System Two
High Performance Compact
Home Theater Loudspeaker System
343 Vanderbilt Avenue Norwood, MA 02062 (781) 762-6300 www.atlantictechnology.com
System Two
High Performance Home Theater
Loudspeaker System
Thank you for choosing Atlantic Technology’s Compact Theater
Series home theater products. We have specifically designed this series of loudspeakers to offer exceptional performance and value.
A great deal of time and effort has been spent ensuring that your new system will accurately reproduce both movies and music.
Additionally, Compact Theater System Two has been optimized for use with all surround formats including Dolby Surround ® ,
Dolby Pro-Logic ® , Dolby Digital 5.1
® and DTS ® . Finally, your new speaker system is precision crafted to give you years of enjoyable, trouble free service.
Please take a few moments to read this manual thoroughly. It includes many helpful tips on connecting and placing your home theater speaker components. This manual will help you set up all the Compact Theater System Two components, except the subwoofer. Compact Theater Series Subwoofers are covered in detail in separate manuals.
Compact Theater Two LR
Front Channel Speaker
The Compact Theater Two LR Front Channel Speakers are twoway systems intended only for use with a quality subwoofer. Each speaker contains a precision 5-1/4" Polymer composite woofer and a precision crafted 1" Mylar tweeter, using a powerful neodymium magnet, in an acoustically designed cabinet.
Additionally, each LR contains a 5-1/4” ABR (Auxiliary Bass
Radiator) for increased output and more powerful bass response.
Compact Theater Two LR speakers are magnetically shielded so they may be placed right next to a TV set without concern.
Compact Theater Two C
Center Channel Speaker
The Compact Theater Two C Center Channel Speaker contains the same driver configuration as the LR. The Compact Theater
Two C is designed for use in home theater systems which employs a dedicated center channel speaker. The Theater Two C center speaker is designed to be used in a horizontal position, as opposed to the vertical positioning intended for the Compact
Theater Two LR. It too is magnetically shielded so it may be placed directly adjacent to your TV set with no adverse effects.
The Two C includes a unique tilting base and a three position HF level control which add to its flexibility and performance.
Compact Theater Two SR Surround
Speaker
The Compact Theater Two SR Surround Speaker is intended for use in audio/video sound systems which includes dedicated surround channels. Each speaker has a unique Dipole driver arrangement in order to produce a broad and diffuse sound field.
Please note that the object of the surround speakers in a home theater is to reproduce all those “environmental” sounds from the soundtrack that are used as cues to tell you “where you are.”
Dipoles are undoubtedly the best and most practical way to create such an involving soundfield at home. It’s therefore important to use the Compact SR Two surround speakers only for surround purposes in home theater applications.
Connecting Your System
We recommend that you connect your Compact Theater System
Two with high quality dual conductor stranded wire of 18 gauge or larger, for lengths up to 25 feet. (Remember, the lower the gauge number, the larger the wire). Use 16 gauge dual conductor or larger for longer runs of wire. Contact your audio/video dealer for specific cable recommendations and further information for special circumstances.
Warning: To prevent risk of electrical shock or damage to your equipment, always switch off the amplifier or receiver when making connections to the speakers.
Since Compact Theater System Two speakers use industry standard
“five way binding posts” you can connect them by using a variety of readily available audio connectors such as spade lugs, banana plugs (single or double types), “pin” connectors, or you can:
1.
Remove 1/2" of insulation from each wire end.
2.
Twist the stranded wire together, keeping the two ends separate.
3.
Place the appropriate wire through the appropriate postholes in the connectors. These holes are revealed when you loosen the connector capscrew.
4.
Screw down the capscrew tightly, but do not overtighten.
5.
It’s a good idea to check the tightness of these connections within 24 hours of making the initial installation and then every few months, as they can loosen over time.
We recommend that you check your local electrical codes to make sure that you are not using an improper connector.
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 conductor of each pair is identified by either color, printing on the insulation, ridges on the insulation, or a thread intertwined with one set of the wire strands. By convention, the marked wire is connected to the red (+) terminal.
