INSTRUCTION MANUAL
M
ERLOT
®
M-S
ERIES
I
N
-W
ALL
S
PEAKERS
2
SONANCE MERLOT®M
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Sonance Merlot®M-series in-wall speakers. When properly installed
your new speakers will give you years of entertainment pleasure. This manual will teach you all
about your new speakers’ many innovative features and will show you how to get the very best
performance from them. Please read it thoroughly.
Since all of the Merlot M-series speakers have identical installation requirements, the
directions in this manual apply to each model in the series. This manual covers the Merlot
423
M and Merlot 422
M
Design and Features
•• SSmmaallll ff oooottpprrii nntt llee ttss yyoouu iinnssttaa llll MMee rr lloo tt ssppeeaakkeerrss iinn pp ll aa cceess tthhaatt pprr ee ss ee nntt iinn ss ttaa llllaattii oonn cchh aallllee nnggeess wwhh iillee ddeellii vveerr iinn gg
ssoo nniicc ppeerrff oorr mm aa nn ccee tt hhaatt wwii ll ll ssaa ttiiss ffyy ddeemmaa nnddiinn gg llii ssttee nn ee rrss..
•• II dd ee aall ffoorr uu ss ee iinn mmuu ll tt ii-- cchhaan
nnn ee ll hh oommee tt hheeaatteerr ssyyss tteemmss aann dd ssttee rr ee oo mm uu ss iicc ss yy ss tteemm ss ..
•• PP iivv oottii nngg tt wwee ee tt ee rr dd ii rreecc ttss tt hhee ss oouunn dd aatt lliiss tt ee nneerr ss ff oorr cclleeaarr ss oouu nn dd aann dd ii mm pprr oovv ee dd ssttee rr ee oo iimmaagg iinn gg eevv ee nn wwhheenn
sspp ee aa kkeerr pp llaa cceemmeenn tt oo pp tt iioo nnss aarr ee llii mmii tteedd..
•• AAdd vva
ann cceedd ww oooo ffee rr cc oonn ee mmaa tteerr iiaa llss cc rreeaa ttee ssttrr oonn gg ,, ll ooww -- dd iiss ttoo rrttii oonn bb aa ssss..
•• AA 33-- ppoo ss iittii oonn ttww ee ee tteerr aaddjjuu ss tt mm ee nntt ssww iittcc hh ll ee tt ss yyoo uu bb aa ll aa nn ccee tt hhee sspp ee aa kkeerr ’’ss hh iigg hh-- ffrr ee qquu ee nncc yy ee nneerr ggyy tt oo bbeetttt ee rr
cc oommpplliimmee nntt yy oouurr rr oooo mm ’’ss sseettuu pp aannd
d aacc oouu ssttii ccss ((MMee rr lloo tt 442233
MM
))..
•• TThh ee FFaa ss tt MMoouunn tt
®®
ttaabbss aanndd RRoo ttoo LLoo cckk®®mmoo uunn tt iinn gg ss yysstteemm mm aakkee ii nnss ttaa llllaa ttiioonn qq uuiicckk aa nndd eeaass yy ..
Box Contents
Your Sonance Merlot speaker box should contain the following items:
(2) Merlot speakers (2) Plastic paint plugs (installed on fronts of speakers)
(2) Paintable grilles (1) Mounting cutout template (in packaging)
Speaker Placement
When selecting mounting locations for your speakers you should consider such things as your primary listening location,
the primary use for the speakers (2-channel stereo or home theater) and aesthetic values. Your local authorized Sonance
dealer is an expert in audio/video system planning and installation. We strongly recommend that you work with your
dealer to ensure that your system is properly planned, assembled and installed.
Stereo Speaker 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 38 – 42 inches from the floor and at least 18 inches 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 2
(on page 3) as a guide.
Figure 1:
Sonance Merlot
®
423M Speaker
SAFETY WARNING:
These speakers have FastMount®tabs that prevent the speaker from falling
out of the mounting hole during the installation process.
TTHHEE EEDDGGEESS OOFF TTHHEE FFAASSTTMMOOUUNNTT TTAABBSS AARREE VVEERRYY SSHHAARRPP..
UUSSEE CCAAUUTTIIOONN WWHHEENN HHAANNDDLL IINNGG T
THHEE SSPPEEAAKKEERR..
See
Installation
(page 6) for complete information about the FastMount tabs.
3
SONANCE MERLOT®M
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 (which corresponds to the
height of your ears when you’re seated on
a couch or chair).
