Russound Advantage User Manual
OWNER’S MANUAL
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Contents
Introduction – The Russound Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Space and Wall Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Impedance Matching for Amplifier and Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Speaker Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
WHO – Installer Skills and Tools Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
WHAT - Speaker Usage and Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
WHEN - Pre-Construction or Retrofit Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
WHERE - Speaker Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
WIRE - Wire Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
HOW - Painting the Speaker Frames and Grilles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
HOW - Cutting Wall/Ceiling Opening for Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . .15
HOW – Hooking Up the Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
HOW – Final Assembly of Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
HOW - Testing Speaker Polarity and Channel Connections . . . . . .19
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Introduction
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THE RUSSOUND ADVANTAGE
Thank you for selecting Russound Advantage Series
speakers. Like all Russound speakers, they combine
advanced acoustic technology with durability to provide
years of listening enjoyment. The Advantage speaker line
is composed of the Music and the Hi-Fi Series.
The Music Series is designed to provide an optimum balance between performance and price, delivering superior
sound for all applications at a most affordable cost. The
Music Series is perfect for multi-room audio systems as
well as surround sound applications, providing exemplary
reproduction throughout the home.
The Hi-Fi Series combines the finest components with
our most advanced drivers to deliver exceptional performance in every application. From background music
to spectacular surround sound, Hi-Fi Series speakers
offer the finest sound around.
Iso-Mount™ technology takes the Advantage Series beyond
ordinary in-wall speakers by reducing undesirable wall
vibrations with a unique thermopolymer isolation mounting
gasket. Where typical in-wall speakers lack clarity due to
speaker-induced wall vibrations, Iso-Mount speakers offer
dramatic sonic improvement by letting the music come
only from the speakers, not from the wall as well. In addition, the innovative Twist & Lock™ mounting system incorporated in Iso-Mount models provides exceptionally easy
and secure installation.
Iso-Mount speakers have a molded-in IR receiver opening that allows mounting an infrared remote receiver
through the speaker baffle. The blue polymer plug is
designed to pop out for screw-in installation of an IR
receiver such as the Russound SaphIR™ Eye without
damaging the speaker baffle.
In addition to Iso-Mount and Twist & Lock features,
Russound Advantage speakers feature high quality drivers, sophisticated crossover networks, and advanced
designs to ensure optimum reproduction in your home,
no matter what the source material may be.
WOVEN GLASS FIBER WOOFER/MIDRANGE CONE
Our woven glass fiber cone employs the best of modern
technology to deliver an optimum balance of performance.
Its superior transient response and light weight produce
excellent low distortion voice reproduction and high efficiency. The result is exceptional sound from deep bass
through the all-critical midrange frequencies.
LARGE HIGH-ENERGY MAGNETIC MOTOR
SYSTEMS
These powerful motors drive the woofer/midrange cone
to reproduce sound. Their advanced Finite Element
Analysis design means they are optimized to mate perfectly with the glass fiber cones, delivering all the power
needed with finesse and superior control. A dual vented
design and large Kapton® voice coil ensure adequate
power handling under the most demanding situations.
SILK OR ALUMINUM DOME TWEETERS
These fluid cooled devices utilize rare-earth Neodymium
magnet assemblies and lightweight domes to reproduce
every subtle nuance of the musical or cinema sound
source. A computer-designed lens helps smooth their
response and aids in delivering wide dispersion for excellent sound throughout the listening area.
COMPUTER DESIGNED ASYMMETRICAL
CROSSOVERS
The crossover is the traffic cop for the audio signal,
dividing the lows from the highs and sending them off to
the proper driver element. It also matches driver efficiencies and phase relationships to make sure that the
different drivers work in unison. Advantage asymmetrical crossovers are very sophisticated designs, blending
and matching the output of our proprietary drivers into a
seamless and accurate sound field. Asymmetrical refers
to the roll-off slope of the woofer/midrange being different from the roll-on slope of the tweeter. The result is
both better driver integration and better time coherence
in the speaker’s output. We also use high quality components to ensure long life and excellent unit-to-unit consistency.
