Niles Audio Speaker HDCTR User Manual

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  
HD CTR  
HD LRS  
HIGH DEFINITION  
www.nilesaudio.com  
Niles Audio  
Corporation  
12331 S.W. 130 Street  
Miami, Florida 33186  
Tel: (305) 238-4373  
Fax: (305) 238-0185  
®
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®  
© 1999 Niles Audio Corporation. DS00196A  
Printed in Taiwan  
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DSFG Defeat (HDCTR)  
tions simple and fast. 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 speaker baffle attaches to the frame,  
and the grille mounts over the speaker.  
Figure 1  
Model HDLRS Shown  
Main/Surround Configuration (HDLRS)  
Both the HD• CTR and HD• LRS feature  
crossover mounted switches which cus-  
tomize the response of the speaker. In the  
HD• CTR, the switch controls whether the  
Directed Sound Field Geometry feature is  
On or Off. (It is useful to switch it Off when  
the speaker is installed at ear level, for exam-  
ple, behind a perforated screen). In the  
HD• LRS, the switch sets the speaker’s  
response for Main (front) or Surround. The  
Surround setting manipulates the response of  
the speaker to provide a diffuse sound field.  
Bracket  
New Construction Wings  
Frame  
Three Stage Installation System for  
Remodels or New Construction  
You install only the parts you need for a  
particular stage of construction. When the  
framing and wiring are finished, you  
install the bracket. After the drywall is up,  
but before the painter begins to paint, you  
install the frame and provide the rustproof  
aluminum grilles to the painter so that  
they can be painted to match the sur-  
roundings. Only when construction is  
completely finished do you put the valu-  
able speaker in the wall. You dont have  
to mask or prep the speaker for painting,  
and worries about theft during the final  
phases of construction are never an issue!  
Speaker Baffle  
IR Knockout  
BumpBack Woofer Magnet(s)  
Grille  
Niles engineers have utilized a unique  
magnet construction allowing far greater  
“throw” or voice coil excursion. This  
allows a new level of deep bass perfor-  
mance to be achieved.  
X-MatrixReinforced Baffle  
Acoustic  
Fine Tuning Controls  
The X-Matrix Baffle design uses specially  
molded ribs to add rigidity to the baffle  
assembly. The end result is better bass and  
improved midrange detail.  
Infrared Sensor Mount  
The speaker baffle has a locator designed  
for the Niles MS-1 MicroSensor,™ a  
miniature infrared sensor. The MS-1  
installs discreetly behind the aluminum  
grille and therefore minimizes wall clut-  
ter in your home. When you want to  
control your equipment, you simply  
point your remote control at the speaker  
from up to 15 feet away.  
Installation Considerations  
Absolutely Flush to the Wall  
Appearance  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
Speaker Wire  
For satisfactory performance, we recom-  
mend an amplifier with a power rating of  
ten to one hundred fifty watts. Curiously,  
most speakers are not damaged by large  
amplifiers but by small amplifiers. If your  
system is playing loudly, a small amplifier  
will run out of power very quickly. When  
an amplifier runs out of power it creates  
damaging “clipping” distortion. A more  
powerful amplifier will play at the same  
volume without distorting. See the section  
on operating the speakers for more infor-  
mation about clipping distortion.  
The unique mounting system of the HD  
loudspeakers powerfully clamps the frame  
to the bracket, sandwiching the wall mate-  
rial between them. Because the clamping  
action is totally uniform around the frame,  
there are no shadows or gaps between the  
wall and the frame. Additionally, the Niles  
mounting system is carefully optimized to  
stiffen the surrounding drywall and pre-  
vent it from resonating. You hear only the  
music, not the drywall.  
Use 2-conductor speaker wire when con-  
necting HD speakers to your receiver or  
amplifier. For most applications, we rec-  
ommend you use 16 or 18 gauge wire.  
For wiring runs longer than 80 feet we  
recommend 14 gauge wire. The spring  
loaded terminals of the HD speakers will  
accommodate up to 12 gauge wire  
directly. Larger sizes can be accommodat-  
ed via pin connectors.  
