Subwoofer Placement And Configuration - Emotiva Airmotiv XS User Manual

AIRMOTIV XS SUBWOOFERS

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 important thing is to find a location that delivers the sound you
want, and fits with 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 subwoofer.
How you configure your Airmotiv XS Subwoofer will depend on the type of system
you have.
Note: Your Airmotiv XS Subwoofer contains a powerful Class A/B amplifier. The heat sinks
for this amplifier are attached to the back of the subwoofer, in the center of the amp plate.
IT IS NORMAL FOR THE HEAT SINKS TO GET QUITE WARM when your subwoofer is played
loudly for extended periods of time.
WARNING: YOU MUST ALLOW SEVERAL INCHES OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE REAR
PLATE OF YOUR XS SUBWOOFER AND THE NEAREST WALL OR OTHER SURFACE TO
ALLOW AIR FLOW AROUND THE HEAT SINK FINS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE COOLING! DO
NOT PUSH THE REAR PANEL OF YOUR XS SUBWOOFER TIGHT AGAINST A WALL! DO
NOT PUSH THE REAR OF THE UNIT AGAINST DRAPES OR SOFT FURNITURE THAT WILL
BLOCK AIR FLOW TO THE REAR HEAT SINK FINS! (Your XS subwoofer includes internal
safety protection against overheating, but operating it for excessive periods of time without
adequate cooling will impair proper operation and shorten component life.)
Configuring your XS Subwoofer to Work with an AVR or Processor
Setting your XS subwoofer to work with an AVR or pre/pro that has its own bass
management is quite simple (this will work for most systems that have a subwoofer output).
1. Connect the subwoofer or LFE output on your pre/pro or receiver to the one of the inputs
on your XS subwoofer.
2. Set the Crossover Control on the XS subwoofer fully clockwise (to 150 Hz / LFE).
3. Set the Volume Control on the XS subwoofer to a setting where the level of the low bass
seems about right by ear.
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