Boston Acoustics VRS User manual

VRS HOME THEATER

SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM

BOSTON ACOUSTICS

The Boston Acoustics VRS.

The difference between watching

a movie and experiencing it.

BOSTON ACOUSTICS

The human auditory system is more amazing than most

people realize. See for yourself. Close your eyes and listen to

everything around you. You’ll ﬁnd it’s not hard to judge

distance and location of a sound’s origin—traffic noises,

a bird singing, a dog barking. That’s because one ear

receives the sound a fraction of a second sooner than the

other, and your brain processes this difference in time and

volume to create an instant and accurate sonic picture of

your surroundings. In fact, your brain and ears are so good

at doing this, it is difficult to fool them.

Interestingly, a surround sound speaker must do just that.

By deﬁnition, it must fool your ears into thinking they’re

in the middle of a wild-west shootout, or two thousand

fathoms under the sea, or behind the wheel of a Formula

One racer. The Boston VRS does so with ease. How it does

can be summed up in two words: Diffuse Sound.

Diffuse Sound.

In a movie theater, you’ll notice diffuse sound is created by using a large number of surround speakers (often

our Boston A70T professional theater speakers), placed high on theater walls, a sufficient distance from listen-

ers. Obviously, this is impossible in a normal living room. What makes truly diffuse sound a reality in the home

is a dipole surround speaker design.

Area of

Cancellation

When a conventional speaker is used for sur-

round, sound is aimed directly at the listener.

Because the listener can localize the sound, the

surround effect is spoiled.

The VRS ﬁgure-eight pattern emits frequencies

above 350 Hz away from the listener. This is

important because frequencies above this point

are easily localized by the human ear. The VRS

throws sound along the room’s walls. The sound

is, in turn, reﬂected by the walls, ceiling, ﬂoor,

and other surfaces before reaching your ears as

diffuse sound. The upshot: Sound comes from

all around you.

The term dipole refers to any two-sided object that emits waves (or absorbs them, in the case of microphones) in a

ﬁgure-eight pattern. In the VRS, this pattern is created by employing drivers that are “out of phase”with one another.

This means when one is pushing out, the other is pulling in. This results in two radiating patterns that cancel each

other out in the vicinity of the listener, creating a “null”space in the middle of the room.

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Perforated metal grille

Crossover network

Wall/ceiling

mounting bracket

41⁄2”(115mm) low frequency driver

21⁄2”(65mm)

high frequency

drivers

VRS SURROUND SOUND SPEAKER

The VRS cabinet is sculpted to blend with a room’s decor and aim sound along walls rather than at the listener. Inside:

dual 21⁄2”(65mm) high frequency drivers, each in its own enclosure. One ﬁres sound forward, the other backward.

These drivers are responsible for frequencies between 350 Hz and 20 kHz—an impressively broad range from a single

speaker element. The frequencies below 350 Hz are produced by a 41⁄2”(115mm) low frequency driver. Gold-plated

ﬁve-way binding posts allow quick connection to virtually any speaker cable. Plus, the included mounting bracket

makes hanging the speaker on a wall or ceiling simple and secure.

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR SPEAKERS

You need to wire your speakers correctly to obtain the best sound quality. Wiring should just take a few minutes,

but it’s important to do it carefully, since incorrect wiring (such as reversed connections) can result in a poor

surround effect. We recommend 18 gauge (or heavier) speaker wire for runs up to 25‘(8m), and thicker 16 gauge for

longer runs. Strip 1⁄2”(10mm) of insulation off the ends of each speaker cable to expose the two conductors, and tight-

ly twist the wire strands. Maintain the consistency of the + (red) and –(black) connections by referring to the

markings on the wire.

Insert the

wire into the

hole and

tighten.

Using the ﬁve-way binding posts:

The binding posts permit easy con-

nection to banana plugs, pins, spade

lugs, and bare wire. The metal sur-

faces are plated with 24K gold to

resist corrosion.

Important: Typically, one side of

the wire is smooth. Connect this

side to the –(black) connectors.

