Additional Information; Speaker Setting Guide - Pioneer SC-LX81 Operating Instructions Manual

15

Additional information

Chapter 15:
Additional information

Speaker Setting Guide

In order to achieve an even better surround effect, it is
important to accurately position the speakers and make
their volume and tone characteristics uniform so as to
finely focus the multi-channel sound.
The three major elements in positioning the speakers are
distance, angle and orientation (the direction in which
the speakers are pointing).
Distance: The distance of all the speakers should be
equal.
Angle: The speakers should be placed at the angles
shown in Fig. 1 and be horizontally symmetrical.
Orientation: The orientation should be horizontally
symmetrical.
In most homes, however, it is not possible to achieve this
environment. For the distance, on this receiver it is
possible to automatically correct the speaker distance
electrically to a precision of 1 cm using the Auto MCACC
Setup function (page 9). For the volume and sound
quality as well, accurate sound field correction using the
equalizer and speaker phase characteristic correction
using the Full Band Phase Control function (page 11)
together make it possible to achieve the ideal listening
environment.
Here we consider mainly the two elements of angle and
orientation, based on the ITU-R recommended 5.1-
channel layout shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 5.1-channel speaker layout recommended
by the ITU-R (ITU-R BS.775-1)
This type of setup is based on the recommendations
of the ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union
– Radiocommunication Sector), an international
organization specialized in the field of electric
communications.
106
En
60°
100°
to
120°
Listening
position
Step 1: Speaker layout and distance adjustment
Adjust the main speakers to the angles shown in Fig. 1.
Use speaker stands or the like to make sure the speakers
are steady, and leave at least 10 cm from the surrounding
walls. Position the speakers attentively so that the
speakers on the left and right are at equal angles from the
listening position (center of the adjustments). (We
recommend using cords, etc., when adjusting the
layout.) Ideally all the speakers should be equidistant
from the listening position.
Tip
• If the speakers cannot be set at equal distances (on a
circle), use the Auto MCACC Setup speaker distance
correction and Fine Speaker Distance functions to
make them equalize the distance artificially.
Step 2: Adjusting the speaker height
Adjust the heights (angles) of the different speakers.
Adjust so that the front speaker units reproducing mid-
and high frequencies is roughly at the height of the ears.
If the center speaker cannot be set at the same height as
the front speakers, adjust its angle of elevation to point it
to the listening position.
Set surround speaker 1 so that it is not under the height
of the ears.
Step 3: Adjusting the speaker orientation
If the left and right speakers are not pointing in the same
direction, the tone will not be the same on the right and
left, and as a result the sound field will not be reproduced
properly. However, if all the speakers are pointed towards
the listening position, the sound field will seem cramped.
Testing by the Pioneer Multi-channel Research Group
has shown that a good sense of sound positioning can be
achieved by pointing all the speakers towards an area
30 cm to 80 cm behind the listening position (between
the surround speakers and the listening position).
However, the sense of sound positioning can differ
according to the conditions in the room and the speakers
being used. In smaller environments in particular (when
the front speakers are close to the listening position),
with this method the speakers will be pointed too inward.
We suggest you use this example of installation as
reference when trying out different installation methods.