I N S T A L L A T I O N & O P E R A T I O N G U I D E
M O D E L S
CM5HD
HIGH DEFINITION
CM6HD
HIGH DEFINITION
CM8HD
HIGH DEFINITION
®
B L E N D I N G H I G H F I D E L I T Y
®
A N D A R C H I T E C T U R E
Limited Warranty
Niles Audio Corporation ("NILES") warrants its loudspeaker products to the original purchaser
to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for a period of five years
from date of purchase.
This Warranty is subject to the following additional conditions and limitations. The Warranty
is void and inapplicable if NILES deems that the product has been used or handled other than
in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer, including but not limited to
damage caused by accident, mishandling, improper installation, abuse, negligence, or normal
wear and tear, or any defect caused by repair to the product by anyone other than NILES or an
authorized NILES dealer.
To obtain warranty service, take the unit to the nearest authorized NILES dealer, who will test
the product and if necessary, forward it to NILES for service. If there are no authorized NILES
dealers in your area, you must write to NILES and include your name, address, model and
serial number of your unit, along with a brief description of the problem. A factory Return
Authorization Number will be sent to you. DO NOT RETURN ANY UNIT WITHOUT FIRST
RECEIVING WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION AND SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS FROM NILES.
If the above conditions are met, the purchaser's sole remedy shall be to return the product to
NILES, in which case NILES will repair or replace, at its sole option, the defective product
without charge for parts or labor. NILES will return a unit repaired or replaced under warranty
by shipping same by its usual shipping method from the factory (only) at its expense within the
United States of America. THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FIT-
NESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT.
REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE
REMEDY OF THE CONSUMER/PURCHASER. NILES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROVIDED
(OR PROHIBITED) BY APPLICABLE LAW.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages,
so the above limitation may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and
you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
For the name of your nearest authorized NILES dealer contact:
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION
P.O. BOX 160818, Miami, Florida 33116-0818.
Please fill in your product information and retain for your records.
Model____________________________________________________________________________________
Serial No._________________________________________________________________________________
Purchase Date_____________________________________________________________________________
22
WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD
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Please take a moment to fill out our warranty registration card. The information helps us to
get to know you better and develop the products you want
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$60,000-$74,999
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Warranty
Introduction
The HD or High Definition group of perfect anywhere that quality of sound is
ceiling mount Loudspeakers offers speak- the most important consideration. Each
ers expressly designed for superior sonic model features Niles’ patented two-piece
quality. They employ advanced technolo- no-strip speaker wire terminal which
gy components designed to extract the reduces installation time.
subtle nuances in recorded music or the
thunderous action in a movie. They are
Features and Benefits
Injection Molded TCC Woofer with
Butyl Rubber Surround
No-Strip Speaker Terminal
Niles patented No-Strip terminal enables
The CM High Definition series loudspeak- speakers to be connected without stripping
ers employ a newly developed cone mate- the speaker wire. No-Strip terminals elimi-
rial that combines injection molded nate fumbling with wire strippers and input
polypropylene with talc, carbon and terminals. They are color coded and sim-
ceramic stiffening agents. The result is a ply plug into the crossover circuit boards
cone that offers extreme stiffness and light on the back of Niles speakers, resulting in
weight for accurate, dynamic response. positive in-phase connections every time.
Additionally, the woofer employs a vented
Moisture, UV Resistant Construction
pole piece for increased bass linearity and
The CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD loud-
a Butyl Rubber Surround for improved
speakers are suitable for use in high mois-
midrange damping and clarity as well as
ture environments. The drivers are resis-
moisture resistance.
tant to moisture and UV exposure; the
Pivoting Fluid-Cooled Ultra-Wide
Dispersion Tweeter in Custom
Pivoting Coaxial Enclosure
grille is made of powder-coated alu-
minum. However, the speakers are not
waterproof and direct contact with water
The CM High Definition series Teteron should be avoided.
Tweeter employs a tri-laminate design
Engineered for Ceiling Placement
consisting of an inner textile layer which
forms the dome, a high damping layer to
kill unwanted resonances and an outside
layer of urethane to add stiffness and pre-
vent breakup modes. The result is a trans-
parently clear, sweet, natural sounding
tweeter which still maintains extended fre-
quency response.
The CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD have
been specifically designed and tuned for
optimum performance when mounted in a
ceiling. The custom designed low diffrac-
tion tweeter housing is mounted coaxially
to avoid the “venetian blind” effect com-
mon with ceiling speakers that employ
sub-baffles as tweeter mounts. The 20°
tweeter pivot angle ensures optimum
high-frequency coverage.
