Subwoofer Placement And Configuration - Emotiva Airmotiv RS13 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 Reference Subwoofer has a single port on the front, and no extensive vents or heat
sinks on its rear panel, so it may be placed in a corner or close to a wall.
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 Reference Subwoofer contains a powerful yet efficient Class D amplifier. While
the back plate of the Reference Subwoofer will get slightly warm in normal use, no special
ventilation or clearance is required.
The Airmotiv Reference Subwoofer may be used with a wide variety of different systems and how
you configure it will depend on the type of system you have. 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. Please feel free to call us at Emotiva Technical Support if you have any questions about how
to connect or configure your Airmotiv Reference Subwoofer Reference Subwoofer.
Note: The way your main speakers and subwoofer 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 location of the Reference Subwoofer, and the
Crossover and Phase Control settings, 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.
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