Harman Kardon AVR 445 Owners Manual - Page 20

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION When all audio, video and system connections have been made, the final steps before listening to your new AVR are to make the configuration adjustments that tailor the unit to the other components in your system, as well as accommodate your personal listening preferences. A few minutes spent to correctly calibrate and configure your system will greatly add to your listening pleasure. Speaker Selection and Placement While the most seamless surround sound reproduction comes from the use of speakers with identical or carefully matched driver elements at each position, no matter which brand or type of speakers you prefer, it is always best to use the same model or series for the left front, center and right front speakers. Similarly, it is also desirable to use the same model or series for the surround speakers. This ensures that the soundstage will be relatively seamless when a sound moves from one side of the room to the other. Speaker Placement Once you have selected your speakers, it is important that they be placed in positions that enable them to do the best job of reproducing the sound as it was meant to be heard, regardless of the program content. The placement of speakers can have a noticeable impact on the accuracy of the surround process, particularly in multichannel systems. When placing your speakers in a listening room, picture an imaginary circle starting at the center of your video screen that arcs around the room with the prime listening position, or "sweet spot," at the center of the circle. Depending on the number of speakers in your system, there is a recommended placement along the circle for each speaker, though the specific construction of your room, taking into account the available walls, bookcases, or floor space at which the speakers may be placed will obviously have some impact on where the speakers are ultimately located. As a general rule, try to place all speakers so that they are positioned at the same height as your ears when you are seated at the prime listening position. Use the following suggestions as a guide, and make the changes needed to fit the speakers to your room. Don't be afraid to experiment a bit until you find the right combination of locations that works for you. At the end of the day, there is no real "right" or "wrong" place to put the speakers; work to optimize their locations so that audio moves across the front of the room smoothly, without seeming to jump from one speaker to another. Front Left/Right Speakers The recommended placement for front left/right speakers is at the 30-degree position with reference to the center channel speaker. The distance between them should be about the same as the distance from the center channel speaker to the prime listening position. Although the natural tendency is to place the speakers so they are parallel to the wall behind them, and thus in line with the video screen, the preferred placement is to angle the speakers slightly ("toe in") so that they point at the prime listening position. Center Channel Speaker The ideal location for the center channel speaker is at "0 degrees" in our circle, directly in front of the prime listening position. Place the center channel speaker as close to the top (or bottom) of the video screen as possible so that when you position the front left/right speakers the tweeters of all three front channel speakers are within 24" of one another. Surround Speakers for 5.1 Systems In a 5.1 surround system, an additional pair of left/right speakers is added. Although many believe that these speakers should be placed at the rear of the room, the preferred position for them is at the sides of the room, with rear placement a second option when room conditions prevent the use of sidemounted surround speakers. When side-wall placement is possible, place the left/right surround speakers at a point that is 110 degrees along our circle from the center of the video screen. This translates to placing them to the side and slightly behind your preferred listening position. If possible, angle the speakers in slightly so that they are pointing toward the listener's ears. Video Screen Center Speaker Front Left Speaker 30° Front Right Speaker 30° 110° 150° Side Surround Left Speaker 110° 150° Side Surround Right Speaker Alternate placement for Side Surround Left Speaker 5.1 Placement Diagram Alternate placement for Side Surround Right Speaker If it is not possible to place the surround speakers at the sides of the room, the alternate position is at the back of the room, at a spot that is about 150 degrees around our circle from the center of the video screen. Another way to spot the optimal, alternate rear-wall mounting position is to place the left surround speaker on the back wall so that it points directly at the front right speaker, and to have the right surround speaker point directly at the front left speaker. If possible, aim the surround speakers so that they point inward, toward the listening area, rather than perpendicular to the walls. Surround Speakers for 6.1 Systems A 6.1 surround system adds an additional speaker in the center back surround position. We do not recommend this configuration, as it will not deliver a full surround sound field when any 7.1-channel mode is used, since some signals will be sent to an output (either left or right) where no speaker is present. If a 6.1 system is to be used, first place the speakers for a 5.1 system, and place the "sixth" speaker at the center of the back of the room, pointing directly toward the front center channel speaker. Video Screen Center Speaker Front Left Speaker 30° Front Right Speaker 30° 110° 110° Side Surround Left Speaker Listening Position Side Surround Right Speaker Back Surround Speaker 6.1 Placement Diagram Do not connect the center back surround speaker at this time, as you must first run EzSet/EQ as shown on page 26 so that the system configures the five main channel speakers only. After completing the EzSet/EQ process, connect the center surround back speaker to one of the Surround Back Speaker Outputs E and manually configure the system for surround back speakers, as shown on pages 29-30. DO NOT run EzSet/EQ with only a single surround back speaker connected, as a failure message will result. We recommend that you consider adding a second surround back speaker for a full 7.1 system, as soon as possible. Surround Speakers for 7.1 Systems For the ultimate home theater experience, a 7.1 surround system uses both traditional surround left/right channels and a surround back left/right speaker pair. In a 7.1 system, the front left/center/right speakers remain in the same place as they would be for a 5.1 or 6.1 system, but due to the number of speakers involved, the placement of the surround speakers is different. In a 7.1 system, you should place the main surround left/right speakers at the 90-degree point on our cir- 20 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION