User manual ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY COMPACT THEATER CTS 1

[. . . ] It is important to observe polarity while making speaker connections: red (+) terminals on the amplifier to red (+) on the speaker, black (­) on the amplifier to black (­) on the speaker. Look carefully at the wires you are using and note that one of the conductors of each pair is marked by a different color, printing, ridges, or a thread intertwined with the wire strands. Warning: Before turning on the amplifier, be certain that no stray wire strands are touching across any two terminals as this might damage your amplifier. Finally, check the polarity of your front speakers by listening to some music. [. . . ] 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. Note: Some surround sound decoders and receivers offer a choice of "Normal" / Small or "Wide-band / Large" modes for the center channel. The Compact One C is designed to be used in the "Normal / Small" mode. Additionally, some discrete digital home theater systems allow you to select between "Small" and "Large" speakers throughout the system. Since the Compact Theater One system has been designed to work only with an active subwoofer, please set all the speaker positions to "Small. " Surround Effects The Compact One SR's size and shape allows greater flexibility in placement than most conventional surround loudspeakers. Due to their monopole design it's preferable to locate the SR Surround speakers behind the prime listening position, at least 2 feet above ear level when seated. The goal is to aim the front of the speakers in such a way that their output is not directed right at the listeners and therefore not easily localizable. For example, placing them on the sides of the room, behind the listening position and aimed across at each other, is a good starting point. Note: The surround speakers are intended to re-create the ambient sounds taking place in the movie scene. Throughout most of a movie or TV program you may not be directly aware of the surround speakers presence. It's OK if you don't seem to be hearing the surround speakers directly. Try to avoid the trap of turning the surrounds up so that you hear them all the time. The result will be a much less believable surround sound experience. Remember that the signal they receive is 99% subtle sounds that should make you believe you're in the action up on the screen. Home Theater Please note 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 action occurring on the screen. For a home theater system, place your Compact Theater One LR speakers on either side of the television. The three front channel speakers (Compact Theater One LRs and C) are magnetically shielded so they will not interfere with your television picture. The left front 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. You may chose 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 Compact One C should be placed directly above or below your television. It is important that the speaker is centered on the screen, not off to the side. Mounting The Compact Theater One LR and SR speakers can be mounted in a variety of ways: On speaker stands Atlantic Technology speaker stands provide an ideal height (29" above the floor) for most rooms. Speaker stands from other manufacturers may be used, but should be of approximately the same height (29" to the base of the speaker). [. . . ] The Compact Theater One System will play very loudly when provided with enough clean power to do so. Again, consult your dealer or Atlantic Technology for additional information. Care and Feeding of Your Speakers Clean your speaker cabinets using a soft cloth moistened with a mild, non-abrasive glass cleaner being careful not to wet the edges of the cabinet. Also, be careful not to get any cleaning fluids on the driver cones or domes. It may be best to dampen the cloth with the cleaner and then wipe the speakers. [. . . ]