The tweeter can pivot up to 20° within its
mount allowing for perfect alignment of
the high frequencies, optimum perfor-
mance and without the diffraction distor-
tion typical of traditional pivoting tweeters.
contined on next page
2
Installer Selectable Acoustic
Fine Tuning
4 or 8 ohm Selectable Impedance
The dual voice coil feature of the
CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD gives the
installer flexibility to select the speaker’s
impedance — 4 ohms for systems where
maximum current transfer and output
level is desired; 8 ohms for systems utiliz-
ing multiple speaker pairs where amplifier
loading is a consideration.
Installers can select to de-emphasize the
bass or treble by 2dB to accommodate
reflective surfaces and corner loading.
This selection is accomplished via baffle-
mounted controls that are accessible after
the speaker has been installed.
™
MicroPerf Grilles
Hole Saving Bracket
The CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD
employ Niles exclusive MicroPerf grille
Available as an optional accessory, CM5
Series, CM6 Series and CM8 Series New
Construction Brackets can be installed as a
“hole-saver” before the drywall goes up.
The drywall contractor cuts the holes as
the drywall is installed, reducing installa-
tion time and minimizing the chance for
lost wires.
™
construction. the exceptionally tight
hole pattern provides acoustic trans-
parency at all audio frequencies and
enables the speaker elements to remain
invisible. MicroPerf grilles can also be
painted to blend seemlessly with the
surrounding decor.
Easy Installation
The CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD
employ a bracketless mounting system in
existing ceilings. Simply cut a hole in the
mounting surface, remove the grille from
the speaker, connect the wires and place
the speaker in the hole. Then tighten the
four mounting “dogs” via the front panel
screws. The dogs first swivel 90°, then
clamp the speaker frame to the drywall as
you tighten the screws.
3
PLEASE FILL OUT THE
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
CARD ON THE REVERSE SIDE,
DETACH, AND MAIL TO:
Niles Audio Corporation
Warranty Registration Dept.
P.O. Box 160818
Miami, Florida 33116-0818
Specifications
CM8HD
Driver Compliment
8" injection-molded TCC (talc, carbon and
ceramic filled) with rubber surround
1" fluid-cooled ultra-wide dispersion
tri-laminate Teteron tweeter in a custom
pivoting coaxial enclosure
Recommended Amplifier Power
10 to 150 watts per channel
Nominal Impedance
4 or 8 ohm selectable
Frequency Response
40Hz to 21kHz, +/- 3dB (on axis)
Tweeter Adjustment
Up to 20° pivot angle
Sensitivity
90dB for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions
10-5/8" diameter
Depth Behind Wall
4" deep (based on /2" drywall)
Wall Cut-Out Dimensions
9-1/2" diameter
Wiring Requirements
We recommend 16 to 18 gauge stranded
wire for up to 80 feet, 14 gauge stranded
wire for up to two hundred feet.
Connectors accommodate 12 to 20 gauge
stranded wire.
19
Installation Considerations
Recommended Amplifier Power
is playing loudly, a small amplifier will
For satisfactory performance, we recom- run out of power very quickly. When an
mend an amplifier with a power rating of amplifier runs out of power it creates dam-
10 to 100 watts for the CM5HD; 10 to aging “clipping” distortion. A large ampli-
125 watts for the CM6HD and 10 to 150 fier will play at the same volume without
watts for the CM8HD. Curiously, most distorting. See the section on operating the
speakers are not damaged by large ampli- speakers for more information about clip-
fiers but by small amplifiers. If your system ping distortion.
Incorporating a Local Volume Control
Figure 1
The illustration shows how a
typical CM loudspeaker
mounts into a ceiling.
New Construction Bracket serves as a
“hole saver” when drywall has not
been applied. It is not necessary when
retrofitting to existing ceilings.
Knockout wire tie allows the wire to be
secured to the bracket throughout the
new construction process. It knocks
out cleanly when the speaker is
installed.
New construction wings
instantly snap into the
bracket without screws.
Dogs swivel 90°, then
clamp the speaker
frame to the drywall.
Frames are molded with a
slight texture to assure
good paint adhesion.
Wings are scored for
easy size trimming.
Mounting screws tighten the
“dogs”, clamping the speaker
to the drywall.
Brackets and wings
attach to the ceiling joists
with nails or screws.
Rust-proof aluminum grilles make the CM
series perfect for moist environments.
Figure 2
Figure 3
The CM5HD, CM6HD
and CM8HD tweeter is
housed in a custom
designed, low diffraction
enclosure, pivots up to
20° to provide optimum
high frequency coverage
20
The CM5HD, CM6HD
and CM8HD include
easy access, baffle
mounted tone
controls that enable
you to accommodate
varying room
acoustics
4
In a multiroom system there is one indis- building contractor, or the local building
pensible device for true convenience—a and inspection department.
local volume control. It enables you to
adjust the volume of the speakers without
If your stereo system operates with a wire-
leaving the room.
