Congratulations on choosing PSB VisionSound Series speakers. Please take the
time to read the instructions in this guide, as they will help you enjoy the full potential
of your loudspeakers in any stereo or multichannel home theater application.
I. WARRANTY REGISTRATION
We recommend you take a few moments now to register your warranty, preferably
on-line at psbspeakers.com/Warranty.html or via the enclosed warranty card so that
we will be able to serve you better in the future.
II. UNPACKING
The packing materials of your PSB speakers are designed to protect them from
damage during shipping. Retain the packaging in case the need arises to transport
the speakers in the future.
III. SPEAKER PLACEMENT - MAXIMIZING YOUR ENJOYMENT
Proper loudspeaker placement is an essential ingredient to getting the best sound
from your high performance stereo, multi-channel audio or home theater system.
The goal is to reproduce faithfully the audio soundtrack the movie director or music
producer created without calling any attention to the speakers themselves. How and
where you place your loudspeakers, and where you sit relative to them will have a
significant impact on the quality of the movie or music experience.
These placement effects fall into two broad categories. The first is their location
around the listener and how that determines the spatial impression of the created
sound field. Secondly the surfaces of the room and the systems proximity to these
surfaces (the listeners proximity as well) will have a strong impact on the balance of
the system.
We will deal with these in turn.
Angular position
5.1 movie soundtracks and to a lesser degree, stereo soundtracks are mixed with
the intention of creating (or transporting you to) a specific sonic environment. This
includes both placing sound elements at specific locations around the listener and
also with creating the general impression of being in another sound space. This
environment is best recreated in your home when the speakers are properly placed
at the appropriate angles around your seating area.
It is best to imagine that your listening/viewing area was viewed from overhead and
that your speakers will be positioned at different angles on a circle that surrounds the
primary listening area. Ideally all speakers and the TV would be placed on this circle
and therefore be all equidistant to the listener at the center. In reality the distances
can vary by as much as 2 to 1 (farthest vs. nearest) and the sound processor's
controls for level setting and time delay (if present) will satisfactorily compensate.
More important are the angles of the speakers around this imaginary circle. The
center speaker will of course be in the center front just above or below the television
set. The left and right speakers should be about 30 degrees left and 30 degree right
of center, again referring to the imaginary circle viewed from overhead the listener.
With on-wall speakers used with a flat panel (Plasma or LCD) TV it is common
practice to surround the TV with speakers just a few inches separated from the set.
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