Russound H8S-2378 User Manual

built for sound - priced for value
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for selecting the Russound Contractor Series In-wall/In-ceil­ing Speakers. Like all Russound speakers, they combine acoustic technol­ogy with durability and will provide years of musical enjoyment. An added feature of models SP-C503, SP-C522 and SP-C622 is the dual voice coil design. This is unique in that both left and right signals can function in one speaker, which is ideal for smaller installations or where there is no preferred listening position.
Russound Contractor Series speakers should only be installed by autho­rized personnel.
SPEAKER WIRE
The amount of wire you’re going to need will of course vary with speak­er placement. We recommend labeling speaker wires with “left” and “right” and room location. This takes the guesswork out of which wires go where when installing speakers later.
What kind to use:
We recommend using Russound AW series speaker cable or any rep­utable brand of 16 to 12 gauge multi-stranded wiring for amplifier-to­speaker connections.
Selecting the proper gauge:
Wire is measured in gauges: the bigger the number, the smaller the wire. For example, 18-gauge is thinner than 14-gauge. The gauge of wire you need is determined by the distance between your amplifier/receiver and the in-wall speakers. Remember, the longer the run, the heavier the gauge needed. Use the following chart as a guide:
Length Minimum Gauge
0 to 100 ft. 16
50 to 150 ft. 14
100 to 200 ft. 12
WHERE TO PLACE YOUR CEILING SPEAKERS
Placement can make all the difference in how your Russound speaker system sounds. There are at least four factors to consider for your layout:
• How you intend to use the ceiling speakers
• Where they’ll sound best (stereo imaging and acoustic considerations)
• Where they can be installed (wall and ceiling surfaces)
• Where speaker wire can be run
STEREO IMAGING
If your Russound Ceiling Speakers are going to be your primary listening source in a room, you need to consider some other factors to insure proper imaging. The term “stereo imaging” refers to a speaker system’s ability to project music so that it sounds like the performers are in a three-dimensional space between the speakers. It’s the whole point of having stereo instead of monophonic sound.
OTHER ACOUSTIC CONSIDERATIONS
For best fidelity, there are several other factors to keep in mind before you start actual installation.
Figure 1
GOOD
for stereo imaging
Figure 2
FINE for
background
music;
ACCEPTABLE
for stereo
effect
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Corners and Reflections:
When a ceiling speaker is placed close to the corner of a room, bass fre­quencies are emphasized. This is fine if both speakers are mounted near corners (while maintaining stereo imaging), but try to avoid placing just one speaker in a corner and another on a long flat surface. In general, the best acoustic performance will result if both speakers face a similar type of surface and are placed in similar positions on the same type of wall or ceiling.
Installation:
When installing the speakers, avoid:
• T-bar “drop ceilings” with very thin fiberboard panels which can buzz and vibrate. If you suspect this will happen, reinforce the drop-in panel with wood or particle board.
• Any wall which can’t provide proper depth (clearance) for the back of the Russound speaker. This includes brick or concrete walls where the wallboard or paneling is attached to thin furring strips.
• Inside wall space less than 10” wide and 24” in height
•Ceilings and walls where you know that there are pipes, heating ducts and ESPECIALLY AC wiring in the general vicinity. For example, if there is an outlet along the baseboard, there is often a live wire running partly up the wall at that point. The same applies for ceiling fans, overhead lighting, etc.
SPEAKER WIRE PATHS
In general, you should pay particular attention to the following areas:
• Avoid running speaker wires close to house electrical wiring for any distance. If you have to run them parallel, make sure to space the speaker wires at least two feet from the AC line. It is permissible for speaker wires to cross paths with AC lines or go through the same hole together with house wiring if they separate before and after.
• Make sure that the entire path between speakers and amplifier is clear and not obstructed by a floor or ceiling joist or masonry wall which you won’t be able to drill through.
• Remember that the other end of the wires has to come out some­where to connect with the amplifier. Confirm ahead of time that you can drill an outlet hole easily and in an unobtrusive spot.
