Setup FAQ: Mistakes Audiophiles Make When Installing a System

Most systems underperform not because of what was bought, but because of how it was installed. These are the questions we hear most often, and the mistakes behind them.

Why does my bass boom? Usually because of where the loudspeakers or the listener are. Loudspeakers pushed into corners or close to the wall behind them gain bass, and a seat in the middle of the room or against the back wall often sits on a resonance or a null. Move the loudspeakers out in small steps, then try the seat a little forward or back, before changing anything else.

Why is the centre image vague? Check symmetry first: equal distances to the side walls and a seat on the centre line. Then check that both loudspeakers have the same polarity, the same toe-in and the same height. Strong reflections from a bare side wall, or a large object between the loudspeakers, will also blur the centre.

Why is there hum? A low hum that changes when you connect or disconnect a source is usually a ground loop. Plug the whole system into one mains outlet or distribution block, keep signal cables away from mains cables and transformers, and connect sources one at a time to find the culprit. Never remove the safety earth from a mains plug to cure hum.

Can I stack my equipment? Not with tube equipment. Tubes run hot and need free air above them, and heat shortens the life of both tubes and capacitors. Stacking also couples vibration and stray magnetic fields between units. Give each component its own shelf, with space above any tube amplifier.

Should I fix the room with EQ? Equalisation can tame bass peaks, but it cannot fill a null, because boosting a frequency the room cancels mostly wastes amplifier power. Work on positions and furnishings first, and use EQ, if at all, to trim what remains.

How long should a tube amplifier warm up? Follow the maker’s guidance; as a rule, most tube equipment settles after fifteen to thirty minutes. Do not judge the sound in the first few minutes after switching on.

How do I compare two components fairly? Match the levels closely, because the louder one almost always sounds better at first. Use the same recordings, change only one thing at a time, and repeat the comparison on another day before deciding.

Where should the equipment rack go? Ideally beside the loudspeakers or along a side wall, not between them, and with cable runs short enough to keep the loudspeaker cables equal in length.

Half an hour with a tape measure will often do more than a new component.