Sonance M-1 User Manual

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing Sonance Visual Performance

®

Series 8” in-wall speakers. When properly installed your
new speakers will give you years of entertainment pleasure.
This manual covers these Visual Performance Series speaker
models: VP89, VP87, VP85.

Box Contents

Each Sonance Visual Performance Series in-wall speaker box
contains 2 Visual Performance Series in-wall speakers, 2 Paint
plugs (installed on the fronts of the speakers), 2 Paintable grilles
and 1 Mounting cutout template.

Speaker Placement

Home Theater Speaker Placement

Left, Center & Right Channels

• Place the left & right speakers on either side of the video
screen, anywhere from 6 feet to 10 feet apart and 38 – 42
inches from the floor.

• If possible, locate the center speaker at the same height as the
left & right channel speakers (38 – 42 inches from the floor).

• If you must place the center speaker above or below a video
screen, place it no more than 2 feet above or below the center
of the left and right speakers. This will maintain consistent
tonality between all 3 front channel speakers.

• The main listening position should be between 8 and 12 feet
away from the speakers.

Use

Figure 1

as a guide.

Surround
Speakers (5.1­Channel System)

Locate the surround
channel speakers on
the side walls 2 – 6
feet behind the listen­ing position, at least 5
feet from the floor. Use

Figure 2

as a guide.

Surround
Speakers (7.1­Channel System)

• LEFT & RIGHT
SURROUND SPEAKERS:
Place the left and right surround speakers directly to the sides
of the listening position, at least 5 feet from the floor.

• S

URROUND BACK SPEAKERS: Place the surround back speakers in

the rear wall, between 3 feet and 6 feet apart and at least
5 feet from the floor.

Use

Figure 3

as a guide.

Stereo (2-Channel) Placement

• Place the left and right speakers anywhere from 6 feet to 10
feet apart, with the main listening position as close to midway
between the speakers as possible.

• The speakers should be at least 2 feet away from the side walls.

• The main listening position should be between 4 and 10 feet
away from the speakers.

• In most cases pivoting the tweeter of each speaker directly
towards the main listening position will help maximize the
stereo soundstage.

Use the left and right speaker placement in

Figure 1

as a guide.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

VISUAL PERFORMANCE® SERIES

8”

IN-WALL SPEAKERS

SAFETY WARNING:

THESE SPEAKERS HAVE FASTMOUNT

®

TABS THAT PREVENT THE
SPEAKER FROM FALLING OUT OF THE MOUNTING HOLE DURING THE
INSTALLATION PROCESS

.

T

HE EDGES OF THE

FASTMOUNT TABS ARE VERY SHARP.

U

SE CAUTION WHEN HANDLING THE SPEAKER.

2'

(max.)

18"

From Side

Wall

6' – 10'

Apart

18"

From Side

Wall

F

IGURE 1: LEFT, CENTER & RIGHT CHANNEL

HOME THEATER SPEAKER PLACEMENT

5' – 7'

2' – 6'

F

IGURE 2: 5.1-CHANNEL HOME

THEATER SURROUND SPEAKER

PLACEMENT

Right Surround

Speaker

Left Surround

Speaker

Left
Front
Speaker

Right
Front
Speaker

Video
Screen

Center
Speaker

Left

Surround Back

Speaker

Right

Surround Back

Speaker

FIGURE 3: 7.1-CHANNEL HOME THEATER SPEAKER PLACEMENT

2

SONANCE VISUAL PERFORMANCE®8” IN-WALL

Before Installation: Retrofit

1. Determine the location for the speaker (see

Speaker Placement

on page 1).

2. Perform an obstruction survey to be certain that there are no
studs, conduit, pipes, heating ducts, pocket doors or air returns
in the wall cavity that will interfere with the speaker.

3. All Visual Performance 8” in-wall speakers require a mounting

cutout that is 8

7

/

16” (214mm) wide by 14½” (368mm) high with at

least 3

5

/

8” (92mm) of depth within the mounting cavity.

