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deadening material such as drapes on the walls to reduce
any unwanted reflections.
The Center Speaker
Most movie dialog will come from the center speaker, so
careful positioning is an important part of a good home
theater system. Your eyes and ears should focus your
attention towards the center of the screen.
The center speaker can sit on top, or directly underneath
the TV, as long as it is located on the centerline and not
off to one side. Ideally you would try to maintain a
deviation from the center line of the speakers of less than
12". This means the center speaker will not be lower or
higher than 12" to the center measurement of the LEFT
and RIGHT MAIN speaker center measurements.
Position the front face of the speaker close to the front
edge of the TV cabinet. (The sound waves may otherwise
reflect off the top of the TV cabinet and distort the center
imaging).
In some systems, two center speakers are used; one on
either side of the TV. As they are in mono, the result is a
sound image that is positioned exactly at the screen center.
Side-Axis Speakers
The PT-7010A has two side-axis channels which are
matrixed and derived from the left and right front channels,
so they are available in stereo as well as surround modes.
Use the OSD SPEAKER SIZE menu to turn the SIDE-
AXIS channels ON or OFF (see page 38).
Wherever you position the side-axis speakers, place these
speakers along the side walls, close to the fronts. You can
also angle them in towards your listening position for better
results. You should not use a surround or effect speaker
(such as a dipole) for side axis speakers. Direct radiating
speakers will give the best result without interfering with
the clarity and presence of the main speakers in the front
left, center, and right sides.
The Surround Speakers
Place each surround speaker to be an equal distance away
from your central listening position and keep them at least
one or two feet above ear level.
Dipole surround speakers are usually positioned to the side
of your listening position. They radiate forwards and
backwards and have a quiet null zone (the “apex” of the
triangular shape) which should point towards the listener.
The overall effect is that you cannot hear the direct sound
from the surround speakers because they don’t directly
radiate into the listening space. Most manufacturers of
Speaker Placement Tips
Tips Before You Begin
Read this section thoroughly. There are a number of ways
in which it may seem aesthetically pleasing to place
speakers in a room that will ultimately result in a sound
quality compromise. The placement of speakers is equally
as important as the room itself. While there may be very
little you can do about the room where your home theater
is installed, you can choose placement of speakers within
that room to maximize the sound quality of the system.
Ultimately, this will give a much better result when you
are enjoying your home theater and your new Sherbourn
PT-7010A.
Overall, the best placement for front speakers is where
the sound is directed at ear level. This means that the
speakers themselves can be in positions lower (like small
floor standing speakers) or higher (like in-wall or in-ceiling
speakers) as long as the sound is “pointed” toward the
listeners and preferably around ear level. This is not
necessarily the case with the rear speakers or the side axis
speakers. Read each of the sections carefully for the most
appropriate positioning. A subwoofer is also a little
challenging to install depending on the room. In multiple
subwoofer installations, the positioning of the woofers to
the listener as well as to each other is critical because there
can be problems with cancellation if optimum placement
is not observed.
The Front Speakers
You should closely follow the placement recommendations
of your speaker manufacturer, with the addition of the
following points:
•
The left and right front speakers should be positioned so
that your TV is exactly centered between them. This will
help focus your attention towards the screen.
•
For the best overall imaging, the left speaker should be
set exactly the same distance and angle away from your
listening position as the right speaker. It is recommended
that you use a tape measure to set them up to be the same
distance away within about half an inch tolerance.
If you have a smaller TV, the speakers should be no more
than two feet away from the sides of the TV. If possible,
have the center, left and right speakers at the same height
(within two feet). This will help give a smooth transition
when sound effects move from speaker to speaker.
Ideally, the speakers should be no closer than two feet
from the rear and side walls, in order to reduce any
reflections that might upset the imaging. If your speakers
are closer than this, you can experiment by adding sound