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. If the sound seems hollow, unusually spread out, or has weak bass, recheck your connections for proper polarity and reverse any out of phase connections, if necessary. Usually one speaker wired out of phase is the culprit.
Center channel should be within 2' of front speaker tweeter height
Left surround speaker
Surround speakers should be directly to the sides of listening position
18" above ear level
Ear level
Right surround speaker
Placement and Operation
Speaker and room interactions have a huge impact on the sound of the system. Moving the speakers just a little can make a dramatic difference in what you hear. The compact design of
System Two’s components provides you with maximum placement flexibility while creating a large, seamless, acoustically accurate soundfield for your home theater. The best placement of the speakers will vary from room to room. Start out by using the following placement guidelines and the diagram above. But also feel free to experiment. In fact, it may be beneficial to hook up the speakers with some extra wire and to simply drape the wire across the floor, experimenting with several placement options 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. Such experimentation can be especially beneficial for the surround speakers.
Note: Some surround sound decoders and receivers offer a choice of
“Normal / Small” or “Wide-band / Large” modes for the center channel.
The Compact Two C is designed to be used in the “Normal / Small” mode. Additionally, most discrete digital home theater systems allow you to select between “Small” and “Large” speakers throughout the system.
Since the Compact Theater System Two has been designed to work only with a subwoofer, please set all the speaker positions to “Small.”
Speaker Placement
The primary goal of a home theater is not to transport you into your local movie theater. It’s to transport you into the movie itself, into the midst of the action occurring on the screen. For best results in a home theater system, place your Compact
Theater Two LR speakers to either side of the television approximately 2 to 4 feet away from the screen, if possible. The three front channel speakers (Compact Theater Two 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 Two C center channel should be placed directly above or below your television. It is important that the speaker is centered on, and as close as possible to the screen, not off to the side. You can tilt the center speaker up or down on its adjustable base to optimize its response. The Compact Two C includes a three position High Frequency level control, which should be adjusted to get the most natural sound after the speaker is placed in its final location. Also note that most movies are recorded with the middle and high frequency sounds “turned up” in the center channel to ensure that everyone in a commercial movie theater hears the dialogue. When played at home these same soundtracks can sound excessively “bright” and “forward”. Adjusting the HF control of the Center Two can help reduce this unwanted effect.
Surround Effects
The Compact Two SR’s size and shape allows greater flexibility in placement than most conventional surround loudspeakers. Due to their advanced Dipole design it’s preferable to locate the SR
Surround speakers directly to the sides of the prime listening position, at least 18 inches above ear level when seated, to 18 inches below the ceiling. These special speakers have a “sound null” directly in front of their face and they produce a broad sound field to the left and right of their enclosure. The result is that they “wash” the side walls of your room with a nonlocalizable surround field while you sit right in the sonic null.
Note: The C T SR’s are marked with a “pointing hand” on the back that indicates which side of the speaker should face the front of the room. Please be sure to locate the speakers properly and to turn one over so that they are both facing in the correct direction. If you wish to wall mount the speakers there are “keyhole” mounting brackets included in the box that may be mounted to the pre drilled slots on the speakers back, after you determine which slot will be at the top of each speaker. See below for further important mounting information.
The grille may be removed and reversed if you desire, by carefully gripping it along the edge and pulling from the cabinet. Re-insert by reversing the above. However, it can be somewhat difficult and time consuming to remove and replace the grille, so unless it is very important to you we recommend leaving it as is.
The C T SR is available with either a black oak laminate or matte white exterior. An optional kit is available to mount the C T SR recessed in a standard wall. The speaker will only protrude a small amount and will therefore be easier to integrate into your surroundings. Please contact your dealer for further information.
Note: Most of the time surround speakers are re-creating the
ambient sounds taking place in the movie scene. Throughout almost all of a movie or TV program you should not be directly aware of the surround speakers presence. So don’t be concerned if, most of the time, you aren’t 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 overwhelmingly those subtle sounds intended to make you believe you’re in the action taking place on the screen.
