Bose 501s - Manual (Page 4)

The guidelines listed below should be followed in placing the 501 speakers relative to other surfaces in the room.
The basic idea is to provide space around the speakers to allow sound waves to disperse properly.
1. The speaker should be no closer than eighteen inches from the side wall or from openings into adjacent rooms.
2. Speakers should be eighteen inches from nearby massive objects such as bookcases, cabinets, or other large
pieces of furniture.
3. The 501 speaker, although designed to be placed against the wall, can be moved out from the wall a
maximum distance of one foot.
4. Separation between the speakers should be betvveen four and fifteen feet. 8est results will be obtained
with a separation of six to twelve feet. (See Fig. 2).
FIG.2
Speakers placed in a listening room filled with sound absorbirtg material (particularly heavy cushioned furniture,
drapes, and carpets) will occasionally produce a sound lacking in brightness (loss of high frequencies). Often proper
balance will be restored by placing the speaker on a low stand (6 to 12 inches high). This will raise the tweeters clear of
nearby obstructions, additionally aiding dispersion of high-frequency sound.
B. Connecting the Speakers
1. Selecting the Speaker Wire
If the wire chosen for connecting the speakers to your amplifier has too much resistance, audible colora­
tion of the sound and loss of power can result. The table below summarizes the permissible wire length
for 18, 16, and 14 gage two-conductor wire for your 501 speaker system. Copper ripcord wire is readily
available at most electrical and hardware stores. This wire usually has a ribbed line running along one of
the conductors so that the conductors can be identified at each end for obtaining the proper phasing of
your BOSE 501s.
TABLE 1—Maximum Wire Lengths for Each Speaker
18 gauge zipcord (or two-conductor wire) 14 feet
16 gauge two-conductor wire 23 feet
14 gauge two-conductor wire 36 feet