Incorporating Remote Control
less Infrared (IR) remote control, consider
Plan to wire the system so that each pair the advantages of installing a Niles Infrared
of speakers has its own volume control Extender System. Niles manufactures a
built into the wall (think of a volume con- number of concealable IR sensors and wall
trol as a dimmer switch for sound).
mounted keypads which send a copy of
your hand-held remote command via a
wire to your main equipment location,
where it is repeated to your stereo system.
The wire is typically installed with the
speaker wire, since the speaker signal and
the IR signal will not interfere with each
other. This makes almost no difference to
the installation time, and the cost of the
recommended IR control cable (West Penn
D291 or equivalent) is reasonable.
Niles makes a wide range of high perfor-
mance indoor and outdoor volume con-
trols. They are available in Standard or
®
Decora style cover plates (just like your
light switches and dimmers). Volume con-
trols are connected in line with the speak-
er, so you must connect the wire from the
amplifier to the volume control and then
from the volume control to the speaker.
Speaker Wire
The correct routing for IR control cable is
to home run an IR control cable from the
main equipment location beside the
speaker wire to the planned volume con-
trol location; and then on to the proposed
sensor location. The combination of IR
control cable and speaker wire enables a
Use 2-conductor speaker wire when con-
necting CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD
speakers to your receiver or amplifier. For
most applications, we recommend you
use 16 or 18 gauge stranded wire. For
wiring runs longer than 80 feet we recom-
mend 14 gauge stranded wire. The no-
strip terminals of the HD speakers will
accommodate 12 to 18 gauge wire.
®
programmable Niles IntelliPad to be
installed at a later date (the IntelliPad has a
convenient speaker mute feature in addi-
tion to automating and controlling your
stereo system). An IR sensor is best placed
where it is convenient for you to point the
hand-held remote. Both an IntelliPad and
an IR sensor can be connected in one
room with one home run IR control cable.
When you run wire inside walls, special
jacketing (CL-2 or CL-3) is required to
both protect the wire and for fire preven-
tion. In some areas conduit is required.
For a trouble-free installation, low voltage
wire such as speaker wire must be run in
accordance with the National Electrical
Code and any applicable provisions of the
local building code. If you are unsure of
the correct installation techniques, wire
jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a
professional audio/video installer, your
Insulation Behind The Speaker
For best performance from your speakers
lay a batten of fiberglass insulation
(example: R-19 un-batted insulation) on
top of the speaker. Try to keep the same
amount of insulation for each speaker,
particularly in the same room, for consis-
tent bass response.
TECH TIP
Wire size is expressed by
its AWG (American Wire
Gauge) number. The lower
the number, the larger the
wire, i.e. 12 AWG is physi-
cally larger than 14 AWG.
Introduction
5
Specifications
CM6HD
CM5HD
Driver Compliment
Driver Compliment
6-1/2" injection-molded TCC (talc, carbon
and ceramic filled) with rubber surround
5-1/4" injection-molded TCC (talc, carbon
and ceramic filled) with rubber surround
1" fluid-cooled ultra-wide dispersion
tri-laminate Teteron tweeter in a custom
pivoting coaxial enclosure
1" fluid-cooled ultra-wide dispersion
tri-laminate Teteron tweeter in a custom
pivoting coaxial enclosure
Recommended Amplifier Power
10 to 125 watts per channel
Recommended Amplifier Power
10 to 100 watts per channel
Nominal Impedance
4 or 8 ohm selectable
Nominal Impedance
4 or 8 ohm selectable
Frequency Response
50Hz to 21kHz, +/- 3dB (on axis)
Frequency Response
60Hz to 21kHz, +/- 3dB (on axis)
Tweeter Adjustment
Up to 20° pivot angle
Tweeter Adjustment
Up to 20° pivot angle
Sensitivity
Sensitivity
89dB for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise
88dB for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions
9-1/8" diameter
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions
8-1/8" diameter
Depth Behind Wall
3-3/4" deep (based on 1/2" drywall)
Depth Behind Wall
3-3/8" deep (based on 1/2" drywall)
Wall Cut-Out Dimensions
8" diameter
Wall Cut-Out Dimensions
6-7/8" diameter
Wiring Requirements
Wiring Requirements
We recommend 16 to 18 gauge stranded
wire for up to 80 feet, 14 gauge stranded
wire for up to two hundred feet.
We recommend 16 to 18 gauge stranded
wire for up to 80 feet, 14 gauge stranded
wire for up to two hundred feet.
Connectors accommodate 12 to 18 gauge
stranded wire.
Connectors accommodate 12 to 18 gauge
stranded wire.
