Installation Fundamentals

Speaker

Location

Volume

Control

Location

Stereo

Location

Figure 8

allel to power cables at least three feet away. To find exactly where an electrical cable is routed, try inspecting the inside of the wall by turning off the breaker for a particular power outlet or switch, remov- ing the cover plate and switch or recepta- cle, and shining a penlight into the wall. If you have access to an attic or basement space you can quickly see which part of the wall space is free of obstructions (See Figure 9).

When you don’t have access above or below the wall, try to estimate the existing wire and pipe locations from the positions of electrical outlets and plumbed fixtures on both sides of the wall. Take a look at the outside of your house too, sometimes conduit, vents or drain pipe will be visible that give useful infor- mation. Choose the route with the fewest potential obstacles.

If your house is built on a slab or you are wiring between two finished floors, look for baseboards which could be removed and replaced with the wire behind them. Doorjambs can be removed and often have

enough space for speaker wire all the way around the door (See Figure10).

Sometimes, an under-the-carpet run is possible (there are special flat speaker wires made for under-the-rug wire runs). As a last resort, heating and air condition- ing vents can be used as wire raceways for plenum rated wire (check your local building codes, some municipalities require conduit).

Unobstructed space for speaker wiring

Figure 9

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Niles Audio DS6500AT, DS6300AT manual Speaker Location Volume Control Stereo