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4. Positioning 5. Connecting
The position of speakers within the listening room is likely to have more
influence over their performance than any other aspect of their installation.
It is worth spending some time experimenting both with the finer points of
speaker positioning, as well as the larger scale issues of room layout.
If you are already familiar with the acoustic characteristics of your listening
room, and the way speakers perform in it, you may already have a good feel
for where to position your Linear Threes. However, installing any new hi-fi
component provides a good opportunity to review an existing set-up and
perhaps make improvements.
The position requirements for a pair of Linear Threes installed in an average
sized and furnished listening room (say 4m x 5m) are as follows:
• Between 0.5 and 1.5 metres from the rear wall.
• 1.0 metres from side walls.
• Between 2.5 and 3.5 metres apart.
• Clear of corners.
• Angled inward towards the listening position.
Don’t worry if, thanks to the architecture or layout of your room, it is
not practical to follow each requirement. The most important thing is to
experiment with the different options that are practical and find the one that
works best.
While it is often the first instinct to position a pair of speakers against the
shorter wall of a rectangular room, it is often the case that a position against
the longer wall will produce better results. This is because the long wall
position tends to result in less prominent reflections from the side walls of the
room. However, whether used against the long or short wall, it is important
Diagram One
that each speaker of the pair is located in a similar
acoustic environment (different environments
would be, say, a curtained area and a solid wall).
The acoustic character of the side walls of the room
in the area where the main reflection between
speakers and listening position will occur should
also be similar. Diagram One illustrates a typical
layout.
Once your Linear Threes are connected (see Section
5) and working, and you begin to become familiar
with their performance, it is likely to be worthwhile
experimenting a little more with their positioning.
Reducing the distance between the speakers and
the rear wall will increase the level of bass and
low midrange making the speakers sound warmer.
The warmth however is likely to be gained at the
expense of some mid-range clarity and stereo image
focus and depth. Increasing the toe-in angle of the
speakers may regain some image focus but again
this is likely to be at a cost of image width and
openness. Learning through experimentation how
Linear Threes behave in your room will help you
find the optimum solution.
The Linear Three is magnetically shielded and can
be used in relatively close proximity to CRT screens.
3.0 metres
angle
inward
Listening position
0.5 metres from
back wall
Reflection
region. Keep
similar each
side.
