SPEAKER PLACEMENT 7
SPEAKER PLACEMENT
Color-Coding System
The HKTS 18 uses the channel color-cod-
ing system established by the Consumer
Electronics Association to make setting up
your home theater speaker system as easy
as possible. Your system includes a set of
colored stickers that may be placed near
the speaker terminals of each of the four
satellite speakers according to the chart
below. It doesn’t matter which satellite
speaker is used for any of the front or rear
positions. (The center speaker and powered
subwoofer are already color-coded for you.)
Before you begin to connect cables, it is
important to set up your speakers in their
correct locations in the room.
Optimally, the speakers should be placed in
a circle with the listening position at its cen-
ter. The distance from the listening position
to the video display forms the radius of
the circle.
The speakers should be angled so that they
directly face the listening position. The cen-
ter speaker is placed either on top of or
below the video display screen.
The front left and right speakers are placed
along the circle, about 30 degrees from
the center speaker and angled toward
the listener.
It is best to place the front left/right and
center speakers as close to the same
height as possible, preferably about the
same height as the listener’s ears. In any
event, the center speaker should be no
more than two feet above or below the
left/right speakers.
The side surround speakers should be
placed 110 degrees from the center
speaker; that is, slightly behind and angled
toward the listener. If this isn’t feasible, place
the surround speakers behind the listener,
with each surround speaker facing the
opposite-side front speaker. The surround
speakers may be placed a little higher than
the listener’s ears.
The subwoofer’s location is less critical,
since low-frequency sounds are omni-
directional. Placing the subwoofer close to a
wall or in a corner will reinforce the low fre-
quencies, and may create a “boomy” sound.
You may wish to experiment over time by
placing the subwoofer where the listener
normally sits and then walking around the
room until the low frequencies sound best.
Place the subwoofer in that spot.
Speaker
Sticker (or Terminal)
Position
and Cable Color
Front Left
White
Front Right
Red
Center
Green
Surround Left
Blue
Surround Right
Gray
Subwoofer (LFE) Purple
Center Speaker
Video Screen
Front Right
Speaker
Front Left
Speaker
Side Surround
Left Speaker
Alternate placement
for Side Surround
Left Speaker
Side Surround
Right Speaker
Alternate placement
for Side Surround
Right Speaker
110°
150°
110°
150°
30°
30°
Subwoofer
HKTS 18 OM 10/6/06 1:34 PM Page 7
