Home TheaterHandbook

By Anthony Chiarella and Matthew Polk

How to select and get the most performance froma home theater system

Dear Home Theater Enthusiast:

Home theater is one of the most exciting developments in the history of consumer electronics.

Enjoying great movies, television shows and sporting events is an activity that brings family

and friends together. Watching a movie or concert on a good home theater system will

quicken your pulse, tug on your heartstrings and raise goosebumps on your skin.

Unfortunately, the very words “home theater” seem to intimidate people. Too many movie

lovers believe they’ll need a second mortgage to afford all the hardware, or a pilot’s license

to install and operate it. It doesn’t have to be that way. Sure, there’s no shortage of expensive,

complex gear; but for less than the cost of a week’s vacation you can own a fine system that

will provide your entire family with years of pleasure.

We published this handbook to take the mystery and confusion out of home theater. To keep

it unbiased, I asked noted audio/video critic and home theater expert, Anthony Chiarella, to

help write it. Anthony has written for Esquire, Home Theater, Audio/Video Interiors, Fi and

other leading magazines and is an acknowledged expert in advising how to choose and set

up great home theater systems.

If you have any questions that are not answered in this Handbook, please call Polk Audio

Customer Service during normal East Coast business hours. Call toll free, 800 377-7655,

or visit the Polk Audio web site: www.polkaudio.com.

The information in this handbook will help you no matter what brands you’re considering.

We’ve left self-serving commercial messages out, but allow me this one: I’ve been designing

and building award-winning, critically acclaimed speakers for nearly 30 years and naturally

I hope you will take the time to listen to some Polk Audio speakers before you make

a buying decision. We’re rather proud of them and would love to hear what you think

of their performance.

Happy Listening,

Matt Polk

Ask Matthew Polk,The Speaker Specialist!

WhyHomeTheater?

11 Surround Formats

15 Power Up—

Choosing Electronics

17 Loudspeakers

23 Choosing Home Theater

Speaker Components

27 System Setup

29 Optimizing the Sound

of Your Room

33 Speaker Placement

39 Processor Configuration

and Bass Management

43 Lights! Camera! Action!

About Anthony Chiarella

and Matthew Polk

Table of Contents

On the cover:

The Sanus Natural Foundations 3 shelf

video stand, end table and coffee table can

be purchased online at shop.polkaudio.com

4 What is Home Theater?

4 Bits and Pieces—

What You Need

4 Components or Systems—

What’s Best for You?

9 Consider the Source

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What is Home Theater?If you’re currently watching movies on yourtelevision, congratulations! You’re alreadyenjoying home theater! You see, home theater is nothing more than the marriageof sight and sound, a blending of audioand video. Of course, by comparison to thelocal cinema, your television’s small screenand dinky speaker will deliver a grosslyinferior experience. The goal of home theater system is to bridge this quality gap;by employing a surround sound processor,amplifier and appropriate speakers, yoursystem will approach-and in some wayssurpass-the sound and image of a goodcommercial theater.

Bits and Pieces—

What You NeedThe essential parts of a home theater sys-tem are a display device and an audio/videosource—just fancy terms for a television (display) and VCR or DVD player (sources).Add a receiver and speakers, and you’redone! Since the subject of video could fill a book of its own, we’ll focus our discussion on audio gear.

Components

or Systems—

What is Best for You?There are two ways to get a home theateraudio system: separate components or all-in-one integrated systems. Here’s a briefcomparison to help you choose what’s best for you.

Integrated SystemsThese all-in-one systems are often called“home theater in a box” (HTiB) or hometheater “shelf systems.” Like their namesimply, most, if not all, of the audiocomponents you need for home theater are included in the package: speakers, preamp/processor, amplification and sometimes sources such as radio, CD player and even DVD player.

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HTiB Advantages � Easy to choose and buy. Just listen to

the various models on display, compare features and price, and buy the one that’s best for you. Bingo bango, you got home theater.

� Compatibility. There’s never a doubtwhether the individual parts of the systemmatch each other. These systems are builtto work together.

� Easy to hook up. They come with all thecables you need (albeit really cheap ones,but we’ll get to the whole “value equa-tion” thing in a sec). Wires, connectorsand jacks are usually color coded, withfoolproof pre-attached connectors. YourAunt Millie could probably hook oneof these babies up.

� Easy to use. You probably won’t evenhave to read a manual to make it work.

� Compact size. HTiB systems are usuallyvery small and come with cute little teeny-weeny speakers.

� Security. They are generally offered bysome of the biggest brand names in thebusiness; Sony, Panasonic, JVC, etc and so on. You know these guys.

� Coolness. Some of them do lookreally cool.

� Inexpensive. They can be stunninglycheap, as low as $199.

HTiB Disadvantages � Limited growth potential. Most HTiBs

have a limited number of inputs andother connection facilities with which to hook up additional sources. Typically,there may be only one input for anadditional digital source, if that.With the rapid changes in digital andentertainment-delivery technologiesthese days, you may find yourselfunable to connect a new entertainmentsource like DSS, a digital video recorderor a high-definition DVD player. HTiBis simply not “future-ready.”

� Prone to early obsolescence. Built-insources (like a DVD player built intoa receiver unit) are just not a good idea.People who purchased HTiB systemswith built-in DVD players just a year ortwo ago have experienced the painfullimitations of built-in sources whenbetter performance progressive scanDVD players came out shortly there-after. Combined with their limitedconnection facilities, these systemssimply couldn’t accommodate thenew improved DVD technology. Andif the DVD player breaks…well, yourwhole system becomes just a cool-looking doorstop.

� Limited upgrade path. HTiBs don’tgrow with your needs. Let’s say youmove into a bigger house and needa more robust subwoofer to fill theroom with bass impact. Sorry. With anHTiB system, you can’t upgrade thesubwoofer…or the speakers…or the DVD player…or the receiver. And thoseconvenient wires they give you, with theunique connectors? Just wait till you tryand get longer wires…

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� Cheap materials and poor construc-tion. There’s a real good reason whyHTiB systems are so inexpensive, folks.Pick them up. In the dictionary under“insubstantial” is a picture of your HTiBsystem. And that’s not just sour grapes,because it results in…

� Poor sound quality. With very (VERY)few exceptions, HTiBs perform poorly.They simply don’t come even remotelyclose to the performance of movietheater systems or decent componentsystems. The few HTiB systems thatdo perform well cost as much ascomponent systems. Typical HTiBshortcomings include lack of deepbass, inability to play at a lifelikevolume, lack of clarity and detail.Yes, you can hear the difference!

� Weak speaker pedigree. Call us biased,but most HTiBs are made by companiesthat are not very good at designing loud-speakers. Walk into the sound roomwhere the “better” audio componentsare displayed. See any Sony, Onkyo orPanasonic SPEAKERS there? No, andfor good reason. Better speakers, onesthat are capable of really thrilling,lifelike sound quality, come fromcompanies that have dedicated theirlives to building loudspeakers. LikePolk Audio. (And a few others. Butwe can’t seem to remember theirnames at the moment. Forgive us.)

� Cheap speakers. Beyond their question-able parentage, the speakers includedin HTiB systems are generally lowquality affairs. Most of the time, youcan’t even take the grille off to checkthe quantity and quality of the speaker

parts. If you could, you would find papercones with foam surrounds, similarto what you’d find in cheap, cheesycomputer speakers and OEM car stereosthan what is typical in decent homeaudio speakers. Most of the time, you’dbe surprised to note that there’s notweeter at all! No wonder they soundso muffled and indistinct.

“All-In-One” HTiB SystemsAre A Good Choice For—� People with limited budgets. � Secondary rooms and homes. � Small rooms (under 200 sq. feet). � Systems with small screen TVs

(under 30"). � Considerate apartment dwellers

with sound-sensitive neighbors. � People who don’t watch big explosive

shoot-em-up action/adventure movies. � People who are uncomfortable with

hooking up “high-tech” devices. � People who have no intention of

adding to or upgrading the system.

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Separate ComponentsThis type of system includes a preamp/processor, amplifiers (or receiver), speakersand whatever source components you maylike such as CD player, DVD player, VCR, etc.Each component is chosen separately andoften come from different manufacturers.

Advantages � Flexibility. Component systems offer

tremendous flexibility and choice.You can mix and match componentsfrom various manufacturers to getthe best product in each categoryand exactly meet your unique needsfor style, size, and performance.

� Style choice. You can choose froma wider range of speaker types (floor-standing, bookshelf, compact, in-wall,etc.), styles and colors or finish choiceswhen you build a component systemthan you could with pre-packagedHTiB systems. If you were lookingfor a brushed aluminum receiver(looks cool!) to combine with Cherrywood finish floorstanding speakers (to match your furniture), you’ll be able to get that combo with compo-nents. You’d be out of luck with HTiB.

� Extreme upgrade-ability. Add orupgrade one component at a time asyou build toward your ultimate systemgoal. Use as many connectors or asmuch speaker wire as your little heartdesires, without being stuck with a finiteamount of cheap speaker wire or havingto find some obscure connector type.

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� Greater functionality. Most componentreceivers have multi-room or multi-zone functions, allowing you to connectspeakers in other rooms of the house.And usually, that’s just the beginning.

� Lowered obsolescence. For you“commitment-phobes,” building acomponent home theater system meansyou’re not married to any one source-technology. Change sources and formats anytime as technology advances. Components mean never having to say you’re sorry.

� Better materials and better buildquality. Lift, touch, feel. You willnotice the difference, as eachmanufacturer puts their allinto their particular product.

