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Models 171 LR, 173 C, and 174 SR
Figure 2:
Typical wiring
diagram for
speakers in a
home theater.
To optional
second
subwoofer
Placement and Operation
Speaker/room interactions have a huge impact on the sound of the system. Moving the speakers just a
little bit can make a dramatic difference in what you hear. The compact design of System 170 provides
you with maximum placement flexibility while creating a large, seamless, acoustically accurate
soundfield for your home theater or music system. The best placement of the speakers will vary from
room to room. Use the following placement guidelines and Figure 3 as a starting point. But also feel
free to experiment. In fact, it may be beneficial to hook up the speakers with some extra wire and to
simply drape the wire across the floor before installing the speakers permanently. This will allow you
the opportunity to move the speakers around easily so you can find the best sonic and visual locations.
Home Theater
Remember that the primary goal of a good home theater is not to make you believe that you are in a
movie theater. It’s to make you believe you are in the scene taking place on the screen. For a home
theater system, place your Model 171 LR speakers on either side of the television. The three front
channel speakers (171 LRs and 173 C) are magnetically shielded so they will not interfere with your
television picture. The left and right front speakers should be far enough apart that you get a good
stereo image, but not so far apart that the sound seems to come directly from the speakers, distracting
you from the picture. If you are using a center channel speaker, a wider separation of the left and right
front speakers is usually possible. You may choose to “toe” the LR speakers in, aiming them at the
prime listening position. This can be particularly useful if the front LR speakers are fairly far apart.
The Model 173 C should be directly above or below your television. It’s important the speaker is
centered on the screen, not off to the side. The foot cutouts on the speaker base should be facing
forward. Pivot the speaker up or down on its base so that it points directly at the listening position.