Dayton RS621CMK User Manual

Loudspeaker Kit

Assembly Instructions

Dayton RS621 Speaker Kit

Manual © 2008 Dayton Audio®

Introduction

Your

Dayton RS621

construction. After completing the assembly, your RS621 speakers will provide you with a pair of speakers that are
compact in size yet are BIG on sound. The RS621 kit uses two of the most popular Dayton Reference Series
products; the
Series Shielded Woofer. The tweeter is matched sonically to the woofer resulting in sound that rivals more
expensive speakers. When your kit is fully assembled and your speakers are operational it will provide you with the
deep satisfaction of knowing you "built it yourself".

RS28AS-4

Parts Inventory

Before beginning the assembly process, please inspect and confirm that you have all necessary components.
If you appear to be missing any components, please contact your place of purchase immediately.

TW-0.25(C) 1 .25 cu. ft. 2-way Cabinet Pair
BAFFLE 2 Custom baffle (attached to cabinet)
T-XOVER 2 Crossover Boards Tweeter
W-XOVER 2 Crossover Boards Woofer
MANUAL 1 Instruction Manual
WIRE14RB6 1 14 Awg Red/black Zip Cord 6 Ft.
BPA-38G 2 HD Binding Post Pair Goldl
FOAM 1 1-1/2" x 24" x 18" Acoustic foam
PANS634 20 #6 X 3/4" Deep Thread Pan Head Screws
RS28AS-4 2 Dayton Reference 1-1/8" Shielded Aluminum Dome Tweeter
RS150S-8 2 Dayton Reference 6" Shielded Woofer
JANTZ.025-18 1 Jantzen .025 mH 18 ga
JANTZ.27-18 1 Jantzen .27 mH 18 ga
JANTZ.80-18 1 Jantzen .80 mH 18 ga
JANTZ1.5-18 1 Jantzen 1.5 mH 18 ga
DMPC-8.2 2 Dayton 8.2 uF cap
DMPC-6.2 2 Dayton 6.2 uF cap
DMPC-18 2 Dayton 18 uF cap
DMPC-25 2 Dayton 25 uF cap
DNR-4.0 2 Dayton 2 ohm resistor
DNR-8.0 1 Dayton 8 ohm resistor
TIES 8 Cable ties
CAULK 2 36" Speaker Sealing Caulk

Part # Qty Description

speaker kit has been designed to provide you with the basics of speaker design and

1-1/8" Shielded Aluminum Dome Tweeter and the 8 Ohm Dayton

RS150S-8

6" Reference

Loudspeaker Kit Assembly Instructions

By following these instructions and assembling the speaker in a conscientious manner, you will be able to enjoy your
speaker for many years to come. If there are any questions during the assembly process, please contact your place
of purchase.

Gather the Necessary Tools

The assembly of your speaker kit requires several basic tools and supplies, though more advanced tools can be
used if desired. The following list represents the basic tools that are required:

Hammer #2 Phillips head screwdriver or power driver
Small wrench or pliers Soldering gun & solder
Silicone adhesive or hot-melt glue gun Wire cutters
Scissors or utility knife (for cutting foam)

Workspace Considerations

As with doing any type of kit assembly, it is best to have a large, clean work area with adequate lighting. Taking a
few minutes to establish a good work area will save time by eliminating lost parts and prevent assembly errors. A
heat-resistant work surface is recommended for the crossover assembly portion. When workin g with the cabinets, it
is important to cover the work surface with a cloth or foam layer to protect the speaker finish. The foam wrap that is
around the speaker cabinets will work well for this, making sure it is free from dust or other debris.

Getting Organized

To prepare for the kit assembly, you need to do some basic unpacking and organizing first. Open the large speaker
cabinet box and remove the speaker from the packaging. You will need to unwrap the cabinet itself, saving the wrap
to protect your work surface. Remove the baffle from the cabinet, and place the baffle screws someplace safe.
Proceed to unpack binding posts and other packaged items.

Assembly

1. Install Binding Posts

The posts will need to be “knocked” into place with a hammer and secured from the inside of the cabinet. Start by
placing the cabinet face-down onto the work surface, being sure that the cabinet is firmly supported.