� High performance. This is The BigReason to build your system usingcomponents. Systems put together withcomplementary component parts sounda lot better than all-in-one systems.Many sound as good as, or better than,the surround sound system in yourlocal cinema. Even a small componentsystem will deliver the kind of sound that raises goose bumps on your arms;sound that gets your heart poundingand puts you on the edge of your seat.For realistic musical reproduction, andreal movie theater thrills, “Once you go components you never go back.”

Disadvantages� More difficult to choose. Component

systems are harder to choose thanintegrated (HTiB) systems. There’s wider choice of component combina-tions, and it’s often difficult to knowwhat component works best with what.But you have a secret weapon to over-come these obstacles…this handbook!Read on and we’ll show you how tomake choosing, setting up and using a component system less daunting. The flip side is that it can be more fun and ultimately more satisfying tochoose a system that is customized foryour needs rather than settling for acookie-cutter HTiB system.

� More difficult to set up. In order togive you the ability to optimize theelectronics for the speakers and tooptimize the system for your room,there are set-up controls and adjust-ments that may be complex andconfusing. Instruction manuals canbe difficult to understand. Fear not!This Home Theater Handbook andPolk’s friendly Customer Service folksare here to help.

� More difficult to use. You may windup with several remote controls onyour coffee table. (But “universallearning remotes” are available, andgetting easier to use, to overcomethis “disadvantage”).

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� More expensive. There are HTiB systems

that sell for well under $200. You can

buy a component for that kind of

money, but you can’t buy a component

system for that kind of money. Cobble

together a good system for $500, a really

good system for $1000 and a blow-your-

mind system for $2000. Does that sound

like too much to spend? So tell me, how

much did you spend for that big-screen

or that sexy Plasma TV? Putting a

$299 HTiB system on a $2000 TV is like

putting a dinky 4-cylinder engine in a

full size Mercedes S Class sedan. Your

neighbors might be impressed, but there

will be no real excitement in it for you.

Component Systems Are A Good Choice For:� Larger rooms (over 200 sq. feet). � Primary entertainment rooms. � Systems with large screen TVs

(30" and over). � People who watch a lot of action/

adventure movies. � People who enjoy making

their own choices. � People using their system for realistic

music reproduction as well as movieand TV viewing.

� People who are comfortable withhooking up “high-tech” devices.

� People interested in tailoring asystem for their own unique needs.

� People who are looking for truly spine-tingling, gut-rumbling, tick-off-the-neighbors performance.

Consider the Source—A source is anything-music, movies, sports,etc. that you watch and hear in your hometheater. The quality of your source willdetermine the performance of your system.Broadcast Sources are transmitted to yourhome from a remote destination by oneof the following methods:

CableThis is how most Americans receive theirsports and movies. But while cable is popu-lar, convenient, and offers a wide range ofoptions, its quality is inconsistent. Standardanalog cable often delivers poor audio andvideo quality. Newer digital cable systemsto offer higher quality video and audio per-formance. In many areas High Definitionvideo and audio as well as “time shift”recording services are available.

Satellite Mini Dish (DSS)These inexpensive 18" dishes mount almostanywhere, receiving hundreds of digitally-broadcast satellite channels whose qualityis unsurpassed. This fast-growing mediumis High Definition capable and “step-up”set-top receivers offer digital surround sound. When shopping for satellite broadcast hardware, be sure to look for oneswith a digital audio output jack. The freeentry level receivers usually do not offerthis feature.

I-Sonic™ Entertainment System

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Antenna If you have a functional antenna on yourrooftop, use it! You’ll only get a limitednumber of stations in most areas, but theycan be received with superb quality, andat no cost. If you have a High Definitiontelevision, over-the-air broadcasts canactually deliver thebest picture quality.

Digital VideoRecorder(DVR)These devices areconsidered by theirfans to be the bestinvention sincefire. A DVR is acomputer harddrive that recordsand plays back TVprograms. They are easier to use and much“smarter” than VCRs and can even antici-pate which programs you’d like to record.You can watch the programs you want towatch at the times you want to watch andyou can fast forward past commercials,time outs and other wastes of your time.The major brands in DVRs are TiVo andReplayTV. Some cable systems and satelliteTV services such as Direct TV offer set-topreceiver/DVR combination devices thatmake TV recording and watching ultraeasy. The one downside to DVRs is themonthly program guide service fee. Inour opinion it’s worth every penny.

Digital Broadcast & High Definition TV These exciting technologies are availablein all major markets. While the hardware(HDTVs) commands a premium price overconventional TVs, the image and sound

quality are amazing! Be careful when youshop for HDTVs. Many sets are “HDTVReady” and require a separate set-top boxto receive High Definition signals which isfine if you have an HD set-top box fromyour digital cable or satellite provider. Other sets have HD tuners built in. While

these sets will cost a bit more at theoutset, they mayactually cost less in the long term.

Just like the discdrive in your com-puter or the tapedeck in your car,software sourcecomponents readdata-in this case,audio and videoinformation-storedon a tape or disc,and feed it to your

system. Some popular software choices for home theater include:

VCR/VHS VideotapeVHS is a dying format. Audio/video qualityis mediocre and, thanks to tape wear, onlygets worse with time. It is difficult to findVHS movie titles to rent or buy. Even as a“time shift” device for recording TV pro-grams, the VCR has been superseded by thefar superior Digital Video Recorder. If you’restill using a VCR, it is time to buy a DVDplayer and/or a DVR.

DVDThese do-it-all discs are the ultimateformat for movies, music and computersoftware. DVDs deliver amazing pictureresolution, and digital surround sound ona convenient little disc. Both the discs andplayers are reasonably priced, and there

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is a vast and growing library of softwaretitles available for rent at your local videoor mail order rental store. With the priceof DVD players starting below $100, thereis no reason to resist the switch from tapeto DVD. High Definition DVD player arejust becoming available at the time of this writing (summer 2006) that promiselife-like picture quality and a host of addi-tional features. There are two competingformats: DVD -HD and Blu-Ray, eachbacked by different hardware manufactur-ers and movie studios. Hopefully by thetime you read this a single standardwill have emerged.

Media Servers & CentersComputers are capable of storing largeamounts of data—including movies andmusic—and organize them in easy-to-access databases. They are increasinglybeing used as sources for home theaterand audio systems. Purpose-designedmedia storage devices such as the AudioReQuest Music Server and the KalaidescapeMovie Server are single purpose devices—all they do is store, organize and retrievemusic and movies. We think they areconvenient high quality devices, albeitexpensive. The alternative is a home PCthat has been optimized for media storage,so called Media Centers. To date thesedevices have been prone to all the illsof PCs—software bugs, need for periodicreboot, non-intuitive interfaces and pooraudio and video performance. Some PCmakers claim that the latest generationunits are better on all these fronts plus offer multi-functionality that single pur-pose devices can’t equal (such as printinga label for a copied CD). Our feeling isthat multipurpose media centers are likeSwiss Army Knives—you could build ahouse with one if you had to but youreally wouldn’t want to.

Super Audio CDSuper Audio CD (SACD) is an audio deliv-

ery format developed by Sony and Phillips,the companies who brought us the CD. An SACD disc is the size of a CD but offersmuch higher sampling data rates than CDfor significantly better sound and multi-channel sound when played through aspecial SACD player. This format failedto catch on as a mainstream formatand is now being used mostly by smallindependent audiophile record labels.

DVD-AudioDVD-audio is the long promised audioformat delivered on a DVD platform. It issaid to offer higher digital sampling ratesthan CD and better sound quality. TheDVD-A format supports multi-channelaudio and limited video (stills, short clips)on a DVD-sized disc. You will need a playerspecifically designed for DVD-A and areceiver or processor with 6 analog inputsto play DVD-A. Like SACD, DVD-A failed tocatch on and is being offered by a smallnumber of independent labels.

Surround Formats—Surround sound didn’t happen overnight.It grew out of stereo and evolved intotoday’s state-of-the-art discrete digitalmulti-channel formats. Before buildingyour dream system, you’ll need to knowthe differences.

Dolby ® Pro Logic ®

& Pro Logic II ®

To accommodate surround information ontwo channel sources, Dolby Laboratoriesdeveloped Pro Logic surround that “piggy-backed” the center and rear channels ontothe analog stereo tracks. Dolby Pro Logicsurround is found on nearly all moviesmade in the past twenty-five years, but itsuffers from two major limitations. First,the rear channel is monaural: whether youuse one, two or twenty speakers at the backof your theater, they all receive exactly thesame signal. What’s more, that signal hasextremely limited frequency range, with nohigh treble or deep bass. Second, there islittle separation between any two adjacentchannels, which significantly compromisesthe “surround” effect.

The newer ProLogic II system is a vastimprovement over original Pro Logic andcan approach (but never equal) the perfor-mance of the two digital surround systems

Dolby Digital and DTS. For watching video-tapes and analog broadcast or cable TV, the ProLogic II decoder built into every sur-round receiver is all you need. If, however,you’d like to hear your DVDs and digitalcable and satellite broadcasts at their verybest, you’ll also want digital surroundsound capability that is described inthe next section.

