Painting
The bezel frame and grille of the NHT in-ceiling speakers are finished in a matte white finish that may be painted to match the ceiling.
Keep in mind that the grille contains hundreds of tiny holes that are essential to the sound of the speaker. Take care not to cover these
holes with paint.
1.
Paint the outer ring of the speaker assembly and the grille at the same time using the same
paint. Use the supplied paint shield to protect the driver and inside of the speaker assembly from
overspray. Fold the edge of the shield down and insert it into the groove in the speaker assembly
where the grille attaches
(fig. 8)
. Be careful not to punch through the round hole in the middle.
2.
When using spray paint, apply two thin coats, make sure to let the first coat dry completely
before applying the second. This will avoid runs. When using a compressor and spray gun, apply
the paint using its finest setting. Painting with a brush is not recommended, but when necessary
be sure to thin the paint so as not to cover the holes in the grille. If the paint does cover any of
the grille holes, poke them out with a paper clip.
3.
Once painting is complete, remove the paint shield from the speaker assembly by
carefully
punching out the round hole in the middle, and using this hole to pull the shield free. Keep the
paint shield and the round cutout, as they will serve as templates for attaching the absorptive foam
pad(s) to the inside of the grille.
Connections
Before connecting speakers to your system, it is important that you turn off the power to
your amplifier / receiver to avoid damage to the equipment. Before installing the NHT in-ceiling speaker, map out the wiring
paths between the speakers and the amplifier. Make sure that the speaker wire does not rest on sharp or pointed objects.
The NHT in-ceiling speakers are compatible with virtually all quality amplifiers. Proper wiring of the speakers is essential to good sound.
At a minimum, 16AWG 2-conductor speaker wire is recommended for runs of 10 feet or less, with heavier special purpose speaker wire
used for longer runs.
When permanently installing wire inside walls, be sure to use wire that is rated for in-wall use and has
special jacketing for fire prevention. In the U.S., the U.L. standard is CL-2, CL-3 and CM wire, and in Canada the CSA standard
is FT4 wire. The wire should be run in accordance with National Electrical Code and any applicable local building codes.
Prepare the wire by stripping 1/4” to 3/8” of insulation from the ends and twisting the exposed wire strands tightly. The spring loaded
binding posts on the back of the speakers will only accept raw wire.
Be sure to connect both the left and right speakers "in-phase." That is, the Positive
+
(red) terminal on the amplifier output
must be connected to the corresponding Positive
+
(red) terminal on the speaker. Likewise with the Negative
-
(black) termi-
nals.
All speaker wire have some sort of marking along one or both conductors to help you make the correct connections. Incorrect
speaker phase is indicated by weak bass and the lack of a well-defined stereo image.
Tech Tips: Optimizing Sonic Performance
Bass response is smoothest when the speaker is mounted into a rigid ceiling that flexes very little. For improved performance, add
cross-braces horizontally roughly one and a half feet to either side of the speaker location. Use wood glue and extra screws when
attaching the drywall to the joists around the speaker. Additionally, once the speaker cutout has been made in the drywall, add a strip
of wood glue where the drywall meets the joists and cross-braces.
For more controlled bass response, add insulation to the ceiling cavity around and behind the speaker to provide acoustic damping.
Be sure to add the same amount of insulation to speakers in the same room to ensure consistent sound. Use R-12 or R-19 fiberglass
insulation, and be sure to wear protective gloves to avoid contact with the fibers. If the insulation is paper- or foil-faced, position the
paper or foil side away from the speaker. If the new or existing insulation is the “loose” type, place a thin sheet of fiberglass over the
top of the speaker to keep out small debris.
Fold down
outer ring
Place Inside
Bezel
fig.8
