Welcome to the next installment of "Tech Talk." This monthly feature
will hopefully help you understand about certain sound and musical
gadgets that everyone sees but are just not sure how they operate in
the real world.
This month we will be talking about items that everyone will hopefully
find useful. In this day and age of electronics, it helps to understand
some of the terminology, or "lingo" that is used.
How do I choose an amplifier/receiver?Unfortunately,
this can often be a daunting task. With the multitude of brands and
options on the market today, the choices can be quite confusing. It is
recommended that high quality components be used, in order to extract
the most from your speakers. Due to a lack of industry standards,
amplifier power ratings are difficult to compare. It is recommended to
listen to the amplifier and to determine if it possesses the sound
quality and power to reproduce the sounds YOU like. A lack of real
power will result in driving the amplifier into "clipping", which
results in audible distortion reproduced through your speakers.
How do I connect a powered subwoofer?
Connecting a powered subwoofer is extremely simple. Most of today's
digital home theater receivers or processors have a dedicated
"Subwoofer Output" connection (RCA or Low-Level). Simply connect a male
to male RCA connector from the output on your receiver/processor to the
subwoofer input on the subwoofer. If your receiver/processor does not
have a subwoofer output, using speaker wire (high-level) from the Front
Left and Front Right amplifier outputs is recommended. Please ensure
you do not connect BOTH Low and High level connections simultaneously,
as this will cause damage to your powered subwoofer.
Where should I put my subwoofer?
The location of your subwoofer will determine its performance. The
listening room has incredible effects on low frequency reproduction,
and as such, the position of the subwoofer relative to the listening
position and room boundaries will determine the sound quality it
produces. Typically the corner of the room produces the most output,
but the bass can sound "boomy" or exaggerated. Positioning the
subwoofer along one wall, but out of the corner, produces loud bass,
with greater definition than the corner position. The "best" sound
quality will result in positions away from all room boundaries, but at
the expense of overall output. While these are generalities, they
typically hold true for most listening rooms.
How do I blend my subwoofer and speakers?
Subwoofer blending is a term used to describe mating a subwoofer and
speaker. The goal is to reproduce all frequencies evenly, therefore if
there is a large gap in frequency output between the sub and speakers
the result is a sonic "hole". If the subwoofer and speaker overlap in
response the result is one of a "boomy" nature. Both are considered
unacceptable and will produce poor sound quality. It is essential that
the subwoofer "hand off" the duties to the speaker at the right
frequency, so that the subwoofer and speaker sound like a pair of large
speakers, and not a subwoofer with separate speakers. In a properly set
up system, you will not be able to identify the separate components.
Placement of the subwoofer, as well as adjustments made to crossover
and level controls will assist in blending the output.
