Sonance HOME THEATER SPEAKERS Selecting the Proper Speaker Wire, Installing the Speakers

SONANCE CINEMA® SELECT

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.

Wire resistance in Ohms vs. length of cable run

Different brands of wire

can

have different sonic

characteristics, and

some

may be

Distance in Feet

50'

100'

150'

200'

250'

300'

more

compatible

with

the

sonic “signature”

of

your

various

audio

system

20 gauge

1.04

2.07

3.11

4.14

5.18

6.22

components.

For the best sound you should never use thin-gauge speaker wire – it will constrict

18 gauge

.65

1.30

1.96

2.61

3.26

3.91

16 gauge

.41

.82

1.22

1.63

2.04

2.45

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

14 gauge

.26

.52

.77

1.03

1.29

1.55

extreme

cases,

it

can

even

attenuate high

frequencies. Also,

amplifier power is

12 gauge

.16

.32

.49

.65

.81

.97

wasted

in thin

wire with

extra resistance, reducing

your system’s maximum

output

10 gauge

.10

.20

.31

.41

.51

.61

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

F i g u r e 6 :

S p e a k e r

W i r e

R e s i s t a n c e T a b l e

total resistance of the wire should be less than 0.8 ohms. Refer to Figure 6 when

selecting the proper wire

gauge for your system.

PREPARING THE INSTALLATION LOCATION

Building a Backbox into the Wall Stud Bay

Sonance Cinema Select speakers are designed to provide exceptional performance in a wide variety of enclosure volumes. You can get the very best performance from your speakers by partitioning a section of the stud bay to form a sealed backbox with a specific internal volume. Building such an enclo- sure will create a dramatic improvement in your speakers’ bass performance and power handling.

Ideal back box volume requirement for Cinema Select LCR and SUR speakers is 1.5 ft3.

Optional Speaker Enclosures

For installations where it isn’t possible to partition the stud bay into a back box, installing optional SymphonyT Acoustic Enclosures (part #91687) will noticeably improve your speakers’ bass performance and power handling and will significantly reduce sound transmission into adjacent rooms and spaces. These enclosures are made from ½”-thick MDF and are designed to be installed in new construction only.

To reduce sound transmission into adjacent rooms in installations where it isn’t possible to install a SymphonyT Acoustic Enclosure (such as when you’re retrofitting the speakers into an existing wall), you can fit the speakers with optional SymphonyT Retrofit Enclosures (part #92342). This enclosure will noticeably reduce sound “spillover” from the rears of the speakers into adjacent rooms and spaces.

Insulating the Wall Cavity

You can also reduce sound transmission to adjacent rooms and improve speaker performance by inserting a sheet of unfaced fiberglass insulation over the back of the speaker. To reduce mechanical noise produced by unsupported drywall, install fiberglass insulation in the stud bays adjacent to the speaker location.

Sonafill®

Sonafill (part #91698) is a retrofittable acoustical treatment system consisting of two pillows and four tiles that virtually eliminates noises produced by resonat- ing drywall. The tiles have pressure-sensitive adhesive and are installed on the back of the drywall on either side of the speaker between the wall studs; the pillows are then stuffed in place behind the tiles. The system dramatically improves midbass sound quality and reduces sound transmission into adjacent rooms.

INSTALLING THE SPEAKERS

Before Installation: New Construction

For	installations in new construction, Sonance recommends using a SymphonyT FlexBracket (part #92336) to reserve a location for Cinema Select speakers.
The	FlexBracket has	perforated wings that can be positioned at anywhere around the	bracket, and is nailed or screwed to the studs. This serves as a guide
for	the drywaller so	that the speaker hole will be in the desired location once the	drywall is installed.

Before Installation: Retrofit

1.	Determine	the	location	for the speaker (see Speaker Placement on page 3).
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.

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