Remove the binding posts from their package, and unscrew all washers and nuts from the shaft. Next, remove the
main nut that is used to hold the speaker wire onto the terminals- this will prevent them from getting damaged while
the posts are being inserted.

Insert one of the post shafts into the hole and align it making sure the wire through-hole is running vertically. Gently
tap into place until the shoulder is snug with the rear of the cabinet.
and may cause damage to the finish of the cabinet around posts. Repeat the same process with the second post.

Once the posts have been knocked into place you will need to secure them from the inside of the cabinet. A lock
washer followed by a nut should be installed to secure the posts to the cabinet. Next, install the solder tab, the
second lock nut, the second nut, and then tighten into place.

Excessive hammering is not necessary

Note:

Now that the posts are fully secured, reinstall the colored knobs on the outside of the cabinet. When looking from the
rear of the cabinet (terminals should be closer to the “bottom” of the cabinet), the “red” terminal is normally
positioned on the right side.

2. Install damping material

The damping material included is intended to line the walls of the cabinet to reduce reflections and help prevent
standing waves. The included foam will need to be cut to size and then secured onto the walls of the cabinet.
There might be excess material available; it is not necessary to use all of it. Do not place foam directly on top of or
underneath the crossover board.

Alternating the foam location between walls is recommended. For example, use one piece of foam on the right side
wall on the front half of the cabinet. Use a second piece on the left wall. For the top and bottom, use one piece of
foam on the bottom front half, and one piece on the top rear half. This will reduce direct reflections between parallel
walls on all surfaces without overdamping the system. This configuration also works well by leaving us plenty of
room for installing the crossover board.

The damping material can be secured to the walls with a spray adhesive or with hot-melt glue. When using spray
adhesive, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions. It is best to apply the spray to the foam itself, being sure to
spray away from the cabinet to prevent getting adhesive on the cabinet exterior. When using hot-melt glue, simply
place a few drops of glue at various locations on the rear of the foam and press into place.

Note:

3. Install drivers in baffle

The drivers need to be secured to their baffles with the included #6 screws. For all driver installations, we have
included gasketing material that should be used between the driver frames and the baffles to prevent air leaks and
vibrations. This can be done with a small bead of speaker sealing caulk between the cabinet hole and the driver
frame.

The caulk needs to be thinned in diameter by working with the fingers into roughly a 1/8" diameter bead. Th e
bead can be placed around the rear of the driver flange or around the hole in the baffle. Either method can be
used, it is a matter of personal preference. Thinning the bead is important to allow the drivers to sit flush in their
recesses.

The drivers can now be carefully lowered into place on the baffle. Having the terminals facing towards the bottom of
the cabinet is the generally accepted orientation, though it is not a critical matter. Using the included screws and pre­drilled pilot holes, carefully tighten the drivers down onto the baffle. Pay particular attention to not over-tighten
screws on drivers with stamped steel or polymer frames, which can cause deformation of the flange.

4. Crossover Assembly Instructions

For the system to perform properly, it is important that the crossovers be assembled correctly. Incorrect assembly
can cause damage to the speaker drivers or your amplifier, so please take time to work carefully and to check your
work as you go.

The crossover boards have a printed pictorial layout on them that includes an outline of the component and a part
label. Please refer to the parts list and schematic for a list of which components go in each location. Match the
component label from the description on the parts list to the label on the PC board.

r

r

r

Indicator Description

C1 Dayton DMPC-6.2 6.2uF 250V Polypropylene Capacitor
C2 Dayton DMPC-8.2 8.2uF 250V Polypropylene Capacitor
C3 Dayton DMPC-18 18uF 250V Polypropylene Capacito
C4 Dayton DMPC-25 25uF 250V Polypropylene Capacitor

L1 Jantzen 0.27mH 18 AWG Air Core Inductor
L2 Jantzen 0.80mH 18 AWG Air Core Inductor
L3 Jantzen 0.025mH 18 AWG Air Core Inducto

L4 Jantzen 1.5mH 18 AWG Air Core Inductor
R1 Dayton DNR-4.0 4 Ohm 10W Non-Inductive Resisto
R2 Dayton DNR-8.0 8 Ohm 10W Non-Inductive Resistor

Each component will have two leads that correspond to holes on the PC board. Put the components into place with
the leads going through their appropriate holes, following the pictorial on the board. Directionality on the components
is not important; either end of each component can go into either hole. It is recommended that each component be
secured to the board with hot-melt or silicone to prevent any possible vibration of components. Cabl e ties are
recommended on the inductors to hold them in place more firmly, especially if you are using silicone.