18
Operation
Listening at Higher Volumes
It requires more power to achieve a reason-
able volume of sound in a large room than
it does in a small room. It is possible (even if
you are not a teenager) to turn the volume
so high that the amplifier runs out of power.
This creates “clipping” distortion.
Clipping distortion makes treble sound
very harsh and unmusical. When you hear
harsh sounding treble from any good
speaker, turn the volume down immedi-
ately! Those harsh sounds are masking
some much more powerful ultra-high-fre-
quency sound spikes which will quickly
damage any fine loudspeaker. You are
much less likely to damage a speaker with
a large amplifier because it will be very
loud indeed before it produces any clip-
ping distortion.
Cleaning
You can clean the speaker with a damp-
ened soft cloth or paper towel. If the
speaker is mounted high up on a wall or
ceiling, use a broom to gently brush it off.
17
or reflected off of furniture or other
objects. You should have a direct line of
sight with the front of the speaker. To
determine the best position, measure the
“listening” distance between the ideal lis-
tening position (your favorite chair or
couch) and the location in which you plan
to install the speakers. Try to place the
speakers so that they are equally distant
from your listening spot and at least one
half of the listening distance apart (this
maintains a large pleasant stereo “image”).
In home theater applications where there
is a center channel you may choose to
space the left and right main speakers far-
ther apart for a “bigger than life” sound
Speaker Placement
Although the CM5HD, CM6HD and
CM8HD have extensive ability to compen-
sate for unusual placements with their
unique pivoting tweeters and acoustic fine-
tuning switches; placement is still the pri-
mary tool for satisfying your particular lis-
tening needs. In the following section, we
discuss how speakers should be placed
and how tweeters should be directed and
how the acoustic fine-tuning switches
should be set for different purposes.
Placement for Critical Listening
If you like to imagine that the band or
orchestra is playing in front of you as you
listen to music, or you are very conscious
of clarity, detail and the textures of the
individual instruments, or you listen criti-
cally to movie soundtracks or music
videos in your home theater, you will
need your speakers placed so that they are
optimized for critical listening. Here are
some guidelines to make the process of
placement quick and easy.
®
with Dolby encoded movies and TV
shows. However, for combined music and
movie usage stay within the good place-
ment zone for music. For example; if you
are ten feet back from the speakers, the
speakers should be between five and ten
feet apart (See Figure 4).
Tweeters should be directed at the listen-
ing position.
Placement for Varying
Figure 4
Make sure the sound will not be blocked
In this example,
the speakers
could be
Direct tweeter
placed five to
towards listener
10 feet apart,
since the listen-
er is 10 feet
back from the
speakers
Critical
Listening
Position
10'
5'
10'
Direct tweeter
towards listener
6
Listening Positions
speakers can be placed near corners to
If you want the freedom to sit anywhere in create more reflected sound. By directing
a room facing any direction, and/or find the tweeters to point away from the listen-
that you prefer the “all around you” sound er, so they create as much reflected sound
of some car stereos to a conventional as possible, you emphasize the ambient
“sound stage” facing you, consider the effect. The more reflected sound there is
speaker placement techniques profession- in the room the stronger the ambient
al installers use in restaurants and bars. effect at low volumes. You should use
They place speakers in an array around moderation, however, otherwise the com-
the listening area, so that the music is promise becomes too one sided and at
always surrounding you, regardless of the high volumes, the sound will be blurred
direction you face.
and less distinct.
Placement for Home Theater
Rear Applications
The rule of thumb is to add one pair of
speakers for every 100 to 200 square feet
of listening area. Curiously, this is not so
that you can play the music louder, but so
that you can play it softer! When you
have only one pair of speakers in a large
room you will notice that when the sound
is perfect in one part of the room, it is too
loud near the speakers. By placing more
than one pair in the room you will avoid
these “hot spots” of loud sound and you
will create more sonic ambiance while
maintaining clarity and a rich sound
everywhere (See Figure 5).
In a home theater, the goal is to reproduce
the experience of a great movie theater in
our homes. The biggest difference between
the two is the rear or surround speaker
array in a commercial theater. Here, it is
not uncommon to see twenty or thirty
speakers around the audience. This huge
array of speakers assures that you will feel
completely surrounded by the ambient
soundtrack of the movie. Film makers try
to use the “surround” soundtrack to enve-
lope you in the environment on screen.
They will place background music, rain
sounds, traffic noise, etc. on the “surround”
soundtrack. In a home with a single pair of
speakers it is easy for the jungle sounds to
sound like they are “in the middle of your
head” just like headphones!
You can make listener position still less
critical by using mono rather than stereo.
