Niles SI-1650 User Manual
AMPLIFIERS
INSTALLATION GUIDE
SI
-
CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you for purchasing the Niles SI-1650, one of the most versatile and
powerful multi-channel ampliers ever offered. Like all Niles products, the
SI-1650 is built to the highest standards of quality and reliability. With proper
installation and operation, you’ll enjoy years of trouble-free use.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4
FEATURES AND BENEFITS 5
SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS 7
SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 9
APPLICATIONS 12
CONFIGURING YOUR SYSTEM 16
CONFIGURATION AND SETUP TOOL 19
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS 28
INSTALLATION 31-35
FRONT AND REAR PANEL DETAILS 32-33
OPERATION 36
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 38
SPECIFICATIONS 40
CONFIGURATION WORKSHEET 41
WARRANTY 42
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions .
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean o nly with a dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Ins tall in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install ne ar any heat sources such as
radiato rs, hea t registers, stoves or other apparatus
(including ampliers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polar ized
or groun ding-t ype plug. A polar ized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A groundingtype pl ug has two blades a nd a third g rounding
prong. T he wide bl ade or the third prong is provi ded
for your safety. If the provided p lug does not t into
your outl et, consult an electrician for replace ment of
the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from be ing walked on
or pinch ed, par ticularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles a nd the point where they exit fr om the
apparatus.
11. Only us e attachments/accessories specied by
the manufacturer.
12. Use only with the car t, stan d,
tripod, bracket or table specied
by the manu factur er or sold with
the appa ratus. W hen a car t is
used, use caution when moving
the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid inju ry from tip-over.
13. Unplug this appar atus dur ing lightning storms or
when unu sed for long periods of tim e.
14. Refer all se rvicing to qualied service perso nnel.
Servicing is require d when the appara tus has been
damaged in any way, such a s power supply cord or
plug is da maged, liquid ha s been spilled or object s
have falle n into the apparatus, the apparatus has
been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate
normally, or has been dropped.
15. Do not expose this apparatus to drippi ng or
splashing and ensure that no objects lle d with
liquids, such as vases, are place d on the apparatus.
16. To completely disconnect this apparatus from
the AC Mains, disco nnect the power supply cord
plug fro m the AC receptacle.
17. The power supply co rd (sometimes referred
to as the “Mains Plug”) is used as the disconnect
device and shall remain ac cessible and operable at
all times.
18. Do not expose batte ries to excessive heat such
as sunshine, re or the like.
19. Open ame source s, such as lighted candle s,
should N OT be placed on the ap paratus.
WARNIN G: To redu ce the risk of fi re or elect ric
shock, do not expos e this apparatu s to rai n or
moisture.
The lightning ash with arrowhead
symbol, w ithin an e quilate ral triangle, is
intende d to aler t the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous
that may be of sufcient magnitude to consti tute a
risk of electric shock to person s.
instructions in the literature accompanying the
product.
FCC Required Text:
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found
to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, p ursua nt to par t 15 of the FCC Rule s.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate, radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordan ce with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular install ation. If this equipment do es caus e
harmful inter ference to radio o r televis ion reception,
which ca n be determined by turning the equipment
off and o n, the use r is encouraged to try to co rrect
the inter ference by one or more of the following
measures:
—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
—Increa se the separation betwe en the equipment
and receiver.
—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different fro m that to which the rec eiver is
connected.
—Consult the dealer or an experie nced ra dio/TV
technician for help.
Changes or modications not expressly approved
by the par ty res ponsible for compliance could void
the user’s authori ty to operate the equipment.
voltage” within the produc t’s enclosure
The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to aler t
the user to the presence of im port ant
operating and maintenance (servicing)
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
3
INTRODUCTION
We call the SI-1650 a Systems Integration Amplier because it is a power
amplier specically designed to solve the problems of interfacing with
different brands and models of equipment, different acoustic environments in
different rooms, and different kinds of applications: home theater, stereo, and
background music. The Niles SI-1650 Systems Integration Amplier brings
extremely high current power to a custom installed A/V System in a remarkably
convenient way.