Low Diffraction, Paintable  
Aluminum Grilles  
HD speakers come standard with alu-  
minum grilles. The grille has hundreds of  
precisely sized perforations, creating an  
acoustically transparent grille. The alu-  
minum construction is 100% rustproof.  
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  
Easy Retrofit Installation in your  
Existing Home  
Designed for ease of installation, the Niles  
mounting system makes retrofit installa-  
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Code and any applicable provisions of the lent) be home run from each sensor loca-  
local building code. If you are unsure of tion to the main equipment location. This  
the correct installation techniques, wire wire is normally run beside the speaker  
jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a wire at the same time. Typically, the sen-  
professional audio/video installer, your sor is placed in a location that faces your  
building contractor, or the local building listening position. Most remote controls  
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 farther apart for a “bigger than  
life” sound with Dolby® encoded movies  
and TV shows. However, for combined  
music and movie usage stay within the  
good placement zone for music. For exam-  
ple; if you are ten feet back from the wall,  
the speakers should be between five and  
ten feet apart (See Figure 2).  
Speaker Placement  
Placement of the Front Left and Right  
Speakers (HDLRS)  
In a home theater, the intelligibility of dia-  
log and action reproduced by the front  
speakers is paramount! The position of the  
speakers plays a very important role in  
how clear the sound is and how a stereo  
image is created. Here are some guide-  
lines to make the process of placement  
quick and easy.  
and inspection department.  
will have an effective line of sight range of  
18 to 30 feet with any Niles sensor placed  
in a wall, ceiling, on a cabinet or tabletop.  
Incorporating a Remote Control  
If you are planning to use a stereo system However, when you place a Niles MS-1  
with a hand held IR remote control, con- MicroSensor behind the perforated alu-  
sider the advantages of installing a Niles minum grille of a speaker the effective  
IR Repeater system. You are able to con- range is reduced to 9 to 15 feet.  
trol all of the functions of your system  
Make sure the sound will not be blocked  
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” dis-  
tance between the ideal listening position  
(your favorite chair or couch) and the wall  
in which you plan to install the speakers.  
from the room with the remote pair of  
speakers. Niles makes a number of IR sen-  
sors which install in the wall, in the ceiling,  
in cabinetry, on tabletops, or even behind  
the grille of your Niles HD speakers.  
Insulating the Wall Cavity  
For best performance from your speakers fill  
the wall cavity behind the speaker with  
fiberglass insulation (e.g. R-19 unbatted insu-  
lation). Try to keep the same amount of  
insulation for each speaker, particularly in  
the same room, for consistent bass response.  
The front left and right speakers should be  
placed on either side of the picture source at  
a height that allows their tweeters to be not  
more than 24 inches above or below the  
tweeter in the center channel speaker (See  
Figure 3). Be careful that you do not place  
An IR sensor requires that a 2-conductor  
shielded wire (West Penn D291 or equiva-  
TECH TIP  
Wire size is expressed by its AWG (American Wire  
Gauge) number. The lower the number, the larger  
the wire, i.e. twelve AWG is physically larger than  
fourteen AWG.  
Speaker  
Placement  
Zone  
10’  
5’  
10’  
Speaker  
Placement  
Zone  
Figure 2  
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Placement of the Center Channel  
Speaker (HDCTR)  
the HD• LRS too close to a direct view TV  
monitor as they may cause picture discol-  
oration (HD• CTR may be substituted for  
HD• LRS in such an installation). In general,  
try to keep an HD• LRS at least 24 inches  
away from the TV. With larger CRT screen  
sizes, you should test for picture degrada-  
tion before installing.  
Perforated Screen  
The center channel speaker is the work-  
horse in a home theater system. It handles  
all of the critical dialog and as such it is  
vitally important in creating the illusion of  
sounds emanating directly from the picture.  
The HD• CTR is specially optimized for  
this important job. Its dual Magnetically  
Shielded woofers enable it to be placed  
directly adjacent to a direct view televi-  
sion without affecting picture quality. In a  
typical installation, the HD• CTR will be  
placed horizontally, directly above the  
television or projection screen. Try to  
insure that the speaker is not placed too  
high relative to the left and right speaker.  