This can be difficult to achieve with nor-
mal stereo amplifiers. However, Niles
manufactures Systems Integration
®
Amplifiers which enable one room to be
A single pair of CM5HD, CM6HD or
CM8HD Loudspeakers, properly placed,
can create a very convincing simulation
of an array of speakers. If you place them
near a hard reflecting surface you can
make one pair of speakers sound like sev-
eral. Create as many reflections as possi-
ble by placing the speakers near a corner
so that the adjoining walls will act as a
powerful reflector. Direct the tweeters so
that sound is pointed away form the lis-
tener creating still more reflections and
thus more “surround sound” effect.
wired in stereo while other rooms are
wired in mono! Consult your local Niles
dealer for more information.
In smaller rooms or rooms that are infre-
quently used, you typically can’t justify
the expense of more than two speakers.
Try to bracket the room with the two
speakers. Diagonal placement is a very
effective way to stretch the coverage pat-
tern of two speakers. You can also com-
promise between direct sound (for detail
and clarity) and reflected sound (the
ambient or “all around you” effect). The
7
results will be obtained by using a spray
gun or airless sprayer, thinning the paint
(prevents clogging of the grille holes), and
by applying several light coats instead of
one heavy one.
Speaker Phase
Speaker wire has two conductors. One
conductor is attached to the negative (-)
terminals and one conductor is attached
to the positive (+) terminals of both your
speaker and your amplifier. Usually, the
wire is marked for your convenience.
There are different ways wires are marked:
a stripe on one wire, a ribbed area of one
conductor you can only feel, different col-
ors of metal wire on each conductor, or
there might be a fabric strand or string
wound into one of the conductors. Of
course, there are some wires which
appear completely identical. Be careful, or
you might make a mistake.
Figure 17
Tightening the
mounting “dogs”
9. Setting the Bass and Treble cut switch-
es. Listen to a well-recorded piece of
music at the user’s favorite listening
position. a) Listen for bass boominess,
particularly when the speaker is placed
near a corner. Use the -2dB Bass cut to
correct. b) Listen for treble harshness or
ringing, particularly when the speakers are
placed in a room without carpet/ Use the
-2dB Treble cut switch to correct.
If you make a mistake, one speaker will be
playing “out-of-phase” with the other
speaker. An out-of-phase pair of speakers
work against each other and the sound of
the two speakers playing together will be
lacking in bass and be “phasey” sounding.
If you suspect the sound is not right and
you cannot see any markings on the wire,
try this simple test:
10.Install the grille into the speaker. The
grilles should fit snugly. If you have diffi-
culty fitting them in, try loosening the
mounting dog screws (excessive tighten-
ing can distort the shape of the frame
holding the grille in place).
Painting the Speakers
1. Stand half way between the speakers.
All models may be painted. The plastic
will readily accept most paints.
2. Play some music with the amplifier
or radio set to Mono.
The speakers must be masked prior to
painting them. The inside circular portion
of the hole template can be used as a
paint mask. Remove the outside portion of
the template by gently pulling along the
perforation. Affix the mask to the front of
the speaker using a piece of tape. Fold the
tape onto itself to form a double-sided
loop. Affix the tape to the tweeter and
place the mask onto the speaker.
3. Listen to the richness of the bass and
the loudness of the sound.
4. Turn off the amplifier and reverse the
connections on one amplifier chan-
nel only.
5. Repeat the listening test with the
same setting of the volume control.
When the sound has a richer bass
and is slightly louder the speakers are
working together or “in-phase”.
The grilles should be painted before they
are installed. For all models, the best
16
6. Insert the no strip terminal into the
corresponding socket on the rear of
the speaker. Push it down until it locks
in place. The terminal will only fit in
the socket in one direction. If the ter-
minal does not properly seat, reverse
the terminal
Final Installation in New
or Existing Construction
1. If it is possible to lay a batt of insulation
into the ceiling cavity do so. Remember
to use equal amounts of insulation for
each speaker.
7. On both models, there are four clamps
or mounting “dogs” which hold each
speaker in place. The dogs are tight-
ened via four front-baffle screws. To
install the speaker, first rotate the dogs
inward. Insert the speaker into the
cutout and tighten the dogs by turning
the screws clockwise. DO NOT OVER-
TIGHTEN THESE SCREWS. Over-tight-
ening the clamps may make the grille
difficult to install. (See Figure 17).
2. Check the position of the Impedance
Jumper on the crossover PC board.
Choose the 4 ohm position if you are
using an amplifier capable of drawing a
4 ohm load and you have only one pair
of speakers connected. Otherwise, use
the 8 ohm position (See Figure 15).
3. Separate the speaker wire so that at least
two inches of each conductor are free.
NOTE: The screws will be easier to turn if
you “prime” them first. Before installing each
speaker, turn the screws in and then turn
them back out to their original positions.
4. Open the no-strip terminal by applying
pressure to the red and black levers until
an audible “click” is heard.