Mounting
The Compact Theater System Two LR and SR speakers can be mounted in a variety of ways:
On speaker stands Atlantic Technology’s optional speaker stands provide an ideal height (29" above the floor) for most rooms. They are available in black or white. Speaker stands from other manufacturers may be used, but should be of approximately the same height (29" to the base of the speaker). Threaded inserts on the backs of the speakers allow for secure mounting on stands designed for these types of connections.
On the wall To mount your speakers on a wall, we have supplied metal keyhole brackets for the back of the LR and SR speakers. Be sure to use a strong screw whose head and shaft will fit within the keyhole opening and slot. Also be sure to drive the screw well into a stud or use an appropriate mounting device
(such as a molly-bolt) that is capable of holding the weight of the speaker. Never simply drive a nail or screw into sheet rock or other wall materials. Always follow the above guidelines for safe speaker mounting.
Listening Levels and Power Handling
The power recommendation for these speakers assumes that you will not operate your amplifier/receiver in a way that produces high levels of distortion. A moderately powered amplifier driven beyond its intended capacity can and will damage even rugged speakers like the Compact Theater Two system. This type of damage is easily identifiable through examination of the speaker’s voice coil and is not covered by the warranty.
The Compact Theater Two 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 drivers, cones, or domes. It may be best to dampen the cloth with the cleaner and then wipe the speakers. Brush the grilles with a clean soft brush or a lint free cloth to clean them.
Do not use a vacuum, as the combination of hard vacuum attachments and suction are likely to cause damage to the drivers.
Avoid placing your speakers in direct sunlight or near a source of heat that may, over time, damage the finish.
Important: Save Your Boxes! If you can do so, save the cartons, packing materials, and plastic bags that came with your speakers. They will be useful in case you move or have to ship your loudspeakers for any reason. In any case, save all packing materials until you are certain that the systems have suffered no damage in shipment. If you find such damage, either visible or internal, contact your dealer immediately for the proper return procedure.
Specifications
Model
Type
System Two LR Front Channel Speaker
2-way with ABR
Drivers 5-1/4” Polymer woofer
5-1/4” Polymer ABR
1” Mylar tweeter
Frequency Response (
Nominal Impedance
±
3dB) 55Hz – 20kHz
8
Ω
Sensitivity 90dB
Recommended Amplifier Power 10 – 150 Watts
Magnetic Shielding
Size (W x H x D)
Weight (ea., unpacked)
Yes
6” x 16-1/4” x 7”; 152.4mm x 412.7mm x 177.8
11.25lbs; 5.11kg
Model System Two C Center Channel Speaker
Type
Drivers
2-way with ABR
5-1/4” Polymer woofer
5-1/4” Polymer ABR
1” Mylar tweeter
Frequency Response (
Nominal Impedance
±
3dB) 55Hz – 20kHz
8
Ω
Sensitivity 90dB
Recommended Amplifier Power 10 – 150 Watts
Magnetic Shielding
Size with Base (W x H x D)
Weight (without base, unpacked)
Yes
16-1/4” x 6-1/4” x 7”; 412.7mm x 158.7mm x 177.8mm
11.25lbs; 5.11kg
Model System Two SR Surround Speaker
Type
Drivers
Sealed-box, dipole surround speaker
4” Polymer woofer
1/2” Mylar Tweeter
Frequency Response (
Nominal Impedance
±
3dB) 80Hz – 20kHz
8
Ω
Sensitivity 90dB
Recommended Amplifier Power 10 – 150 Watts
Magnetic Shielding
Size (W x H x D)
Weight (ea., unpacked)
No
9-1/2” x 10-1/2” x 6-3/8”: 241mm x 267mm x 163mm
8.1lbs; 3.63kg
Specifications are those in effect at the time of printing. Atlantic Technology reserves the right to change specifications or appearance at any time without notice.
Dolby Digital, AC-3, 5.1, Dolby Stereo and Dolby Pro Logic are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation. DTS is a registered trademark of DTS Technology.
For Future Reference
Record your system serial number and date of purchase here:
Serial Number Date of Purchase
The serial number is found on the back of the center channel speaker near the connecting terminals.
010-1120
