Hi Everyone,

The LFR1100 Active is a very special loudspeaker system, but it's also much more complex from a component and wiring standpoint than a typical setup. I thought a little "best practices" guide might be helpful. I’m also happy to answer any of your LFR1100 Active questions in this thread.

Components

The LFR1100 Actives come with a separate DSP chassis for each channel. When selecting partnering amplification, it's best to dedicate a single 5-channel amplifier (or a combination of amplifiers to make up five channels) to ONE speaker channel. That means one DSP to one amplifier. Combining connections from two DSPs to a single amplifier can sometimes result in signal ground loops that cause buzzing or hum. Ideally you would also not share the LFR amplifiers with other speaker channels in your system for the same reasons (like using a 6-channel amplifier for one LFR and your centre channel).

Wiring

If you’re taking advantage of the custom-made, color-coded wiring loom that we’ve made available for the LFR1100 Active, it might be confusing to come up with the correct interconnect lengths without having the components in front of you. If you’re stacking your amplifiers on top of the DSPs, you would want an interconnect length of 18 inches. Likewise, if you’re going to have your amplifiers and DSPs side-by-side on a shelf, you want an interconnect length of 36 inches, plus whatever spacing you think you’ll have between the components. As for which type of interconnects to use, we strongly suggest using balanced XLR connections if both your pre-amp/processor/receiver and your amplifier(s) have them available. You should never mix XLR and single-ended RCA connections on the DSPs as you’ll experience a gain mismatch. All interconnect cables should be kept as far away from AC cables as possible.

Placement

Omnidirectional loudspeakers like to have some breathing space behind them to perform their best, but it’s not necessary to have them many feet out into the room. Obviously, placement is going to be highly dependant on your actual room, but the DSPs allow you to tailor the amount of rearward information via the Boundary Compensation switch. This control is also very useful if you have an asymmetrical room layout, or a rear wall with openings like doorways, etc., as it will allow you to balance the sound between the left and right channels. For the electronic components, it’s best to have each chassis on a dedicated shelf with adequate air space above the amplifiers. If you need to stack components, it’s best to have the DSP under the amplifier for proper ventilation. Cables should be routed in such a way to keep low-level interconnects together and away from AC cables. It’s also a good idea to have all of your components on the same AC circuit as it will minimize the chance of ground loops.

Thanks and happy listening!

Andrew