Knoll Systems SD-652 Owners manual
In-Ceiling Speakers
SD652
SE650
SE800
Introduction
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing
Knoll in-ceiling speakers. When installed
correctly, these speakers will give years of
enjoyment. Their very flat grill and frame design
will appeal to the most critical eye. The SD652
has two speakers in one chassis for single point
stereo. This is ideal for hallways and other places
that are not suitable for separate stereo
speakers. To obtain the full potential of your new
speakers, please read all instructions before
starting the installation. If you do not have the
necessary skills to install the speakers yourself,
contact your Authorized Knoll Dealer for
installation options.
Parts List
Each SE650 and SE800 speaker includes the following:
• (2) Knoll in-ceiling speakers
• (2) Paintable grills
• (2) Paint shield (protects speakers during painting)
• (1) Mounting cutout template (in packaging)
Each SD652 speaker includes the following items:
• (1) Knoll SD652 in-ceiling speakers
• (1) Paintable grills
• (1) Paint shield (protects speakers during painting)
• (1) Mounting cutout template (in packaging)
You’ll appreciate Knoll’s speakers as they provide topof-the line performance and enjoyment value especially
when installed by skilled professionals. Custom
installers can help design the system you’ve been
looking for by coordinating their efforts with
architects, interior designers, and electricians to
ensure perfect engineering and performance in your
home theater.
In the capable hands of a custom installer, special
devices like those supplied by Knoll can make the most
sophisticated audio/video systems easy-to-use and
practically invisible.
Speaker Placement
The location of the speakers should be determined by
considering your primary listening location and
aesthetic values. For best results, contact your
Authorized Knoll Dealer for advice.
Distributed Audio Placement
Round speakers are able to perform in any orientation
(horizontally or vertically) without effect to the sound
presence of the source signal. The hemispherical
dispersion pattern allows the installer and user to
configure the speaker in any position without
performance penalty. Locate the speakers above the
primary listening area and angle the tweeter(s) toward
the listening area. If there are "hot spots" in the
room, consider adding additional speakers for more
uniform sound dispersion.
Surround Speaker Placement
Your Knoll speakers can be used as surround and front
speakers in your home theater. Surround speakers can
be located in the ceiling of your home theater. The
proper placement of surround speakers is very room
dependent. If you are unsure about where to locate
your surround speakers for best performance, contact
your Knoll Dealer for advice.
When mounting your surround speakers in the ceiling,
locate the speakers 2 to 6 feet behind your listening
position. The speakers should be separated anywhere
from 6 to 10 feet apart center to center. Adjust the
level controls on your receiver or processor so that all
the speakers produce the same SPL reading.
Wire Sizes
We always advise using fire-rated speaker wire when
installing wires inside the wall (check with local
authorities). As a general rule, the wire cable
impedance should never be more than 10 percent of
the speaker impedance. For runs less than 50 feet use
minimum size 18-gauge wire. For runs 50 to 100 feet
use minimum size 16-gauge wire. For longer size runs
use 12 or 14 gauge wire.
In general the larger wire size used will result in
better sound quality. While using insufficient gauge
wire may be acceptable to some people, the resulting
sound will be less dynamic than if better, larger cable
(smaller gauge numbers) is used.
Mount the Speakers
Insulate the Cavity
If the speaker is installed in a ceiling, it is best to lay a
sheet of unfaced fiberglass insulation over the
speaker. If it is installed in a wall, use the following
insulation instructions:
After the wallboard, or sheetrock, is installed, and
before installing the speakers, line the inside back of
the wall cavity by pushing unfaced fiberglass insulation
through the cutout hole. Use enough to adequately fill
the cavity; even a couple of square feet of insulation is
better than none. If the insulation is paper or foil
faced, position the paper or foil away from the
speaker.
Brace the Cavity
If possible, ask the drywaller to use extra screws and
to glue the drywall to the studs around the cavity into
which the speaker is being installed. An additional bead
of glue along the interior junction where the drywall
meets the studs will help reinforce the enclosure. The
idea is to make the enclosure as rigid as possible. If
you are doing the work yourself and are retrofitting,
reach inside the hole cut for the speaker and put a
bead of glue everywhere the drywall meets the studs.
Wood glue works well for this.
Unfinished Walls (New Construction)
Your new Knoll in-ceiling speakers feature an integral
mounting system for mounting into ceilings and walls.
An optional (not supplied) BBC6 or BBC8 preinstallation bracket will serve as a guide for the
drywaller when cutting holes for in-wall speakers in
new construction installations. Since Knoll in-ceiling
speakers feature an integral mounting system, a
separate bracket is not necessary. The pre–installation
bracket provides a hole pattern for the speaker in the
drywall. It is stapled or screwed to studs or joists so
that the hole opening is in the desired speaker location
after the drywall is installed.
Finished Walls (Retrofit)
With the integral mounting system, the speaker can be
installed directly into existing walls or ceilings. Once
the hole is cut and the wire is installed, the speakers
can be installed very quickly.
First determine that the area is free of obstructions
such as pipes, conduit, or heating and air returns. Next
locate the studs/joists nearest to your desired
speaker location. We always suggest using a good studfinding tool to locate studs.
Cutting the Hole
The SD652 and SE650 speakers require a round hole
cut out diameter of 8-1/4”. The SE800 requires a cut
out diameter of 9-3/4”. There must also be enough
clear space within the wall to house the speaker
(See SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS for mounting
depth). There must be enough drywall around the hole
for the integral mounting system feet to grab onto
(1/2" to 1-1/4” is needed). A punch out template for
cutting the hole is provided with speaker packaging.
Position the template where the speaker is to be
located and pencil an outline on the wall or ceiling. In
the center of the circle, make a small hole with a
drywall saw. It is always best to start with a very small
hole just to make sure there are no obstructions
behind the wallboard. Cutting the wallboard, at first,
at a 45-degree angle will allow you to make a fairly
simple repair with drywall patch if your earlier
obstruction survey was wrong. This way, if repairs are
necessary, the cutout piece of wallboard will not fall
through the hole. Instead, it will be held flush with the
wallboard by the 45-degree cut, and repair can be
made easily. After checking for obstructions, carefully
cut the retrofit hole into the wall/ceiling at the
location where the speaker is to be mounted, cutting at
a 90-degree angle to the wall surface.
Paint the Speakers
Always paint the grills and flange separately. Speaker
flanges and grills can be painted before installation,
which will eliminate the “paint scar” if the speaker
needs to be removed for service. Speakers may also be
painted after the speaker is mounted into the wall, but
before the grills have been attached. Knoll speakers
come from the factory with a paint shield. This should
be installed over the speaker drivers when painting the
frame or flange to protect the drivers and removed
after painting.
Paint the Grills
The grills may be lightly sprayed with thin paint (five
parts thinning agent to one part paint), but be careful
not to plug the holes. Too much paint will adversely
affect the sound of the speaker. Knoll suggests all
grills be painted separately from the speakers.
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