INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing Sonance Virtuoso® SSDR/VRS2-series speakers.
When properly installed, these speakers will give you many years of entertainment pleasure. To get the most out of your new speakers, please read this
manual thoroughly before you begin installation.
This manual covers the Virtuoso V833
SSDR, V831SSDR and VRS2 models:
To achieve the best performance,Sonance recommends that these speakers be
installed by a Sonance Authorized Dealer/Installer.
SAFETY WARNING:
These speakers have FastMount® tabs that prevent the speaker from falling
out of the mounting hole during the installation process.
The edges of FastMount tabs are very sharp. Use caution
when handling the speaker.
See Installation (page 4) for complete information about the FastMount tabs.
PARTS LIST
Your Sonance Virtuoso SSDR speaker includes the following:
• (1) Sonance Virtuoso SSDR Speaker
• (1) Paintable Grille
• (1) Plastic paint plug to protect speaker during painting
• (1) Mounting cutout template (in packaging)
Your Sonance Virtuoso VRS2 speakers include the following:
• (2) Sonance Virtuoso VRS2 Speakers
• (2) Paintable Grilles
• (2) Plastic paint plugs to protect speakers during painting
• (1) Mounting cutout template (in packaging)
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
VirtuosoDRMetal Grille (part# 92290): Metal replacement for included grilles.
Virtuoso
DR
Cloth Grille (part# 92285): Cloth-covered replacement for included grilles.
Virtuoso
DR
FlexBracket (part# 92247): Plastic template to reserve a mounting
hole for the speaker in new construction. Designed to be used with the
RotoLock® mounting system.
VirtuosoDRCoverplate (part# 92245): Covers the hole made by the FlexBracket
during construction until the speaker is installed.
Virtuoso
DR
Acoustic Enclosure (part# 91900): ½” MDF enclosure that
provides ideal acoustic performance and maximum reduction of
sound transmission into adjacent spaces. Designed for use only in new
construction.
Virtuoso
DR
Retrofit Enclosure (part# 92243): Molded enclosure that reduces
sound transmission into adjacent rooms and spaces. Can be used in both new
construction and retrofit installations.
VirtuosoDRFire-Rated Back Can (part# 91908): Meets ASTM E 119 and
UL2043 criteria for commercial installations.
Sonafill
®
In-Ceiling System (part# 91928): Retrofittable acoustical
treatment consisting of two pillows and four tiles that virtually eliminates
noises produced by resonating drywall. Dramatically improves midbass
sound quality and reduces sound transmission into adjacent rooms.
SPEAKER PLACEMENT
V833SSDR
and V831SSDR
Virtuoso Single Stereo Technology® SSDR speakers are ideal for use in hallways, bathrooms, closets, or in any location where listeners will be moving
around and a pair of stereo speakers would be impractical.
The location of the speaker should be determined by considering the primary
listening location as well as aesthetic values. Because a single Virtuoso SSDR
reproduces both stereo channels from a single location, they will deliver
outstanding performance from an extremely wide variety of mounting locations.
For optimum results contact your Authorized Sonance Dealer for advice.
Distributed Audio Placement
Sonance Virtuoso speakers have very smooth and predictable off-axis
response, increasing placement options while providing excellent coverage in
distributed audio systems. The chart below shows how far apart the speakers
can be placed while still providing good coverage. The distances are based on
ear heights of 62” for standing listeners and 40” for seated listeners.
VRS2: 5.1-Channel Home Theater System
(see
Illustration 1
)
Locate the left and right VRS2 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.
Orient the speakers so the dual midrange/tweeter assemblies face the front
and rear walls of the room.