HIGH FREQUENCY SWITCH
This adjustment allows you to tailor the sound of
Advantage speakers to better match the listening environment. The switch offers a flat response position (-)
and a plus 3 dB position (+). It is located on the front
baffle of Iso-Mount models.
4
Space Requirements & Impedance Matching
SPACE AND WALL REQUIREMENTS
SPACE REQUIREMENTS
Russound Advantage Iso-Mount speakers require a minimum wall depth of 3-5/8” (9.2 cm) (measured from the
outside face of the mounting surface), and require at
least 1.4 cubic feet of space behind the speaker for optimal
performance.
WALL REQUIREMENTS
ACCEPTABLE INSTALLATION SITUATIONS:
• Any wallboard and 2x4 stud wall
• Lath and plaster wall
• Wood paneling and 2x4 stud wall. The dense, rigid
nature of plasterboard (or lath and plaster) or thick
wood paneling acts as a superb speaker baffle.
UNACCEPTABLE INSTALLATION SITUATIONS:
• Brick or concrete walls where the wallboard or paneling is attached to thin furring strips – This type of
wall can’t provide proper depth (clearance) for the
back of the Russound Advantage speakers.
• Locations concealing pipes, heating ducts and AC
wiring – These elements can complicate speaker
mounting and installation of speaker wire. AC wiring
can induce hum caused by close proximity to the
speaker.
IMPEDANCE MATCHING FOR AMPLIFIER AND
SPEAKERS
Not all amplifiers or receivers can safely operate two
sets of speakers at once. If you intend to run your
Russound Advantage speakers and your main speakers
concurrently, or if you intend to hook up and run two
sets of speakers at the same time, it’s important to consider both the impedance of the speakers and the capabilities of the amplifier or receiver you’re using.
A speaker’s impedance rating indicates the amount of
electrical resistance it places against current flowing from
a receiver’s outputs. If the total speaker load does not
present adequate resistance, the receiver increases its
power output. Low-impedance speakers may hamper
operations of receivers not designed to deliver large
amounts of current to low-impedance loads. This may
lead to greater distortion, and causes the receiver to run
hot or activate its protection circuitry.
First, consult the owner’s manual for your amplifier or
receiver. It should state the minimum speaker impedance during multiple speaker operation. The impedance
may also be printed on the back of the amplifier/receiver next to the speaker connectors. If you can’t readily
determine this information, consult the dealer where you
purchased the amplifier or receiver, or call the manufacturer of the product in question.
The impedance rating for your Russound Advantage
Music Series speakers is 8 ohms, 6 ohms for the Hi-Fi
Series. Next, determine the impedance of your other
speakers. It may be printed on the back of the speaker
near the connection terminals, or you can consult the
speaker’s owner’s manual. Speaker impedance must be
equal to or higher than the amplifier/receiver speaker
output impedance rating. For instance, an
amplifier/receiver that is rated for two pair of 8 ohm
speakers cannot support two pair of 4 ohm speakers.
If the amplifier/receiver is not rated for the speaker configuration desired, external volume controls and/or
speaker selectors can maintain the impedance levels
that will allow your amplifier/receiver to operate safely.
Russound makes a complete line of these products,
from Impedance-Matching Volume Controls to
Impedance-Matching Speaker Selectors. Ask your
Russound dealer for details or request a catalog from
Russound at 800-638-8055 (U.S. and Canada) or +1603-659-5170 from outside the U.S.
Speaker Care
5
SPEAKER CARE
Russound Advantage Series speakers are built with quality materials to last a lifetime. They should work for as
long as you own your home and longer if you avoid the
following:
• Too little power at high volumes
• Too much power
• Transients (immediate loud passages, thumps, etc.)
