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14. Can I take advantage of the sonic benefits of FFA (previously known as EBA) on my Meridian Digital Active loudspeakers when using a 271?

If all of the loudspeakers in the system are Meridian models that are EBA-capable, then EBA can be used with no issues. However, the use of EBA has the effect of introducing a delay of 26 milliseconds to the sound passing through the loudspeaker. So, if some loudspeakers in a system use EBA and others do not, sounds from the EBA loudspeakers will arrive at the listening position 26 milliseconds later than sound from the other loudspeakers.

Naturally, this will be detrimental to audio performance and should be avoided. However, rather than just disabling EBA on the loudspeakers which support it, it is usually possible to add an appropriate delay to the non-EBA loudspeakers to keep them aligned in time with the EBA-capable loudspeakers. This is done within the setup of the AV receiver. A delay of 26 milliseconds equates to a change in distance from the listening position of approximately 26 feet (about 7.9 metres).

The distances of the non-EBA loudspeakers should be adjusted by this amount relative to the non-EBA loudspeakers. This additional distance should be combined with the measured distances. To add delay to a given loudspeaker output, the distance associated with that loudspeaker needs to be reduced. This may seem counterintuitive as there is a tendency to connect extra delay with extra distance. It can help to consider that sound from a loudspeaker close to the listener needs to be delayed so it matches the sound from the more distant loudspeakers. Hence, moving the loudspeaker nearer actually adds delay.