Once all of the components have been secured and have their leads going through the board, we can flip it over and
make the solder connections. To solder effectively, place the soldering iron tip so that it is touching both the
component lead and the PC board. This will allow both portions to heat simultaneously, and will ensu re a g ood flow
of solder between the two. After heating the board and leads for several seconds, add solder to the joint to form an
effective connection. A good solder joint will have a conical shape, and will not look “blobby” or “spherical.”

On the inductors, make sure that the “silver” tinned section of the lead is what you are soldering to. Attempting to
solder to the copper-colored or red insulated portion of the inductor lead will result in a failed connection. After all
connections are made, the remaining component leads on the rear of the board can be trimmed down with a pair of
side cutters or other electrical cutters.

We can now solder the connecting wires (red/black zipcord) for the inputs and speaker terminals. Solder the input
wire from the binding posts to the woofer input, and solder a "jumper" wire from the woofer input to the tweeter input.
Then solder wire to the output crossover board terminals for woofers, and tweeter (W "+ ", W "-", T "+", and T "-").
Make sure that the positive terminals are connected to the positive (red) wires in all locations and allow ample length
of wire for connections.

Do not solder wire to the tweeter and woofer (speakers) at this time.

Note:

5. Test the speakers

At this point, it is recommended that you take some time to test the speakers before final installation of the
crossovers and baffles. You should already have the cabinets assembled and lined with foam, the drivers should be
in the baffles, and the crossovers should be assembled. Connect these three parts together to do a quick check that
everything is working correctly.

Place the crossover board into the cabinet in the approximate final location; it does not need to be secured right
now. Insert the baffle with the drivers on it into the cabinet, and secure with one or two of the baffle machine screws
if needed. If the baffle will stay in place on its own, it is not necessary to secure it.

Now, we need to connect the speakers to your stereo system. At this point we are not worrying about air leaks or the
bass response. We are just doing a quick check that the drivers and crossovers are workin g correctly.

Play music through the speakers and evaluate that the overall sound is full and smooth. Even though everything is
not completely secured, you should still be able to get a good idea of what the overall sound will be like. If a driver is
not working or the sound is intermittent or distorted, please see the troubleshooting section for possible remedies.
Be sure that you are satisfied that everything is working correctly before moving on to permanently installing the
crossover or baffle.

Temporary woofer and tweeter (speaker) connection will suffice for testing.

Note:

6. Install the crossovers

Now that you are satisfied that everything is working correctly, permanently secure the crossover boards. Th e
recommended location for the crossover boards is the bottom rear and side of the cabinet.

Once again, securing with silicone or hot-melt glue is the recommended fastening method. If using hot-melt glue, it is
recommended to place the glue on the surface of the cabinet and then press the board into it. This prevents the glue
from cooling too rapidly or dripping onto the cabinet or the body, causing injury.
screws may be needed for securing the crossover to cabinet.

If you are using silicone, it is easier to apply the glue to the back of the PC board. Making sure that the mounting
location is horizontal, place the board into its location. You will need to allow the silicone to cure for an hour or so
before you change the orientation of the cabinet.

For curved-sided cabinets

Note:

7. Install the baffle

Now you will need to connect the output wires from the crossover to the respective speake r terminals and place the
baffle into the cabinet. With the baffle leaning against the cabinet, solder all driver connections, once again paying
attention to the polarity of the connections.
red color or with a + sign.

The red wires will attach to the terminals that are marked with a

Note:

The baffle can now be installed into the cabinet, working carefully to make sure no wires are trapped between the
baffle and the cabinet. Once the baffle is fully installed, it can be secured via the included machine screws and glued
into place if desired. Using the 4 machine screws by themselves will have adequate holding power to preve nt leaks
and vibrations of the baffle. However, for the utmost cabinet strength, the baffle should be glued into place with
polyurethane glue.
difficult. Please listen to the speaker for a period of time with just the machine screws holding the baffle in place to
make sure everything is working correctly before you secure the baffle permanen t ly.

