Niles WVC100, WVC100E Owner's Manual

INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE

Niles Audio Corporation

www.nilesaudio.com

12331 S.W. 130 Street

Miami, Florida 33186

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

©2003 Niles Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Niles, the Niles logo, and Blending High Fidelity and Architecture are reg­istered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation. Decora is a registered trademark of Leviton Manufacturing. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners. Some of Niles products (or components thereof) are manufactured under one or more
U.S. Patents, foreign equivalents and/or pending patents (see product for details). Because we constantly strive to improve our
products, Niles reserves the right to change product specifications, descriptions, and prices without notice. The technical and
other specifications of information contained herein is not intended to set forth all technical and other specifications of Niles
products. Additional information can be obtained at www.nilesaudio.com or by calling Niles at 1-800-289-4434. Printed in
China 7/03 DS00311ACN

WVC100

WVC100

WVC100E

WVC100E

Weatherproof Stereo Volume Controls

B LENDING H IGH F IDELITY AND A RCHITECTURE

®

W EATHERPROOF S TEREO V OLUME C ONTROLS

W EATHERPROOF S TEREO V OLUME C ONTROLS

WVC100

WVC100E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Features and
Benefits 2

Installation
Considerations 3

Installation 5

Operation 6

Specifications 8

Contents 9

INTRODUCTION

The WVC 100 and WVC 100E are weatherproof stereo impedance-magnifying volume
controls that connect between the speaker-level output of an amplifier, speaker selector, or
a Niles VCS HUB8 distribution hub and your speakers.

The WVC 100 is a wall-mounted volume control designed specifically for environmental use.
The WVC 100E is a freestanding volume control mounted in a PVC junction box for use in
environmental where a wall-mounted volume control would be impractical.

Both models adjust the volume of remotely located speakers to which they are connected
by attenuating the amplifier signal. To assure minimal dissipation of internal power with
virtually no power wasted as heat, Niles volume controls use autoformers instead of L-pads as
the volume-controlling element.

The WVC 100 and WVC 100E are impedance-magnifying (IM) volume controls. Unlike other
brands, they have additional autoformer windings that magnify the impedance of connected
speakers, while allowing all 12 steps to adjust the volume of the sound. Switches on the PC
board select these windings.

With the volume control providing impedance protection for your amplifier, you can create
systems with no additional impedance-matching devices between the volume control and
the amplifier.

In a typical application of IM controls, a system has eight pairs of 8-ohm speakers throughout
the house and in outdoor locations. Connect each pair of speakers to a WVC 100/E volume
control with its switch in the 8x position, eliminating the need for an external impedance­matching device to protect the amplifier. Even when playing all eight speaker pairs at once, the
amplifier runs at normal operating temperatures.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The weatherproof WVC 100 and WVC 100E offer a number of
improvements over other weatherproof volume controls:

• WVC 100: Designed for environmental wall-mount

installation.

• WVC 100E: Enclosed in a freestanding PVC junction box,

designed for installations where wall mounting would
be impractical.

• Both models: A rubber gasket fits behind the faceplate during
installation to seal out moisture.

• An impedance-magnifying switch on the front of the volume
control sets the impedance of connected speakers. You
can magnify the speakers’ impedance by a factor of two, four,
or eight.

• Unlike other impedance-matching volume-control products,
Niles IM volume controls maintain a 12-position adjustment
regardless of how much impedance magnification you use,
with total attenuation >48dB.

• Pop-free switching between all steps.

• 100-percent tested, electronically and acoustically, for
frequency response, distortion, and power handling.

• WVC 100: Mounting depth of only 2-9/16". Fits into standard

18-cubic-inch one-gang junction boxes.

• WVC 100E: Fits into PVC junction box (supplied).

• Standard faceplate and knob included.

• Isolated left- and right-channel grounds ensure safety with
any amplifier.

• May be used with 4-, 6-, or 8-ohm speaker systems.

• Ideal for home and commercial sound installations.

• UL-rated to comply with all local building codes.

• Installation requires only a screwdriver and wire stripper.

• Power handling: 100W/channel RMS.

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz ±1.5dB.

• WVC 100: Available colors: Bone and White.

• Ten Years parts and labor warranty.

TECH TIP

Some speakers have selectable impedance.
Before you proceed, please confirm that any
selectable-impedance speakers in your system
are properly set for the system you are installing.

2