Russound ceiling-mount speakers may be used for rear surround sound channels by placing them (1) behind, (2) on each side of the viewing position or (3) in the ceiling just behind the viewers. The available SP-C550 and SP-C650 speakers also make excellent, unobtrusive front channel home theater speakers for 5-channel listening (4,5).
Optimally, Russound wall-mount speakers should be located with the tweeters at ear level when the listener is seated.
GOOD
speaker
height
BETTER speaker
height
Figure 3
EXCELLENT
for stereo
imaging
Figure 4
5-CHANNEL
Listening
Figure 5
5
4
4
2
33
11
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PAINTING THE SPEAKERS
If you like the designer white finish which is a part of your Russound Contractor speakers, then you are ready to install. But if you want your speakers to completely blend in with a colored wall or accent the sur­face, now is the time to paint the speakers’ outer frames and perforated grilles.
The speaker’s outer surfaces are ready to accept ordinary latex wall paint or aerosol spray paint. Because the speaker baffle surface behind the perforated grille should remain black, you will need to mask this area off before you begin painting, or use the included template cover.
1. Remove the speaker grilles. From the back of the speaker, push the clamp (dog-ear) towards the grille to loosen it so you can pull it off.
2. Attach masking tape to the cardboard masking template which has been included with your speakers.
3. Press the template onto each speaker’s surface to cover the woofer and tweeter.
4. Paint the outer speaker frame and grille separately. A roller with a short or medium nap will work much better than a brush. If you’re using spray paint, make sure that you achieve the same coverage on both grille and frame.
5. After the paint has thoroughly dried, remove the template and/or masking tape.
There’s no need to replace the grille at this time since you will need access to the inner speaker surface during installation.
CUTTING HOLES FOR THE SPEAKERS
Wallboard is an easy surface in which to make a relatively neat hole. Make sure you don’t make it any bigger than the template.
1. Determine the location of your joists/studs so that the speaker can be approximately centered between them.
2. When you’re reasonably sure of where the joists or studs are (and are TOTALLY sure that there isn’t an electrical cable, water pipe or heat­ing duct in that vicinity of wall), position one of the cardboard mounting templates and draw an outline with a pencil.
3. Score the outline of the template with a utility knife to prevent chip­ping or wall paper from tearing. Then use a keyhole/drywall saw or motorized spiral-cut tool to make the opening.
- If you’re dealing with lath and plaster or thick paneling, you need to use a different technique. Drill 1-inch holes at the corners of the pencil outline. Then use a fine-toothed keyhole saw or even a hack­saw blade with VERY slow strokes to saw through and remove the inner surface.
HOOKING UP YOUR SPEAKERS
IDENTIFYING “+” AND “-”
You need to be able to discriminate between the two conductors of the speaker wire. If your wire has transparent insulation, this is easy: one conductor will be copper-colored and the other silver-colored. Generally, professionals denote the copper one as POSITIVE (+) and the silver one as NEGATIVE (-).
If you’ve used wire which has an opaque insulation, there are still differentiating markings. Examine the wire closely and look for:
1. A series of ribs or grooves on one con­ductor
2. A painted stripe or dotted line
Denote any of these as the POSITIVE (+) conductor for similar connections on both ends.
NOTE: It is important that you label your
wires left and right when you run them to eliminate future confusion.
AT THE SPEAKER END
1. Cut off excess wire, leaving about 2 feet extending through the speaker cut-out hole.
2. Pull the conductors apart so they’re separated for the first two inches from their ends.
3. Using a wire stripper, diagonal pliers or a knife, remove 1/2 inch of insulation from each conductor.
4. Twist the tiny strands in each conductor into tight spirals.
5. IMPORTANT: Route the speaker wire THROUGH the sheetrock.
6. Attach the speaker wires to the red and black speaker terminals. Press down on the protruding levers while inserting the wire. Make sure that no stray strands of wire have gotten detached and are touching the other main wire.
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Figure 6 Typical indicator of positive (+)(striped)
and negative (-)(solid)
speaker wire
conductors
Figure 7
Insertion of speaker
wire on back of
speaker baffle
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