Niles HDFX Installation Manual

High definition, side/rear channel effects, in-wall loudspeakers
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I N S T A L L A T I O N G U I D E
FOR USE IN MULTI-CHANNEL MUSIC OR HOME THEATER SYSTEMS
HIGH DEFINITION, SIDE/REAR CHANNEL EFFECTS, IN-WALL LOUDSPEAKERS
HDFX

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Summary of Contents for Niles Niles HDFX

  • Page 1 I N S T A L L A T I O N G U I D E FOR USE IN MULTI-CHANNEL MUSIC OR HOME THEATER SYSTEMS HIGH DEFINITION, SIDE/REAR CHANNEL EFFECTS, IN-WALL LOUDSPEAKERS HDFX...
  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for choosing HDFX High-Defi nition, Side-/Rear-Channel Effects, In-Wall Loudspeakers from Niles. With proper installation and operation, you should enjoy years of trouble-free use. Niles manufactures the industry’s most complete line of custom installation components and accessories for audio/video systems. To see the complete Niles product assortment, visit us on the Internet at: www.nilesaudio.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...
  • Page 3: Introduction

    INTRODUCTION Niles HDFX High-Defi nition, Side-/Rear-Channel Effects, In-Wall Loudspeakers are expressly designed for superior sonic quality in side- or rear-channel applications. They employ advanced technology components that extract the subtle nuances in recorded music or the thunderous action sound in a movie. HDFX loudspeakers are the perfect choice wherever quality of sound is the most important consideration.
  • Page 4: New Construction

    A supplied template assures fast and accurate hole cutting. The bracket slips behind the drywall, and the screws secure the bracket to the frame, sandwiching the drywall between them. The loud- speaker baffl e attaches to the frame, and the grille mounts over the loudspeaker. THREE-STAGE INSTALLATION SYSTEM FOR REMODELS OR NEW CONSTRUCTION Only the parts needed are installed during a particular stage of construction.
  • Page 5: Installation Considerations

    INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS Bracket New Construction Wings Frame Loudspeaker Baffl e Grille Acoustic Fine Tuning Controls Figure 1. Mounting an HDFX vertically into a wall NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373...
  • Page 6 TOOLS AND PRECAUTIONS We recommend using the following tools to install an HDFX loudspeaker: • Electric drill with 1/4- and 1/2-inch drill bits, and a 1-inch flat drill bit (for drilling through studs) • Keyhole or drywall saw • Stiff wire, fish tape, or glow rods (for routing cables) •...
  • Page 7 TECH TIP Wire size is expressed by its AWG (American Wire Gauge) number – the lower the number, the larger the wire. For example, 12 AWG is physically larger than 14 AWG. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373...
  • Page 8: Loudspeaker Placement

    LOUDSPEAKER PLACEMENT NOTE: THE NILES HDFX LOUDSPEAKER IS DESIGNED FOR USE IN SIDE- OR REAR-CHANNEL APPLICATIONS ONLY. FOR FRONT-OR CENTER-CHANNEL APPLICATIONS, WE RECOMMEND USING A NILES HDLCR OR HDLCR PLACEMENT FOR HOME THEATER REAR APPLICATIONS In home theater, the goal is to reproduce the experience of a great movie theater in your home. The biggest difference between the two venues is the use of a rear- or surround-loudspeaker array in a commercial theater.
  • Page 9 • If you like listening to music in surround modes (which emulate concert hall acoustics), consider using more than two surround loudspeakers to provide an extraordinary effect. With Niles HDFX loudspeakers, it is easy to add another pair without affecting the decor of the room.
  • Page 10 PLACEMENT FOR HOME THEATER REAR APPLICATIONS (CONTINUED) Figure 4. Two pairs of HDFX loudspeakers reproduce Dolby EX surround sound in a home theater room. THE BOUNDARY EFFECT Placing a loudspeaker in a corner can powerfully affect the way a listener perceives bass response. Known as the boundary effect, placing loudspeakers close to a wall/ceiling boundary or near a corner-wall boundary will emphasize certain bass frequencies, while canceling others.
  • Page 11: Installation Fundamentals

