DaytonAudio CS620W User Manual

In-Wall Speaker

Models: CS620W User Manual

Congratulations on the purchase of your Dayton Audio

®

Contractor Series In-Wall Speaker System.
These speakers were manufactured with high quality components and engineered to deliver superior
sound performance. Like many of the products sold by Dayton Audio

®

, these in-wall speakers were
designed for ease of installation. Please read through the instructions completely before you begin
your installation.

1) Parts Inventory

Your In-Wall kit should include the following:

• 1 pair of Dayton Audio

®

In-Wall Speakers with Grills

• 2 metal retrofit brackets

• 1 package of hardware

• 1 pair of cardboard mounting/paint masking templates

2) Installation Tools

The Dayton Audio

®

In-Walls can be installed with the following simple tools which you supply:

• Pencil • #2 Phillips screwdriver

• Masking tape • Wire cutters & wire strippers

• Drill & drill bits • Small level**

• Utility knife • Stud finder**

• Keyhole saw*

* Recommended for use if installing in plaster walls.
** Optional tools to make the installation easier.

3) Speaker Location

To achieve the best performance from your Dayton Audio

®

speakers, it is important to carefully select the location for
installation.

Your in-wall speakers should be installed 5 to 8 feet apart

to ensure proper stereo imaging. If possible, mount each
speaker the same distance from the corners on a common
wall. Keep the speakers at least 2 feet away from the corners
of the room to avoid overemphasized bass reproduction.

The speakers should be located so that the tweeter height

is at the same level, or slightly above the listener’s ear.
You must now decide whether the primary listening will be done standing or in a seated position.
Remember, for the best stereo imaging, the listening position should be directly in-between the
speakers with the tweeters at ear level.

4) Speaker Installation

Once you have selected

the location for your speak

­ers, you are now ready to
install them.

CAUTION: Be certain

that there are no
electrical wires, water
pipes, or heating ducts
in the planned installation area before you start drilling or cutting into the wall. If there is an
electrical outlet nearby, turn off the circuit breaker to avoid possible injury.

The in-wall speakers are designed to be mounted to the wall area between the studs. Once you

have selected your location, the next step is to be sure you are between the studs. By tapping on
the wall, you will hear a hollow sound when between two studs and a sharper, more solid sound
when right on top of, or close to a stud.

An easier, more accurate method for finding the location of wall studs is to use a stud finder.
Once you have established that your chosen location is between two studs and that there are no

obstructions in the wall, tape your speaker template to the wall and lightly trace around the inside
opening with a pencil. To ensure that your speaker template is straight, you may want to use a level
before you mark the wall.

Drill a 1" hole in the center of the template outline. Next, using a piece of stiff wire (a coat hanger

works well), bend it 8" from the end at a 90 degree angle. Insert the bent part of the coat hanger
into the 1" hole and rotate the wire in a complete circle to check for obstructions. If the wire hits
a stud on either side, reposition your template to the left or right and re-do the light pencil outline.
Keep the pilot hole within the template outline.

If the walls are made of drywall, simply cut the marked area with your utility knife. If your home has

plaster walls, then you will need to drill pilot holes at the four corners of the template outline, and cut
the speaker opening using a keyhole saw.

Check the speaker opening by placing one of the speakers into the hole. The speaker should fit

loosely into the hole.

Repeat these steps for the other speaker.

5) Speaker Cable

Don’t compromise sound quality by using thin, inexpensive speaker wire, we recommend using a
high quality oxygen free copper speaker cable. For runs less than 50 feet we recommend 16 gauge
cable, and for longer runs we recommend 14 gauge or larger cable. Most municipalities require the
use of CL2 rated speaker cable for installation in walls and ceilings. Leave enough speaker cable so
you can stand comfortably on the floor or ladder while connecting the speaker cable to the speakers.

6) Speaker Connection

Remove about 8" of the cable jacket to expose the inner conductors. Strip 1/4" of insulation from each
conductor and connect to the speaker terminals. When connecting the wires to the speakers, be sure
to observe proper polarity. Most CL2 rated speaker cable will have red and black conductors so you will
connect the red wire to the red speaker terminal and the black wire to the black speaker terminal.

7) Final Installation

To install the speakers into the wall, first put the bottom of the mounting bracket into the cutout

so that the bracket is behind the wall. Push the top of the mounting bracket in the hole so that the
upper part of the bracket is inside the wall. Next, position the mounting bracket so that it sits in the
center of the cutout. Before tightening the screws, use a level to align the mounting bracket. Tight

­en the screws evenly in a clockwise pattern until the mounting bracket is secure. Install the speaker
and baffle into the mounting bracket. Replace the grills and your installation is complete.

8) Painting Speakers
If the speaker frame is to be painted, either before or after installation, use the "Paint Masking

Template" to cover the woofer/tweeter assembly to prevent damage to them. Do not try to paint the
frame and grill assembly together. The grill should always be painted separately. Do not put such a

heavy coat of paint on the grill that the perforations are blocked.

9) Troubleshooting

Should your speakers not work properly, check the following:
No sound from speakers:

• Most stereo receivers have an A/B speaker selector switch. Make certain that this switch
is in the proper position.

• Mute feature is activated.

One speaker is playing while the other is not:

• Check the balance control on the receiver. Make sure it is centered.

• Loose connection at either the receiver or the speaker. Double check connections.

• Bad speaker cable. Replace suspect speaker wire.

Receiver cuts on and off:

• This could be caused by a short circuit between the positive and negative leads. Check
the connections at the back of the receiver, and then at the speaker. Make sure that no
strands of wire from one connector are touching the other connector.

Specifi cations

Model number CS620W

Woofer 6.5" poly cone
Tweeter 1" Mylar
Frequency response (Hz) 50-20,000
Dimensions H x W x D (in) 12" x 8-1/2" x 3-1/2"
Cut-out size H x W (in) 10-3/4" x 7-1/4"
Power handling (RMS/Peak) 60/85
Impedance 8 ohm
SPL (1W/1m) 89 dB

10) Caring For Your In-Wall Speakers

The two most common ways that in-wall speakers are permanently damaged:

1) Not enough power at higher volumes.

2) Too much power at higher volumes.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, far more speakers are damaged as a result of underpower-

ing, than by overpowering. When a receiver runs out of power, it still tries to reproduce the musical
signal by “clipping” the waveform. At loud volumes, this clipping introduces gross amounts of distor­tion to the speaker, eventually destroying it. If the sound from your in-wall speakers starts to sound
distorted, turn down the volume.

Having plenty of reserve power will help your speakers reproduce dynamic contrasts and quick

transients of music much more effectively. But you do have to exercise good judgement; too much
power will also permanently damage a speaker. Again, if you hear distortion, turn the volume down.

Dayton Audio® Last Revised: 3/10/2017

daytonaudio.com

tel + 937.743.8248
[e-mail]

705 Pleasant Valley Dr.
Springboro, OH 45066
USA