TOO LITTLE POWER AT HIGH VOLUMES
Speakers can be damaged when they are driven by an
amplifier/receiver that isn’t capable of delivering all the
“clean power” that is being demanded. When an amplifier/receiver runs out of current due to high demand
while trying to re-create musical peaks, it causes a type
of output signal distortion called clipping. Clipping not
only makes the music sound unclear, over time it can
damage or destroy the speakers. If you’re listening at
loud volumes you may be unaware that clipping is
occurring, but the damage may already be done, as clipping damage can be instantaneous or cumulative. If you
like your music loud, consider using an amplifier/receiver with at least 50 watts per channel but remember:
you can damage any speaker with clipping, no matter
how well it is built.
TOO MUCH POWER
There’s nothing wrong with driving your Russound
Advantage speakers with as much power as they are
rated for. The extra power helps them provide full, rich
sound and excellent transient response. However, you
should not be heavy-handed with the volume control. If
the music begins to sound distorted in any way, back off
the volume.
TRANSIENTS
Transients are sudden uncontrolled signal changes that
can seriously damage any speaker, including your
Russound Advantage speakers. Transients may be
caused by turning the system on or off while the volume
is at a maximum level, or by disconnecting any hook-up
cables while the system is on, creating a burst of low
frequency hum. These conditions can cause serious
speaker damage and should be avoided. As a general
rule, always unplug the amplifier from the AC mains
before connecting or disconnecting any signal or speaker cable.
Note: Russound does not guarantee its speakers against abuse,
including too little power at high volumes and too much
power. Damage from clipping or too much power is revealed
simply by looking at the speaker’s voice coils. When used with
care and common sense, your Russound speakers should provide a lifetime of listening pleasure.
6
Getting Started & WHO – Installer Skills and Tools
There are several related factors that must be considered before the installation of your Russound Advantage speakers:
WHO: Who is doing the installation, the homeowner, or a professional installer?
WHAT: What is the installation environment and the intended use (serious listening or background)?
WHEN: When will the installation be performed – during pre-construction or retrofit in an existing home?
WHERE: Where is the best speaker location and where are the available speaker locations?
WIRE: Wire should be what gauge and what length? Can the speaker wires be run to the intended location?
Will there be any IR receivers mounted in any Iso-Mount speaker locations? If so, what are the wiring
requirements?
HOW: How are the speakers installed?
WHO – INSTALLER SKILLS AND TOOLS REQUIRED
This manual is designed to make your Advantage Series
speakers as easy to install as they are to listen to. If
you’ve had any home “do-it-yourself” experience, you
should find installation of your new speakers a manageable job. You should have a basic understanding of
hand and power tool operations, a working knowledge of
your audio system, and be able to operate a multimeter.
TOOLS NEEDED FOR INSTALLATION IN
EXISTING WALLS:
•Drill with a 1-inch flat bit
•Drill bit 1/4” larger than the diameter of the speaker
wire
•Retractable utility knife, Roto Zip®, Dremel®, or keyhole saw
• #2 Phillips-head screw driver to fit the screws for the
integral swing-out mounting clamps
• Bubble level
• Pair of diagonal cutters or wire strippers
• Stud finder
• Multimeter
• Plumb bob or small weight on a string
• Cardboard mounting template (included with speakers)
•Pencil
• Length of stiff wire about 3 feet long (a straightened
wire coat hanger works well)
• Insulated staples for securing speaker wire
•1.5V AA battery
• Masking tape
•Paint and applicator for painting the grille and outer
frame
We suggest you read through this manual first before
proceeding with installation to familiarize yourself with
the entire installation process. If you then decide that
installing your Russound Advantage Series Speakers is
beyond your skills, call your Russound dealer to arrange
for professional installation. Be ready to tell your
installer if the speakers will be used for serious listening
or for background sound, and to discuss the desired
speaker locations.
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WHAT – Speaker Usage and Environment
WHAT - SPEAKER USAGE AND ENVIRONMENT
Before you decide where you want to install your
Russound Advantage speakers, you’ll need to determine their intended use. Will you be sitting in one
place listening to music or will you be playing background music during domestic and social activities?
