Room Acoustics; Subwoofer Placement - Paradigm Reference OM-577 Mode D'emploi

ROOM ACOUSTICS

You are about to experience the astonishing bass performance of a state-
of-the-art Paradigm ® Reference subwoofer. These subwoofers incorporate
highly advanced patented technology and set all new standards for deep
bass extension, ultra-low distortion and sound power output and provide
unprecedented bass articulation and slam.
It is important to note that just as the amount of soft furnishings has a
decided impact on mid and high frequencies, those below 150 Hz are
dramatically affected by the room itself—its size, shape, as well as by
physical boundaries throughout the room. Experimenting with subwoofer
placement and control adjustments is the best way to achieve optimal bass

SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT

SAFETY PRECAUTION: Before proceeding with this section,
be sure to read and follow all safety precaution notices
at the beginning of this manual.
Bass is less and less directional as it goes down in frequency. For best
sonic integration, locating your subwoofer between your front speakers or
beside one of them and close to the back wall will usually provide the best
bass performance. If this location is not possible your subwoofer may be
placed anywhere in the room without affecting the stereo image of your
front speakers or the soundstage of your multi-channel speaker system.
Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b on page 5, highlight how bass output is generally affected
by room placement. When seated in a typical listening area of your room,
placing the subwoofer inside the "shaded" areas will typically result in bass
performance as follows:
THE ADVANTAGES OF USING TWO SUBWOOFERS IN YOUR LISTENING ROOM
When using two subwoofers, placing one in the front of the room and the
other in the rear of the room (Fig. 2) usually provides the best bass
performance and sonic integration. Consult the "Fine Tuning" section of this
Owners Manual for more information on adjusting phase settings. If those
locations are not possible, or if you want to experiment with placement
options using two subwoofers, the following procedure will be a helpful
guide to achieving better bass performance. Refer to "Subwoofer Connection"
(see over) then proceed as follows:
1. Temporarily turn all speakers off (either by turning your amplifier off or
disconnecting them).
2. Connect and place one subwoofer in the central area of your listening
room. Follow directions for connection, as outlined in the following section.
NOTE: The preceding is only a guideline. You may want to use a bass
test disc and SPL meter to more accurately determine the bass characteristics
of your listening room (see your Dealer for more information) . Remember that
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performance in any room. Keep in mind the following guidelines when
deciding on best subwoofer placement:
• Concrete floors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing wave
problems and are less preferred;
• Rooms where height, width and length are similar should be avoided as
they can exhibit significant low-frequency standing wave problems. This
may result in reduced clarity. If no other room is possible, experiment with
subwoofer placement to minimize acoustic problems.
Fig. 1a: Corner placement provides the most bass, but sometimes at the
expense of accuracy.
Fig. 1b: A subwoofer placed near a wall usually provides a good balance
of quantity and accuracy.
Controls are provided to align your subwoofer's output to the other speakers
in your system, see "Fine Tuning," page 8.
3. At a moderately loud level, play music or a video soundtrack with
extended bass that is repetitive or continuous.
4. Walk around your room and note where the bass sounds louder and where
it sounds quieter.
5. Place the first subwoofer within a louder bass area of your room; then
place the second subwoofer within a quieter bass area of your room.
6. Connect both subwoofers and switch all speakers back on; and switch
the amplifier on, or reconnect it.
7. Follow "Fine Tuning" instructions (page 8) to optimize your system's overall
bass performance.
(See your Dealer for connection instructions using two subwoofers.)
room acoustics vary, which means that it may take some experimenting
with subwoofer placement to achieve the best subwoofer performance.