light switches and dimmers). Volume con-
trols are connected in line with the speak-
er, so you must connect the wire from the
amplifier to the volume control and then
from the volume control to the speaker.
Speaker Wire
Use 2-conductor speaker wire when con-
necting BG 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 BG speakers will
accommodate up to 14 gauge wire
directly. Larger sizes can be accommodat-
ed via pin connectors.
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
jacket or type of conduit to use, consult a
professional audio/video installer, your
building contractor, or the local building
and inspection department.
Incorporating a Remote Control
If you are planning to use a stereo system
with a hand held IR remote control, con-
sider the advantages of installing a Niles
IR Repeater system. You are able to con-
trol all of the functions of your system
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 BG speakers.
An IR sensor requires that a dedicated
2-conductor shielded wire (West Penn
D291 or equivalent) run from each sensor
location to the main equipment location.
This wire is normally run beside the
speaker wire at the same time. Typically,
the sensor is placed in a location that
faces your listening position. Most remote
controls will have an effective line of sight
range of 18 to 30 feet with any Niles sen-
sor placed in a wall, ceiling, on a cabinet
or tabletop. However, when you place a
Niles MS-1 MicroSensor behind the perfo-
rated aluminum grille of a speaker the
effective range is reduced to 9 to 15 feet.
Insulating the Wall Cavity
For best performance from your speakers
fill the wall cavity behind the speaker
with fiberglass insulation (e.g. R-19 unbat-
ted insulation). Try to keep the same
amount of insulation for each speaker,
particularly in the same room, for consis-
tent bass response.
5
Inst
allation Consider
ations
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.