1
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
SONANCE VIRTUOSO®SERIES
SSDR & VRS2 SPEAKERS
TV
8' – 12'
apart
2' – 4'
Left & Right
Surround Speakers
Illustration 1: VRS2 Placement in a 5.1-Channel Home Theater
Speaker spacing in feet for a distributed audio system
Standing Lis tener Seated Listen er
10-foot ceiling
12-foot ceiling
14-foot ceiling
8-foot ceiling
9.5'
13.5'
17.5'
21.5'
5.7'
9.7'
13.7'
17.7'
2
VRS2: 7.1-Channel Home Theater System (see
Illustration 2
)
• Left & Right Surround Speakers: Place the left and right surround speakers
anywhere from directly to the sides of the listening position to 2 – 3 feet in
front of it, and between 8 feet and 12 feet apart. Orient the speakers so the
dual midrange/tweeter assemblies face the front and rear walls of the room.
• Surround Back Speakers: Place the surround back speakers 4 – 8 feet behind
the listening position. The surround back speakers should be closer together
than the left and right surround speakers: 6 – 10 feet apart. Orient the
speakers so the dual midrange/tweeter assemblies face the left & right side
walls of the room.
WIRE GAUGE
Extra resistance in the speaker wire can make speakers 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 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 following table when selecting the proper wire gauge for your system:
PREPARING THE INSTALLATION LOCATION
All Sonance speakers are designed to be relatively insensitive to
variations in enclosure volume. To achieve the ultimate performance from
your speakers, a section of the ceiling bay can be sectioned-off to form a back
box. Building such an enclosure will create a dramatic improvement in your
speakers’ bass performance and power handling.
Ideal back box volume requirements:
Virtuoso V833
SSDR: 2.2 ft
3
Virtuoso V831ss
DR 2.0 ft
3
Virtuoso VRS2 2.2 ft
3
Insulating the Ceiling Cavity
You can reduce sound transmission to adjacent rooms and further improve
speaker performance by inserting a sheet of unfaced fiberglass insulation over
the back of the speaker. To reduce noise produced by unsupported drywall,
install fiberglass insulation in the ceiling bays adjacent to the speaker location.
Optional VirtuosoDRRetrofit Enclosures
For installations where it isn’t possible to section-off the ceiling bay to form a
back box (such as when you’re retrofitting the speakers into an existing
ceiling), you can effectively reduce sound transmission into adjacent rooms by
fitting the speakers with optional Virtuoso Retrofit Enclosures (part# 92243).
This enclosure is designed specifically to be used with Virtuoso DR, SSDR and
VRS2 speakers, and will noticeably reduce sound “spillover” from the rears of
the speakers into adjacent rooms and spaces.
INSTALLING THE SPEAKERS
For more information about flangeless installation contact your Authorized
Sonance Dealer or visit www.sonance.com.
Before Installation: New Construction
For installations in new construction, Sonance recommends using
a Virtuoso FlexBracket (part# 92247) to reserve a location for the speaker.
The FlexBracket is nailed or screwed to the studs and serves as a guide for the
drywaller so that the speaker hole will be in the desired location once the
drywall is installed.
Virtuoso FlexBrackets are compatible with the RotoLock™ mounting system.
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 or air returns that will interfere with the speaker.
3. The cutout for Virtuoso SSDR and VRS2 speakers is 10
1
/8”(257mm). There
also must be at least 6” (152mm) depth within the ceiling cavity for the
speaker.
4. Position the included cutout template where the speaker is to be located and
pencil an outline on the ceiling.
• 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 hole using a drywall saw, and run the speaker wires.
Installation
Sonance Virtuoso SSDR and VRS2 speakers feature exclusive FastMount™
tabs and an integral RotoLock® mounting system for quick mounting directly
into existing ceilings and walls.
WARNING: The edges of FastMount tabs are very sharp. Use caution
when handling the speaker.
Wire resistance in Ohms vs. length 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
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
SONANCE VIRTUOSO®SERIES
SSDR & VRS2 SPEAKERS
TV
6' – 10'
apart
4' – 8'
Surround
Back
Speakers
Left & Right
Surround Speakers
Illustration 2: VRS2 Placement in a 7.1-Channel Home Theater