Speaker Placement; Installation Considerations - SpeakerCraft TIME Mini 5.3 Owner's Manual

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on purchasing SpeakerCraft's TIME Mini Series of motorized drop-down architectural loudspeakers. The TIME Mini
Series features fully motorized retractable speakers. When the loudspeakers are not being used they are fully retracted into the
ceiling and have a paintable surface, replacing the traditional ceiling speaker look with an elegant stylized look.

SPEAKER PLACEMENT

When following the below recommendations, please keep in mind that placement is always in the ceiling. TIME Mini speakers
can be used as a pair for stereo listening, or for all five channels of a home theater system: front left and right, center, and rear left
and right. SpeakerCraft recommends the use of a qualified custom installation specialist when installing your TIME Mini speakers.
If you need assistance in locating an installer, please contact SpeakerCraft at 1-800-448-0976.
1. Determine Your Primary Listening Area
The area where you will most likely be sitting when listening to your speakers is your primary listening area.
2. Loudspeaker direction
The loudspeakers can be manually rotated after installation to aim the speakers towards the listening area. Instructions on how
to aim the speaker are included in the SPEAKER INSTALLATION section. Suggested areas for each speaker location are shown in
Figure 1. When the speaker is extended into the room, the logo on the grille marks the direction that the speaker is pointing.
3. Placement of Stereo Pair / Front Channels for Home Theater
Consider how far apart the speakers should be. To do this, think of your listening area as one tip of a triangle with each leg of the
triangle being equal. See speakers FL (front left) and FR (front right) in Figure 1. Place the speakers as close as possible to the two
points the represent on the triangle. If the speakers are to be part of a home theater speaker system, they should be placed as
close as possible to the area above the screen. However, in some cases it may be better to place the speakers farther away from
the screen in order to maximize speaker separation. An example of a case when this would be desirable is when the television is
positioned directly in a corner (See Figure 1b).
4. Placement of Center Channel for Home Theater
Place the center channel speaker in line between the front left and right speaker directly above the screen. See C (center) in
Figure 1.
5. Placement of Rear Channels for Home Theater
Rear channels should be placed behind the listening area. See RL (rear left) and RR (rear right) in Figure 1.
6. Checking for Obstructions
Before confirming the placement of the speakers, you should carefully consider the location of ceiling joists, electrical, plumbing
and other fixtures that may get in the way. If you are installing the speakers into an existing ceiling, you can locate obstructions by
noting the placement of fixtures and, if possible, gaining access to an attic or crawl space for further analysis. A good stud-finder,
found at any building supply store, will help you determine where the joists are located in the ceiling.

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Prior to the actual installation of the speakers, it will be necessary to run cables to the speaker location from the amplifier and
from the TIME Mini Controller. You will need to run at least 16 AWG cable from the amplifier to the speaker. From the TIME Mini
Controller you will need to install Cat 5 Cable with RJ45 connectors on both ends. Use T568B pinout on both ends to make a
straight through cable (see Figure 2). See your Authorized SpeakerCraft dealer for more detailed information on cable installa-
tion. Preparation for and mounting of the speakers can happen at two different stages, if you are building a new ceiling, follow
the section titled INSTALLATION PREPARATION - NEW CONSTRUCTION. If you are placing the speakers into an existing ceiling,
follow INSTALLATION PREPARATION - FINISHED CEILING. There are different considerations for each application. Please carefully
follow the recommendations for your application.
FIGURE 1a
FIGURE 1b
1
FIGURE 2
RJ45 Cable
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Hub Side
RJ45 Pin# Wire Color Wire Diagram
(T568B)
White Orange
1
2 Orange
3 White Green
Blue
4
5 White Blue
6 Green
White Brown
7
8 Brown
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Speaker Side
Signal
(T568B)
GND
GND
GND
485+
485-
VCC
VCC
VCC