(See Figure 3).  
The Boundary Effect  
HD•CTR  
HD•LRS  
HD•LRS  
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 one or two feet from the  
boundaries of the room. The HD• LRS fea-  
tures a front baffle-mounted adjustment  
switch labeled “Bass Cut” which enables  
you to compensate for the boundry effect  
by reducing bass output by 3dB.  
Figure 4  
Placement of the Rear Channel  
Speakers (HDLRS)  
track. In a home with a single pair of speak-  
ers it is easy for the jungle sounds to sound  
like they are “in the middle of your head”  
just like headphones!  
In a home theater, the goal is to reproduce  
the experience of a great movie theater in  
our homes. The biggest difference between  
your home and the theater is the surround  
speaker array. In a commercial theater, 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 envelope  
you in the environment on screen. They  
will place background music, rain sounds,  
traffic noise, etc. on the “surround” sound-  
A single pair of HD• LRS Loudspeakers,  
properly placed, can create a very con-  
vincing simulation of an array of speakers.  
If you place them near a hard reflecting  
surface you can make one pair of speakers  
sound like several. Create as many reflec-  
tions as possible by mounting the speaker  
up high in the wall so that the ceiling will  
act as a powerful reflector. (See Figures  
5 and 6). If you mount the speakers as far  
away as you can from the listening area,  
more reflections will occur. However, all  
For installations where a perforated projec-  
tion screen will be used, optimum perfor-  
mance can be obtained by placing the  
HD• CTR, either horizontally or vertically,  
behind the screen at ear level. (See Figure  
4). When placed at ear level, the HD• CTR’s  
crossover configuration switch should be set  
to “DSFG Defeat”. (See the section on  
Defeating DSFG on page 18 for more details).  
Figure 3  
HD•CTR  
For an HD•CTR placed above a  
TV, install the speaker with the  
tweeter up. For an HD•CTR  
placed below a TV, install the  
speaker with the tweeter down.  
Not Greater  
than 24"  
TV  
HD•LRS  
Figure 5  
HD•LRS  
If the primary listening position is towards the back of the room as depicted in figure 5, place the rear  
speakers high up on the side wall or in the ceiling as pictured.  
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of these placement techniques require that If you like to listen to music surround  
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  
modes which emulate concert hall  
acoustics, more than two surround speakers  
will prove extraordinarily effective. With  
Niles HD• LRS 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 is built into a typical sur-  
round sound receiver or amplifier. Niles  
makes a number of Systems Integration  
Amplifiers™ with proprietary features that  
make them uniquely suited to enhance a  
good surround sound system. Consult your  
Niles dealer for more information.  
you work your surround sound amplifier  
channels harder. If the surround sound sys-  
tem you are using has a small five or ten  
watt amplifier for the rear speakers, stay  
within five to eight feet of the listening loca-  
tion. If you are using a 25 to 50 watt amplifi-  
er you can mount the speakers 10 to 15 feet  
away from the listening location and still  
achieve reasonably high volume levels.  
Fundamentals  
Running the Speaker Wire in New  
Construction  
If you have doubts about whether you are  
capable of installing a Niles Blueprint  
Series In-Wall Loudspeaker, consult a  
Niles dealer or professional installer. They  
have special tools, techniques, and experi-  
ence to make the impossible possible. The  
installer can provide you with an estimate  
before any work is done.  
Of course, the best way to emulate the  
sound of multiple speakers is to use multi-  
ple speakers. In large or unusually shaped  
rooms this might be the only way to  
achieve a good effect. (See Figure 7).  
Before you drill any holes, mount the  
speaker brackets in the desired speaker  
locations and mount p-rings or 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 create 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.  
Drilling  
• Avoid running the speaker wire beside  
the electrical cable. Keep it at least three  
or four feet distant from any electrical  
power cable.  
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 will be drilling a lot of holes,  
so this is important.  
