Congratulations on the purchase of your TIS Speaker Ceiling Speakers.
These speakers were manufactured with high quality components and engineered to deliver top quality
sound performance.
● Contemporary low profile grill design
● Long-throw polypropylene cone woofers with rubber surround
● Coaxially mounted 1" silk dome tweeter
● 12 dB/octave optimized crossover
Please read these instructions completely before you begin your installation.
1) Parts Inventory
Your speaker kit should include the following:
● 1 of TIS Speaker Frameless Series Ceiling Speakers with Grills
● 1 Paint masking template
2) Installation Tools
The TIS Speaker speakers can be installed with the following simple tools:
● Pencil ● #2 Phillips screwdriver
● Masking tape ● Wire cutters & wire stripper/crimp tool
● Drill & drill bits ● Stud finder**
● Utility knife or wallboard saw*
* Recommended for use if installing in plaster walls.
** Optional tools to make the installation easier.
3) Speaker Location
To achieve the best performance from your TIS Speaker speakers, it is important to carefully select the
location for installation. Your ceiling speakers should be installed 5 to 8 feet apart to ensure proper stereo
imaging. Mount each speaker the same distance from the intersecting walls to maintain a uniform look.
Keep the speakers at least 2 feet away from the corners of the room to avoid overemphasized bass
reproduction.
4) Speaker Installation
Once you have selected the location for your speakers, you are ready to install them.
CAUTION: Be certain that there are no electrical wires, water pipes, or heating ducts in the
planned installation area before you start drilling or cutting into the ceiling. If there is an electrical
outlet nearby, turn off the circuit breaker to avoid possible injury.
Ceiling speakers are designed to be mounted in the ceiling between the joists or trusses.
Once you have selected the location, check to be sure you are between the joists or truss.
One method is to tap on the ceiling, you will hear a hollow sound when between two joists or trusses and
a sharper, more solid sound when right on top of, or close to a joist or truss.
An easier, more accurate method for finding the location of joists or trusses is to use a
stud finder.
The Contractor Series Ceiling speakers include a two-part template. Remove the center circle from the
template, this is a paint masking template to use if you choose to paint the speaker frames and grill. The
outer ring is used to mark the cut-out for the speakers.
Once you have established that your chosen location is between two joists or trusses, and that there are
no obstructions in the ceiling, tape your speaker template to the ceiling and lightly trace around the inside
edge with a pencil and drill a 1" hole in the center of the template outline. Next, use a piece of stiff wire (a
coat hanger works well), bend it 8" from the end at a 90 degree angle. Insert the bent part of the coat
hanger into the 1" hole and rotate the wire in a complete circle to check for obstructions. If the wire hits a
stud on either side, reposition your template to the left or right and mark the outline again. Keep the pilot
hole within the template outline.
If the ceiling is made of drywall, simply cut the marked area with your utility knife or drywall saw. If the
ceiling is made of plaster, you should use a saw with a higher tooth count to reduce the chance of
breaking the plaster. Test fit the speaker in the hole, the speaker should fit loosely and the speaker frame
should cover the edges of the hole. Repeat these steps for the other speaker.
5) Speaker Cable
Don’t compromise sound quality by using thin, inexpensive speaker wire, we recommend using a high
quality oxygen free copper speaker cable. For runs less than 50 feet we recommend 16 gauge cable, and
for longer runs we recommend 14 gauge or larger cable. Most municipalities require the use of CL2 rated
speaker cable for installation in walls and ceilings.