Pioneer SC-05 Owner's Manual - Page 109

Additional information 15 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 inch using the Auto MCACC Setup function (page 10). 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 12) 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 5.1channel layout shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 5.1-channel speaker layout recommended by the ITU-R (ITU-R BS.775-1) 60° 100° to 120° Listening position 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. 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 (4 inches) 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 midand 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 (12 inches) to 80 cm (31 inches) 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. 109 En