4. Position the included cutout template where the speaker is to
be located and pencil an outline on the wall.

• If you are unsure about obstructions, drill a small hole in the
center of the outline and insert a coat hanger wire into the
hole to feel-around for possible obstructions.

5. Cut the mounting hole using a keyhole or drywall saw, and
run the speaker wires from the mounting hole to the amplifier
location.

• Consult local building codes before running speaker wires
through walls.

Before Installation: IR Plug

Sonance Visual Performance Series
in-wall speakers have a plug for
installing an IR receiver into the
speaker’s front baffle (see

Figure 4

).
In systems where the electronics are
placed in an inconvenient location
this allows remote controls to be
aimed at the front of the room instead
of at the electronics.

The IR plug is in the form of a bolt
and retaining nut. To remove the
plug, unscrew the nut (located behind
the baffle, see

Figure 5

) and remove
the bolt. The hole is designed to
receive a Sonance OptiLinQ

®

SMR1
or SMR1P Surface-Mount IR receiver.
Insert the IR receiver through the
front of the speaker baffle and use
the nut included with the receiver to
secure it to the baffle.

Installation

Sonance Visual Performance Series speakers feature exclusive
FastMount

®

tabs and an integral RotoLock®mounting system for

quick mounting directly into existing walls.

WARNING: THE EDGES OF THE FASTMOUNT TABS
ARE VERY SHARP. USE CAUTION WHEN HANDLING
THE SPEAKER.

1. Remove the paint plug from the speaker.

2. Strip ¼” – ½” of insulation from each speaker lead. Twist the

strands or tin the exposed wire with solder to ensure that there
are no stray strands. (Stray strands that touch each other can
cause a short-circuit that can damage the amplifier.)

3. The speaker’s connector posts are spring-loaded. Push the top

of each connector post down to open the connector and insert
the exposed wires into the holes in the posts.

• The speaker’s positive
post is labeled with a
red dot; the negative
post is labeled with a
black dot. Double­check that you connect­ed amplifier “+” to
speaker “+” and ampli­fier “–” to speaker “–”.

4. Make sure all the
RotoLock clamps are
retracted so that they
are tucked within the
mounting hole’s border.
Insert the speaker into
the hole in the wall
(

Figure 6

). The RotoLock
system can accommo­date a maximum wall
material thickness of
1¼”.

• The FastMount tabs will
prevent the speaker
from falling out of the
mounting hole, allow­ing you to let go of the
speaker to pick-up
tools or other items
(

Figure 7

).

NOTE : THE FASTMOUNT

TABS ARE DESIGNED FOR
ONE-TIME USE ONLY. IF

THE SPEAKER IS REMOVED

FROM THE MOUNTING
HOLE THE FASTMOUNT

TABS WILL DISCONNECT

AND REMAIN INSIDE THE
WALL.

5. Tighten the four screws
on the front of the speaker
baffle. The RotoLock
clamps will automatically
rotate into position and
begin clamping the
speaker (

Figure 8

).

• When you notice resist­ance on the screws the
speaker has been
clamped successfully.

IMPORTANT:
Always use low­torque settings;
NEVER over-tighten.

NOT E: ADJUSTING THE

TENSION OF THE

ROTO LOCK CLAMPS SO

THAT THE SPEAKER FRAME

IS FLAT WILL HELP ENSURE

RotoLock Clamps

(retracted)

FIGURE 6: INSERTING THE SPEAKER

INTO THE

MOUNTING HOLE

FastMount Tabs

RotoLock Clamps

(retracted)

FIGURE 7: FASTMOUNT TABS AND

ROTOLOCK CLAMPS

RotoLock

Screws

FIGURE 8: TIGHTENING THE

R

OTOLOCK SCREWS

FIGURE 4: IR PLUG

FIGURE 5: IR PLUG

RETAINING NUT

IR Plug

Retaining Nut