To get the best from your system you need to make sure it is set up for its optimum performance level.

In cases where our staff come around to install your system they will be able to recommend placement of loudspeakers etc. to suit your listening room. However, as this is not always possible, we've listed a few tips for you here. There are no definite rules as to how to set up a perfect system as no two rooms are identical. But the following recommendations should steer you in the right direction.

NOTE: Always read the manufacturers installation instructions before wiring up your system.

Stands and Tables

Before you start you'll need a good base to build your system up on. We recommend that you purchase a specially designed stand as this can make a big difference to its performance. All of our stores have brochures showing the stands we have to offer. Equipment stands isolate sensitive electronics and turntables from vibration and a good quality table can cost as little as £140.

If you are not using a specialist table try placing some isolation feet or isolation platforms underneath the electronics (and turntable if you have one).

A good quality loudspeaker stand will make probably the biggest single improvement to a system, tightening the bass, opening up the midrange and improving clarity. Again a good quality stand can cost as little as £40.

Should you intend to wall or shelf mount loudspeakers avoid putting them in corners and try to mount them as near to ear level as possible. If they are up high, turn them upside down (so that the tweeter is closer to ear level).

CD Players

These will sound best when warm and take about 20 hours of use to run in. Some CD Players have digital outputs which allow you to upgrade by adding a suitably high quality DAC (digital to analogue converter), thus improving the detail and clarity of the sound.

Amplifiers

Like CDs they sound better when warm and take about 20 hours to run in.

Loudspeakers

Need about 40 hours of music to loosen up. Positioning is vital. An hour spent fine tuning their position will reap large dividends. The nearer to a surface (wall, floor, ceiling etc.) the heavier the bass will become. Conversely as the distance is increased the sound will become tighter and the sound stage may well improve. Experimenting with the degree of ‘toe-in’ will affect the image and tone. The correct balance depends on your room's acoustics and personal preference.

Before moving and disconnecting your loudspeakers (and any other part of the system) remember to disconnect all components from the electrical mains supply.

Screws and bolts holding drive units into the cabinet are sometimes only loosely fixed. It is worth tightening the drive units in a little firmer. However, do not over tighten as this could cause the cabinet or drive unit to crack or bend.

Turntables

Avoid placing turntables too near the loudspeakers or on top of the rest of the system. Turntables work best when on a shelf of their own.

Tuners

Both digital and analogue tuners come supplied with a cheap wire aerial, that in some cases may just suffice. However, the installation of a loft or roof mounted aerial will improve the sound quality. A local contractor will be able to advise and install the correct aerial for your needs.

Cables and Interconnects

Whilst most manufacturers will supply an interconnect cable with the relevant component we recommend that you only use this to get the system up and running.

As the system can only be as good as its weakest link we normally recommend that 10 to 15% of the budget be spent on decent speaker and interconnects. A lot of these cables are directional and they do make a big difference to the sound. Speaker cable lengths should be kept the same each side.

A good dealer will loan you or sell you, on sale or return, a few sets of interconnect and loudspeaker cables. Once you’ve tried them in your own system you won't take them back!

Bi-wiring

If your speakers are bi-wireable (separate cables to both bass and treble) then you will notice an improvement in clarity by doing so. We can make these cables, and others, for you.

Bi-amping

Similar to bi-wiring but taken a stage further. Some of the higher quality integrated amplifiers have pre-amp outputs that you can connect to one (or more) power amplifiers. Using separate speaker cables, the tweeters are connected to the power amp whilst the bass units are connected to the integrated amp (this can also be achieved using a pre-amp and two power amps). The result is improved definition, sound stage, bass depth and bass control.

We hope that your system will give you many hours of listening pleasure but to keep it working to the best of its abilities it has to be looked after. Here are a few pointers to help you...


CD/DVD Players

Little maintenance is required. However, if a player is situated in a very dusty or smoky environment the use of a good quality CD lens cleaner every few months will help to keep the optics clean.

Compact, DVD and Blu-Ray Discs

These should be treated with care as dirt or damage will result in poor sound quality at best and them becoming unplayable at worst. You cannot eat your dinner off them! If they do become dirty then we sell special disc cleaners - but follow the instructions carefully, cleaning from the centre to the edge and not round and round.

Turntables

The cartridge should be correctly aligned and the arm should be set according to the cartridge specification. The stylus should be replaced regularly, we recommend after a couple of years or 500 hours usage. Failure to do so may damage your records.
Check the belt for wear. A stretched belt will result in a slower turntable!

Record Care

Avoid touching the playing surfaces and put records back into their sleeves after use. Anti Static sleeves are the best way of ensuring that your records do not attract dust. The best way to clean a record is to let the stylus do it for you and then clean the stylus with a recommended brush.

Amplifiers

Relatively maintenance free items. Do not obstruct any vents or it may overheat. If you like to play it loud occasionally (and who doesn’t?) bear in mind that the volume knob is only an indicator and not a maximum! If the system starts to distort then the amplifier is ‘clipping’ and this is a good way of damaging loudspeakers (it is also not covered by the warranty) so turn it down quickly! It can also be a good idea to pull out and push back the connectors at the rear to ensure a good connection is maintained.

Loudspeakers

Again, maintenance free items. Unless magnetically shielded do not place loudspeakers too close to any old CRT television as it will pull the colour and can damage the set. This is not the case with flat screen TVs like LCD and Plasma screens.

Projectors

Projectors are best moved as little as possible to avoid any damage to the lamp (lamps can be expensive). Powering down your projector properly using the remote control rather than the mains is also essential to prevent damage to your lamp as it cools down, as well as to the rest of the internal components.
If you get the lens dirty, do not clean it with anything other than a micro-fibre cloth so as to prevent it from getting scratched.

LCD Screens

Another maintenance free item that needs only one caution. Most LCD panels have got plastic screens which are easily scratched when being cleaned. You must, therefore, be careful to use a clean cloth as well as a specific screen cleaning fluid. Other cleaning products will just leave the screen streaky.

Plasma Screens

The worst thing that can happen to a plasma screen, if not properly cared for, is screen burn. This occurs when pixel phosphors get prematurely aged and therefore glow less than surrounding pixels. This can cause them to retain a memory of the information fed in to them over too long a period causing a faint image to remain visible. To prevent screen burn avoid leaving static images on the screen for more 20 minutes. Turn off your unit if you are not watching it.

Please note that plasma screens are also more prone to burn-in during their first 200 hours of use when the phosphors are still fresh and so extra care should be taken. Most plasma screens have anti-screen burn settings that should be used when displaying video games or other content that has static images.

Plasma screens can also be scratched when being cleaned and you should, therefore, be careful to use a clean cloth as well as a specific screen cleaning fluid. Other cleaning products will just leave the screen streaky.