Russound SP503.1 User Manual

A/V DISTRIBUTION & CONTROL SYSTEMS

SP503.1 SP523.1

SP522.1

Instruction Manual

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INTRODUCTIONS

Congratulations on selecting Russound Ceiling-Mounted Speakers. Like
all RUSSOUND speakers, they combine acoustic technology with durabil­ity and will provide years of musical enjoyment. An added feature of
model SP503.1 and model SP522.1 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 installations in bathrooms, laundry rooms, hallways,
etc.

This manual is intended to make your SP503.1, SP522.1 or SP523.1
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 simple job.

However, we suggest you read through this manual before starting
out. If you then decide that installing your Russound In-Wall
Speakers is beyond your skills, call your Russound dealer to arrange
for professional installation.

NECESSARY TOOLS TO DO THE JOB

TOOLS FOR INSTALLATION IN EXISTING WALLS

• A pencil

• A drill with a 1-inch flat bit

• A retractable utility knife or keyhole saw

• A length of stiff wire about 3 feet long (a straightened wire coat
hanger works fine)

• A Phillips-head screw driver which will fit the fastening-screws (for
the dog ears)

• A pair of diagonal pliers or wire strippers

Some of the following may also be needed, depending on the
application:

• A stud finder

• A Drill bit just slightly larger than the diameter of one speaker wire

• Insulated staples for securing speaker wire

• Masking tape

• Paint and applicator for changing grille and outer frame finish

SPEAKER WIRE

The amount of wire you’re going to need will of course vary with speak­er placement. We recommend labeling speaker wires left + right and
room location. Doing this takes out the guess work 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. Use the following chart as a
guide:

Length Minimum Gauge
10 to 100 ft. 16
80 to 125 ft. 14

Over 100 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 three “WHERE’s” and a “HOW” to fac­tor into your layout:

• HOW you intend to use your ceiling speakers

• WHERE they’ll sound best (stereo imaging and acoustic considera­tions)

• WHERE it’s possible to install them (wall and ceiling surfaces)

• WHERE they can be installed that makes it easy to get wires to them
without remodeling your entire house.

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 3­dimensional space between the speakers. It’s the whole point of having
a stereo instead of monophonic sound.

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OTHER ACOUSTIC CONSIDERATIONS

For best fidelity, there are several other factors to keep in mind before
you start actual installation.

Concerns and reflections:

When a ceiling speaker is placed close to the comer of a room, bass fre­quencies are emphasized. This can be okay if both speakers are mount­ed near corner (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 Depth:

Russound Ceiling speaker models SP503.1, SP522.1 and SP523.1 require
at least 3” of wall depth (measured from the outside surface of the
wall). This means that they can be installed in any wallboard between
ceiling joists or a 2x4 stud wall. In fact, the dense, rigid nature of plas­terboard or (lath and plaster in older homes) acts as a superb speaker
baffle.

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.

DUAL VOICE COIL

Dual voice coil speakers are used to create a stereo sound from one
speaker. The left and right inputs are both connected to the two differ­ent inputs at the speaker. The action of two voice coils on one cone
simulates a full range mono signal.

GOOD

for stereo imaging

EXCELLENT

for stereo

imaging

FINE for

background

music;

ACCEPTABLE

for stereo

effect

Figure1 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 SP550.2 & SP650.1 speakers also make excellent, unobtrusive front channel home
theater speakers for 5 channel listening.

Figure 2

Dual Voice Coil

Speaker Placement

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2

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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, however, okay
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 un-obtrusive spot.

PAINTING THE SPEAKERS

If you like the designer white finish which has been applied to your
Russound Ceiling Speakers, skip to the section “cutting holes”. But if
you want your speakers to completely blend in with a colored wall or
accent the surface, now is the time to paint your Russound speakers’
outer frames and perforated grilles.

The speaker’s outer surfaces are primed to accept ordinary latex wall
paint or aerosol spray paint. Because the 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 grill 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 grill 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. In the fol­lowing steps, you’re going to locate a section of ceiling or wall between
two joists/studs, mark the outer boundaries of the hole, drill a small hole
in the center to confirm your location and then cut the main hole.

1. Determine the location of your joists/studs so that the speaker can be
approximately centered between them. There are several ways to go
about this:

- Tap on the wall and listen to the resulting “THUMP”. When it’s deep­er, you’re between studs. When it’s sharper and more flat-sounding,
you’re close to a stud.

- Use a stud-finder, a simple little magnetic device which works by
locating the lines of nails hammered into the stud.

- Identify studs by the position of electrical outlets or switches. There
will be a stud either directly to the left or right of a an electrical fix­ture. This gives you a point of measurement since studs are either 18
or 16 inches apart in newer houses, 12 inches apart on older homes.

2. When you’re reasonably sure of where the joists or 2x4 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. If you don’t
trust your eye, use a level to make sure the hole will be perfectly
round.

3. Drill a 1-inch hole in the center of the pencil outline which you have
just drawn.

4. Obtain a length of stiff wire such as an un-bent coat hanger. Bend it
so that the last 12 inches is at a right angle to the rest.

5. Insert the angled part into the 1-inch hole you just drilled and probe
to left and right to confirm that a joist or stud is not close on either
side.

- If there is a close joist/stud on one side, just re-position the card­board template a few inches in the opposite direction and re-draw
your pencil outline, keeping the 1-inch hole within the pencil out­line’s inner boundaries.

6. Score the outline of the template with a utility knife to prevent chip­ping or wall paper from tearing. Then use a keyhole/dry-wall saw to
cut in 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 key-hole saw or even a hack­saw blade with VERY slow strokes to saw through and remove the
inner surface.

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