Incorporating a Volume Control
It’s possible to control the volume of the sound at the speaker location. Plan to
wire the system so that each pair of speakers has it’s own volume control. Niles
makes a wide range of indoor and outdoor volume controls. Consult your local
Niles dealer for more information. Volume controls are connected in line with
the speaker, so you must connect the wire from the amplifier to the volume con-
trol and then from the volume control to the speaker (See Figure 3).
Recommended Amplifier Power
We recommend an amplifier with a power rating of five to one hundred watts
per channel for optimum performance. Ironically, most speakers are not dam-
aged by large amplifiers but by small amplifiers. If you are playing at high vol-
ume, 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 "Operation" for
more information about clipping distortion.
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
Tools and Materials Required
• A wire stripper
• A pencil
• A level (optional)
• Three screws or bolts suitable for the mounting surface
• The proper screwdriver for your mounting hardware
• A drill bit of the right size and type
• An electric drill
Wiring
The OS-20 connects to your receiver or amplifier using 2-conductor speaker
wire (See Figure 2). For most applications, we recommend using 16 or 18
gauge wire. For wiring runs longer than 80 feet, we recommend 14 gauge wire.
The binding posts of the OS-20 will accommodate up to 12 gauge wire direct-
ly. Larger sizes can be accommodated using spade, banana, or pin connectors.
When you run wire inside walls, outdoors or in marine installations, special
jacketing or conduit is required for a trouble-free installation and conformation
to the local and national building codes. If you are not sure of the correct wire
jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a professional audio/video installer,
building contractor, or the local building and inspection department.
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.
Figure 2
Wiring directly from a receiver or
amplifier
Figure 3
Incorporating a volume control
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