8. Direct the Tweeter. The tweeter is
directed by gently pushing on the edge
of the tweeter grille. It will move 20° in
any direction. For critical listening point
the tweeter to the user’s favorite listen-
ing position minimizing reflections from
the side walls. For surround sound or
low volume background listening cre-
ate more reflections and thus more
ambience by directing the tweeter
towards the side walls. See Speaker
Placement on Page 6.
5. Insert one unstripped wire fully into the
black and one into the red terminal. Pay
attention to the markings on the wire.
Each speaker must be connected to the
amplifier in the same way. If unsure,
see “Speaker Phase” located on the fol-
lowing page. Squeeze the red and black
levers until they click signifying that
they have locked into the wire. Check
to make sure that the knife assembly
inside the no strip connector has prop-
erly pierced the wire (See Figure 16).
Figure 15 Setting the Impedance Jumper.
Figure 16 No-Strip Speaker Wire Terminal.
15
However, as you move the speaker far- is built into a typical surround sound
receiver or amplifier. Niles makes a num-
ber of Systems Integration Amplifiers with
proprietary features that make them
uniquely suited to enhance a good sur-
round sound system. Consult your local
Niles dealer for more information.
ther away from the listener, both the
reflected and the direct sound will dissi-
pate, requiring more power from your
surround sound amplifier channels. If the
surround sound system you are using has
a small five or ten watt amplifier for the
rear speakers, stay within five to eight feet
of the listening location. If you are using a
25 to 50 watt amplifier you can mount
the speakers 10 to 15 feet away from the
listening location and still achieve reason-
ably high volume levels.
The Boundary Effect
Corners can affect the bass response of the
speaker powerfully! This is called the
boundary effect. You will emphasize par-
ticular bass frequencies and cancel out
other bass frequencies when you place
speakers close to the wall/ceiling bound-
ary or a corner wall boundary. This can
make the speaker sound excessively
boomy and inaccurate to some listeners,
while to others it just seems like more bass
sound. A good rule of thumb is if you
always listen to your current pair of speak-
ers with the bass turned up, you’ll enjoy
corner placement. If you keep your tone
controls at neutral, try to keep the speak-
ers at least two or three feet from the
boundaries of the room.
In large or unusually shaped rooms, using
multiple speakers might be the only way to
achieve a good effect. In large or unusual-
ly shaped rooms this might be the only
way to achieve a good effect. If you like to
listen to music surround modes which
emulate concert hall acoustics, more than
two surround speakers will prove extraor-
dinarily effective (See Figure 6). With
Niles CM5HD, CM6HD and CM8HD
loudspeakers it is easy to add another pair
without affecting the decor of the room.
However, you will need to use a much
more powerful amplifier than that which
Figure 5
Varying Listening Position
Figure 6
Surround Sound
8
Side-by-side wiring is unavoidable in par-
ticular spots in every house, just move the
speaker wire route away as soon as possi-
ble. If construction forces a side by side
run for more than ten feet, install metal
conduit or shielded speaker wire. Low-
voltage wires such as doorbells, inter-
coms, telephone, security, or television
cannot cause interference or hum on your
speaker wires, so you can safely run all of
them at the same time, through the same
holes, side-by-side.
Installation
Fundamentals
Running the Speaker Wire in New
Construction
If you have doubts about whether you are
capable of installing a Niles ceiling mount
loudspeakers, consult a Niles dealer or
professional installer. They have special
tools, techniques, and experience to make
the impossible possible. The installer can
provide you with an estimate before any
work is done.
Before you drill any holes, mount the
speaker brackets in the desired speaker
locations and mount open backed J-boxes
where the in-wall volume controls and
stereo equipment will be.
Scheduling and Preparation
Plan to schedule the speaker wiring after
the electrical wiring is finished. That way
you can avoid wire routes which could
potentially induce hum over the speaker
wire. The basic rules are:
Safety First!
Wear gloves, safety goggles and head pro-
tection when drilling. Avoid nails, they ruin
bits and they can cause injury. Pay particu-
lar care when using “hole-hogs” and other
powerful electric drills; the torque of the
drill when suddenly stopped by a nail can
break the wrist of a strong man.
• Never run speaker wire through the
same hole as an electrical cable.
• Never run speaker wire into the same
J-box as electrical cable.
• Avoid running the speaker wire beside
the electrical cable. Keep your speaker
cable at a distance of at least 18"-22"
from any electrical power cable.
Drilling
Use a bit that is large enough for the wires
you plan to run. An auger bit is the pre-
ferred bit for rough-in wiring. It will actu-
ally pull itself through the wood, so that
the drill motor, not you, does most of the
work. You may be drilling a lot of holes,
so this is an important consideration.