Figure 6  
Figure 8  
If the primary listening position is towards the center of the room as depicted in figure 6, place the  
rear speakers high up on the rear wall or in the ceiling as pictured.  
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 8).  
Figure 7  
If you use multiple rear speakers or have  
an irregularly shaped listening area as  
shown in figure 7, place the speakers high  
up on the rear and side walls or in the  
ceiling as pictured.  
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  
of your contractor.  
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Try to line the holes up perfectly, because when you look at the painted wall board,  
cover plate and switch or  
receptacle, 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 the wire is free of  
obstructions (See Figure 10).  
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!  
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.  
When you dont 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.  
Pulling the Cable  
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 dis-  
tance 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.  
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.  
Speaker  
Location  
Stereo  
Location  
Figure 9  
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.  
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 11).  
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 60 Hz hum on your  
speakers if you run your speaker wire right  
beside electrical wire for more than a few  
feet. Try to keep speaker wire running par-  
allel to power cables at least 3 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, removing the  
Start by examining all the possible routes  
you might take to run the speaker wire  
from the speaker to the stereo. Use a stud  
sensor or other device to locate the inter-  
nal structure of the wall. You want to  
avoid all studs or joists. A typical route  
would be: from the speaker location up  
the inside of the wall to a new hole drilled  
into the top “plate” (horizontal two-by-  
four at the top of the inside of the wall),  
into the attic crawl space, and down  
another plate to the wall behind the stereo  
system itself (See Figure 9). The other  
very common route is through the bottom  
plate of the wall into an unfinished base-  
ment or crawl space.  
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  
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  
Unobstructed space  
for speaker wiring  
Figure 10  
11  
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plenum rated wire (check your local  
building codes, some municipalities  
require conduit).  
Screw one side of the assembled bracket  
with wings to the stud using one of the  
supplied screws. Level the bracket. Screw  
the other side of the bracket to the stud.  
Two screws on each side makes for a very  
secure installation. Attach the wire to the  
bracket at the indicated wire tie points  
(See Figure 14).  
Figure 11  
Installation of  
Brackets, Frames  
and Grilles in New  
Construction  
In traditional wood stud/drywall construc-  
tion you can cut the hole for the speaker  
and utilize the large hole to auger holes  
across, up or down the wall for as far as  
your drill bit will take you. If you have  
matching paint and take reasonable care in  
patching you can cut a hatch in the dry-  
wall at each stud, run your wire, and patch  
and touch-up the wall (See Figure12).  
Stage One: Before Drywall is Hung  
Insulating the Wall Cavity.  
Stage Two: Before Paint  
Screw the frame to the installed bracket  
If feasible, fill the wall cavity with insula- using the supplied screws. Do not over-  
tion at this point.  
tighten the screws. This will distort the  
frame and the grilles will not fit (this is not  
permanent, just loosen the screws and the  
grille will pop in) (See Figure 15).  
When you are dealing with the unknown  
because of the structure of your home, or  
with difficult to patch wall materials like  
plaster, lath and plaster, faux finishes,  
wallpaper etc., be patient. A careful study  
of the potential problems before you start  
the job will pay off.  
Attach the wings to the bracket by snap-  
ping them into the sides of the bracket.  
The wings can be shortened by breaking  
them along the scored lines if their length Painting the Aluminum Grilles  
will interfere with a corner or eaves. You The grille is important to the sound of the  
can mount the bracket horizontally or ver- HD loudspeakers. Do not fill the holes of  
tically (See Figure 13).  
the grille with paint.  
Figure 12  
Figure 13  
13  
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The grille is constructed of aluminum with  
a perfectly even powder coat overall. This  
powder coat is an ideal primer.  
Figure 16  
Installation of  
Brackets, Frames  
and Grilles in  
Existing Walls  
Remove the grilles before painting. If you are  
using spray paint, use two thin coats without  
any primer. If you are using a compressor and  
a spray gun, use the finest, most diffuse  
setting. Practice first on some paper if you  
have no experience painting with spray paint.  
