Niles Audio Stereo System DS83 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  
DS8.3  
DIRECTED SOUNDFIELD  
DS8.5  
DIRECTED SOUNDFIELD  
®
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  
 
Introduction  
Niles DS Directed Soundfield loudspeak- regardless of where they are located in  
ers feature a fully patented, adjustable, the ceiling — preserving interior design  
independently pivoting, woofer and integrity and delivering life-like sonic  
tweeter that enables the loudspeakers to quality that is not available from conven-  
accurately recreate high fidelity sound tional ceiling loudspeakers.  
Features and Benefits  
Fully pivoting woofer and tweeter  
A pivoting woofer assembly can adjust up  
to 15° focusing bass and midrange tones  
directly at the listening area for superb  
imaging and unparalleled clarity. Within  
the woofer assembly, the tweeter is housed  
in its own low-diffraction pivoting assembly  
that can adjust up to 17° in any direction to  
create direct or diffused sound fields. The  
independently pivoting woofer’s and tweet-  
er’s superior design is patented, (U.S. patent  
number 6,683,963).  
usually is not where the listening area is.  
DS Directed Soundfield Loudspeakers  
patented, independent pivoting woofer  
and tweeter overcome this challenge and  
allow sound to be directed into the listen-  
ing area regardless of ceiling angle.  
Installer Selectable Acoustic  
Fine Tuning  
Installers can select to fine tune the bass or  
treble to accommodate reflective surfaces  
and corner loading. This selection is  
accomplished via the baffle-mounted  
treble control (-1.5dB, flat and +1.5dB)  
and PC board mounted bass jumper  
(flat, -1dB, and -2dB).  
12 AWG Push Terminal  
The DS8.3 and DS8.5 loudspeakers  
are manufactured with high quality gold  
plated push terminals that insure that the  
connection to the speaker cable is of the  
highest quality available.  
4 or 8 ohm Selectable Impedance  
The DS8.3 and DS8.5 give the installer  
flexibility to select the speaker’s imped-  
ance — 4 ohms for systems where  
maximum current transfer and output  
level is desired; 8 ohms for systems  
utilizing multiple speaker pairs where  
amplifier loading is a consideration.  
Moisture and UV Resistant  
Construction  
The DS8.3 and DS8.5 loudspeakers are  
suitable for use in high moisture environ-  
ments. The drivers are resistant to moisture  
and UV exposure; the grille is made of  
powder-coated aluminum. However, the  
speakers are not waterproof and direct  
contact with water should be avoided.  
MicroPerf Grilles  
The DS8.3 and DS8.5 employ Niles  
exclusive MicroPerf grille construction.  
The exceptionally tight hole pattern  
provides acoustic transparency 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.  
Engineered for Ceiling Placement  
The increased popularity of cathedral  
and vaulted ceilings pose a distinct sonic  
challenge for conventional ceiling loud-  
speakers. That is because conventional  
ceilingloudspeakers radiate sound perpen-  
dicular to their mounting surface, which  
 
2
Easy Installation  
The DS8.3 and DS8.5 employ a bracket- Hole Saving Bracket  
less mounting system in existing ceilings. Available as an optional accessory, DS8  
Simply cut a hole in the mounting surface, Series New Construction Brackets can be  
install the frame by tightening the four installed as a “hole-saver” before the dry-  
mounting “dogs” via the front panel wall goes up. The drywall contractor cuts  
screws. The dogs first swivel 90°, then the holes as the drywall is installed, reduc-  
clamp the loudspeakers frame to the dry- ing installation time and minimizing the  
wall as you tighten the screws.  
chance for lost wires.  
TM  
Twist & Lock Baffle  
Patented, (U.S. patent number 6,683,963).  
two-piece twist and lock baffle frame  
mechanism facilitates quick installations.  
Moreover, it allows trouble-free upgrades  
or repairs.  
 