Once you’ve determined where you will be while
you listen, you can decide where the preferred
speaker location will be. Russound Advantage
speakers have been designed to be suitable for
most listening environments.
Advantage Series Iso-Mount technology provides
superior performance by adding a proprietary thermopolymer isolation gasket between the frame and
the baffle. This unique gasket dramatically reduces
unwanted wall vibrations to increase the clarity,
definition and accuracy of the sound produced.
This makes the Iso-Mount speakers perfect for
both serious listening and for background applications. The adjustable tweeter pivots for fine adjustment of the speaker’s high frequency directivity,
and the symmetrical frame permits the speaker
baffle to be installed with the tweeter at the top or
the bottom of the speaker. Ideally, the tweeter
should be as close to ear level as possible when
you’re seated in the prime listening position.
Figure 1
WHEN – Pre-Construction or Retrofit Installation
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WHEN - PRE-CONSTRUCTION OR RETROFIT
INSTALLATION
PRE-CONSTRUCTION INSTALLATION
Built-in speaker installation is more convenient during
home construction than after construction is completed.
Speaker wire can be routed to the destination before the
wallboard is installed, and possible hindrances such as
AC wiring, plumbing, or ductwork can be easily located
and avoided.
Speaker rough-in brackets are used in the pre-construction
phase of speaker installation during construction of new
homes and additions. Russound offers Speaker Rough-In
Brackets for the full line of Advantage speakers. These brackets are designed to provide drywall installers the correct cutout pattern for the speakers. The brackets have “wings” that
are nailed/screwed/stapled onto the wall studs. Once the
wallboard is installed, the opening is cut out and the speaker
frame is inserted into the bracket.
When installing the pre-construction bracket, note that
there are holes molded into the bracket for speaker wire
tie-off. This keeps the wire from getting lost later during
the construction process. You can also tie the wire to
the bezel/mounting assembly once it’s installed, using
any of the rotating clamp towers.
DURING NEW INSTALLATION, KEEP THE
FOLLOWING TIPS IN MIND:
• Use a small level to verify that the rough-in bracket is
straight.
• If possible, run speaker wires after AC wiring is in
place to avoid induced hum caused by close parallel
proximity of the two types of wire.
• If possible, run speaker wires after plumbing is in
place; wire can bend, pipes cannot.
• Secure speaker wires in place against a stud along
vertical runs with insulated staples only, being careful
not to pierce the wire insulation. Allow a bit of slack
for expansion of building materials.
• Horizontal runs should be routed through holes
drilled in studs at roughly equal heights.
• The actual speakers should not be installed until the
wallboard is in place. In the meantime, leave several
feet of wire coiled up and secured to the back side of
the mounting frame. Excess length can be removed
during final assembly.
•Any speaker installed in a ceiling should have a safety
wire firmly tied between the back of the speaker assembly and the frame of the building. Use any strong insulated wire and connect it to the speaker being careful
not to let it interfere with the speaker’s operation. The
other end should be firmly attached to the studs or flooring above using a hook, nail, or other reliable fastener.
• When installing the drywall, make sure the speaker
cut-out hole doesn’t extend farther than 1/4” from
the inside of the mounting frame. The flat rough-in
brackets and wings are thin enough that they won’t
interfere with wallboard installation.
• After the wallboard is secured, install the speakers as
described in the installation instructions in this manual.
RETROFIT INSTALLATION
If you are installing Russound Advantage speakers in an
existing home, you will need to be diligent in locating
existing pipes, ductwork, and AC wiring before cutting
any holes in the ceiling or walls. In many cases, these
obstructions are indicated by wall outlets, switches,
plumbing fixtures, radiators, etc.
Figure 2 New construction use of Rough-in
Bracket
Not for use with Retrofit applications
2 x 4 STUD
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