) Measure the distance between the listening position and one of the front
speakers (D1 on Diagram "A"), then measure the distance between the listening
position and the rear speakers, (D2 on Diagram "A"). Subtract the two
measurements, and the resulting number is the difference. The bottom scale of
the chart shows the difference in distance. See Diagram "A" for assistance, and
Diagram "B" for the actual chart.
NOTE: We do not recommend having the distance between the listener and the
rear speakers to be greater than the front measurement.
2) Locate the measured difference on the bottom scale of the graph (Diagram "B"),
then follow the line up to where it intersects with the horizontal line and look to
the left scale to see the level control setting recommendation. The grayed section
shows when the Switch should be in Bi-Polar Mode, and the rest of the chart
shows the Di-Polar Mode as the recommended mode.
3) Always experiment with the controls, and adjust them to your liking, the chart will
give you a good starting point, but each room is different, and depending on the
RC-R's location, furniture placement and materials in the room, adjustments may
be necessary.
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FINE TUNING

Before beginning any fine tuning, please ensure all connections are properly made
and your speakers have had the chance to break-in for a minimum of 100 hours.
This will ensure the proper results are achieved.
Your listening room is the final component of your audio system and will be the
difference between mediocre sound and high quality sound. Reflections, which are a
part of every recording and music playback, will have a major effect on your
system's performance. If your room is too "live", meaning there are many bare
surfaces like glass windows, hard floors and thin furnishings, you might find the
sound overly bright. If your room is "dead", meaning there is thick pile carpeting,
heavy furniture and a lot of wall coverings, you might find the sound lacks dynamic
energy. To remedy these issues, small changes to your room should be considered as
they generally lead to large improvements in sound quality. Most listening rooms
must balance aesthetics and sound, but patience and small adjustments in
positioning and settings can pay huge acoustic dividends.
The lower bass frequencies are typically the most influenced by your listening room.
If you find the bass in your room to be uneven or exaggerated in certain
frequencies, experimenting with placement of the front speakers or their orientation
towards the listening position can alleviate some of these issues. The proximity of
the speakers to room boundaries, like walls, will also affect the bass frequencies. If
you find your system lacks bass, first check your connections to make sure your
system is in phase, then experiment with placement. The further from the wall, the
less overall bass output your system will have, but the bass will generally be better
defined. If you position your speakers too close to a room boundary, the bass will
typically be exaggerated and ill-defined. Adjusting your speakers to your room will
generate the best results.
If you are experiencing issues with imaging, first ensure your speakers are in phase
with each other. If this is the case and imaging is still an issue, moving the speakers
closer together or toeing them in slightly (angling them towards the listening
position) can aid in this respect.
When installing a surround sound system, all the above holds true. Calibration of
your speaker distances, adjusting delays and balancing your levels with an SPL
meter are necessary to extract the most out of your system.

CARE OF FINISH

The Reference Connoisseur series cabinets should be gently cleaned with only a
damp cloth and warm water from time to time, in order to remove any dust or
fingerprints. Do not use an abrasive cleaner, or any type of ammonia based cleaners,
or window type cleaners. To remove the dust from the grille cloth, use the brush
attachment on your vacuum cleaner or a slightly dampened sponge or dust free
cloth. Do not touch the speaker cones directly or enter them in contact with water
or cleaning materials, as this can cause irreparable damage.
12 b
12 a
12 d 13
Max
14
MODE SWITCH
-2
POSITION
-3
DI-POLAR
Level
Control
Setting
-5 MODE SWITCH
MODE SWITCH
POSITION
-9
POSITION
DI-POLAR
BI-POLAR
-15
Min
4ft
1ft 2ft 3ft
Measured difference between front speaker to listener, and rear speaker to listener
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12 b
5ft 6ft
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