Dolby Digital ®

The most popular of the digital surroundformats, Dolby Digital 5.1 features five full-frequency-range channels—left, center and right front, plus left and right rear—a sixth channel for Low Frequency Effects(bass). Digital surround sound is oftenreferred to as “5.1;” 5 main channels plusthe Low Frequency Effects (LFE or “.1”)channel. The advantage of the digital5.1 surround format is the availabilityof storing six completely separate sound-tracks, one for each speaker in the system.This allows sound designers to delivermuch more exciting surround effectsand imaging with lifelike impact anddynamic range. The difference in soundquality between Dolby Digital surroundand original Pro Logic surroundis similar to the difference between CD and cassette tapes.

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RTi8 Tower Loudspeakers

Digital surround decoding systems suchas Dolby Digital require digital sourcessuch as DVD or the latest generation ofDigital Satellite Systems (DSS) or DigitalCable. Most DVDs contain a 5.1 channelDolby Digital soundtrack and all DVDplayers can play Dolby Digital discs.

DTS ®: Digital Theater SystemsDTS (an acronym for Digital TheaterSystems) is a digital 5.1 system that iscompetitive to Dolby Digital. In orderto play a DTS DVD disc you must have aDTS surround compatible DVD player andprocessor. Some DVD titles were releasedin separate Dolby Digital and DTS versions.Make sure the one you’re buying is compat-ible with your equipment. Lately, more DVDtitles have been issued that contain bothDolby Digital and DTS 5.1 digital tracks onthe same disc, which eliminates that worry.

Surround EX & ESThere are variations on Dolby Digital andDTS surround processing that offer anadditional rear channel signal. Referredto as “Surround EX” (DD) and “SurroundES” (DTS), these systems add either a sin-gle center rear speaker, a 6.1 system(Fig.1),or two back speakers to the standard leftand right surround speakers, a 7.1 system(Fig. 2). In order to use surround EX or

ES you need a surround processor with the EX or ES circuitry (standard on manybest-quality receivers) and DVDs that havebeen specifically mixed for EX or ES. TheseDVDs are backward compatible, meaningthey will perform exactly like a standardDVD when played on non-EX or non-ESequipped processors.

A properly set up 6.1 or 7.1 system cansound amazingly lifelike, enveloping thelistener in a seamless 360-degree sound-field. If you are a hard-core audio hobbyist,and have the freedom to set up a system as illustrated above, Surround EX may befor you. But many people will find it hardto properly integrate additional speakersinto their rooms. A poorly set-up EX system may in fact sound worse than a standard5.1 system. Rest assured that standardDolby Digital and DTS 5.1 systems arecapable of spine-tingling surround perfor-mance on their own. You’ll still blowyour neighbors away.

THX®

THX is a set of equipment specifications,compatible with all surround formats,intended to standardize the performanceof any theater system. It does not competein any way with Dolby Digital, Pro Logic IIor DTS. Software (movies) certified by THX

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may be played on any system and con-versely, THX hard-ware can play all moviesoftware whether or not it is THX certified.

There are actually three parts to the THXstandard: one covers the mastering of homevideo software. All THX-certified softwarewill work with any player, in any system.Part two is known as the Theater Certifi-cation Process, wherein a commercialmovie theater can achieve THX status bycomplying with a series of hardware andsetup guidelines. Part three deals with thegear consumers purchase for their home theaters, and is known as Home THX.

There Are Several Levels Of THX Certification ForHome Theater Products: � THX Ultra Certified Products are engi-

neered and designed for top performingproducts that are not dependent on aspecific room size. Product types include:Interconnects, Equalizers, ProjectionScreens and DVD Players.

� THX Ultra2 Certified Products are engi-neered and designed for large hometheaters. Viewing distance of approxi-mately 12 feet (4 meters) from the dis-play to the listening position. Producttypes include: Speakers, Receivers, Pre-Amplifiers, and Power Amplifiers.

� THX Select Certified Products are engi-neered and designed for superior perfor-mance and complement the presenta-tion of THX Select2 Certified Receivers.Product types include: Speakers andDVD Players.

� THX Select2 Certified Products areengineered and designed for smallto medium sized home theaters.

Viewing distance of approximately 10 feet (3 meters) from the display to the listening position. This levelapplies only to Receivers.

Home THX components are not necessarilybetter or worse than other products: theyhave simply earned THX approval by con-forming to THX-mandated specifications.Once the product has been submitted toLucasfilm Ltd. (the company that developedand licenses the THX standard) and passeda battery of tests, it can wear a “THXApproved” badge. In order to be a true THX system, all the audio components inthat system-processor, amplifier, speakersand subwoofer-must be THX-approved. But that does not mean that THX and non-THX components cannot be usedtogether; they can.

Although THX guarantees minimum stan-dards of certain aspects of performance,many of the best products are not THX-approved. Why? Audio manufacturers oftenchoose to forego THX certification becauseeither A—they believe THX specificationsactually compromise performance (forexample, many speaker manufacturersassert that THX-mandated dispersion pat-terns can negatively affect music soundquality) or B—they decline to pay, and pass on to their customers, the licensing fees.

So, should you buy THX-approved gear?That depends. For inexpensive, entry levelgear, THX-approval guarantees a minimumstandard of quality: a THX-approved receiv-er or amplifier will drive a variety of loud-speakers and, conversely, THX-approvedspeakers will work with most amps. So willmost non-THX components! It would befoolish to ignore a product simply becauseit has or hasn’t been THX certified. What’s

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more, most high quality “high end” prod-ucts are not THX-approved. If you need an“official seal of approval,” THX might beworthwhile. But remember: you can buildan excellent home theater independent of THX certification. When in doubt, trust your ears.

Digital Signal Processing (DSP)Many surround receivers have “DSP” cir-cuits that allow your surround system tomimic the acoustics of various locales suchas a concert hall, church, jazz club, etc.The sound quality of these surround modesranges from pretty darn good to simplyawful. If this type of surround processingis important to you, listen before you buy.If not, ignore it. All units allow you to turnDSP modes off.

Power Up:

Choosing Electronics—ReceiversThink of the receiver as the anchor of ahome theater system. Receivers are actuallyseveral components in one chassis; they areeasy to buy and represent very high value.The functions of a receiver are:

Tuner Receives AM and FM radio stations. Somemodels can receive XM or Sirius satelliteradio with a paid subscription. If radio isimportant to you, you’ll want to seek out areceiver with an HD radio tuner. HD Radiois the new digital radio standard that offersnear CD-quality sound on FM, FM qualitysound from AM, more stations on bothbands and text data on the tuner’s display.For more information on HD Radio go towww.hdradio.com.

Preamp/Switching Center The preamp section of the receiver controlsvolume, bass, treble and other basic opera-tional functions. It also serves as a switch-ing station for your whole home theatersystem, allowing you to switch audio andvideo sources. Make sure the receiver youare considering has enough audio andvideo inputs and outputs to handle all yourcurrent and future sources. Be especiallyaware of the number and type of digitalinputs it provides. Are there enough for allyour present and future digital sources suchas DVD, DSS, Digital Cable? If your TV andDVD player have Component Video inputsand outputs (three wires), make sure thereceiver has Component Video inputs andoutputs. The latest audio/video connectionmethod is HDMI—a single wire that con-nects audio and video sources to TVs andreceivers with a single cable. Be carefulto make sure that the receiver is equippedto handle the audio and video switchingduties of your current and future sourceand display devices. Your receiver can actas the central “switching station,” allowingyou to switch audio and video with a singleremote command.

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For moreHomeTheater info,visit theFAQ & Adviceat www.

polkaudio.com/education/index.php

Surround ProcessorThis part of the receiver “decodes” the sur-round sound information from the sourceand directs the channels of information to the proper speakers. The major types ofsurround formats are discussed on pages12, 13 & 14. All receivers sold today haveDolby Pro Logic or Pro Logic II built-inso that you can get surround effects frombroadcast and cable TV and videotape.Virtually all surround receivers sold todayalso feature built-in Dolby Digital and DTSprocessing in addition to Pro Logic II.

Power AmplifiersThe power amplifiers are the parts of thereceiver that drive the speakers. The higherthe power (watts) of the amplifier section,the louder and cleaner the speakers willplay. Don’t worry about small differences in power; in order to get an audible vol-ume difference (a 3dB increase) you needto actually double your power. So if you areconsidering a 50 watt per channel receiver,the next significant step-up power-wise is 100 watts per channel.

But beware, not all Watts are created equal.It is not uncommon to have two receiversor amplifiers of equal rated power and findthat one plays louder and sounds betterthan the other. Why? Some manufacturersmeasure power with only one channeloperating at a time, rather than all chan-nels driven simultaneously (as you woulduse it). Also, standard amplifier tests cannotmimic the same electrical conditions, orload, of an actual loudspeaker. But mostof all, specifications cannot measure thequality of sound.

So How Do You Tell WhichReceiver Has The BetterAmplifier Section? Here Are A Few Clues—� Look carefully at the power specifica-

tions. A thorough and meaningful

power spec would look something like

this: “100W/ch @ 8 Ohms, with no

more than 0.1% THD, from 20-20,000

Hz, all channels driven.” In this spec

you can tell that the power was mea-

sured in the way you will use it: at low

Total Harmonic Distortion (anything

under .5% is low enough), through the

whole audible frequency range (20Hz -

20kHz) and with all the speakers play-

ing. A lesser quality receiver might quote

power like this: “100W/ch @8 Ohms, at

1 kHz, one channel driven.” That’s a lot

like quoting a car’s acceleration as “0-

60 MPH, downhill with a stiff tail wind.”

� Look for power ratings at lower than

8 Ohm loads (Ohms are a measure of

the electrical resistance of the speaker).