3
Installation Considerations  
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 large  
amplifier will play at the same volume  
without distorting. See the section  
on operating the loudspeakers for more  
information about clipping distortion.  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
For satisfactory performance, we recom-  
mend an amplifier with a power rating of  
10 to 150 watts for the DS8.3; 10 to 175  
watts for the DS8.5. Curiously, most  
speakers are not damaged by large  
amplifiers but by small amplifiers. If your  
Figure 1  
The illustration shows how a  
typical DS 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 loudspeaker is  
installed.  
New construction wings  
instantly snap into the  
bracket without screws.  
Dogs swivel 90°, then  
clamp the loudspeaker  
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 loud-  
speaker to the drywall.  
Brackets and wings  
attach to the ceiling joists  
with nails or screws.  
Rust-proof aluminum grilles make the DS  
series perfect for moist environments.  
Figure 2 Connect the wires and place the loudspeaker in the frame, twist and lock.  
 
4
Incorporating a Local Volume Control  
jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a  
In a multiroom system there is one indis- professional audio/video installer, your  
pensible device for true convenience—a building contractor, or the local building  
local volume control. It enables you to and inspection department.  
adjust the volume of the loudspeakers  
Incorporating Remote Control  
without leaving the room.  
If your stereo system operates with a wire-  
Plan to wire the system so that each pair less Infrared (IR) remote control, consider  
of loudspeakers has its own volume con- the advantages of installing a Niles Infrared  
trol built into the wall (think of a volume Extender System. Niles manufactures a  
control as a dimmer switch for sound).  
number of concealable IR sensors and wall  
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 is reason-  
able.  
Niles makes a wide range of high perfor-  
mance indoor and outdoor volume  
controls. 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 loud-  
speaker, so you must connect the wire  
from the amplifier to the volume control  
and then from the volume control to the  
loudspeaker.  
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 control  
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  
connecting DS8.3 and DS8.5 speakers to  
your receiver or amplifier. For most appli-  
cations, we recommend you use 16 or 18  
gauge stranded wire. For wiring runs  
longer than 80 feet we recommend 14  
gauge stranded wire. The terminals of the  
DS 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  
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.  
 
5
more “surround sound” effect. However, Niles makes a number of Systems  
Integration Amplifiers with proprietary fea-  
tures that make them uniquely suited to  
as you move the loudspeaker farther away  
from the listener, both the reflected and  
the direct sound will dissipate, 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 loudspeak-  
ers, stay within five to eight feet of the lis-  
tening location. If you are using a 25 to 50  
watt amplifier you can mount the loud-  
speakers 10 to 15 feet away from the lis-  
tening location and still achieve reason-  
ably high volume levels.  
enhance  
a
good  
surround sound system. Consult your local  
Niles dealer for more information.  
The Boundary Effect  
Corners can affect the bass response of the  
loudspeaker powerfully! This is called the  
boundary effect. You will emphasize  
particular bass frequencies and cancel out  
other bass frequencies when you place  
loudspeakers close to the wall/ceiling  
boundary or a corner wall boundary. This  
can make the loudspeaker sound exces-  
sively boomy and inaccurate to some lis-  
teners, 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  
loudspeakers with the bass turned up,  
you’ll enjoy corner placement. If you keep  
your tone controls at neutral, try to keep  
the loudspeakers at least two or three feet  
from the boundaries of the room.  
In large or unusually 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  
loudspeakers will prove extraordinarily  
effective (See Figure 6). With Niles  
DS8.3 and DS8.5 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 ampli-  
fier than that which is built into a typical  
surround sound receiver or amplifier.  
Figure 5  
Varying Listening Position  
Figure 6  
Surround Sound  
 
