GoldenEar Invisa 650 - Manual (Page 12)

Invisa® Series Owner’s Manual
Setting Bass and Treble Controls on Receiver or Amplifier
Normally we recommend that you set the “Bass” and “Treble” controls on flat (or off, or 0 dB). Same applies for a
graphic equalizer; we recommend that you leave it flat (or off). This will give you the most accurate and natural
sound. If you want more bass, raise your subwoofer’s “Level” control (or raise the subwoofer level on you’re a/v
receiver), keeping in mind that even a little turn of the knob can make a big difference in the sound. The reason
for this recommendation is that we have discovered what is often thought to be improper sounding speakers
is, in fact, a problem caused by the use of tone controls. When in doubt, leave them out (flat); this almost always
results in the best possible and most natural sounding system performance.
Complete Home Theater Systems
We strongly suggest that you use matching GoldenEar Technology Invisa ® loudspeakers and a ForceField ™
subwoofer, for your complete GoldenEar home theater system. Invisa ® speakers are designed to be used as rear
and/or side surround speakers as well, with exceptional results for both music and movies. Of particular note, the
GoldenEar ForceField Subs have been designed specifically to make a perfect match with the Invisa
® speakers.
Using the Invisa ® 525/650 in a Multi-Channel Home Theater Application
When using the Invisa ® speakers as part of a home theater system that includes powered subwoofer(s), it is
extremely important that bass is directed to the subwoofer and NOT the Invisa ® speakers. This is done through
the use of a high-pass filter, implemented as part of the setup of the bass management system of your home
theater receiver/processor (see below).
Setting Channel Levels and Bass Management in Multi-Channel Home
Theater Systems
Multi-channel surround sound systems have bass management systems (systems which direct the bass to the
various channels) which vary from unit to unit. This bass management system must be properly adjusted, in
particular it is extremely important that bass is directed to the subwoofer and NOT the Invisa ® speakers in these
setups, through use of bass management settings as described below. Many problems relating to the overall sound
of the system can be traced back to improper bass management. Also note that Multi-channel surround sound
systems have a critical channel balancing procedure for setting the level for all speakers which must be followed
if the system is to perform properly. Many problems relating to the overall sound of the system can be clearly
traced back to improper system balance.
Home Theater System Bass Management Settings: On your Home Theater receiver or A/V processor’s Speaker Setup
Menu, set speaker to “Small” for all channels using Invisa ® speakers, and set Subwoofer to “Yes.” The standard 80Hz
crossover is the recommended setting (or at least starting point) for the crossover setting.
Setting Channel Levels: On your receiver or A/V processor’s Speaker Level Calibration Menu, set each speaker
(channel) in the system to the same volume level. While you can get reasonable results doing this by ear, it is best to
use an inexpensive Sound Pressure (SPL) meter to get better channel to channel balance. Some new receivers and
processors have Auto Set Up functions that use a supplied microphone to set levels automatically.
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