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NHT
iiW4 ARC In-Wall Loudspeaker Installation Guide
Find an Installer near you by visiting www.nhthifi.com - navigate to the Where to Buy section or visit www.cedia.org to find a CEDIA
installation professional.
One last word of advice - It is up to you to insure that the installer (NHT referred or not) possesses sufficient skill, the proper tools,
knowledge of local fire and building codes, and a familiarity with the structure of the building (especially wall and/or ceiling materials,
layouts, electrical and plumbing lines, etc.).
With the above said, we know there are capable do-it-yourselfers. If you are one of them and want to install the speaker on your own
or with the help of an expert friend, read on. If you have questions or need assistance at any time before, during or after the installation
or about the operation of you new speakers, we’re here to help. Finally, like our fathers told us, measure twice and cut once.
First Paint Warning:
NHT recommends that you use a capable, professional painter only to paint this speaker grill (if necessary to per-
fectly match the wall or ceiling). Latex paint will definitely clog the micro-perforated grill holes and constrict the speaker’s performance
capability. Contact us if you need a new grill cover because yours is plugged up with paint. Unfortunately they are not free.
Placement
NHT
ARC
series of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers are designed for installation in sheetrock, plaster and lath, wood and material combina-
tion (sheer walls if building codes allow) ceilings up to 2 /4” thick almost always between standard wood joists. Their moisture resistant
drive units,
ARC
frames and stainless steel hardware allow them to be installed in moisture prone interiors and protected exterior envi-
ronments such as bathrooms, indoor swimming pool rooms, above covered porches, sauna rooms and under eave structures. Exposed
outdoor use is not recommended. We make specific “All-Weather” Outdoor speakers for this application.
Spend some time considering placement prior to installing the speakers. Once they are installed, they are permanent, so their location
should be selected carefully. When possible, locate the speakers at a minimum -2 feet from adjacent sidewalls and ceilings to allow
them to radiate over the widest possible area. If ceiling mounted, the speaker should face the listening area directly. The speakers
should be mounted on a flat surface to ensure a good seal between the iW4-
ARC
chassis and the mounting surface – the speaker’s frame
is rigid and will not flex! For the best stereo effect, position the speakers so that they are equidistant from the most likely listening area.
If the iW4-
ARC
is used in-wall or in-ceiling speakers as rear (surround or back) channels in a home theater system, make sure to install
them behind the listening for best results. If you wish to get an idea how they will look, try taping the supplied cutout templates to the
ceiling or print to scale one of the images from our website full-size if possible and tape to the ceiling (maybe Kinko’s will do this for
you). For more information about home theater speaker placement recommendations, try Dolby Labs website at: www.dolby.com/us/
en/consumer/setup/connection-guide/home-theater-speaker-guide/index.html