8
Placement for Varying  
Listening Positions  
ent or “all around you” effect). The loud-  
speakers can be placed near corners to  
create more reflected sound. By directing  
the tweeters to point away from the listen-  
er, so they create as much reflected sound  
as possible, you emphasize the ambient  
effect. The more reflected sound there is in  
the room the stronger the ambient effect at  
low volumes. You should use moderation,  
however, otherwise the compromise  
becomes too one sided and at high vol-  
umes, the sound will be blurred and less  
distinct.  
If you want the freedom to sit anywhere in  
a room facing any direction, and/or find  
that you prefer the “all around you” sound  
of some car stereos to a conventional  
“sound stage” facing you, consider the  
speaker placement techniques professional  
installers use in restaurants and bars. They  
place speakers in an array around the  
listening area, so that the music is always  
surrounding you, regardless of the direc-  
tion you face.  
The rule of thumb is to add one pair of  
loudspeakers 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 loudspeakers 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).  
Placement for Home Theater  
Rear Applications  
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 loudspeaker  
array in a commercial theater. Here, it is  
not uncommon to see twenty or thirty  
loudspeakers 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  
loudspeakers it is easy for the jungle  
sounds to sound like they are “in the mid-  
dle of your head” just like headphones!  
You can make the listener position less  
critical by using mono rather than stereo.  
This can be difficult to achieve with  
normal stereo amplifiers. However, Niles  
manufactures Systems Integration  
®
Amplifiers which enable one room to be  
wired in stereo while other rooms are A single pair of DS8.3 and DS8.5  
wired in mono! Consult your local Niles  
dealer for more information.  
Loudspeakers, properly placed, can create  
a very convincing simulation of an array  
of loudspeakers. If you place them near a  
hard reflecting surface you can make one  
pair of loudspeakers sound like several.  
Create as many reflections as possible by  
placing the loudspeakers near a corner so  
that the adjoining walls will act as a pow-  
erful reflector. Direct the tweeters so that  
sound is pointed away form the listener  
creating still more reflections and thus  
In smaller rooms or rooms that are infre-  
quently used, you typically can’t justify the  
expense of more than two loudspeakers.  
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 ambi-  
 
7
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 loudspeaker. To  
determine the best position, measure the  
“listening” distance between the ideal  
listening position (your favorite chair or  
couch) and the location in which you plan  
to install the speakers. Try to place the  
loudspeakers so that they are equally dis-  
tant 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 loudspeakers  
farther apart for a “bigger than life” sound  
Loudspeaker Placement  
Introduction  
Although the DS8.3 and DS8.5 have  
extensive ability to compensate for unusual  
placements with their unique pivoting  
woofers, tweeters and acoustic fine-tuning  
switches, placement is still the primary  
tool for satisfying your particular listening  
needs. In this section, we discuss how  
loudspeakers should be placed and how  
woofers and 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 loudspeakers 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 loudspeakers,  
the loudspeakers should be between five  
and ten feet apart (See Figure 4).  
Woofers and tweeters should be directed  
at the listening position.  
Figure 4  
In this example,  
the loudspeakers  
could be placed  
from five to 10  
feet apart, since  
the listener is 10  
feet back from  
the loudspeakers  
Direct woofer and  
tweeter towards  
listener  
Critical  
Listening  
Position  
10'  
5'  
10'  
Direct woofer and  
tweeter towards  
listener  
 
6
Side-by-side wiring is unavoidable in  
particular spots in every house, just move  
the speaker wire route away as soon as  
possible. 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 Loudspeaker 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  
loudspeaker brackets in the desired speak-  
er 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 loudspeaker 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  
protection when drilling. Avoid nails, they  
ruin bits and they can create injury. Pay  
particular 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 loudspeaker wire through the  
same hole as an electrical cable.  
• Never run loudspeaker wire into the  
same J-box as electrical cable.  
Drilling  
• Avoid running the loudspeaker wire  
beside the electrical cable. Keep your  
speaker cable at a distance of at least  
18"-22" from any electrical power cable.  
Use a bit that is large enough for the wires  
you plan to run. An auger bit is the  
preferred bit for rough-in wiring. It will  
actually 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 7  
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 7).  
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.  
 
9
Try to line the holes up perfectly, because What you see when you look at the paint-  
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!  
ed 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” running horizontally in the ceilings  
and floors. In between the studs and the  
joists is the space for the wiring and  
plumbing of your home.  
Pulling the Cable  
Pull the cable in sections (from the stereo  
to the volume control, from the volume  
control to the loudspeaker). 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.  
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 loudspeakers or wires.  
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 loudspeaker  
wire from the loudspeaker to the volume  
control and back 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 loudspeaker 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 8).  
Concealing Loudspeaker Wire  
in Existing Walls  
This is actually a fairly simple task if you  
restrict your choice of loudspeaker loca-  
tions 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  
loudspeakers into them and route new  
loudspeaker cable around the house.  
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 loud-  
speakers if you run your speaker wire right  
 