The other side typically has a rib

or stripe. Connect this side to

the + (red) connectors.

receiver or amplifier

left

speaker

center

speaker

right

speaker

left

surround

speaker

right

surround

speaker

left center right left

surround

right

surround

VRS CONNECTIONS

Connect the speakers’terminals to the terminals on the ampliﬁer or receiver designated for “surround”or “rear

channel effects.”Maintain consistency of the + (red) and –(black) connections by using the markings on the wire.

Important: Adjusting Volume Levels. To obtain the best home theater effect,

match the sound levels of each speaker. Home theater systems include a test

signal that simpliﬁes this level matching. Refer to the instructions provided

with your surround sound electronics.

The power recommendation for the system assumes you will operate the

ampliﬁer in a way that will not produce distortion. Even our rugged speakers

can be damaged by a modest ampliﬁer if it produces distortion. If you hear a

harsh, gritty noise, turn down the volume. Prolonged or repeated operation of

your speakers with a distorted signal from the ampliﬁer can cause damage that

is not covered by the warranty.

Listening Levels and Power

Handling

Warning: To prevent electrical shock, always switch off the ampliﬁer or

receiver when making connections to the speaker.

HOW TO PLACE YOUR

SPEAKERS

Room placement is one of the most important factors contributing to home

theater sound quality. Taking a few minutes to place your speakers correctly

ensures that your speakers will sound their best.

Place the speakers to either side of the listening area. Mount the speakers

to the wall or ceiling so the arrow on each speaker’s back points toward the

front of the theater area. When wall mounting, locate the speakers

6-12’(2-4m) above the ﬂoor.

The speakers may also be placed on tall furniture or shelves, so long as there

is at least 20“(50cm) of clearance to either side of the speaker.

Important: Your speakers have been

packed as a LEFT and RIGHT

matched set. When you place the

speakers, be sure to place the right

speaker to your right as you face the

TV monitor. Place the left speaker to

your left.

Hang each speaker so the arrow on

the speaker’s label points to the front

of the theater area.

If the viewing area is near a corner, the speakers may be

placed to either side on adjacent walls.

One or both speakers may be placed on the ceiling.

Hang the speaker so the arrow points toward the front

of the theater area.

If the listening position is against a wall, place the

speakers to either side, no less than 20 inches (50cm)

from the wall.

Place the speakers to either side of the listening area.

Avoid placing the speaker less than 20 inches (50cm)

from an adjacent wall.

29/32"

(23mm)

(25mm)

Face the hooks up

so the speaker may be

hung on them.

Level bracket

before hanging

speaker.

Drill 1

/2" (12mm) holes.

6–32 x 2"

Machine screws

Toggle

wings

Important: Your speakers have been

packed as a LEFT and RIGHT

matched set. When you place the

speakers, be sure to place the right

speaker to your right as you face the

TV monitor. Place the left speaker to

your left. Hang each speaker so the

arrow on the speaker’s label points

to the front of the theater area.

1. Make two holes for the hanger using the bracket as a template. If running

wires behind the wall, make a wire hole 1”(25mm) below the hanger.

3. Level the hanger and tighten the screws. Connect the cable and hang the

speaker on the bracket so the arrow on the speaker’s label points to the

front of the theater area.

2. Insert a bolt through the hanger and thread onto the toggle wing before

penetrating the wall.

USING THE VRS WALL AND CEILING

MOUNTING BRACKET

The VRS will perform best when

mounted directly on the wall or ceil-

ing. Simply attach the supplied hang-

er to the wall or ceiling, and clip the

speaker to the hanger. If necessary,

you may locate the VRS on top of

furniture or shelving.

You may run speaker wires to the

speaker on the wall’s surface or

behind the wall. Use the recessed

area on the back of the speaker to

accommodate wire slack.

For mounting on drywall, paneling,

and other hollow surfaces: Use the

included 6-32 x 2”machine screws

and toggle wings. The toggle wings

require a 1⁄2”(12mm) hole.

For mounting on wood and other

solid surfaces: Obtain a #6 or #8

wood screw.

For masonry, adobe, and other sur-

faces: Consult a knowledgeable

installer about proper hardware. You

will obtain the best results with #6 or

#8 size screws.

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