32
DC-1 Theory
and Design
Lexicon
Right, Left and Center speakers should be positioned at equal heights and
at equal distances from the front wall. Depending on their height, they
should be tilted to aim vertically at the listening area — they should not
necessarily be angled in from the side walls toward this area. In most setups,
although the left and right speakers are about the same distance from your
listening position, the center speaker is often closer to you, causing sound
from the center speaker to reach you earlier than sound from the left and
right. Equalizing the path length (the distance from the speaker to your ear)
of the three front speakers in your system will improve the image. A Center
Delay parameter (along with other “Listener Position” controls) is provided
in the Setup menu of the Base and THX versions of the DC-1. The Dolby
Digital version provides Time Alignment, which electronically compen-
sates for differences in the distance of all speakers from the listener position.
Optimum side speaker placement depends on your room and listening
position, the type of speakers used, whether you are primarily interested in
film sound or music, and aesthetics (which we’ll leave to you). If you have
THX-type surround speakers, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations
for placement. If you are sitting within six to seven feet of the main speakers,
place the side speakers directly to the sides of the listening area. If you
normally sit further away from the main speakers, the sides should be
somewhat forward of the listening position, preferably angled back to-
wards it. A bit of experimentation will prove very helpful. The goal is to
blend the side speakers’ energy with the main speakers; you should not be
distinctly aware of output of the side speakers.
Side speaker height should be near the level of the ear. Placement near the
ceiling/wall boundary may help disperse the sound, and will reinforce the
bass response of the speaker, but very high placement can reduce the
spaciousness that the true stereo processing of the DC-1 provides. If
pedestal or wall mounting proves impractical, ceiling-mounted speakers
will suffice. Place them far apart and equidistant from the listening area.
Rear speaker placement is somewhat less critical. Here the main goal for
both film and music is to produce a diffuse and enveloping soundfield. The
height of rear speakers will depend on both room size and furnishing. In
general, placement of the rear speaker(s) above the listening area can be
very effective. Note, however, that placing these speakers too high in a
narrow room, or at the ceiling, may reduce the spaciousness of the sound.
For maximum envelopment the rear speakers should be widely spaced —
preferably near the side walls.
Subwoofer placement is less critical, but in some positions in your room
may cause standing wave paterns and/or a rattling of furnishings. Refer to
“The Listening Room” section, and specifically to your subwoofer manual
for recommendations. The Subwoofer Output is a monaural signal created
by summing the left and right inputs, then filtering out frequencies above
80 Hz at a rate of 24dB per octave. For the tragically technical, this is a
Linkwitz-Riley LPF -6dB at 80Hz.
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