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  
Loudspeaker  
Location  
or  
drain  
pipe  
will  
be visible that give useful  
information. Choose the route  
with the fewest potential  
obstacles.  
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 loudspeaker wire all the way around  
the door (See Figure10).  
Stereo  
Location  
Figure 8  
beside electrical wire for more than a few  
feet. Try to keep speaker wire running  
parallel 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 9).  
Sometimes, an under-the-carpet run is  
possible (there are special flat loudspeaker  
wires made for under-the-rug wire runs).  
As a last resort, heating and air conditioning  
vents can be used as wire raceways for  
plenum rated wire (check your local  
building codes, some municipalities  
require conduit).  
Unobstructed space  
for loudspeaker  
wiring  
Figure 9  
 
11  
Figure 10  
In traditional wood stud/drywall construc-  
tion you should first cut the hole for the  
loudspeaker 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 hatch in the drywall you will  
make your patch at the same time you cut  
your hole. 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 standard drywall “joint tape” and  
“joint compound” to hold the patch in  
place, let dry, sand surface and touch-up  
the wall with paint. (See Figure 11).  
The door jamb has been removed and the  
loudspeaker wire concealed between the wall  
and the jamb. Nail plates are installed to pro-  
tect the wire and the door jamb is replaced  
Figure 11 Diagram of ceiling loudspeaker cut-out with ceiling joists notched for wire run.  
 
12  
The wings and brackets have centering  
lines to simplify placement of the loud-  
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 assembly  
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 12)  
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 loud-  
speaker. It forces the drywall installer to  
cut out the loudspeaker hole for you and  
provides wire ties for the loudspeaker  
wire, reducing the risks of accidental loss  
or movement of the wire. In addition, it  
enables you to align your loudspeakers  
with other ceiling fixtures with great accu-  
racy since you can really see exactly  
where the loudspeaker 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 loud-  
speaker wire loops are concealed for  
future installations. (See Figure13)  
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 12  
Figure 13  
The optional hole saving brackets are installed  
and the loudspeaker wire is attached to the  
bracket.  
The loudspeaker wire is looped and hung on  
two nails attached to the joists securing it for  
future use. Make sure the location is noted  
on house plans.  
 
13  
Figure 14  
Installation in  
Existing Construction  
IMPORTANT: Before you cut into any  
wall, review the sections on running  
wire and loudspeaker placement.  
1. When determining the location of the  
loudspeaker 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  
penciled 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 professionally; 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 com-  
pletely distant location 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 con-  
suming.  
3. Cut a foot-long piece of coat hanger.  
Bend the wire (creating a right angle)  
leaving 5-3/4" 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 6" of depth. If the  
wires movement is obstructed by any-  
thing, fill the hole(s) with spackle and  
try another location. (See Figure 14)  
4. If the coat hanger moves freely in a  
complete circle, hold the supplied  
template up to the ceiling surface.  
Outline the circular cutout on the  
ceiling surface with a pencil. Drill  
starting point with a 1/4" bit.  
 
14  
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 loudspeaker.  
Figure 16 Wire Stripping Details.  
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 driving a  
4 ohm load and you have only one pair  
of speakers connected. Otherwise, use  
the 8 ohm position (See Figure 15).  
5. The DS8.3 and DS8.5 feature a separate  
frame assembly which installs with four  
clamps or mounting “dogs” which hold  
the frame in place. The dogs are tight-  
ened via four front-baffle screws.  
Tighten the dogs by turning the screws  
clockwise. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN  
THESE SCREWS. Over-tightening the  
clamps may make the grille difficult to  
install. (See Figure 17).  
3. Separate the loudspeaker end of the two-  
conductor speaker-wire run to free at  
least 2" of each conductor. Strip 1/2" of  
insulation from the end of each conduc-  
tor. (See Figure 16).  
NOTE: The screws will turn easier if you  
“prime” them first. Before installing each  
speaker, turn the screws in and then turn  
them back out to their original positions.  
4. To connect the stripped end of one con-  
ductor to the black terminal, push down  
on the black terminal lever. Insert the  
stripped end of the conductor into the  
opening on the black terminal. Release  
the pressure on the lever. Pay attention  
to the markings on the wire. Now  
connect the other wire to the red termi-  
nal. Each loudspeaker must be connect-  
ed to the amplifier in the same way. If  
unsure, see “Speaker Phase” located on  
the following page.  
6. Holding the loudspeaker in the palm of  
your hand, insert the loudspeaker into  
the frame, twist clockwise to lock.  
(See Figure 18).  
7. Direct the tweeter. The tweeter is direct-  
ed by gently pushing on the edge of the  
tweeter housing. (See Figure 19). It will  
move 17° in any direction. For critical  
listening, point the tweeter to  
Figure 15 Setting the Impedance jumper.  
Figure 17 Tightening the mounting “dogs”  
 