4
SI
-
1650
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
REAL WORLD POWER
The SI-1650 is 16-channel amplier congurable to deliver a solid 50 watts per
channel RMS into 8 ohms or 100 watts per channel RMS into 8 ohms using a
special high power mode. A new digital power transformer design provides the
energy necessary to efciently deliver solid, deep, controlled bass response to a
house full of speakers.
SIXTEEN TO EIGHT CHANNEL IP CONFIGURABLE POWER
Each of the SI-1650’s eight adjacent speaker output pairs are congurable into
a single high power output. You can create up to eight 100 watt channels using
the embedded webserver. This enables you to allocate more power to specic
locations, such as large rooms, outdoor applications or subwoofers.
FREEDOM FROM NOISE AND CROSS-TALK
The SI-1650’s BusMatrix™ incorporates advanced PCB construction ensuring
extremely high channel to channel isolation. Signal to noise ratios and cross-talk
are equivalent to a professional mixing board found in a recording studio. With
the SI-1650, the music playing in the living room cannot interfere with the music
in the den.
TRANSPARENT SOUND
The audio circuitry of the SI-1650 is constructed with the nest parts available,
including metal lm resistors, high quality capacitors and oversized heat sinks.
All this attention to technical detail results in a sound that is clear and uncolored.
IP CONFIGURABLE BUSMATRIX™ SELECTOR
A web based IP Conguration utility provides control of the BusMatrix™ selector
giving you the exibility to assign each speaker channel to any of the sixteen
signal inputs. Adjacent signal input pairs can also be combined and assigned
to a speaker channel for mono sound applications. With BusMatrix™, routing
surround sound to the master bedroom, stereo to the den, mono to the powder
room or high power to a subwoofer has never been easier. BusMatrix™ makes
the SI-1650 an ideal multi-room or multi-zone amplier and offers exciting new
features and system design possibilities to the professional installer.
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
5
FEATURES AND BENEFITS CONTINUED...
IP CONFIGURABLE EQ ADJUSTMENT, VOLUME LEVEL
AND HIGH/LOW PASS SELECTION
A web based IP Conguration utility provides independent EQ adjustment and
volume level for each amplier channel enabling you to EQ and set volume
levels for 16 different speakers individually. A High/Low Pass Filter setting for
each channel accommodates passive subwoofers and small full range speakers.
Installers can now acoustically optimize each speaker for both its type and
individual location using a web browser.
TURN-ON MODES
The SI-1650 features three turn-on modes: 1. Manual turn-on via the front
panel switch, 2. Audio Sense and 3. External Voltage trigger. Audio Sense and
External Voltage trigger modes enable you to congure the SI-1650 to interface
with any kind of system and turn on automatically.
AUTOMATIC PROTECTION
Each channel has independent thermal and short circuit protection. In the
unlikely event that a problem occurs on one channel, the other channels will
continue to play. When conditions return to normal, regular operation resumes.
STATUS DISPLAY FOR TROUBLESHOOTING
LED’s on the front panel indicate Power, Active and Protection Status. With
a glance at the front panel a troubleshooter is quickly provided with key
information.
DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED IN THE USA
Limited two-year parts and labor warranty. (See page 42)
6
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
As shown in Figure 1, a distributed audio/video system is dened by the number
of listening zones it has. Within a listening zone you can listen to only one
source (e.g. CD, Radio, iPod, etc.) at any one time. A listening zone can consist
of a single room or a group of rooms. To achieve different volumes and greater
convenience in different rooms within a zone, individual volume controls can be
used. Niles makes volume controls in various styles and colors. When designing
your system, take into account who will use the system and when they will use
it. Consult your local Niles dealer for more information.
Figure 1
Plasma/
Blu-ray
Player
CD
Player
Cable
Box
LCD
RECEIVER
Family Room Living Room
Listening Zone 1
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
7
SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS CONTINUED...