Figure 5
Always drill the holes in the center of the
stud. If you have to notch the stud or drill
the hole closer than one inch from the
edge of the stud, protect the wire with a
nail plate (See Figure 5).
When drilling holes in ceiling joists drill
in the center of the joists and try to locate
the hole near the end of the joist. DO
NOT drill through a “gluelam” or any
load bearing beam without the direction
9
Figure 12
Installation in
Existing Construction
IMPORTANT: Before you cut into any
wall, review the sections on running
wire and speaker placement.
1. When determining the location of the
speaker cutout keep in mind that the
mounting dogs will extend 3/4" beyond
the cutout. make sure that you do not
place the edge of the cutout directly
next to a ceiling joist. Locate the joists
using a stud sensor or hand-knocking.
5. If you are cutting drywall use a
sheetrock or keyhole saw. Cut the hole
with the saw at a 45° angle. That way,
the drywall section can be replaced
cleanly if there is an unseen obstruction
behind the wall. BE VERY CAREFUL
NOT TO SAW THROUGH EXISTING
WIRES, PIPES, OR STRUCTURE. IF
YOU FEEL EXTRA RESISTANCE AS
YOU ARE CUTTING, STOP.
2. Once you have determined a possible
position for the cutout, drill a 1/8” pilot
hole just barely through the ceiling
(1/2” to 5/8” deep in most homes)
about an inch below the center of your
proposed speaker location. BE VERY
CAREFUL NOT TO DRILL THROUGH
EXISTING WIRES, PIPES, OR STRUC-
TURE. IF YOU FEEL ANY EXTRA RESIS-
TANCE AS YOU ARE DRILLING, STOP.
6. If you are cutting into a plaster ceiling,
use masking tape to outline your pen-
ciled circle and use a razor to score the
plaster down to the lath beneath. Then
use a chisel to remove all of the plaster
within the taped outline. To actually cut
the lathe, two methods are used profes-
sionally; sawing with a metal cutting
blade on a sabre saw is the quickest
and the riskiest. Sawing a lathe with a
sabre saw can easily vibrate plaster off
the ceiling in a completely distant loca-
tion creating more patchwork. If you
have the patience, use a pair of tin snips
to slowly nip away at the lath instead.
There is little risk with this method, it is
just time consuming.
3. Cut a foot-long piece of coat hanger.
Bend the wire (creating a right angle)
leaving 4-1/8" at one end for the
CM5HD, 4-3/4" for the CM6HD and
5-3/8" for the CM8HD (this allows for
the extra width of the mounting dogs).
Poke the “L-shaped” wire into the pilot
hole and turn it in a complete circle
and move it into the ceiling cavity to
make sure you have approximately
3-3/4" of depth. If the wires movement
is obstructed by anything, fill the hole(s)
with spackle and try another location.
(See Figure 12)
4. If the coat hanger moves freely in a com-
plete circle, hold the supplied template
up to the ceiling surface. Outline the cir-
cular cutout on the ceiling surface with a
pencil. Drill starting point with a 1/4" bit.
14
The wings and brackets have centering
lines to simplify placement of the speakers.
Installation in New
Construction
Screw one side of the assembled bracket
with wings to the joist using one of the
supplied screws. Level the bracket. Screw
the other side of the bracket/wing assem-
bly to the joist. Two screws on each side
make for a very secure installation. Secure
the wire to the bracket using bracket’s
wire tie. The drywall installers will cut the
drywall to the exact size of the bracket.
(See Figure 10)
Insulating the Ceiling Cavity
If feasible, fill the ceiling cavity with insu-
lation at this point.
Mounting The New Construction
Bracket
The hole saving bracket enables a faster
and cleaner final installation of the speak-
er. It forces the drywall installer to cut out
the speaker hole for you and provides
wire ties for the speaker wire, reducing the
risks of accidental loss or movement of the
wire. In addition, it enables you to align
your speakers with other ceiling fixtures
with great accuracy since you can really
see exactly where the speaker will be.
Concealing Speaker Wire for a
Future Installation
Attach the speaker wire in a loop between
the ceiling joists and carefully mark the
exact location of the wire on a set of
plans. Ask the general contractor to inform
the drywall installers that the speaker wire
loops are concealed for future installa-
tions. (See Figure11)
To install the bracket, first attach the
™
QuickSnap new construction wings to
the bracket by snapping them into the
sides of the bracket. The wings can be
shortened by breaking them along the
scored lines if the length will interfere with
corner or eaves.
Figure 10
Figure 11
The optional hole saving brackets are installed
and the speaker wire is attached to the bracket.
The speaker wire is looped and hung on two
nail attached to the joists securing it for
future use. Make sure the location is noted
on house plans.
