Owner's Manual

IV. POSITIONING SURROUND SPEAKERS
Your surround speakers and how they are positioned will determine the sonic
realism of movies and multi-channel audio.
Most surround sound is meant more to create greater depth and overall
ambience than to localize effects as coming from a particular spot. This is
especially true of Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound, in which both surround
channels carry the same (monophonic) information and can't be differentiated
from each other. With Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, there is very
definite localization of some surround effects. How much you prefer these
localized effects vs. overall sonic depth and diffusion is up to your listening
preferences. If you are listening to multi-channel music, you may want the
maximum localization of instruments. But if your main concern is the surround
effects in movies, they tend to depend more on front-to-back movement than
on specific localization. You can locate and aim your surround speakers to
produce the effects you prefer, whether precisely pinpointed or pleasantly
diffused. Although some people prefer to have their surround speakers behind
them on stands at ear height, most find it easiest and best to mount compact
monitors on the walls, at least two feet above your ear height when you are
seated.
If your listening room is small, aiming the speakers to diffuse their sound
somewhat may produce the best overall surround illusion. They can be
mounted, for instance, on the side walls and aimed to bounce sound off the
rear walls, or vice versa. If you opt for localization of sound from the surrounds,
the speakers should face your listening spot, aimed at or slightly above your
seated position. Speakers mounted on the side walls generally will sound best
when placed a foot or two behind your seating area. Our illustration shows
some typical placement options.
Figure 3: Positioning Speakers for Music and Home Theatre
7