Once the baffle is glued into place, making any changes to the speaker becomes very

Note:

8. Install Grill

The grill has four neodymium magnets which are embedded into the frame. These magnets are arranged to align
with the screws that hold the baffle in place. Simply place the grill on the baffle and realign if necessary.

9. Care and cleaning

To protect the finish of your Dayton speaker system, it is important to use some care when it comes time to clean it.
To remove dust from drivers, grills, or the cabinet tops, a synthetic “feather duster” works well. For more stubborn
dust on the grills or woofers, a vacuum cleaner with gentle brush attachment may be used. It is not recommended to
use any type of cleaning apparatus on tweeter domes; dust will not affect the sound, and the chance of damaging
the dome is high.

For cleaning streaks or fingerprints on the cabinet finishes, an ammonia-based window cleaner is recommended. It
will not affect the finish and will leave a streak-free shine. It is important to use only very soft, clean cloths, and to
wipe gently at the surface. Intense scrubbing or using cloths with debris on them may cause small swirl marks or
scratches. Of course, the best way to maintain the finish on the cabinet is to prevent soiling it in the first place. Never
place drinks or abrasive objects on the top of the speaker.

Troubleshooting

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

crossover, particularly on inductors. If this is OK, directly test the woofer by hooking it up to stereo system at low
volume setting. If sound comes out of the woofer, then go back and check connections. If there is no soun d at all,
then woofer is likely defective. Please contact your place of purchase immediately.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

crossover. If OK, it is possible to carefully test the tweeter by directly connecting it to your stereo. Test at a very low
volume for a brief period of time, at the level of a loud whisper. If there is high-frequency sound, then go back and
check connections. If no sound at all, then tweeter is likely defective. Please contact your place of purchase
immediately.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

woofer and tweeter, making sure the T terminal goes to the tweeter and the W goes to the woofer.

No output from woofer in individual speaker.

Bad connection or defective woofer.

Check connections from crossover board to woofer. If this is OK, check solder connections in the

No output from tweeter in individual speaker.

Bad connection or defective tweeter.

Check connections from crossover board to tweeter. If this is OK, check solder connections in the

There is sound from the speaker, but it is very quiet and seems to be mostly treble or midrange.

Woofer and tweeter are wired backwards.

Immediately cease testing to prevent damage to the tweeter. Check connections from crossover board to

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

There is sound from the speaker, but it doesn’t sound normal.

Crossover board is wired incorrectly.

Double check that the input from the speaker terminals is connecting to the inputs on the crossover board.

If this is correct, check that all components are of the correct value and in the right location.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

Intermittent output of entire speaker, woofer, or tweeter.

Bad connection in wires or crossover board.

If entire speaker is intermittent, then check connections between the input termin als and the crossover
board. If just woofer or tweeter is intermittent, check the wires going to the drivers. If these are OK, check the
connections of the components within the appropriate section of the crossover.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

In stereo, speakers lack bass or image is unfocused.

Speakers are out of phase.

Check connections from amplifier to the speakers. Make sure polarity is the same on both speakers. If
correct, check the polarity of connections going from binding posts to input on crossovers. If this does not correct the
problem, check polarity throughout the rest of the system, looking for one driver that is wired incorrectly.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

One speaker appears louder than the other.

Amplifier settings, environmental factors, psychoacoustics, poor connection in crossover.

Check your amplifier to ensure that the balance is set even. Next, check that one speaker isn’t closer to a
wall, window, couch, or other acoustically important object. This may affect perceived loudness due to the addition or
reduction of extra sound reflections. If this is the case, physically switch the left and right speakers, and re-observe.
If the same location still sounds quieter, then it is the environment. If the quiet speaker moves, then you may have a
problem within the speaker. Often, if you think one speaker is louder than the other, it will appear so. Have someone
help you do a blind test or take a break and allow time for your brain to relax. The next day, if one still seems louder,
investigate all connections within the crossover.

Problem:
Cause:
Solution:

Speakers play well, but amplifier shuts down.

Amplifier does not have enough power or cannot handle speaker impedance.

If using 4 ohm speakers, check receiver/amplifier manual to see if it can handle 4 ohm speakers or if it has
a low impedance setting. If not, upgrade your amplifier. If the receiver/amplifier can safely handle the speaker load,
then it may simply not have enough power.