IMPORTANT: Before you cut into any  
wall, review the sections on running  
wire and speaker placement.  
If you are using an applicator or brush, and  
a can of paint, thin the paint first. You do  
not want to have to poke hundreds of  
holes in your beautifully painted grilles.  
1. Drill a 1/8” pilot hole just barely  
through the wallboard or dry wall (1/2” to  
5/8” deep in most homes) about an inch  
below the center of your proposed speak-  
er location (an inch to the side if you are  
mounting the speaker horizontally). BE  
VERY CAREFUL NO T TO DRILL  
THROUGH EXISTING WIRES, PIPES, OR  
STRUCTURE. IF YOU FEEL ANY EXTRA  
RESISTANCE AS YOU ARE DRILLING,  
STOP. Cut a piece of coat hanger equal to  
the width of the bracket. Bend the wire in  
half creating a right angle. Poke the “L-  
shaped” wire into the pilot hole and turn it  
in a complete circle. If it turns freely,  
repeat the procedure from a hole about an  
inch above the center of your proposed  
speaker location (See Figure 16).  
Figure 14  
Figure 15  
If the wires movement is obstructed by a  
pipe or cable, fill the hole(s) with spackle  
or other patching compound and try  
another location.  
2. When determining the final location of  
the cutout keep in mind that the frame  
and bracket will extend beyond the  
cutout. Make sure that you do not place  
the edge of the cutout directly next to a  
stud. Locate the studs using a stud sensor  
or hand-knocking. Once you have deter-  
mined the correct position for the cutout,  
hold the supplied template up to the wall  
surface. Level the template in either the  
horizontal or the vertical position and  
mark the wall with a pencil.  
Drill the four corners with a  
1/4” drill bit.  
3. If you are cutting a painted  
or wall papered drywall use  
a sheetrock or keyhole saw.  
Cut the hole with the saw at  
a 45 degree angle. That way,  
Figure 17  
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Installing a Niles MS-1 MicroSensor™  
There is a 1/2" round molded "IR Sensor  
Knockout" on the face of the speaker baf-  
fle. To prevent damage to the crossover  
network you must remove the knockout  
from the rear of the speaker. Do not  
attempt to remove the knockout with the  
speaker face up. Lay the speaker face  
down on a clean carpet or rug. Put the  
tip of a screwdriver into the cen-  
ter of the round "knockout"  
the drywall section can be replaced clean-  
ly if there is an unseen obstruction behind  
the wall. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO  
SAW THROUGH EXISTING WIRES, PIPES,  
O R STRUCTURE. IF YO U FEEL ANY  
EXTRA RESISTANCE AS YOU ARE CUT-  
TING, STOP.  
If you desire to make the dialog in a movie  
more pronounced, depress the switch  
labeled Dialog Enhance.  
Installation of the  
Speaker and Grille  
in New or Existing  
Construction  
Defeating DSFG  
The crossover on the back of the HD• CTR  
enables you to defeat the Directed Sound  
Field Geometry (DSFG) feature. This is  
useful when the speaker is mounted at  
ear level directly in front of the  
primary listening position as  
would be the case when the  
speaker is mounted behind  
4. If you are cutting into lath and plaster  
walls, use masking tape to outline your  
penciled marks, drill the four corners with  
a 1/4” bit 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. Finally, insert a metal  
cutting blade into a sabre saw and very  
slowly and carefully saw the lath. Sawing  
the lath can easily vibrate plaster off the  
wall. If you have the patience, use a pair  
of tin snips to slowly nip away at the lath  
instead. There is no risk with this method,  
it is just time consuming.  
Speaker Orientation for Directed  
Sound Field Geometry  
The Directed Sound Field Geometry  
(DSFG) provides optimum off axis phase  
and frequency response due to the  
acoustic interaction between the woofers  
and the tweeter. The flattest response will  
be obtained approximately 15 degrees off  
axis in the direction opposite the tweeter.  
