Installation Considerations, Speaker Wire

Installation Considerations

In a multiroom system there is one indis- pensible device for true convenience—a local volume control. It enables you to adjust the volume of the speakers without leaving the room.

Plan to wire the system so that each pair of speakers has its own volume control built into the wall (think of a volume con- trol as a dimmer switch for sound).

Niles makes a wide range of high perfor- mance indoor and outdoor volume con- trols. They are available in Standard or Decora® style cover plates (just like your light switches and dimmers). Volume con- trols are connected in line with the speak- er, so you must connect the wire from the amplifier to the volume control and then from the volume control to the speaker.

Speaker Wire

Use 2-conductor speaker wire when con- necting CM5AT, CM6AT and CM8AT speakers to your receiver or amplifier. For most applications, we recommend you use 16 or 18 gauge stranded wire. For wiring runs longer than 80 feet we recom- mend 14 gauge stranded wire. The no- strip terminals of the AT speakers will accommodate 12 to 18 gauge wire.

When you run wire inside walls, special jacketing (CL-2 or CL-3) is required to both protect the wire and for fire preven- tion. In some areas conduit is required. For a trouble-free installation, low voltage wire such as speaker wire must be run in accordance with the National Electrical Code and any applicable provisions of the local building code. If you are unsure of the correct installation techniques, wire jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a

TECH TIP

Wire size is expressed by its AWG (American Wire Gauge) number. The lower the number, the larger the wire, i.e. 12 AWG is physi- cally larger than 14 AWG.

professional audio/video installer, your building contractor, or the local building and inspection department.

Incorporating Remote Control

If your stereo system operates with a wire- less Infrared (IR) remote control, consider the advantages of installing a Niles Infrared Extender System. Niles manufactures a number of concealable IR sensors and wall mounted keypads which send a copy of your hand-held remote command via a wire to your main equipment location, where it is repeated to your stereo system. The wire is typically installed with the speaker wire, since the speaker signal and the IR signal will not interfere with each other. This makes almost no difference to the installation time, and the cost of the recommended IR control cable (West Penn D291 or equivalent) is reasonable.

The correct routing for IR control cable is to home run an IR control cable from the main equipment location beside the speaker wire to the planned volume con- trol location; and then on to the proposed sensor location. The combination of IR control cable and speaker wire enables a programmable Niles IntelliPad® to be installed at a later date (the IntelliPad has a convenient speaker mute feature in addi- tion to automating and controlling your stereo system). An IR sensor is best placed where it is convenient for you to point the hand-held remote. Both an IntelliPad and an IR sensor can be connected in one room with one home run IR control cable.

Insulation Behind The Speaker

For best performance from your speakers lay a batten of fiberglass insulation (example: R-19 un-batted insulation) on top of the speaker. Try to keep the same amount of insulation for each speaker, particularly in the same room, for consis- tent bass response.