SONANCE MERLOT® M

Preparing the Installation Location

Building a Back Box into the Wall Stud Bay

Sonance Merlot M-series speakers are designed to provide exceptionally musical 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 back box with a specific internal volume. Building such an enclosure will create a dramatic improvement in your speakers’ bass performance and power handling. The ideal back box volume for the Merlot 423M and 422M is 0.25 ft3.

Optional Merlot M-Series Speaker Enclosures

For installations where it isn’t possible to partition the stud bay into a back box, installing optional Merlot M Acoustic Enclosures (part #92444) 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 Merlot M Acoustic Enclosure (such as when you’re retrofitting the speakers into an existing wall), you can fit the speakers with optional Merlot M-Series Retrofit Enclosures (part #92442). This enclosure is designed specifically to be used with Merlot M- series speakers, and 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.

Optional Accessories

Merlot M FlexBracket (part #91970): Plastic template to reserve a mounting hole for Merlot M-series speakers in new construction. Designed for use with the RotoLock® mounting system.

Merlot M Masonry Bracket (part #92067): Thin plastic bracket for walls constructed of brick and finished with plaster. Provides surface in brick walls that can accommodate RotoLock® mounting system.

Merlot M Acoustic Enclosure (part #92444): ½” MDF enclosure that provides ideal acoustic performance and maximum reduction of sound transmission into adjacent spaces. Designed for use only in new construction.

Merlot M Retrofit Enclosure (part #92442): Molded enclosure that reduces sound transmission into adjacent rooms and spaces. Can be used in both new construction and retrofit installations.

Sonafill ® In-Wall System (part #91698): 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.

Sonafill®

Sonafill (part #91698) is a retrofittable acoustical treatment system consisting of two pillows and four tiles that virtually eliminates noises produced by resonating 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 Merlot M FlexBracket (part #92336) to reserve a location for the speaker. The FlexBracket has perforated wings that can be positioned 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 pages 2 – 4).

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.

3.The cutout for all Merlot M speakers is 8 1/16” x 4 5/8” (205mm x 117mm). There also must be at least 3” (76mm) depth within the wall cavity for the speaker.

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