    • Before drilling any holes, mount the loudspeaker brackets in the desired loudspeaker locations and mount p-rings or open-backed J-boxes where the in-wall volume con- trols and stereo equipment will be located. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
  • Page 12 RUNNING THE LOUDSPEAKER WIRE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION ABOUT DRILLING Use a bit that is large enough for the wires you plan to run. This is an important consideration, since you may be drilling a lot of holes. Here are some additional tips: •...
  • Page 13 If possible, try to keep loudspeaker wire away from parallel power cables by at least 3 feet. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 loudspeaker Volume Location...
  • Page 14 CONCEALING LOUDSPEAKER WIRE PLANNING THE LOUDSPEAKER WIRE ROUTE (CONTINUED) To fi nd exactly where an electrical cable is routed, try inspecting the inside of the wall by turn- ing off the breaker for a particular power outlet or switch, removing the cover plate and switch or receptacle, and then shining a penlight into the wall.
  • Page 15 ETC. ALWAYS PERFORM A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS BEFORE STARTING THE JOB. NEW CONSTRUCTION: IN- STALLING A BRACKET NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Figure 9. Example of a wall loudspeaker cutout with studs drilled for wire run. (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
  • Page 16: New Construction: Installing A Bracket

    In addition, it enables you to align your loudspeakers with other ceiling fi xtures with greater accuracy, since you can see exactly where the loudspeaker will be.
  • Page 17: Existing Construction: Installing A Bracket

    Poke the “L-shaped” wire into the pilot hole and turn it in a complete circle, as shown in Figure 13. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Figure 13. Using a coat hanger to check for obstructions behind the wall loudspeaker site.
  • Page 18 EXISTING CONSTRUCTION: INSTALLING A BRACKET 4. Continue turning the coat hanger as you move it into the cavity to a depth of approxi- mately 4 inches. If you feel an obstruction, fill the hole(s) with spackling compound and repeat steps 1 through 4 at a new location. 5.
  • Page 19: Finishing The Installation

    There should be no gaps between the wall and the frame. IMPORTANT: DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE SCREWS! OVER TIGHTENING THEM MAY MAKE THE GRILLE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Figure 14. Installing the frame into a mounting bracket.
  • Page 20 4. Install the loudspeaker baffle into its frame by inserting the tabs at the base into the correspond- ing holes in the frame and pushing the loud- speaker forward until the snaps engage, as shown in Figure 16. Figure 15. Connecting a loudspeaker wire to the HDFX terminals.
  • Page 21 • Different colors of metal wire on each conductor • Fabric strand or string wound into one of the conductors NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Figure 17. Inserting the loudspeaker baffl e into its frame with sheet-metal screws.
  • Page 22 CHECKING LOUDSPEAKER PHASE Of course, there are some wires that appear completely identical. So be careful, or you might make a connection mistake. If you do, one loudspeaker will be playing “out-of-phase” with the other loudspeaker. A pair of out-of-phase loudspeakers works against each other, and the sound of the two playing together will be lacking in bass and sound “phasey.”...
  • Page 23 – the aluminum grille can be easily bent out of shape. When properly installed, the grille will be absolutely fl ush in appearance with the surrounding frame. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Figure 18. The HDFX includes BIPOLE/DIPOLE and FX/CUT controls.
  • Page 24: Operation

    CLEANING Clean the Niles HDFX loudspeaker with a dampened soft cloth or paper towel. If the loudspeaker is mounted high up on a wall or ceiling, use a broom to gently brush it off.
  • Page 25: Specifications

    We recommend using 16- to 18-gauge loudspeaker wire for runs up to 80 feet and 14-gauge loudspeaker wire for runs up to 200 feet. The connectors will accommo- date 12- to 22-gauge wire. NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373 Nominal Impedance 8 ohm Sensitivity 88 dB with 2.83 V pink noise input,...
  • Page 26 NOTES...
  • Page 27 NOTES NILES AUDIO CORPORATION – 1-800-BUY-HIFI – 305-238-4373...
  • Page 28 ® L E N D I N G I G H I D E L I T Y R C H I T E C T U R E N i l e s A u d i o C o r p o r a t i o n 1 2 3 3 1 S .

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