Ideally the amp should be able to put

out 50% more power into a 4 Ohm load

as an 8 Ohm load. If there is no 4 Ohm

power rating quoted, chances are that

the amp will not drive a 4 Ohm speaker.

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PSW505 Powered Subwoofer

Almost all speakers are less than 8 Ohms

for some part of the frequency range

(impedance varies with frequency) and

many fine speakers are 4 Ohm speakers.

Get a receiver that can safely drive

a 4 Ohm speaker.

� Beware of the super bargain. If you

see a receiver that seems to offer a lot

of power for a ridiculously low price it

is probably too good to be true-literally.

Separate Components If you are a real audiophile and want theabsolute best performance, you will be bet-ter off getting all of the above componentsas separate pieces. This approach willgive you the greatest amount of flexibilityand ultimately better performance thancan be had from a receiver, but at greatercost and complexity.

Loudspeakers—Loudspeakers have the toughest job in thehome entertainment system. While source,processing and amplification componentslike players, receivers and amps simplyhave electrical signals with which to con-tend, speakers are transducers—deviceswhich convert electrical energy (the audiosignal supplied by the amp) into mechani-cal energy (the music and sounds we hear).

A good speaker will do this job accurately,reproducing sounds precisely as they wererecorded and efficiently, squeezing the mostvolume from the least power. What’s more,there’s no single way to build a fine loud-speaker. Unlike amps, preamps and proces-sors, which all employ the same basic cir-cuits but differ in terms of features andconstruction quality, the diversity of speakerdesigns is nearly as limitless as the speakerdesigner’s imagination.

All loudspeakers make sound by movingair. Your amplifier powers the speaker’s drivers—woofers for bass, tweeters for treble, and midrange for everything inbetween—that vibrate at frequencies andvolumes to match the original recording.Since they all work the same, why don’t allspeakers look the same? Because everyone’sneeds are different. Do you want to makeyour home theater the focal point of yourliving room, or do you believe that speakersshould be heard and not seen? Are thunder-ous bass and lifelike volumes important, oris softer better? No matter: there’s a perfectspeaker for your room, budget and listeningtaste, once you know how to find it.

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Loudspeaker Types

Floorstanding Speakers Floorstanding or “tower” loudspeakersare audio’s equivalent of a big-block V-8engine. Thanks to their large enclosuresand increased size or number of drivers,floorstanders move enormous quantitiesof air, enabling them to have greaterdynamic range (to play louder andcleaner) and produce deeper bassthan other designs.

AdvantagesExtremely wide frequency response anddynamic range make floorstanders thechoice where performance is the primarypurchasing criteria. And while they tendto be large, many current models featureslender cabinets with small footprints,minimizing visual impact. Also, since most of the world’s best loudspeakers aretowers, their manufacturers often lavishbetter parts or build quality on these “flagship” products.

DisadvantagesWhen space is at a premium, such as ina small apartment or smartly decoratedroom, towers simply might not fit. What’smore, the prodigious output capabilities of such speakers means that placement can be more critical—floorstandersshould be located 2-3 feet from nearbywalls for best performance. Finally, beware of “bargains:” large cabinets are expensive to build. Unusually low pricing is often the result of construc-tion shortcuts.

Floorstanders With Built-In Subwoofers(Powered Towers) Powered towers arefloorstanding speakers with the poweredsubwoofers built right in.

AdvantagesFor 5.1 channel digital systems, the choreof selecting the subwoofer disappears.Powered towers also conserve floor-space.Since the subwoofer and main speaker dri-vers are designed together, they can be opti-mized with each other for better perfor-mance and better “blending.” There is nosense of discontinuity between midrangeand bass as there can be with separatemain/subwoofer speaker systems. While notcheap, powered towers are often less expen-sive than purchasing separate speakers andsubwoofers of comparable quality.

Disadvantages The best room placement for the midrangeand imaging of the main speakers (usuallyaway from walls) may not be the bestplacement for the subwoofer’s bass output(usually close to walls). So a powered towermay force a compromise in placementand performance. Very large rooms and bass-craving listeners may requirea separate subwoofer.

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LSi 7 Bookshelf Speakers

CSi3 Center Channel Speaker

Bookshelf SpeakersWith their compact cabinets, bookshelfspeakers work where towers won’t. Actually,the name “bookshelf” is unfortunate, since most such designs perform best whenplaced on sturdy stands, rather than tuckedinside pieces of furniture. These speakersare not only more placement-friendly but, since small enclosures are more rigid,they produce less sonically degrading “boxresonance” than all but the best towers.

Advantages Usually modest in price as well as size,bookshelf speakers fit rooms and budgetsthat cannot accommodate a pair of expen-sive towers. The small, solid cabinets areboth versatile-able to excel in bookcases,atop shelves or hung on walls-and featureexcellent midrange clarity.

Caution: Many bookshelf type speakers use air tun-nels or “ports” to improve efficiency andbass output. If you plan on placing yourspeakers against a wall or inside a cabinet,choose a model whose port is located onthe front panel, with the drivers. The excep-tions to this caution are the Polk RTi andLSi Series bookshelf models that feature arear mounted PowerPort. The PowerPort’sunique design permits proper operationeven under these conditions. (Couldn’tresist the plug here!—Matt)

Disadvantages Reduced cabinet volume and driver arealimit the dynamic and bass frequency rangeof bookshelf speakers, and can also com-promise power handling and efficiency.Fortunately, the addition of a separatesubwoofer can overcome these problems.

Subwoofer/Satellite Systems When even the smallest bookshelf speakersare too visible to fit your lifestyle, a satel-lite/subwoofer (“sub/sat”) system is theanswer. By combining small satellites witha subwoofer designed specifically to workwith them, sub/sat systems have becomeone of the most popular categories inhome audio.

Advantages The big advantages here are size, place-ment flexibility and cosmetics. Thesatellites can be placed just about any-where: on a shelf, on the wall, in a cabinetor on a table. Most are small enough tofit in the palm of your hand and are hardto spot when placed alongside books andbric-a-brac. Some satellite speakers arevery handsomely styled so that even whenthey are seen, they complement ratherthan detract from the look of the room.The subwoofer section can be placed outof sight-in a corner, behind furniture orunder a table.

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Monitor60 Tower Loudspeaker

Sub/sats also have certain performanceadvantages over more traditional designs.The slender front baffles don’t interferewith the drivers’ dispersion, so imaging isabsolutely first rate. The best of the genreproduce a wide, deep soundstage that is insome ways superior to larger speakers. Thesubwoofer cabinet can be placed where bassperformance is best, so bass response isoften awesome. Most folks are agog whenthey hear such loud bass apparentlycoming from such tiny speakers.

Disadvantages Those little satellites can’t reproduce basson their own, making it tough to achieve acompletely seamless blend between satelliteand sub. There is often a “hole” or weakresponse in the area where the satellite’sresponse leaves off and the subwoofer takesover- lower midrange or the bottom octaveof a male voice. When evaluating sub/satsystems listen closely to male voices, if theysound “thin” the system suffers from thismidrange suck-out problem.

Small drivers and enclosures also compro-mise dynamic range and power handling.If you have a very large room to fill withsound, a sub/sat system may not be rightfor you.

Sound BarsWith the growing popularity of slim profileand wall-mounted LCD and Plasma TVs, a new category of speaker has emerged—so called sound bars, speakers that containLeft, Center and Right (LCR) channelspeakers in a single enclosure.

Advantages “Sound Bars” are very space efficient, lookterrific wall mounted under a flat TV andare easy to hook up. They can be a greatchoice for bedroom or guest room systemsor anyplace where space is at a premium.

Disadvantages By concentrating the speakers for Left,Center and Right channels into a smallpackage, the sonic image produced by thesespeakers is small and lacking in spacious-ness. Small size and lack of bass makesa subwoofer an absolute necessity. If sur-round sound is your ultimate goal, youwill still have to place, mount and connectrear channel speakers, which is a moredaunting task than placing, mountingand connecting the front three channels.

Single Speaker Surround A very few speakers contain speakers for all five main channels in one enclosureand are capable of generating surroundsound from one or two speakers to elimi-nate the need for wiring and placing rearchannel speakers. There are two basicmethods to generate a surround experi-ence from one or two front speakers. Each method has its own subset of advantages and disadvantages.

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SurroundBar™

RM6900 Subwoofer/Satellite System

� The bounce-in this method the speakersare mechanically or electronicallyaimed toward side and/or rear wallsto reflect the rear channel signal offof room surfaces.

� Electronic or acoustic signal processingin which the rear channel signal isaltered to allow you to hear soundaround and behind you.

Advantages As with Left/Center/Right type sound barspeakers, these one or two-speaker surroundmodels are space efficient and look right athome mounted under or above a TV. Theelimination of rear surround speakers hasobvious space conservation, decorating andconvenience benefits. Single speaker sur-round solutions are usually very easy tohook up. If you are unable or unwilling to place and connect rear speakers, these products can be a simple and convenient solution.

Disadvantages How well the surround experience worksdepends in part on your room acoustics andthe type of system you choose. The “bouncesound” type products tend to require roomlayouts that are symmetrical with nearbyside walls. The signal processing type mod-els are less dependent on room acoustics/layout to work well, but some variations of this method can sound unnatural. As always, when evaluating any type ofspeaker, listen before you buy, paying close attention to basic fidelity and naturalness of sound. Long after the novelty of sur-round sound wears off, you’ll be far moreconcerned with clarity, even tonal balanceand detail resolution.

