A wise man named Murphy long ago prescribed that a subwoofer will generally sound best in the most impractical spot in the room... a fact that home theater professionals wrestle with constantly. Subwoofer placement almost always involves a compromise between sonic performance, practicality, and aesthetics.
To face this dilemma head on, many JL Audio subwoofer systems incorporate a clever piece of technology called Automatic Room Optimization (A.R.O.). The Gotham, Fathom, and Fathom In-Wall subwoofers have this technology.
The A.R.O. system self-generates a series of calibration tones, measures the response at the listening position, analyzes the shape and magnitude of the primary response error and configures an appropriate filter to tame it. The system effectively allows for smooth, well-balanced sub-bass from a variety of locations that may have been less than ideal without A.R.O.
To accomplish this complex feat, all you have to do is:
- Connect the included calibration microphone to the front panel of the subwoofer.
- Press the calibrate button on the front panel of the subwoofer system.
- Hold the microphone at the primary listening position.
- A few minutes later, you have completed this one-time setup routine.