15  
reflections from the side walls. For sur-  
round sound or low volume background  
listening create more reflections and  
thus more ambience by directing the  
woofer towards the side walls.  
Figure 18  
Installing the  
loudspeaker  
9. Setting the Treble cut switch. Listen to a  
well-recorded piece of music at the  
user’s favorite listening position. Listen  
for treble harshness or ringing, particu-  
larly when the loudspeakers are placed  
in a room without carpet. Use the +/-  
1.5dB Treble switch to correct.  
the user’s favorite listening position  
minimizing reflections from the side  
walls. For surround sound or low  
volume background listening create  
more reflections and thus more ambi-  
ence by directing the tweeter towards  
the side walls.  
10.Setting the bass jumper. Listen to a  
well-recorded piece of music at the  
user’s favorite listening position. Listen  
for bass boominess, particularly when  
the loudspeaker is placed near a corner.  
Remove the loudspeaker by grasping the  
tabs and rotating counter-clockwise.  
Adjust the bass jumper (-1dB, -2dB)  
accordingly. (See Figure 21).  
8. Direct the Woofer. The woofer is direct-  
ed by gently pushing on the outer edge  
of the grille face. (See Figure 20). It will  
move 15° in any direction. For critical  
listening, point the woofer to the user’s  
favorite listening position minimizing  
11.Install the grille into the loudspeaker.  
The grilles should fit snugly. If you have  
difficulty fitting them in, try loosening  
the mounting dog screws (excessive  
tightening can distort the shape of the  
frame holding the grille in place).  
Figure 19 Directing the tweeter.  
Figure 20 Directing the woofer.  
Figure 21 Setting the bass jumper.  
 
16  
Loudspeaker Phase  
Loudspeaker wire has two conductors.  
One conductor is attached to the negative  
(-) terminals and one conductor is  
attached to the positive (+) terminals of  
both your loudspeaker and your amplifier.  
Usually, the wire is marked for your con-  
venience. There are different ways wires  
are marked: a stripe on one wire, a ribbed  
area of one conductor you can only feel,  
different colors of metal wire on each con-  
ductor, 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.  
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 loudspeaker  
with a large amplifier because it will be  
very loud indeed before it produces any  
clipping distortion.  
If you make a mistake, one loudspeaker  
will be playing “out-of-phase” with the  
other loudspeaker. An out-of-phase pair of  
loudspeakers work against each other and  
the sound of the two loudspeakers 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:  
Cleaning  
You can clean the loudspeaker with a  
dampened 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.  
1. Stand half way between the loud-  
speakers.  
2. Play some music with the amplifier  
or radio set to Mono.  
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 loudspeak-  
ers are working together or  
“in-phase”.  
 