A MultiZone system as shown in Figure 2, offers the household more exibility.
For instance, a family might have their family room wired for surround sound
and their living room wired for background music. In a two zone system, the
children can watch TV in surround sound while Mom and Dad are reading the
paper and enjoying background music in the living room.
Figure 2
Plasma/
Blu-ray
Player
CD
Player
RECEIVER RECEIVER
Cable
Box
LCD
8
Family Room
Listening Zone 1 Listening Zone 2
Living Room
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
CABLE AND WIRE
Because the SI-1650 has many connections on the rear panel (see page 32 &
33), it is important that you correctly label all of the input cables and speaker
wires. Label the cables and wires with their destination or source, rather than
the SI-1650 terminal to which they are connected. This will make it easier to
recongure your system in the future.
The SI-1650 connects to your sources via shielded line level audio cables with
RCA connectors. Use high quality cables with your Niles amplier for the lowest
possible noise and best overall performance. Your Niles dealer can recommend
the proper cable.
The SI-1650 connects to your speakers using two conductor speaker wire. For
most applications, we recommend you use 16 or 18 gauge wire. For wiring
runs longer than 80 feet, we recommend 14 gauge wire. The SI-1650’s highquality, gold-plated 5-way binding posts will accommodate up to 12-gauge
wire. Attaching banana plugs to the wire will enable the connection of larger wire
sizes.
USING MONO FOR SMOOTHER COVERAGE
In large or irregularly shaped rooms, you may nd that the main listening area
may be closer to one of the speakers. If the speakers in the room are connected
to a stereo amplier you will only hear half the music. The SI-1650’s BusMatrix™
enables you to create mono sound from one speaker without impacting the
stereo quality in the rest of the system. You can congure each amplier channel
individually to Left, Right or mono as needed with no ill effects. Some of the
most popular areas where mono will greatly enhance the sound quality would
be:
• Large rooms with many seating areas and/or many pairs of speakers.
• Irregularly shaped rooms.
• Bathrooms with one speaker over the tub and one speaker over the sink(s).
• Hallways or passageways (including those with multiple speakers).
• Small rooms, such as walk-in closets where more than a single speaker is
not required.
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
9
SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS CONTINUED...
CREATING HIGH POWER AMPLIFIER CHANNELS FOR
AREAS THAT REQUIRE MORE VOLUME AND POWER
All of the odd numbered amplier channels of the SI-1650 (channels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,
11, 13, and 15) include a power output of 50 or 100 watts that is selected using
a web based IP Conguration utility. When an odd numbered amplier channel
is congured to100 watts, it’s even numbered adjacent amplier channel (e.g.
channel 1 and 2, channels 3 and 4, channels 5 and 6, etc.) is deactivated.
There are several situations where having an SI-1650 channel with more power
is an excellent way to improve the sound. There are also applications where
having an SI-1650 channel with more power would seem to be appropriate but
is not recommended.
These are some of the most common DOs and DON’Ts:
1. Outdoors (DO) — Sound dissipates faster outside than it does in a room
where the walls enclose the sound and reect it back to the listener. A pair of
speakers playing into a large patio or yard will greatly benet from two 100
watt channels.
2. Surround Sound Systems (DO) — The dynamic demands for the center
channel are much greater than the left, right or surround channels. This is an
excellent application for conguring a channel to the 100 watt mode.
3. More than one pair of 8 ohm speakers (DON’T) — In large rooms or long
hallways, often the best way to get good background music is to install
multiple pairs of speakers. You will deliver sound much more reliably using
two pairs of 8 ohm speakers with four 50 watt amplier channels than you
would using two 100 watt amplier channels connected to two pairs of
speakers in parallel.
10
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS CONTINUED...
SPEAKER COMPATIBILITY
Any SI-1650 amplier channel congured to the 50 watt mode is capable of
driving a 4 ohm impedance speaker load. No more than two 8 ohm speakers or
no more than one 4-6 ohm speaker can be safely connected to a single channel.
