Niles OS3 Original operating instructions

MODEL

OS3

MODEL

OS3

Indoor/Outdoor Loudspeaker.

BLENDING HIGH FIDELITY

AND ARCHITECTURE

INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 24

CONGRATULATIONS

Thank you for choosing the OS3 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

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2

FEATURES & BENEFITS 3

PARTS GUIDE 5

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS 7

PAINTING THE OS3 12

INSTALLATION 15

OPERATION 18

SPECIFICATIONS 19

WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD 21

LIMITED WARRANTY 22

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 1

INTRODUCTION

The OS3 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 OS3 was achieved by harmonizing

unique and proprietary technology with the most advanced manufacturing

methods and materials available.

The OS3 is a two-way speaker in an acoustic suspension enclosure. The cabinet

is shaped to fit neatly into corners or eaves. It is supplied with a swiveling mount-

ing bracket for easy installation anywhere. In addition, our engineers constructed

the OS3's to withstand the stresses and strains of the world outside! Now anyone

can affordably enjoy a concert on the green in their own back yard.

INTRODUCTION

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 22

FEATURES & BENEFITS

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 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.

WEATHER RESISTANT TWEETER

The 1/2” polycarbonate dome tweeter offers extraordinarily wide dispersion

characteristics, providing installers with greater flexibility when placing the

speakers. The smooth, extended frequency response of this unique tweeter

assures great stereo imaging and remarkable clarity.

TAPERING SHAPE

The cabinet of the OS3 is shaped so that the speaker will tuck discretely away

into corners or under eaves.

RIGID, ACOUSTICALLY INERT ENCLOSURE

The cabinet of the OS3 is composed of mineral filled polypropylene. This

material is extremely non-resonant. All you hear is the music.

LOW DIFFRACTION GRILLE AND FRONT BAFFLE

The grille of the OS3 has hundreds of precisely sized perforations, resulting in

acoustical transparency. The front baffle is gently curved in a radius optimized

for the best sound. Sound waves emanating from the drivers are not reflected

by the surrounding parts of the speaker.

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 OS3’s

crossover provides excellent stereo imaging and low distortion.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 3

SWIVELING BRACKET

The U-shaped bracket and bracket knobs allow the OS3 to be pointed at the

optimum listening position and locked into place quickly and easily.

EASY THREE-WAY MOUNTING SYSTEM

1. The OS3 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 OS3 is equipped with 1/4-20 threaded inserts for OmniMount®

(53 RST-UMK Series) or custom brackets.

STABLE SHELF PLACEMENT

The bracket knobs serve as one of the speaker's feet when the OS3 is placed

directly on a shelf or desktop without the bracket. In addition, two feet are

molded into the base of the cabinet to give added stability.

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 OS3. This prevents moisture 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 plat-

ed with gold. The bracket and grille are made of aluminum for the ultimate

rust-proof construction.

The enclosure itself is shatterproof. The OS3’s components are weather-resis-

tant, UV-resistant, salt water corrosion-resistant, and immune to damage from

temperature extremes (-50 to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit).

FEATURES & BENEFITS

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 20

PARTS GUIDE

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 5

a. Bracket

b. Nail Hole

c. Wire Hole

d. Screw Hole

e. Bracket Knob

f. Grille

g. Cabinet

h. Baffle

i. Binding Posts

j. Threaded Inserts

PARTS GUIDE

OS3 Parts Guide

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 18

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 OS3 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 OS3 will accommodate up to 12 gauge wire directly.

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

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 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 its 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 sixty watts per chan-

nel for optimum performance (Niles makes a line of high-performance ampli-

fiers. See your local Niles dealer for more information). Ironically, most speak-

ers are not damaged by large amplifiers but by small amplifiers. If you are play-

ing at high volume, 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

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 16

PLACING THE OS3 FOR THE BEST SOUND QUALITY

The OS3’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 environment 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.

Speaker

Placement

Zone

Speaker

Placement

Zone

10'5'

10'

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Figure 4

Illustration depicts the

optimum placement zone for a

listening distance of ten feet.

DS00216A/OS3 Manual 3/1/99 9:21 AM Page 9

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