13
of your contractor.
when you look at the painted wall board,
plaster, or paneling is only the skin of the
wall. Behind the skin is the skeleton; two-
by-four wood or metal “studs” running
vertically from the floor to the ceiling in
walls and two-by-six or larger “joists” run-
ning horizontally in the ceilings and
floors. In between the studs and the joists
is the space for the wiring and plumbing
of your home.
Try to line the holes up perfectly, because
it makes pulling the wire much easier. A
good technique is to snap a chalk line
across the face of the studs or against the
bottom of the ceiling joists. Then work
backward so that you can always see the
holes you have already drilled. Paying
careful attention to this will save you a lot
of time later on!
Pulling the Cable
Exterior walls are different. They must
insulate the house from the heat and cold
outside, so they are stuffed with insulation.
The national building code requires that
the hollow wall space in exterior walls be
broken by a horizontal stud placed
between the vertical studs. This “fire
blocking” makes it very difficult to retrofit
long lengths of wire. In some areas of the
country the exterior walls are constructed
of solid masonry, and have no hollow
space for speakers or wires.
Pull the cable in sections (from the stereo
to the volume control, from the volume
control to the speaker). Start with the
longest sections and use left over wire to
complete the short sections. If you plan to
pull many rooms at the same time through
a central route, walk off the distance to
each destination, add a generous fudge
factor for turns and other obstacles, then
cut off each section so that you have a
bundle of wires you can pull at once.
Whenever you run the wire further than
four and one half feet from a hole in a stud
or joist (open attic space, going up walls,
etc.), fasten the wire to the joists or studs
using cable clamps or appropriately sized
wire staples. The wire should not have
large sags in it, nor should it be too tight.
Try to protect the wire from being stepped
on in attics or other unfinished crawl
spaces. There are guard strips, raceways
and conduits which can be used to protect
the cable. Consult the local building code
for special requirements in your area.
Start by examining all the possible routes
you might take to run the speaker wire
from the speaker to the volume control
and back to the stereo. Use a stud sensor
or other device to locate the internal struc-
ture of the wall. You want to avoid all
studs or joists. A typical route would be:
from the speaker location in the ceiling,
across the attic, then down through a top
plate (the horizontal 2x4 or 2x6 laid
across the vertical studs) to the volume
control location, back up to the attic,
across the attic, and finally down another
wall plate to a J-Box in the wall behind the
stereo system itself (See Figure 6).
Concealing Speaker Wire
in Existing Walls
This is actually a fairly simple task if you
restrict your choice of speaker locations
and wire routes to the interior walls or
ceilings of your home. Interior walls in
almost all North American residences are
hollow, so that it is easy to flush mount
speakers into them and route new speaker
cable around the house. What you see
Identify where all of your electrical,
phone, and TV wiring is likely to be and
plan to route around it all. You can acci-
dentally induce 60Hz hum on your speak-
ers if you run your speaker wire right
beside electrical wire for more than a few
feet. Try to keep speaker wire running par-
10
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 information.
Choose the route with the
fewest potential obstacles.
Speaker
Location
Volume
Control
Location
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
Figure 8.
Stereo
Location
Figure 6
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 7).
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 7
11
Figure 8
In traditional wood stud/drywall construc-
tion you should first cut the hole for the
speaker and utilize the large hole to auger
across the (through the ceiling joists) for as
far as your drill bit will take you.
Sometimes, you will need to use the
“notching” technique to reach areas your
drill bit won’t reach or to turn corners (e.g.
to go down the wall when there is not an
accessible attic). Don’t make an irregular
hole in the drywall. If you carefully cut a
rectangular hole in the drywall you can
use the drywall you cut as the patch.
Notch the bottom of the joists and run the
wire through the notches. Protect the wire
with nail plates. Once you’ve run your
wire replace the hatch you cut using stan-
dard drywall “joint tape” and “joint com-
pound” to hold the patch in place, let dry,
sand surface and touch-up the wall with
paint. (See Figure 9).
The door jamb has been removed and the
speaker wire concealed between the wall and
the jamb. Nail plates are installed to protect
the wire and the door jamb is replaced
Figure 9 Diagram of ceiling speaker cut-out with ceiling joists notched for wire run.
12
Niles Audio
Corporation
12331 S.W. 130 Street
Miami, Florida 33186
Tel: (305) 238-4373
Fax: (305) 238-0185
© 2001 Niles Audio Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Niles, the Niles logo, and Blending
High Fidelity and Architecture are registered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation.
MicroPerf is a trademark of Niles Audio Corporation. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. Because we constantly strive to improve our products, Niles
reserves the right to change product specifications without notice. The technical and other
information contained herein is not intended to set forth all technical and other specifica-
tions of Niles products. Additional information can be obtained on-line. Printed in Taiwan.
DS00291ATW
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