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Film makers try to use the “surround”
soundtrack to envelope you in the envi-
ronment on screen. They will place back-
ground music, rain sounds, traffic noise,
etc. on the “surround” soundtrack. In a
home with a single pair of speakers it is
easy for the jungle sounds to sound like
they are “in the middle of your head” just
like headphones!
A single pair of AT Loudspeakers, properly
placed, can create a very convincing sim-
ulation of an array of speakers. If you
place them near a hard reflecting surface
you can make one pair of speakers sound
like several. Create as many reflections as
possible by mounting the speaker up high
in the wall so that the ceiling will act as a
powerful reflector. If you place the speak-
ers near a corner, wash the sound down a
wall from a ceiling location, or mount the
speakers as far away as you can from the
listening area, more reflections will occur.
However, all of these placement tech-
niques require that you work your sur-
round sound amplifier channels harder. If
the surround sound system you are using
has a small five or ten watt amplifier for
the rear speakers, stay within five to eight
feet of the listening location. If you are
using a 25 to 50 watt amplifier you can
mount the speakers 10 to 15 feet away
from the listening location and still
achieve reasonably high volume levels.
Of course, the best way to emulate the
sound of multiple speakers is to use multi-
ple speakers. In large or unusually shaped
rooms this might be the only way to
achieve a good effect. If you like to listen
to music surround modes which emulate
concert hall acoustics, more than two sur-
round speakers will prove extraordinarily
effective. With Niles AT loudspeakers it is
easy to add another pair without affecting
the decor of the room. However, you will
need to use a much more powerful ampli-
fier than that which is built into a typical
surround sound receiver or amplifier. Niles
makes a number of Systems Integration
Amplifiers
®
with proprietary features that
make them uniquely suited to enhance a
good surround sound system. Consult your
local Niles dealer for more information.
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Speaker Placement