Niles Audio SS-4 User Manual

®

Niles Audio

Corporation

www.nilesaudio.com

12331 S.W. 130 Street

Miami, Florida 33186

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

©2004 Niles Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Niles, the Niles logo and Blending High Fidelity and
Architecture are registered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation. Because we strive to improve our
products, Niles reserves the right to change product specifications without notice. The technical and
other information contained herein is not intended to set forth all technical and other specifications of
Niles products. Additional information can be obtained on-line at www.nilesaudio.com or by calling
Niles at 1-800-289-4434. Printed in China 1/04 DS00359ACN

INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE

SS-4/SS-6

SS-4/SS-6

SPEAKER SELECTION SYSTEM

B LENDING H IGH F IDELITY AND A RCHITECTURE

®

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P EAKERSELECTIONSYSTEM

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PEAKERSELECTIONSYSTEM

SS-4/SS-6

Speaker Selection
System

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Features and
Benefits 2

Installation
Considerations 3

Installation 6

Operation 9

Specifications 14

Introduction

The SS-4/SS-6 allows you to connect multiple pairs of speakers
to your stereo receiver or amplifier and play any pair, any
combination of pairs, or all pairs simultaneously. You don’t
have to worry about overloading your amplifier. The SS-4/SS-6
has a protection circuit that keeps your amplifier running safely,
even if you have all pairs of speakers playing at the same time.

Balancing Speaker Volume

The volume control on your receiver or amplifier serves as the
“master” volume for all speaker pairs connected.

The volume level of the speakers may vary from room to
room. This is caused by several factors. Two lesser factors are
the size of the speaker and its efficiency. The largest factor is
the physical size of the room.

The best way to balance speaker volume is to equip each of
the speaker pairs in your system with a Niles volume control.
The controls allow you to adjust the volume of each speaker
pair individually. If all the speaker pairs in your system are
equipped with Niles volume controls, you can leave the ampli­fier or receiver volume set at one position and use the Niles
controls exclusively.

SPECIFICATIONS

Audio Power Handling
100 Watts/channel
continuous music power

Frequency Response
+

0 dB, -0 dB (flat) from

20 Hz to 20 kHz

Mounting
Table-top component

Wiring Requirements
Individual runs of
2-conductor speaker
wire. Removable con­nectors accommodate
wire sizes 14-22 gauge
(16 gauge
recommended)

Overall Dimensions
8-1/2" wide x 2" high
x 6-3/4" deep (SS-4); or
11-1/2" wide x 2" high x
6-3/4" deep (SS-6)

Weight

1-3/4 lbs (SS-4);
2-1/4 lbs (SS-6)

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Installation Considerations

SS-4/SS-6 Power Handling

The SS-4/SS-6 is designed for use with a receiver or amplifier
having a maximum power output of 100 watts per channel at
8 ohms. Damage caused by the use of a higher-power receiv­er or amplifier will void the warranty. Niles speaker selectors
with higher power handling capabilities are available. Consult
your Niles dealer, or receiver/amplifier manufacturer, if you are
uncertain about the power rating of your receiver or amplifier.

Amplifier Impedance Load

As more pairs of speakers are parallel connected to a receiver
or amplifier, the overall system impedance becomes lower. For
example, if two pairs of 8-ohm speakers are connected in par­allel, the impedance will be 4 ohms; two pairs of
4-ohm speakers in parallel become 2 ohms, and so on.

Most receivers or amplifiers are not rated for use below a
4 ohm load. Most manufacturers do not recommend connect­ing more than two pairs of speakers without using some form
of impedance correction.

The SS-4/SS-6 includes impedance correction circuitry which
protects your receiver or amplifier from low impedance loads.
The circuitry assures that your receiver or amplifier will see a
safe operating load, even when all speaker pairs are playing at
the same time.

Playing Two or More Speaker Pairs Simultaneously

1. Make sure the amplifier or receiver power is OFF and set the
volume to minimum.

2. On the right side of the SS-4/SS-6’s front panel is a button
labeled PROTECTION. This button activates the SS-4/SS-6’s
impedance correction circuitry. The circuitry assures that your
receiver or amplifier will see a safe operating load when play­ing multiple speaker pairs simultaneously. Since most receivers
and amplifiers are not rated for use below a 4 ohm load, you
will need to activate the Protection button whenever the over­all system impedance might fall below 4 ohms. Use the follow­ing chart as a guide for setting the Protection button.

When playing the following speakers:

1 or 2 pair of 8-ohm speakers

3 or more pairs of 8-ohm speakers

1 pair of 4-ohm speakers

2 or more pairs of 4-ohm speakers

Any combination of 4 and 8 ohm speakers

Set the Protection button to the correct position using the chart shown above.

The Protection button should be:

“TECH TIP”

You will need to acti-

vate the SS-4/SS-6’s
PROTECTION button
whenever the overall

system impedance

might fall below

4 ohms.

OFF

ON

OFF

ON

ON

3

12