Niles OS-10 Original operating instructions
MODEL
OS-10
MODEL
OS-10
Indoor/Outdoor Loudspeaker.
BLENDING HIGH FIDELITY
AND ARCHITECTURE®
INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE
®
CONGRATULATIONS
Thank you for choosing the OS-10 Indoor/Outdoor Loudspeaker from Niles.
With proper installation and operation, you'll enjoy years of trouble-free use.
Niles manufactures the industry's most complete line of custom installation
components and accessories for audio/video systems. For a free full line catalog
write: Niles, Catalog Request, P.O. Box 160818, Miami, Florida 33116-0818
©1999 Niles Audio Corporation. All rights reserved. Niles reserves the right to change product specifications with-
out notice. Niles, the Niles logo and Blending High Fidelity and Architecture are registered trademarks of Niles
Audio Corporation. OmniMount is a registered trademark of OmniMount Systems.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
FEATURES & BENEFITS 3
PARTS GUIDE 6
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS 7
PAINTING THE OS-10 12
INSTALLATION 15
OPERATION 18
SPECIFICATIONS 19
WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD 21
LIMITED WARRANTY 22
INTRODUCTION
The OS-10 marries unparalleled listening satisfaction with the freedom to listen
to music anywhere! You can use them indoors and outdoors (even on a boat).
The extraordinary sonic performance of the OS-10 was achieved by harmoniz-
ing unique and proprietary technology with the most advanced manufacturing
methods and materials available.
The OS-10 is a two-way speaker in an acoustic suspension enclosure. The cabi-
net is shaped to fit neatly into corners or eaves. It is supplied with a swiveling
mounting bracket for easy installation anywhere. In addition, our engineers
constructed the OS-10's to withstand the stresses and strains of the world out-
side! For the first time, serious listeners can enjoy a concert on the green in
their own back yard.
2
INTRODUCTION
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Precision Crossover
An electronic dividing network inside the cabinet precisely distributes the
music to the woofer and the tweeter. The two-way design of the OS-10’s
crossover provides excellent stereo imaging and low distortion.
ElastoDynamic™Hybrid Dome Tweeter
In the past, every weather-resistant speaker has disappointed listeners with a
fatiguing and harsh treble sound caused by tweeter ringing. In the course of
developing our weather-resistant tweeter, we determined that tweeter ringing
can be damped out by a microscopically thin elastomeric coating on a natural
fiber dome substrate. The result is a transparently clear, sweet, natural sounding
tweeter which still maintains extended frequency response.
Long Throw Polypropylene Woofer
The unusually stiff and light polypropylene cone, the butyl rubber surround, the
substantial magnet, and the rigid steel basket are all optimized for large excur-
sions of the woofer. In this way, the five and a quarter inch cone can create the
same deep bass output of a much larger speaker moving small distances in and
out. The end result is rich satisfying bass from a compact, weather-resistant
loudspeaker.
Eight Ohm Impedance
The OS-10's are designed to be part of a multi-room audio system. The OS-10's
eight ohm impedance makes them compatible with virtually any amplifier. In
addition, this permits multiple pairs of OS-10’sto be wired to a single amplifier
with a Niles speaker selector.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
3
Rigid, Acoustically Inert Enclosure
The cabinet of the OS-10 is composed of mineral filled polypropylene. This
material is extremely non-resonant. All you hear is the music.
Low Diffraction Grill and Front Baffle
The grill of the OS-10 has hundreds of precisely sized perforations, creating an
acoustically transparent grill. The front baffle is gently curved in a radius opti-
mized for the best sound. Sound waves emanating from the woofer and the
tweeter are not reflected by the surrounding parts of the speaker.
Tapering Shape
The cabinet of the OS-10 is shaped so that the speaker will tuck discretely away
into corners or under eaves.
Swiveling Bracket
The U-shaped bracket and bracket knobs allow the OS-10 to be pointed at the
optimum listening position and locked into place quickly and easily.
Easy Three-Way Mounting System
1. The OS-10 can be hung from a nail using the nail hole on the bracket.
2. The bracket can be screwed into the mounting surface using your hardware.
3. The OS-10 is equipped with 1/4-20 threaded inserts for OmniMount®or
custom brackets.
Stable Shelf Placement
The rubber inserts on the bracket knobs serve as one of the speaker's feet when
the OS-10 is placed directly on a shelf or desktop without the bracket. In addi-
tion, two feet are molded into the base of the cabinet to give added stability.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
4
Premium Gold-Plated Five-Way Binding Posts
Gold plating gives you a corrosion-free high quality speaker wire connection.
The connectors' five-way design allows you to use any of the most popular wire
terminating methods.
Easy Finger-Sized Access
The binding posts are mounted upside down in a molded recess on the back of
the OS-10. This prevents water from pooling at the connection. The recess is
large enough to fit your fingers, so you can easily loosen or tighten the speaker
connections.
Weather-Resistant Construction
The hardware is made of stainless steel or brass, and the binding posts are plated
with gold. The bracket and grill are made of aluminum (oxidation is self-limiting
with aluminum) and it is powder coated (powder-coating gives absolutely even
coverage everywhere) for the ultimate rust-proof construction. The enclosure itself
is shatterproof. The OS-10’scomponents are weather-resistant, UV-resistant,
salt-water corrosion-resistant, and immune to damage from temperature extremes
(-50 to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit).
FEATURES & BENEFITS
5
PARTS GUIDE
a. Bracket
b. Nail Hole
c. Wire Hole
d. Screw Hole
e. Rubber Insert
f. Bracket Knob
g. Grill
h. Cabinet
i. Binding Posts
j. Threaded Inserts
a
c
e
b
b
f
i
j
d
d
hh
g
f
PARTS GUIDE
6
Figure 1 OS-10 Parts Guide
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-10 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-10 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.
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
7
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.
Figure 2
Wiring directly from a receiver or amplifier Figure 3
Incorporating a volume control
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
8
Placing the OS-10 for the Best Sound Quality
The OS-10’s dispersion pattern is very broad. The speaker is very sensitive and
will handle a lot of amplifier power. This allows good sound quality over an
extremely large listening area. However, if a single pair is positioned to provide
coverage of a very large room or patio, you will have “hot spots”of loud sound
when you are near the speakers. The best way to avoid hot spots for a large
space is to use several pairs. A good rule of thumb is a pair of speakers for
every 200 to 400 square feet of listening area. Your local Niles dealer is a good
source for advice on speaker placement for your particular installation.
When using more than one pair, it is usually best to alternate a left channel and
then a right channel, so that you never have a "left next to a left".
The position of the speakers and the surroundings around them play a very
important role in how a stereo image is created. You should experiment to find
the very best position for your speakers. Here are some guidelines to make the
process quick and easy.
5’ 10’
10’
Speaker
Placement
Zone
Speaker
Placement
Zone
INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
9
Figure 4
Illustration depicts the opti-
mum placement zone for a lis-
tening distance of ten feet.
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