Proper ventilation of the SI-1650 is critical when driving lower impedance loads.
If the SI-1650 is not properly ventilated, the protection circuits may activate and
shut off the channel at higher volume levels (for more information on proper
amplier placement, see Installation Considerations on page 29).
Any odd numbered SI-1650 amplier channel congured to the 100 watt mode
is capable of driving an impedance load of 8 ohms. Proper ventilation of the
SI-1650 is critical when driving an 8 ohm load with amplier channels congured
to 100 watts. If the SI-1650 is not properly ventilated, the protection circuits may
activate and shut off the channel at higher volume levels (for more information
on proper amplier placement, see Installation Considerations on page 29).
When designing your system, try to specify 6-8 ohm speakers (Niles offers a
complete line of in-wall, in-ceiling, outdoor and home theater loudspeakers with
all models rated from 6-8 ohms).
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
11
APPLICATIONS
ADVANTAGES OF USING THE SI-1650 IN
A SINGLE ZONE SYSTEM
When you connect the preamplier outputs of your stereo receiver or stereo
preamplier to the SI-1650 BusMatrix™ you dedicate a robust 50 watts to each
speaker in your multi-room system.
The SI-1650 has an IP Conguration and Setup tool to adjust volume and tone
for each channel individually so you can compensate for architectural differences
that create sonic imbalances. In addition, you can ne tune the system so that
when all of the room volume controls are set to the loudest level, the large rooms
and the small rooms play at the same volume.
Figure 3
Blu-ray
Player
PRE-AMP or
AM/FM RECEIVER
SI-1650
Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8
CD
Player
Cable
Box
Single Zone
12
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
16 CHANNEL, FULLY CONFIGURABLE POWER AMPLIFIERS
APPLICATIONS
USING A DUAL-ZONE RECEIVER FOR TWO LISTENING ZONES
Most of today’s Audio Video Receivers include a second zone preamplier output
to create a second listening zone. Using this output with the SI-1650 BusMatrix™
input provides amplication for multiple rooms within a second listening zone as
shown in Figure 4.
In addition, in this example high power is supplied to the patio stereo speakers by
conguring channel 13 for high power (left speaker) and conguring channel 15
for high power (right speaker).
Figure 4
Blu-ray
Player
DUAL-ZONE SURROUND
SOUND RECEIVER
CD
Player
Second Zone
Output
Zone 1
(Home Theater)
Front Speakers Center Speakers
SI-1650
Rear Speakers
Living Room Kitchen Ofce Bedroom Bedroom 2Family Room Patio
Unbridged Channels 1-12 (50W)
Zone 2
Bridged Channels
Cable
Box
BusMatrix™
Niles High Power
Volume Control
(13 & 15 100W)
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 1-760-710-0992
13
APPLICATIONS
EXPANDING A MULTIZONE SYSTEM TO INCLUDE
MORE ROOMS
Many MultiZone systems incorporate multiple rooms within a single zone. The
SI-1650 BusMatrix™ Input simplies the connections required for this system
design.
As shown in Figure 5, a Niles ZR-6 MultiZone Controller has its speaker outputs
connected directly to speakers in zones 1-5. The ZR-6’s preamp output six, set
to a xed output mode, is connected to the SI-1650’s BusMatrix™ inputs. The
BusMatrix™ input signals are then routed to all the amplier channels via the IP
Conguration and Setup Tool. All eight rooms connect to the SI-1650 in Zone #6
with their own room volume control for adjusting room volume levels individually.
Figure 5
Zone 1 - 5
Cable
Box
Blu-ray
Player
Niles ZR-6
MultiZone Receiver
SI-1650
Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8
ZR-6
MultiZone Receiver
Zone 6
Preamp Output
(set to xed)
321 4 5 6
CD
Player
BAND SET
FM 93.1
PRESET 1
BusMatrix™
Input 1 and 2
Speaker Outputs
Zone 6
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5
14
WWW.NILESAUDIO.COM
Loading...