For a more thorough discussion of single speaker surround solutions visit:www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/surroundbar/

Subwoofers Want big bass without big speakers? Add asubwoofer! A speaker that reproduces onlythe lowest frequencies, a subwoofer makesit possible to achieve true full-range perfor-mance with bookshelf or “satellite” speak-ers by taking over the responsibility for thelower frequencies which small speakershave trouble delivering. Subwoofers canaugment the bass of all speakers in thesystem as well as serve as the “.1,” or LFE(low frequency effects) channel, in 5.1-channel digital systems. Listeners whoseek the ultimate home theater experiencewill want to add a subwoofer even to full-range floorstanding towers!

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polkcs@polkaudio.com

Advantages Subwoofers supply the low frequencies thatsmall speakers lack, but that’s only half thestory. By relieving the other speakers of theirbass burden, a subwoofer actually enhancesmidrange and treble quality. Most subsinclude their own amplifier, so adding apowered subwoofer also increases your totalsystem power. And since bass frequenciesare non-directional, your sub can be tuckedout of sight and still shake the floor.

Disadvantages A subwoofer is yet another box to find aplace for in your room. If this is a problemfor you, consider main tower speakers with built-in powered subwoofers custominstalled in the floor. In the context of a5.1-channel system, there are few down-sides to a subwoofer—you need one to get the full impact potential of the home theater experience.

Built-In Speakers For environments where box-type (tower orbookshelf) loudspeakers are unacceptable,built-in speakers mount in holes cut intothe wall or ceiling. Most models featurepaintable grilles so you can disguise them,enabling them to virtually disappear intoyour decor!

A new category of built-in speakers is thatof built-in subwoofers that mount in walls,floors and ceilings. These subs usuallycome with outboard purpose-designedamplifier/crossover units.

AdvantagesSince they consume no floor or bookshelfspace and can be easily concealed, in-wallswork when and where other speakers won’t.If you plan on expanding your systemthroughout your home, built-in speakersare a wonderful way to bring sound toadditional rooms. They are also useful asrear surround speakers when the roomconfiguration makes it impossible toproperly place box speakers. The very bestexamples of built-in speakers and sub-woofers can rival or exceed the soundquality of free-standing speakers.

Disadvantages Unless you are using a purpose-designedin-wall enclosure or have the ability tochange the volume of space behind thespeaker (by installing fire breaks), bass performance can be uneven and unpre-dictable. Built-ins that can deliver thedynamic range and bass response of box-type loudspeakers are more costly than free-standing models. Unless you are a do-it-yourselfer, professional installation will add to the cost of the system.

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RCi65 In-Wall Speakers

Choosing Home Theater

Speaker Components—“Why Do I Need All ThoseSpeakers?”Art imitates life. In the real world, we don’tjust hear sounds in front of us, but from theback and sides as well. In their attempts tomake movies as lifelike as possible, direc-tors duplicate this experience by sendingcertain sounds to the sides and rear of thetheater. For these reasons, modern sound-tracks include additional channels that“surround” their audiences with sound.When movies are auditioned through amulti-speaker theater array, viewers areplaced “in the center” of the action.That’s why you need all those speakers!

Take A Balanced Approach Your stereo, center, and surround speakersshouldn’t just sound good, they should allsound the same. Using a technique knownas “timbre matching,” top manufacturersachieve a consistent character of sound, ortimbre, from main to center to surroundspeakers, assuring a seamless blend amongall channels. Choose a brand that offers a wide range of timbre-matched models.Look at the drivers and tweeters usedthroughout the system. The tweeters should be the same. The midrange drivercones should be made of the same materi-al, or better yet, the drivers themselvesshould be identical.

A chain is only as strong as the weakestlink. This is as true in home theater sys-tems as it is in tug-of-war and towing. Withtoday’s home theater systems, every speakerin the system has a vital job and must do itwell. Strive for balanced performance whenselecting home theater speaker compo-nents. It makes no sense to overspendon one speaker and skimp on others.

Here’s a description of eachspeaker in a home theatersystem, its purpose and howyou can choose the right one for your needs.

The Stereo Pair In addition to playing music, the left andright “main” channels of a soundtrackcarry most of a motion picture’s specialeffects and orchestral score. In order toexcel at these tasks, the stereo pair mustencompass wide frequency and broad vol-ume swings (dynamic range), reproducesubtle recorded details, and be able to create a convincing “soundstage” (the impression of musicians playing on a three dimensional stage).

When choosing main channel loudspeak-ers, play a handful of music and movie selections you know well. Listen to a solovocalist: does the “image” of that performerseem to “float” at the center of the sound-stage (good), or can you trace the singer tothe speakers (bad) or does the singer seemto be 10 feet wide (even worse)? Next, try anacoustic guitar, violin or cello. You shouldhear natural, detailed string tone, as well as the resonance of the instrument’s wood-en body. Finish with an action flick. Are theeffects—gunshots, explosions, etc.—clear-ly reproduced, or do they become hard, flatand generally unpleasant as the volumeincreases? A good pair of loudspeakersshould never sound “fatiguing.”

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The Center Channel Speaker Although the main purpose of a centerspeaker is to fix the actors’ voices to thescreen for off-center listeners, this channelalso carries a good deal of the movie’s special effects. In fact, more than 50% of a typical film’s sound is routed to the cen-ter, and the speaker must be able to producevery high volumes without distortion orstrain-so don’t skimp! Audition a scene inwhich several actors speak. Is each voiceunique and articulate? Male vocals shouldbe deep, but never boomy or “chesty”(emphasizing the deep-chest sounds in spoken or singing voices). Higher-pitchedwomen’s voices shouldn’t sound shrill,“spitty,” or nasal. Finally, try a scene inwhich special effects “pan” from left toright-a car chase or airplane fly-by is ideal.Does the sound remain consistent, or doesit become weak or lightweight as it passesthrough the center?

For a single listener sitting in the “sweetspot” (equidistant from two front speakers),a center channel speaker is sometimes noteven necessary. Simply engage the “phan-tom center” control on your processor orreceiver, and you’ll hear a clearly localizedcentral image. Of course, if you’d like toshare the fun with friends or family, a good center channel speaker is a necessity.

Do you need a center channel speaker withgood bass performance? For most systems,the answer is no. All surround receivers andprocessors have “bass management” for thecenter speaker. They allow you to direct thecenter channel bass information into themain or subwoofer channels. Your proces-sor’s instruction manual will show you how to do it. The center speaker needs toreproduce sounds only from 100Hz and up. But if you want the ultimate home theaterperformance, there are a few center speak-ers that can reproduce bass with authority.If your main speakers are ultra-high performance, you’ll appreciate the addeddynamic range, kick, and imaging precision that a full range center speakerbrings to the party.

The Surround Speakers The next time you’re in a movie theater,look around. See all those speakers liningthe side and rear walls? They help thesoundtrack encircle the audience. It’s this“surround” effect that places viewers inthe center of the action. Since it’s usuallyimpractical for homeowners to install mul-tiple pairs of “effects channel” loudspeak-ers, manufacturers offer “bi-directional”(bipole or dipole) speakers, which placedrivers on both the front and rear of thecabinet. This arrangement spreads the

Fig. 3a Fig. 3b

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sound along the side-walls, making itharder for the audience to identify the loca-tion of the surround speakers and deliver-ing a more enveloping experience. This is especially important if your surroundspeakers need to be placed within a few feetof your listening position (Fig. 3a & 3b).

But bi-directional surrounds are not foreveryone. With 5.1-channel systems, yourrear speakers need to reproduce the samehigh frequency range as your front speakersand bass as low as 80 Hz, minimum. You’llprobably be happier with high performancefront-firing speakers than with a pair of cheap or mediocre bipoles or dipoles.Frankly, bi-directional speakers selling forless than $300/pair are not a wise choice.

To choose the surround speakers thatare best for you, first select a locationand the type of speakers (floor, on-wall,in-wall, in-ceiling, etc.) that fit well inyour room. This will help determine

whether you’ll want bi-directional or front-firing surrounds.

In Dolby Digital and DTS-equipped sys-tems, select surround speakers that are asclose as possible in performance to yourfront speakers. Look for the same or similardriver and tweeters as your front speakers.Pick speakers made by the same manufac-turer that made your main speakers.In-wall or in-ceiling speakers are an attractive option for surround channel use. They can offer high performance and take up no space at all.

The SubwooferA powered subwoofer is a speaker thatreproduces only the lowest (bass) frequen-cies to provide a more exciting and lifelikemovie experience. Since it has its ownbuilt-in amplifier, you don’t need tobe concerned about whether your receiveror amp has enough power to drive apowered subwoofer.

Although listening is the ultimate test of a loudspeaker, thereare other clues to quality. Rap your knuckles on the sides of thecabinet: a hollow echo indicates a poorly made enclosure thatwill probably degrade the sound. The weight of a speaker willgive you a clue as to the materials and construction quality.The best speakers have 5-way binding posts that offer thebest possible connection with any type of cable.

Read the manufacturer’s specifications to make sure youramplifier and speakers will work properly together. The effi-ciency (a.k.a. “sensitivity”) rating tells you how much sounda speaker will produce when it's fed one watt of power. Choosea model rated at 86dB or higher-a low-powered system needshigh efficiency speakers. Finally, check the “impedance” speci-fication. If you’ve chosen an inexpensive receiver, your speak-ers’ impedance should be at least 4 ohms, and preferably6 Ohms or higher.

