Placing the OS-20 for the Best Sound Quality
The OS-20’s dispersion pattern is very broad. The speaker is very sensitive and
will handle a lot of amplifier power. This allows good sound quality over an
extremely large listening area. However, if a single pair is positioned to provide
coverage of a very large room or patio, you will have “hot spots” of loud sound
when you are near the speakers. The best way to avoid hot spots for a large
space is to use several pairs. A good rule of thumb is a pair of speakers for
every 200 to 400 square feet of listening area. Your local Niles dealer is a good
source for advice on speaker placement for your particular installation.
When using more than one pair, it is usually best to alternate a left channel and
then a right channel, so that you never have a "left next to a left".
The position of the speakers and the surroundings around them play a very
important role in how a stereo image is created. You should experiment to find
the very best position for your speakers. Here are some guidelines to make the
process quick and easy.
5'
10'
10'
Speaker
Placement
Zone
Speaker
Placement
Zone
Make sure you are not blocking or reflecting the sound off of furniture or other
objects. You should have a direct line of sight with the front of the speaker. To
determine the best position, measure the distance between the ideal listening
position and the wall you plan to mount the speakers on. Try to place the speak-
ers so that they are at least one-half the listening distance apart (this maintains a
large, pleasant stereo "image") and less than the entire listening distance (this
avoids a "hole-in-the-middle" effect). For example; if you are ten feet back from
the wall, the speakers should be between five and ten feet apart (See Figure 4).
You can control the speakers bass output by placement. This is called the
boundary effect. You will get more bass response by mounting the OS-20
directly to a wall or other flat surface (any boundary close to the speaker will
reinforce the bass frequencies). You can increase the bass output even more by
mounting the OS-20 in a corner or under an eave (See Figure 5) This type of
placement gives the speaker two boundaries, both reinforcing the bass sounds.
Of course, if you wish to hear less bass, try moving the speaker away from the
boundary (See Figure 6).
Mounting Methods
The OS-20 can be mounted either horizontally or vertically. The bracket knobs
will keep the speaker angled correctly in any position once they are tightened.
You can choose from three mounting methods to attach the OS-20 to the wall,
ceiling, or other mounting surface.
Figure 5
Placement for more bass output
Figure 6
Placement for
less bass output
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Figure 4
Illustration depicts the optimum
placement zone for a listening
distance of ten feet.