• If possible, locate the left and right speakers
at least 18 inches away from the side
walls.
• Locate the center speaker as close to the
same height as the left & right channel
speakers as possible. If you must place the
center speaker above or below a video
screen, we recommend placing it no more
than 2 feet above or below the center of
the left and right speakers. This will help
maintain consistent tonality between all
three front channel speakers.
• The main listening position should be between 8 and 12 feet away from the speakers. Use
Figure 2
as a guide.
Surround Speakers (5.1-Channel System)
You can also use Sonance Merlot M-series speakers for surround channel applications in a home theater. Depending on
your room’s layout, you can locate the surround channel speakers in the side walls, in the rear wall or in the ceiling, If you
are not sure which location will achieve the best performance in your room, contact your Authorized Sonance Dealer for
advice.
SS iiddee ww aallll mm oouunn ttiinngg ::
Locate the surround channel speakers approximately 2 – 6 feet behind the listening position, at least
5 feet from the floor. Use
Figure 3
as a guide.
CCeeii ll iinn gg mm oo uu nnttii nngg ::
Locate the left and right surround speakers on the ceiling between 2 feet and 4 feet behind the
listening position. The speakers should be between 8 feet and 12 feet apart, with their woofers towards the listeners.
Use
Figure 4
as a guide.
continued on page 4
Figure 2: Home Theater Placement — Left, Center & Right Speakers
5' – 7'
2' – 6'
Figure 3: Side Wall
Surround Speaker Placement
TV
8' – 12'
Apart
2' – 4'
Left & Right
Surround Speakers
Figure 4: Ceiling
Surround Speaker Placement
4
SONANCE MERLOT®M
RR ee aa rr ww aallll mm oouu nn ttiinngg ::
Locate the surround channel speakers on the rear wall, 6 – 10 feet apart, at least 5 feet from the
floor. Center the speakers on the listening location. Use
Figure 5
(below) as a guide.
Note: If the listening position is less than 2 feet in front of the rear wall we do not recommend
mounting the surround speakers in the rear wall. Use ceiling mounting or side-wall mounting
instead.
Surround Speakers (7.1-Channel System)
•• LLeeff tt && RR iigg hhtt SS uurr rr oouu nndd SSppeeaa kk ee rr ss ::
Place the left and right surround speakers directly to the sides of the listening
position, at least 5 feet from the floor.
•• SSuurr rroo uunndd BBaacc kk SSpp ee aa kkeerr ss ::
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 6
as a guide.
Selecting the Proper Speaker Wire
For the best sound we recommend that you use premium
Sonance MediaLinQ
®
speaker cable, which also complies
with UL fire rating codes. You may also experiment with
audiophile brands of speaker cable and interconnects, but
be sure to check local codes governing wire that may be
installed within walls or ceilings. Different brands of wire
can have different sonic characteristics, and some may be
more compatible with the sonic “signature” of your
various audio system components.
For the best sound you should never use thin-gauge speaker
wire – it will constrict the sound and diminish bass
response. Extra resistance in the speaker wire can make a
speaker sound less dynamic and reduce definition of the
bass frequencies. In extreme cases, it can even attenuate
high frequencies. Also, amplifier power is wasted in thin
wire with extra resistance, reducing your system’s maximum output level. To prevent degrading sound quality, the total wire
resistance should be less than 10% of the speaker’s impedance. This means that for an 8-ohm speaker, the total resistance
of the wire should be less than 0.8 ohms. Refer to the chart in
Figure 7
when selecting the proper wire gauge for your
system.
5' – 7'
6' – 10'
Figure 5: Rear Wall Surround Speaker Placement
Right Surround
Left Surround
Left
Front
Right
Front
Center
Left
Back
Surround
Right
Back
Surround
Figure 6: Speaker Placement in a 7.1-Channel System
W
IRE RESISTANCE IN OHMS VS
. L
ENGTH OF CABLE RUN
Distance in Feet 50' 100' 150' 200' 250' 300'
1.04
.65
.41
.26
.16
.10
18 gauge
16 gauge
14 gauge
12 gauge
10 gauge
20 gauge
2.07
1.30
.82
.52
.32
.20
3.11
1.96
1.22
.77
.49
.31
4.14
2.61
1.63
1.03
.65
.41
5.18
3.26
2.04
1.29
.81
.51
6.22
3.91
2.45
1.55
.97
.61
Figure 7: Speaker Wire Resistance Table
Loading...