Tire Kicking—

How To Judge A Quality Speaker

A highly recommended option for stereo orDolby Pro Logic, subwoofers are an essen-tial component of 5.1-channel digital sys-tems since these formats assign additionallow frequency effects to a separate sub-woofer track. If you’ve chosen floorstandingspeakers with built-in powered subwoofersfor your stereo pair, this sixth speaker maybe unnecessary. If you’re looking to assem-ble a truly outrageous home theater system,adding a separate subwoofer to a set ofpowered towers will deliver an effortless,body-moving experience.

There are a few things to keep in mindwhen selecting a powered subwoofer foryour system. First, select a location for yoursubwoofer and measure the space to seewhat fits.

Next, keep in mind that the better yourfront main speakers, the better your sub-woofer needs to be. If you have floorstand-ing speakers that already have good bass,select a subwoofer that is capable of repro-ducing very low frequencies so that it pro-duces the bass that your main speakers

cannot reproduce efficiently. A small, inex-pensive subwoofer added to a pair of large,high quality floorstanding speakers mightdo more harm than good.

The size of your room is also a factor. Thebigger the room, the better the subwooferyou’ll need. In very large rooms multiplesubwoofers may be desirable.

But the best advice of all is to ignore thenumbers and simply listen before you buy.Many people get overly concerned aboutinches and watts. They assume that the big-ger the driver size and the higher the poweramp rating, the better the subwoofer. This is simply not so. Bigger doesn’t necessarilymake better. Your dealer will let you listento different subwoofers before you buy. Ifpossible, listen with the front speakers youown or intend to get. Does the subwooferadd a deep bass foundation, or does it just“boom”? Listen with music as well asmovie sources. Is the subwoofer tight andwell defined with music, or does it just adda vague rumble? Trust your ears. Find theright subwoofer for your room with Polk’son-line subwoofer chooser: www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/subchooser/

System Setup—Even the finest surround sound systemwon’t sound its best unless it is set up prop-erly. And while the subject of speaker place-ment could-and often does-fill an entirebook, a few basic tips will help you obtainthe best performance from your hometheater system.

Common Mistakes The three most common setup mistakesinvolve reversing channels, connectingspeaker wires out of phase, and misunder-standing the subwoofer connection.

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Fig. 4

Channel Identification On the back of your receiver or amplifier,you’ll find a clearly labeled pair of termi-nals for each of the five speaker channels,plus a subwoofer or LFE output. Whenyou’re sitting in your listening position,facing the three front (left, center andright) speakers and the television, the leftfront and left rear speakers are on your left,and the right front and right rear speakersare on your right (Fig. 4). You can assureproper hookup by using your receiver orprocessor’s built-in test tone. As the tonemoves from one channel to the next, yourreceiver or processor will display whichspeaker is reproducing sound at thatmoment. If one or more test tonescome out of the wrong speakers, it’stime to rewire!

Phase One of each pair of speaker terminals onthe receiver’s output panel is black, theother is red. These correspond to the “posi-tive” (+) and “negative” (-) phases, orhalves, of the audio signal. The connectorson the back of each speaker will be similar-ly color-coded (Fig. 5). Speaker wire pairshave some way of identifying the two con-ductors: they will be color coded, markedwith “+” and “-”, or one wire will have arib, a stripe or printing. Be careful not toreverse the positive and negative wires, asincorrect phase will adversely affect soundquality by canceling bass and producingvague, unfocused images.

Subwoofer Hook-Up This is another common stumbling blockwhen setting up home theater systems.The subwoofer output jack of a processoror receiver may not be the best place to hook up your subwoofer. Why?

� Many receivers or processors only directbass to that output jack when in a sur-round mode and not in the stereo mode.That means you’ll lose the benefit of thesubwoofer when playing a stereo source!Your receiver or processor may not dothis, check the manual or experiment.

� In the vast majority of receivers andprocessors, the subwoofer output jack islow-pass filtered. That means that thereis a filter (sometimes referred to as acrossover) that blocks sounds above agiven frequency (usually 100Hz-150Hz)from getting out of the sub-out jack.Your powered subwoofer also has a built-in low pass filter, and when the twofilters combine the filter “slope” isincreased. In plain English, you loseperformance. Some receivers and proces-sors allow you to turn off or adjust thefilter. A very few have subwoofer outputsthat are not filtered at all. Check theinstruction book and specs to learnwhat type you have.

� In the case of many systems, particularlythose with little satellite speakers (suchas Polk RM Series products) the low-passfilter that is built-in to the receiver orprocessor is set to the wrong frequency.

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Fig. 5

� Additionally, the high-pass filter thatthe receiver imposes on the satellites’combines with the satellites built-infilter to weaken the lower-midrangeresponse of the system -makingmale voices sound “thin.”

� The variable low-pass filter (crossover)adjustment is one of the most usefultools for adjusting your subwooferto “blend” with the rest of the system.By using a pre-filtered signal, youare defeating this excellent anduseful feature.

Some subwoofers have “LFE” line inputsthat bypass the subwoofer’s built-in low-pass filter. This feature is great for avoidingthe double-filter effect when using a filteredsub-out jack.

The Speaker Wire AdvantageMany people are worried that if they don’tuse the subwoofer output jack, they’ll missthe Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channelon 5.1-channel DVDs. Not true. (We’ll tellyou the secret to getting every last bit ofbass, regardless of which hook up methodyou use, in the “Setting Bass Management”section on page 37.)

If you have full size speakers, and if yourelectronics allow an unfiltered signal togo to the subwoofer output jack, and if thesubwoofer plays in all modes(stereo as well as surround), go ahead and use the sub-woofer output jack. Otherwise, there arebetter ways to hook up your subwoofer.

Almost all powered subwoofers allow you toconnect them with speaker wire. In manycases, that is the best hook up method

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Fig. 6

(Fig. 6). If your receiver or processor haspreamp output jacks, use those to feed thesubwoofer using RCA cables (Fig. 7).When using either of these hook up meth-ods with Dolby Digital and DTS systems,select subwoofer “off” in the bass manage-ment or “speaker set up” function of yourreceiver or processor (see “ProcessorConfiguration and Bass Management” onpage 39). This will direct all of the bass,including the Low Frequency Effects chan-nel, to the left and right speaker outputsand avoid any problems that may arisefrom using a subwoofer output jack. If you have a satellite/subwoofer systemwith small satellites, or if you have towerspeakers with built-in powered subwoofers,we strongly recommend either of thesemethods instead of the subwoofer outputjack method.

Optimizing the Sound

of Your Room—The acoustic characteristics of your roomand the placement of the speakers within ithave a far greater effect on the quality ofthe sound you will hear than any singlepiece of electronic equipment. Whileacoustics can be a confusing subject, andextensive room treatments and alterationscan run into the tens of thousands of dol-lars, there are a few simple, inexpensivethings you can do to maximize the perfor-mance of your room and setup.

There Are Two Important Phenomena Of Room Acoustics: Standing Waves & Reflections � Standing Waves create uneven bass

response throughout a room. To hearthe effect of standing waves for yourself,play a CD with deep, sustained bass.

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Unless you are one of a lucky smallminority, you will hear the bass loudnessgo up and down as you walk around the room. Where there is more bass andwhere there is less bass is a function ofthe dimensions of the room and yourspeakers’ placement. The closer yourroom is to being a cube (equal length,width and height), the more uneven the bass response will be. If you live in a cube-shaped room-move. For the restof you, keep reading for some speakerplacement advice that will help youminimize standing wave problems.

� Reflections are just that: reflections ofthe sound off walls and other objects.Reflections are not bad per se. You justwant to avoid strong, coherent (regular)reflections near the speakers. Strongcoherent reflections will color the sound,make the system sound “bright,” andruin any chance of getting lifelike imag-ing. If you’ve ever heard a sound systemin an empty, hard-walled room, youknow what we mean. The reflectionsyou should concentrate on first arethose that happen within a few feetof the speakers.

Wall construction will also affect the soundof your system. Walls can act as resonatingpanels and add “boomy” coloration tosound. Using your fist, knock between studson the center of a long wall in your listen-ing room. Odds are good that the wall willvibrate and make a booming noise. Soundwaves from your speakers will excite thenatural resonance of the wall in much the same way. If your room walls are 1/2"drywall or wood paneling, the effect is even more pronounced.

Room Treatment You can minimize bad reflections by judicious speaker placement, and byabsorbing or diffusing the reflections.

The first thing to do to improve the soundof your room is fill it with “stuff.” Any kindof stuff: books, furniture, drapes, knick-knacks, paintings. The stuff can be soft,hard, big, little; it hardly matters as long asthe stuff isn’t flat like the walls. The moreirregular the room surfaces the greater thediffusion of reflections are and the betterthe sound. Do whatever you can to breakup large expanses of bare, flat walls,especially the areas near the speakers.

The most critical areas to treat are thewall behind the speakers and at the firstreflection points along the side walls. To find the first reflection point, sit in themain (center) listening position and havea friend slide a hand mirror along the sidewall at tweeter height. When you can seethe nearest speaker in the mirror, you havelocated the first reflection point. Treat thatarea, and the wall opposite, with eithersound absorbing materials (drapes,tapestry, or professional materials likeSonex, and Echo Busters), sound-diffusingmaterials (irregularly surfaced furniture,broad-blade wood blinds, or, better yet,RPG diffusers).