Therefore, the orientation of the speaker is  
important for optimum performance. For  
an HD• CTR placed above a TV, install  
the speaker with the tweeter up. For an  
HD• CTR placed below a TV, install the  
speaker with the tweeter down. For  
HD• LRS’s placed in the front, install the  
speakers with the tweeters facing out.  
and sharply tap the screw-  
driver handle as necessary.  
Install the MS-1 using its  
mounting hex nut and  
washer so that it is tightly  
secured to the speaker.  
a perforated projection  
TV screen.  
HDLRS  
Acoustic Fine Tuning  
The front-mounted switches on  
Connect all wires and con-  
Figure 18  
tinue your installation.  
the HD• CTR also enable the speak-  
er to be optimized regardless of positioning  
or room acoustics. They provide 3dB of  
Treble and Bass Cut respectively. Start by  
listening to the speaker in the normal  
mode (switch is in the out position). If the  
sound seems to have too much treble,  
depress the switch labeled Treble Cut to  
reduce the amount of high frequencies. If  
the sound has too much low frequency  
output (because it is placed near a corner  
perhaps) depress the switch labeled Bass  
Cut to reduce the bass by 3dB.  
Installing the Speaker  
If the grille is already installed, remove it  
by using a bent paper clip or the tip of a  
corkscrew and pulling it away from the  
frame (See Figure 18).  
5. Fill the wall cavity with insulation at  
this point. Remember to use equal  
amounts of insulation for each speaker.  
1. Separate the speaker wire so that at least  
two inches of each conductor are free.  
6. Slip the mounting bracket through the  
hole and pull it toward you so that its front  
edge slides into the hole and stops in place.  
Setting the Acoustic Fine Tuning and  
Configuring the Crossover  
Both the HD• CTR and HD• LRS models  
feature front-mounted Acoustic Fine  
Tuning controls and crossover mounted  
configuration switches.  
2. Strip one half inch of insulation from the  
end of each conductor of the speaker wire.  
7. Attach the frame to the bracket by  
screwing the frame to the bracket using  
the supplied screws. Do not overtighten  
the screws, this will distort the frame and  
the grilles will not fit (this is not perma-  
nent, just loosen the screws and the grille  
will pop in). The screws should pull the  
frame and bracket together (sandwiching  
the drywall) so that the frame is absolutely  
flush with the wall surface. There should  
be no gaps between the wall and the  
frame (See Figure 17).  
3. If you have gold pin connectors which  
you wish to use, affix them to the stripped  
wire ends now.  
Main/Surround Configuration  
HDCTR  
Acoustic Fine Tuning  
4. Connect one stripped wire end (or con-  
nector) to the black and one to the red ter-  
minal. Pay attention to the markings on the  
wire. Each speaker must be connected to  
the amplifier in the same way.  
The crossover on the back of the HD• LRS  
enables you to configure the speaker for  
best performance as either a front “main”  
speaker or rear “surround” speaker. When  
the HD• LRS is used as a surround speaker,  
set the switch to the “Surround” position to  
provide a diffuse sound field which pro-  
vides a more convincing illusion of sound  
all around the listener. When configured as  
a surround speaker, the orientation of the  
tweeter is no longer critical.  
The front-mounted switches on the  
HD• CTR enable the speaker to be opti-  
mized regardless of positioning or room  
acoustics by providing 3dB of Treble Cut  
and 3dB of Dialog Enhancement. Start by  
listening to the speaker in the normal  
mode (switch is in the “out” position). If  
the sound seems to have too much treble,  
depress the switch labeled Treble Cut to  
reduce the amount of high frequencies.  
5. Place the speaker baffle in the frame and  
secure it with the supplied #8 x1/2” screws.  
If you find that the baffle does not smoothly  
fit the frame, slightly loosen the mounting  
screws that hold the frame to the bracket.  