17  
Specifications  
DS8.5  
DS8.3  
Driver Compliment  
Driver Compliment  
8” Injection molded graphite reinforced  
polypropylene woofer with butyl rubber  
surround in an integrated patented pivot-  
ing mount, (15° pivot angle)  
8” Injection molded polypropylene  
woofer with butyl rubber surround in an  
integrated patented pivoting mount, (15°  
pivot angle)  
1" fluid-cooled ultra-wide dispersion  
tri-laminate Teteron dome tweeter in a  
patented low diffraction pivoting mount,  
(17° pivot angle)  
1" fluid-cooled ultra-wide dispersion silk  
dome tweeter in a patented low diffraction  
pivoting mount, (17° pivot angle)  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
10 to 175 watts per channel  
Recommended Amplifier Power  
10 to 150 watts per channel  
Tone Controls  
Tone Controls  
Bass jumper: flat, -1dB and -2dB  
Baffle-mounted Treble controls:  
-1.5dB, flat and +1.5dB  
Bass jumper: flat, -1dB and -2dB  
Baffle-mounted Treble controls:  
-1.5dB, flat and +1.5dB  
Nominal Impedance  
4 or 8 ohm selectable  
Nominal Impedance  
4 or 8 ohm selectable  
Frequency Response  
35Hz to 22kHz, +/- 3dB (on axis)  
Frequency Response  
35Hz to 20kHz, +/- 3dB (on axis)  
Sensitivity  
89dB for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise  
Sensitivity  
88dB for 2.83 volts of Pink Noise  
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions  
11-7/16" diameter  
Overall Exterior Frame Dimensions  
11-7/16" diameter  
Depth Behind Wall  
5-5/8" deep (based on 1/2" drywall)  
Depth Behind Wall  
5-5/8" deep (based on 1/2" drywall)  
Hole Cut-Out Dimensions  
10-3/16" diameter  
Hole Cut-Out Dimensions  
10-3/16" diameter  
Wiring Requirements  
Wiring Requirements  
12 AWG gold-plated push terminals  
accommodates 12–18 gauge wire. We  
recommend 16–18 gauge stranded wire  
for up to 80 feet, 14 gauge stranded wire  
for up to 200 feet.  
12 AWG gold-plated push terminals  
accommodates 12–18 gauge wire. We  
recommend 16–18 gauge stranded wire  
for up to 80 feet, 14 gauge stranded wire  
for up to 200 feet.  
 
18  
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  
FITNESS 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_____________________________________________________________________________  
 
19  
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  
 
WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD  
Model Purchased__________________________________________________________________________________  
Serial Number___________________________________________________________________________________  
Date Purchased (month/day/year)_________________________________________________________________  
Dealer Name and Location________________________________________________________________________  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________  
K Dr.  
K Miss  
K Mr.  
K Mrs.  
K Ms.  
Name____________________________________________________________________________________________  
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________  
City_________________________________________________________State______________Zip______________  
Telephone (___________)___________________________________________________________________________  
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  
Age:  
Musical tastes:  
What magazines do  
you read?  
Do you. . .?  
J
J
J
J
J
J
Under 25  
25-34  
35-44  
45-54  
55 & over  
(Please check all that  
apply)  
Own a House. If yes,  
how many square feet?  
__________________  
1._____________________  
2. ___________________  
3. ___________________  
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Alternative  
Classical  
Country  
Jazz  
New Age  
Popular  
R&B  
Rock  
Other______________  
J
Own a Town House/  
Condominium/Co-op  
Rent an Apartment  
Rent a House  
J
J
Income:  
Who will install the  
product?  
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Under $24,999  
$25,000-$34,999  
$35,000-$44,999  
$45,000-$59,999  
$60,000-$74,999  
$75,000-$99,999  
Over $99,999  
Are you interested in  
receiving literature on  
other Niles products?  
J
J
J
J
Custom Installer  
Electrician  
Friend  
J
J
Myself  
Yes  
No  
How did you hear  
about Niles?  
Which factor(s) influ-  
enced the purchase of  
your Niles product?  
Are there products/  
capabilities that you  
would like to see  
introduced?  
____________________  
____________________  
____________________  
____________________  
____________________  
____________________  
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Architect/Developer  
Custom Installer  
Direct Mail  
Occupation:  
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Arts/Entertainment  
Business Owner  
Engineer  
Finance/Accounting  
General Office  
Management  
Professional  
Sales/Marketing  
Student  
Tradesperson  
(Please check all that  
apply)  
Friend/Family  
In-Store Display  
Interior Designer  
Magazine Ad  
Mail-Order Catalog  
Newspaper Ad  
Product Brochure  
Product Review  
Retail Salesperson  
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Ease of Use  
Price/Value  
Product Features  
Quality/Durability  
Reputation  
Style/Appearance  
Warranty  
 
Niles Audio  
Corporation  
12331 S.W. 130 Street  
Miami, Florida 33186  
Tel: (305) 238-4373  
Fax: (305) 238-0185  
CHARTER  
MEMBER  
©2005 Niles Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Niles, the Niles logos, Blending  
High Fidelity and Architecture, Systems Integration Amplifiers, and IntelliPad are registered  
trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation. QuickSnap, Microperf and Twist and Lock are  
trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation. Decora is a registered trademark of Leviton and  
Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks are the property  
of their respective owners. Printed in Brazil 06/05 DS00352BBR  
Printed in Brazil  
 

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