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Fig. 8

If you want to eke out a little more perfor-mance, treat the second reflection spot.Have your helper slide the mirror fartherdown the side wall until you can see theopposite speaker in the mirror. That’sthe second reflection point (Fig. 8).If your speakers are within three feet ofthe ceiling, treat the first reflection spot onthe ceiling (in front of each speaker) witheither diffusing or absorbing material(Fig. 9 & 10). If the wall behind you isa wide, flat, empty wall, treat it with diffus-ing material. Generally, you want to haveabsorbing materials in the front half of theroom (the end your TV and front speakersare in) and diffusing materials in the backhalf of the room (Fig. 11).

If the knuckle test tells you that your wallsare resonating, you have a couple ofoptions. The first is to replace the originalwall material with heavier material, butthat involves a lot of work and money.Instead, Audio journalist Richard Hardestyrecommends this easy and inexpensivesolution for the do-it-yourselfer:“Absorptive material was applied to thewalls from floor to ceiling beside andbehind the speakers and along one side

wall. I used multiple 2'x 4' by 1" thickOwens #705-rigid compressed fiberglasspanels glued directly to the wall surfacesbetween a stiffening frame made from2"x 2" pine studs. The 2x2s were attached

to the wall with drywall screws through thesheetrock and into the interior studs. Eachof these 2x2 frames included two verticaland three horizontal studs to prevent thedrywall from flexing. I covered theseframed panels of compressed fiberglass withdesigner fabric and finished the edges usingmahogany molding. This damping methodserves a dual purpose: it absorbs reflected

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Fig. 9 RPG Dimensions

Fig. 10 Sonex Absorbing Foam

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Room Treatment Resources

Materials:Common household decorations and materials, such as drapesand bookcases, make effective sound-absorbing and diffusingtools. Professional, purpose-designed products are availableas well. These materials can be expensive, but with judiciousplacement a little will go a long way toward giving you bettersound. Some popular brands:

RPG—Specialists in sound treatment, RPG offers everythingfrom home audio room treatment kits to professionalmaterials found in concert halls and recording studios.Phone: (301) 249-0044, http://www.rpginc.com

Sonex—Maker of sound-absorbing foam sheets and ceiling panels. Phone: (612) 520-3620, www.illbruck-sonex.com

ASC—Makes room treatment products includingTube Traps (bass traps) and absorbing panels. Phone: (800) 272-8823, www.tubetrap.com

Echo Busters—Makers of absorbing and diffusing panelsas well as bass traps: www.echobusters.com.

Information Sources:“The Master Handbook of Acoustics” (Third Edition) by F. Alton Everest (McGraw-Hill 4408). Thisbook is very technical, but if you want to know nearly every-thing there is to know about acoustics, this is the book for you.

“Audio Perfectionist Journal” by Richard Hardesty, (particularly issue #2) available bysubscription from www.audioperfectionist.com.

“The Complete Guide to High-End Audio” by Robert Harley (Acapella Publishing 800-848-5099).

energy at frequencies above 200Hz andprevents the storage and release of lowfrequency energy by the flexing of thedrywall panels.”

Excerpted with permission from AudioPerfectionist Journal Issue #2 copyright © 2000 R.L. Hardesty. www.audioperfectionist.com.

Speaker Placement—Common Sense & Livability No matter what we say here regarding roomtreatment and speaker positioning, keep inmind that a home theater system is sup-posed to enhance your life, not take it over.If any of our advice conflicts with commonsense, or with your sense of aesthetics, orwould interfere with the normal functionof the room, just ignore us. What differencedoes it make if your system sounds 5% bet-ter when you’re always bumping into anill-placed speaker? Do what makes sense.

General Home Theater If possible, place the five mid/high (non-subwoofer) speakers on the circumferenceof an imaginary circle whose center pointis the main (your) listening position

(Fig. 12). At very least, left, right and centerspeakers should be the same distance fromyour main listening position. Find theplacement that makes the main speakerssound best, then relocate the other compo-nents (seating position, center speaker/TV,and surround speakers) to fit the equaldistance rule.

If you can make this work, fine. But if practical or aesthetic considerations getin the way, don’t worry, the “time delay”or “speaker distance” function of your

surround processor or receiver will com-pensate (see “Processor Configuration”in the next section).

Stereo (Main) Speakers Since the left and right front channels areresponsible for bringing music as well asmovies to life, the “stereo pair” requires themost careful setup. For best performance,the speakers should be placed at least twofeet from room boundaries, such as largepieces of furniture, walls and especiallycorners (Fig. 13). Placing a speaker closerto room boundaries increases bass, butmay result in a “boomy” or bass-heavy

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Fig. 12 Fig. 13

sound and degradation of stereo imaging.Try varying the speakers’ distance from therear walls, side walls, and corners until thebest balance between low frequency exten-sion and clarity is achieved. If your systemhas a subwoofer, choose a main speakerplacement that provides the best imagingand most natural midrange balance,usually far from room boundaries. If youcannot get the speakers at least two feetfrom the room boundary, treat the adjacentroom boundaries with absorbing or diffus-ing material (see the section on RoomTreatment, page 30).

Avoid symmetrical placement. A speaker’sdistance from the front wall should not bewithin 33% of the distance from the sidewalls. For example, if the speakers are 24"from the side walls, place them at least 32"from the front wall. Place the main speak-ers at least a few inches in front of the frontof your TV. Unless a large projection screenmonopolizes your wall, don’t place thespeakers too close to the sides of your televi-

sion, as such placement constricts the widthof the stereo soundstage.

Small satellite speakers are designed to pro-vide good sound when placed on a wall andoften come with wall mounting brackets.But, as with other types of speakers, youshould avoid placing the satellites withintwo feet of side walls. Since wall mountingsatellites precludes placing them in front ofthe TV screen, place wall mounted satelliteshigher than the top of the TV (Fig. 14).

Speaker Height With floor-standing speakers, the designershave mounted all drivers at the proper dis-tance above the ground. Bookshelf andsatellite systems, on the other hand, mustbe elevated to bring the tweeter to “seatedear level”; that is, the tweeters should be atthe same height as the listeners’ ears whenthose listeners are sitting. This can beaccomplished either by placing the speakerson dedicated stands, or mounting them ona shelf or wall bracket. If the shelf is well

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Fig. 14

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above seated ear level, use a door stopwedge under the back edge of the speakercabinet to point the speaker slightly downward (be careful not to make the angle sosevere as to make the speaker unstable).On-wall speakers often have brackets(supplied or optional) that allowaiming of the speakers.

Aiming Once the speakers have been properly posi-tioned, they should be adjusted to providethe sharpest possible image. This is accom-plished by a process known as “toe-in.”Your goal is to obtain the sharpest possibleimage by aiming the speakers at the listen-er, as if you were focusing binoculars on adistant object. Start with the speakers point-ing straight ahead while listening to a CDof a solo vocalist. Rotate each speaker acouple of degrees inward, toward the listen-ing position, until the voice seems to comefrom a point directly between the speakers,rather than from the speakers themselves. (Fig. 15) But beware: too much toe-inwill compromise the natural width of thesoundstage. Find the best balance betweenimage focus and soundstage width.

Listening PositionYour listening position will also influencethe sound of your system. Try to avoid plac-ing your listening position against a wall.In many rooms, the main listening positionis on a couch up against the back wall.This position will yield very loud, boomybass. In this case, be sure to place yourmain speakers and subwoofer as far awayfrom wall surfaces as is practical. If possi-ble, place your main listening seat 2/3of the way into the room (Fig. 15).

Center Channel Since the main purpose of a center channelloudspeaker is to fix all sounds associatedwith on-screen action to the screen, thisspeaker needs to be as close as possible toyour television, either directly above orbelow it. Just like the stereo pair, the centerchannel sounds best when its tweeter ismounted at seated ear level; unfortunately,this position is normally occupied by thetelevision itself. No problem: you canachieve proper treble balance by tilting

Fig. 15

LSi 9 Bookshelf speakers on Sanus 30"

Natural Foundation cherry stands

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the speaker up (if it’s below the screen)or down (if it’s above) to aim the tweeterdirectly at the audience. Using rubber feetof different thickness, raise or lower thefront of the speaker until you hear the mostextended and detailed high frequencies.

Surround Speakers Unlike the front three speakers, which mustproduce sharply focused images, the job ofsurround channels is to envelop the audi-ence in diffused sound. To excel at this job,rear speakers should not call attention tothemselves as sources of sound.

For these reasons, surround speakers workbest when elevated at least two feet abovethe seated listeners’ heads (six to seven feetabove the ground is considered normal),and mounted on the side walls in line withor slightly behind the audience (Fig. 16). If you are using front-firing speakers, theyshould face each other so that the sound is projected over the listeners’ heads.

If your seating position abuts the rear wallor if you cannot place speakers on the sidewall, you’ll have to position the speakers on the rear wall (Fig. 17). In this case werecommend bi-directional (bi- or di-pole)speakers since they will produce the mostdiffuse effect. If you use front-firing speak-ers, do not aim them at the audience as one would a front speaker, but point themstraight forward so the sound projects pastthe audience (Fig. 18a & 18b). Anotheroption is to mount in-wall speakers in theceiling behind or above the audience area.

If you opt for a 6.1 or 7.1 channel speakersystem place the ‘surround” channel speak-ers move forward on the imaginary circleand place the “Back” channel speakersbehind you as shown in figures 1 and 2on page 13.

Fig. 17

Fig. 16

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Subwoofer Low frequencies (below about 80 Hz) arenon-directional, which means that, in the-ory, a subwoofer should sound the samewhether it is located at the front, rear orsides of the audience. In reality, however,bass quantity and quality are influencedby subwoofer placement. As with the stereopair, moving the speaker closer to roomboundaries increases bass, while movingit into the room reduces output.

