When all audio, video and system connections
have been made, there are a few configuration
adjustments that must be made. A few minutes
spent to correctly configure and calibrate the
unit will greatly add to your listening experience.
Speaker Selection and Placement
The placement of speakers in a multichannel
home-theater system can have a noticeable
impact on the quality of sound reproduced.
No matter which type or brand of speakers is
used, the same model or brand of speaker
should be used for the left front, center and
right front speakers. This creates a seamless
front soundstage and eliminates the possibility
of distracting sonic disturbances that occur
when a sound moves across mismatched
front-channel speakers.
Speaker Placement
Depending on the type of center-channel speaker
in use and your viewing device, place the center
speaker either directly above or below your TV,
or in the center behind a perforated front pro-
jection screen.
Once the center channel speaker is installed,
position the front left and front right speakers
so that they are as far away from one another
as the center-channel speaker is from the pre-
ferred listening position. Ideally, the front-channel
speakers should be placed so that their tweeters
are no more than 24" above or below the
tweeter in the center-channel speaker.
Depending on the specifics of your room
acoustics and the type of speakers in use, you
may find that imaging is improved by moving
the left front and right front speakers slightly
forward of the center-channel speaker. If possi-
ble, adjust all front loudspeakers so that they
are aimed at ear height when you are seated
in the listening position.
Using these guidelines, you’ll find that it takes
some experimentation to find the correct loca-
tion for the front speakers in your particular
installation. Don’t be afraid to move things
around until the system sounds correct. Optimize
your speakers so that audio transitions across
the front of the room sound smooth, and that
sounds from all speakers appear to arrive at the
listening position at the same time (without
delay from the center speaker compared to the
left and right speakers).
A) Front Channel Speaker Installation With
Direct-View TV Sets or Rear-Screen Projectors
B) Rear speaker mounting is an alternate
location for 5.1 systems. It is required for
7.1 operation.
When the AVR 520 is used in 5.1-channel oper-
ation, the preferred location for surround
speakers is on the side walls of the room, at or
slightly behind the listening position. In a 7.1-
channel system, both side surround and back
surround speakers are required. The center of
the speaker should face into the room. The
speakers should be located so that the bottom
of the cabinet is at least two feet higher than
the listeners’ ears when the listeners are seated
in the desired area.
Rear surround speakers are required when a
full 7.1-channel system is installed, and they
may also be used in 5.1 channel as an alterna-
tive mounting position when it is not practical
to place the main surround speakers on the
sides of the room. Speakers may be placed on a
rear wall, behind the listening position. As with
the side speakers, rear surrounds should be
located so that the bottom of the cabinet is at
least two feet higher than the listeners’ ears.
The speakers should be no more than six feet
behind the rear of the seating area.
Subwoofers produce nondirectional sound, so
they may be placed almost anywhere in a
room. Actual placement should be based on
room size and shape and the type of subwoofer
used. One method of finding the optimal loca-
tion for a subwoofer is to begin by placing it in
the front of the room, about six inches from a
wall, or near the front corner of the room.
Another method is to temporarily place the
subwoofer at your normal listening position,
and then walk around the room until you find
a spot where the subwoofer sounds best. Place
the subwoofer in that spot. You should also
follow the instructions of the subwoofer’s man-
ufacturer, or you may wish to experiment with
the best location for a subwoofer in your lis-
tening room.