6. Carefully fit the grille into its recess so  
that it is barely in place. Starting with one  
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corner, go around the speaker, pushing the If you make a mistake, one speaker will be  
grille in a little bit each time. You should playing “out-of-phase” with the other  
be gentle, the aluminum grille can be easi- speaker. An out-of-phase pair of speakers  
ly bent out of shape. The speaker will have work against each other and the sound of  
an absolutely flush appearance when it is the two speakers playing together will be  
Operation  
Listening at Higher Volumes  
It requires more power to achieve a rea-  
sonable volume of sound in a large room  
than it does in a small room. It is possi-  
ble (even if you are not a teenager) to  
turn the volume so high that the amplifi-  
er runs out of power. This creates “clip-  
ping” distortion.  
fully in place.  
lacking in bass and be “phasey” sounding.  
If you suspect the sound is not right and  
you cannot see any markings on the wire,  
Speaker Phase  
Speaker wire has two conductors. One try this simple test:  
conductor is attached to the negative (-)  
1. Stand half way between the two speakers.  
terminals and one conductor is attached to  
the positive (+) terminals of both your 2. Play some music with the amplifier or  
speaker and your amplifier. Usually, the radio set to Mono.  
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.  
wire is marked for your convenience.  
3. Listen to the richness of the bass and the  
There are different ways wires are marked:  
loudness of the sound.  
a stripe on one wire, a ribbed area of one  
conductor you can only feel, different col- 4. Turn off the amplifier and reverse the  
ors of metal wire on each conductor, or connections on one amplifier channel only.  
there might be a fabric strand or string  
5. Repeat the listening test with the same  
wound into one of the conductors. Of  
setting of the volume control. When the  
course, there are some wires which appear  
sound has a richer bass and is slightly  
completely identical. Be careful, or you  
louder the speakers are working together  
might make a mistake.  
or “in-phase”.  
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.  
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Specifications  
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 two years  
from date of purchase.  
Model HDCTR  
Model HDLRS  
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.  
Driver Compliment  
Driver Compliment  
(2) 5-1/4” Magnetically Shielded Mica Filled (2) 5-1/4” Mica Filled Polypropylene  
Polypropylene Woofers Woofers  
1” ElastoDynamicHybrid Dome Tweeter 1” ElastoDynamicHybrid Dome Tweeter  
with Fluid cooling  
with Fluid cooling  
Design Principle  
Design Principle  
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.  
Infinite baffle for large and varying air Infinite baffle for large and varying air  
volumes. Directed Sound Field Geometryvolumes. Directed Sound Field Geometry™  
for optimum phase and frequency response  
for optimum phase and frequency response  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
Ten to O ne Hundred Fifty Watts per Ten to O ne Hundred Fifty Watts per  
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.  
Channel  
Channel  
Nominal Impedance  
8 Ohms  
Nominal Impedance  
8 Ohms  
Frequency Response  
Frequency Response  
45 Hz to 21,000 Hz, plus or minus 3 dB 45 Hz to 21,000 Hz, plus or minus 3 dB  
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.  
(on axis)  
(on axis)  
Sensitivity  
Sensitivity  
90 decibels for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise, 90 decibels for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise,  
measured at 1 meter on axis  
measured at 1 meter on axis  
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.  
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions  
8-1/4” x 14-1/2”  
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions  
8-1/4” x 14-1/2”  
Depth Behind Wall  
3-1/8” (Assumes 1/2” drywall)  
Depth Behind Wall  
2-5/8” (Assumes 1/2” drywall)  
For the name of your nearest authorized NILES dealer contact:  
NILES AUDIO CORPORATION  
P.O. BOX 160818, Miami, Florida 33116-0818.  
Wall Cut-Out Dimensions  
7-1/8” x 13-1/4”  
Wall Cut-Out Dimensions  
7-1/8” x 13-1/4”  
Wiring Requirements  
Wiring Requirements  
Please fill in your product information and retain for your records.  
We recommend 16 to 18 gauge for up to We recommend 16 to 18 gauge for up to  
80 feet, 14 gauge for up to two hundred 80 feet, 14 gauge for up to two hundred  
feet. Connectors accommodate 12 to 22 feet. Connectors accommodate 12 to 22  
Model____________________________________________________________________________________  
Serial No._________________________________________________________________________________  
Purchase Date_____________________________________________________________________________  
gauge wire.  
gauge wire.  
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