Because the subwoofer’s location affectshow standing waves are created (see“Room Treatment,” page 27), the first stepto getting accurate bass response is to findthe right spot for your subwoofer and yourlistening position. We’ll share a few guide-lines and techniques that may be helpful,but in the long run nothing beats trial, error and your own two ears

Stick It In The Corner This is the advice most often given, and itcertainly will yield loud bass. But we havefound that a corner installation may makethe woofer sound “one note-y,” and boomyon music. But if lack of bass volume is yourbiggest subwoofer problem, this may be theanswer for you. Avoid sitting up against thewall—Bass waves build up and “hang out”at room boundaries (walls). Your systemwill sound thick and heavy when your

listening chair is up against a wall. If you must sit against the wall becauseof furniture layout, place your subwooferaway from walls and corners.

Avoid Symmetrical Placement Just like main speakers, a subwoofer’s dis-tance from the front wall should not bewithin 33% of the distance from the sidewall. If the sub is 24" from the side walls,place at least 32" from the front wall.

Put the subwoofer as close to the mainspeakers as possible. Even though basssounds are non-localizable, cabinet reso-nance and other factors conspire to makethis less true in practice than it is in theory.It will be much easier to get seamlessblending between sub and main speakersif they are on the same side of the room.If possible, put the subwoofer behindthe plane of the main speakers. At veryleast, keep the subwoofer in the fronthalf of the room.

Here’s An Old TrickPut your woofer in the same spot as yourlistening position. It’s best to raise the sub-woofer off the ground to seated-ear height(use a sturdy, non-resonant platform.)Play a CD with deep, sustained bass.Crawl around the front half of the roomuntil you find the spot with the most

Fig. 18a Fig. 18b

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natural and well-balanced bass. Placethe subwoofer there. Now you can haveyour chair back.

Use Two Subwoofers Using two asymmetrically placed subs willminimize the effects of standing waves inyour room, yielding smoother bass response(as well as better dynamic range). But don’trun out and buy another sub just yet. Getthe sub you have now to sound its bestbefore spending more money. You may be perfectly happy with just one sub onceyou’ve tried our suggestions.

To some extent, you can compensate forroom acoustics by adjusting the subwoofer’slevel control, but it’s still advisable to exper-iment with various placements. Play CDsand movie soundtracks with extensive basscontent, and fine tune the volume until you achieve a seamless blend with the mainchannels. If your sub is equipped with anadjustable crossover and your stereo speak-ers have sufficient low bass capability, trylowering the frequency to the 60-80 Hzregion. Use the lowest frequency setting thatcombines powerful bass with the best stereoimage and a smooth transition to the mainspeakers. Finally, use the phase control tomaximize bass output and impact: if your subwoofer is placed along the same wallas your front channels, set the phase to0 degrees, if it is behind the listening posi-tion, try 180 degrees. It helps to hear phasedifferences if you sit in your listening posi-tion while a friend switches back and forth. As always, experiment until you find thesetting that delivers the clearest anddeepest response.

Polk speaker owners are welcome to callPolk Customer Service at 800 377-7655 for more customized placement help. The rest of you are on your own.

One Note Of Caution Not all subwoofers are magnetically shield-ed (exceptions include most Polk sub-woofers) and may damage your TV ifplaced too close to the set. Select an unusedvideo input on your TV to bring up a singlecolor screen. If you see any color distortionanywhere on the screen, an unshieldedspeaker is too close to the set and shouldbe moved away from the TV until thecolor distortion disappears.

YoursourceforHome Theateranswers:www.

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Processor Configuration

and Bass Management—Digital surround sound receivers, preampsor processors must be configured properly toget the best performance from your speakers.This involves “telling” the surround proces-sor where to send each channel’s bass infor-mation. This is known as “bass manage-ment.” Most processors and receivers allowyou to adjust these functions using an “on-screen” display. Check the user’s manual of your electronics to learn how to access these functions.

The good news is that once you’ve selectedthe bass management modes that you’rehappy with, you can forget about it andjust enjoy your system. The bad news isthat bass management may be confusingat first. Take your time, read this section,and then experiment.

The bass management nomenclature andfunctions of Dolby Pro Logic are differentthan those of Dolby Digital. As most systemssold today are Dolby Digital we will onlycover that setup here.

When a channel is selected as “Large” itmeans the bass information for that chan-nel, will be directed to that speaker alongwith all the other frequencies. When“Small” is selected, the bass is filtered outof that speaker and directed to either thesubwoofer output jack or to the Left andRight channels (depending on whether thesubwoofer is selected as “on” or “off”). Forexample, if you select the center channelspeaker as “Large,” the center channel basswill go to the center speaker. If you select“Small,” the center bass will go elsewhere.

Subwoofer If you have connected your subwoofer to the subwoofer output jack, select subwooferas “On.” The subwoofer will now play theLow Frequency Effects bass channel and the bass of any other speakers in the system selected as “Small.” If your sub-woofer is connected to the system in anyother way (such as L&R pre-outs or L&Rspeaker outputs), select subwoofer as “Off.”LFE and bass from channels selected assmall will now go to the Left and Right front channels.

Left & Right Front SpeakersSometimes the choice between “Small”and “Large” is not so clear-cut. These arethe tradeoffs: When the main speakers areset to “Small” you will be increasing thetop volume capability of those speakers andprobably lowering their distortion as well.The downside is that the more speakers youselect as “Small” the greater the workloadon the subwoofer, increasing the odds thatyou will overtax it. Also, you will probablyget better blending between main speakersand subwoofer if the main floorstandingor bookshelf speakers are run as “Large.”Experiment and see what works best for you.Here are some specific set-up suggestions:

RM20

Floorstanding If your main front speakers are floorstand-ing models with good bass response, select“Large.” If your subwoofer is connectedto the subwoofer output jack and you

wish to limit the bass response of your main speakers for the sake of higher volume, select “Small.”

Bookshelf Choose “Small” unless you are not using asubwoofer anywhere in the system, in whichcase choose “Large.”

Small Satellite (sub/sat) Systems If the subwoofer is hooked up to the frontleft and right speaker or preamp outputs(highly recommended), select “Large.”If the subwoofer is hooked up to thesubwoofer output jack (not recommended),select “Small.”

Center Speaker Very few center channel speakers can pro-duce as much bass as a subwoofer or mostmain speakers. Unless you have a truly full-range (big) center speaker, set the centerspeaker as “Small.”

Surround Speakers If you are using bookshelf, on-wall or in-wall speakers as surrounds, select “Small.”If you have large floorstanding speakerswith good bass response, or have a secondsubwoofer for the surround channels(a bass freak, eh?), select “Large.”

Time Delay Dolby Digital processors have a “set speakerdistance,” or time delay function, thatensures that all channel sounds reach yourears at the correct time to aid proper imag-ing and localization. In most units this isaccomplished by simply selecting the dis-tance from your listening position to eachspeaker via an on-screen display. In otherunits you must select the amount of delayin milliseconds. Consult your owner’s manual for specific instructions. On mostreceivers, once this adjustment is set, you can forget about it.40

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“Dolby”

“Satellite “HDTV”

Balancing Once your speakers have been properlyinstalled, consult your receiver or processor’sowner’s manual for instructions on balanc-ing the output levels for all channels.

Sitting in your normal listening position,engage the test tone on your remote handsetand adjust the level until each channelproduces identical volume.

We strongly recommend using a SoundPressure Level (SPL) meter to set yourchannel balance. RadioShack stores havethem for $40 - $60. Getting the channelbalance within 1 dB accuracy (somethingthat’s hard to do by ear) makes an enor-mous difference in the quality of surroundsound. An SPL meter is worth every pennyof its modest cost.

It is always best to start out with balance setby SPL meter, but don’t be afraid to makeminor level corrections by ear. If the dialogseems unclear on a given movie, boost theoutput by a dB or two. Likewise, if the sur-round speakers are calling too much atten-tion to themselves, turn them down a bit.But resist the temptation to over-fiddle with the levels. Instead, just sit back andenjoy the movie!

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Polk Audio and PowerPort® aretrademarks of Britannia InvestmentCorporation used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated.

Dolby, Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, and AC-3 are trademarks of DolbyLaboratories Licensing Corp.

DSS is a registered trademark ofDIRECTV, Inc., a unit of HughesElectronics Corp.

DTS is a registered trademarkof Digital Theater Systems.

THX is a registered trademark of Lusasfilm Ltd.

Mini Dish”“Cable”

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43

Meet th

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We’repassionateabout HomeTheater

800-377-7655

lights!

Anthony Chiarella has been passionate about audio sincethe age of 13, when he complained to his parents that thefamily's new transistor receiver didn't sound as good as theirold tube amp. Having worked in audio stores during highschool and college, Anthony enjoyed a successful career onWall Street before returning to his true love. Chiarella now livesin northern New Jersey, where he serves as a marketing andsales consultant to a number of high-end audio manufacturers(but not Polk Audio). He currently writes for many of America’sleading consumer electronics and lifestyle magazines.

A life-long audiophile, Matthew Polk first started designingloudspeakers for friends while a physics student at the JohnsHopkins University. Matthew, and Hopkins roommate GeorgeKlopfer, founded Polk Audio in 1972. Despite humble begin-nings, the company prospered and grew to its current positionas one of the most successful and best known audio manufac-turers in the world. Mr. Polk is responsible for the developmentof several patented loudspeaker technologies and many award-winning audio products.

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