Phase Technology CI-MM7W Installation Manual

CI-MM7W In-Wall Woofer Installation Guide

Introduction

This woofer and enclosure were carefully engineered to deliver well-defined bass, while remaining virtually
invisible in a room. The enclosure is designed for installation during new construction or major remodel jobs to
fit between framing studs placed on 16” centers. The enclosure dimensions are 42” high X 14” wide X 3 ½ “
deep. The woofer is a dual voice coil design, so during pre-wire, you will want to run stereo pairs of wire from
your source location to the woofer location.

Selecting the Woofer Location

When selecting a location to install the woofer, it is recommended the woofer be located near the left and right
speakers it will be supporting. That is to say in a traditional room with four walls, it is better to place the
woofer on the same wall or if not on the same wall, as close as possible to the main left and right speakers.
Avoid placing the woofer on an opposite wall from the main speakers whenever possible.

Room placement will affect the output of the woofer. It is recommended that the woofer be placed near the
floor or the ceiling. Avoid placing the woofer in the center of the wall or the center of the room when possible.

Getting Started

Before beginning your installation, it is recommended that you measure the bay (the space between studs) you
intend to install the woofer enclosure. Although 16” centers are the standard for framing construction, you will
likely find many variations. For the simplest installation and best results, select a bay that is clear of any
obstructions like electrical wiring, gas or water pipes. The woofer enclosure is intended to rest on the bottom
plate between vertical studs. The bottom (toe) plate is the 2” X 4” stud lying on the floor, to which the vertical
studs supporting the wallboard are nailed. The height of the actual woofer in the enclosure was selected to
allow the return-air vent used to conceal the woofer and to provide adequate clearance for decorative base
molding up to 6” wide. Note: IN custom homes, the base molding may be wider than 6” requiring a cutout
around the air vent. You may wish to raise the woofer enclosure slightly above the bottom plate. Consult the
general contractor if this is a concern.

Step 1

Open each end of the carton and slide the woofer enclosure out of the carton. Note: Do NOT pull the woofer
enclosure from the packing carton using the speaker wires as a handle.

Step 2

Place the enclosure between the framing studs. To avoid vibration between the studs, sheet rock and the
enclosure drive three 2 ½ ” wood screws per side through the studs and into the enclosure 4” down from
the top, center and 4” up from the bottom. This will retain the woofer in place prior to drywall finishing.

Step 3

Once the woofer is in place you are ready to connect the speaker leads to the amplifier leads. The wire in the
enclosure is 16 Gauge plenum rated UL approved stranded copper wire. You may make connections a number
of ways including butt-connectors, wire nuts, electrical tape and solder. Soldered connections with heat-shrink
insulation, is the recommend way to splice the amplifier and woofer wires. If you need to remove the woofer
from the enclosure, please note the (+) terminals are indicated in red. The blue wires from the crossover are
positive (+). Note: Low voltage electrical codes differ by state. Check your local low voltage code before
selecting a method of wire splicing.

Impedance

If you are using the woofer with one pair of full range speakers, the system wired in parallel will have
impedance of 8-ohms. The pair of 8-ohm satellite speakers with a single woofer will result in 4-ohm
impedance. This is a typical speaker impedance rating requiring no special equipment. If you wish to use
multiple speaker systems from a single source, you will need to be concerned about system impedance. An
impedance matching speaker selector, impedance matching volume control, autoformer or multi-channel
distribution amplifier is recommended. Contact your dealer for professional advise.

Wiring Options

When wiring the woofer with the left and right speakers, it is recommended some time be spent planning the
most efficient way to wire the system.

Option A: One woofer and two satellites. Run 16 gauge or heavier 2 conductor wire from the amplifier /

source location to the left speaker and the same to the right speaker. Run 4 conductors (L&R +,-) to the woofer
location. At the amplifier, twist the left + wires from the woofer and left main speaker and connect to the left
(+) terminal on the amplifier typically indicated with a red connector. Twist the left negative conductor from
the woofer and the left negative conductor from the left main speaker, and then connect to the left negative
(ground) terminal typically marked in black on the amplifier. Repeat the process for the right channel woofer
and speaker leads.

Option B: Multi-room distributed sound systems typically have large bundles of wire tucked in behind the

distribution amplifier or selector. Three piece speaker systems utilizing separate woofers with left and right
mid/hi frequency speakers have the potential for twice the number of wires, which adds to the confusion. One
way to reduce the number of wires at the amplifier is to run one set of left and right + & - conductors from the
amplifier location to the woofer location. Run a second set of left and right + & - conductors from the woofer
to the mid/hi frequency speakers. This results in a splice at the woofer location rather than behind the amplifier,
reducing the number of wires at the source equipment by one half. As in option A, it is important to maintain
correct polarity on the conductors to insure maximum low frequency response from the system.

Final Installation

Drywall will be installed followed by painting, once completed, install the return-air vent over the woofer and
port area. The vent is a standard 10” X 12” steel return-air vent that may be painted to match the room colors.
Using the vent as a template, center it over the woofer opening – mark the screw holes with a pencil. Remove
the vent and drill a 3/32” pilot hole making certain you drill deep enough to penetrate the enclosure. Center the
vent over the pilot holes making sure the vent openings are pointing toward the floor and insert the screws
supplied with the vent. Tighten the mounting screws until the vent is snug against the drywall. Use care not to
over-torque the screws to avoid distorting the steel vent frame.

Warranty

This woofer system is warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of ten (10) years
from the date of purchase to the original purchaser. In the event service is needed, contact your nearest dealer
for assistance. See warranty card enclosed.

Specifications:

Woofer: 7” dual voice coil with polypropylene cone and butyl rubber surround
Frequency Response: 35 Hz – 250 HZ + 3 dB
Crossover: 250 Hz 12 dB per octave
Power Handling: 100 watts continuous
Dimensions: 42” high x 14” wide x 3 ½” deep
Shipping Weight 35 lbs.