Niles OS6 Original operating instructions

MODEL

OS6

MODEL

OS6

Indoor/Outdoor Loudspeaker.

BLENDING HIGH FIDELITY

AND ARCHITECTURE®

INSTALLATION & OPERATION GUIDE

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 24

CONGRATULATIONS

Thank you for choosing the OS6 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 6

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS 7

PAINTING THE OS6 12

INSTALLATION 15

OPERATION 18

SPECIFICATIONS 19

WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD 21

LIMITED WARRANTY 22

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 1

INTRODUCTION

The OS6 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 OS6 was achieved by harmonizing

unique and proprietary technology with the most advanced manufacturing

methods and materials available.

The OS6 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 OS6's to withstand the stresses and strains of the world outside!

For the first time, serious listeners can enjoy a concert on the green in their own

back yard.

INTRODUCTION

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 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.

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.

TAPERING SHAPE

The cabinet of the OS6 is shaped so that the speaker will tuck discretely away

into corners or under eaves.

RIGID, ACOUSTICALLY INERT ENCLOSURE

The cabinet of the OS6 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 OS6 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 woofer and the tweeter

are not reflected by the surrounding parts of the speaker.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 3

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 OS6’s

crossover provides excellent stereo imaging and low distortion.

SWIVELING BRACKET

The U-shaped bracket and bracket knobs allow the OS6 to be pointed at the

optimum listening position and locked into place quickly and easily.

EASY THREE-WAY MOUNTING SYSTEM

1. The OS6 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 OS6 is equipped with 1/4-20 threaded inserts for OmniMount®

(53 RST-UMK) or custom brackets.

STABLE SHELF PLACEMENT

The bracket knobs serve as one of the speaker's feet when the OS6 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 OS6 to prevent moisture from pooling at the connection. The recess is large

enoughforyour fingers— youcaneasilyloosenortightenthespeakerconnections.

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.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

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FEATURES & BENEFITS

The enclosure itself is shatterproof. The OS6’s components are weather

resistant, UV-resistant, saltwater corrosion-resistant, and immune to damage

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

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 5

PARTS GUIDE

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

Figure 1 OS6 Parts Guide

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 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 OS6 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 OS6 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

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 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 seventy-five watts

per channel for optimum performance (Niles makes a line of high-performance

amplifiers. See your local Niles dealer for more information). Ironically, most

speakers are not damaged by large amplifiers but by small amplifiers. If you are

playing 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 sec-

tion "Operation"for more information about clipping distortion.

Figure 2

Wiring directly from a receiver or

amplifier

Figure 3

Incorporating a volume control

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 16

PLACING THE OS6 FOR THE BEST SOUND QUALITY

The OS6’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.

Speaker

Placement

Zone

Speaker

Placement

Zone

10'5'

10'

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

Figure 4

Illustration depicts the opti-

mum placement zone for a lis-

tening distance of ten feet.

DS00215A/OS6 Manual 3/1/99 9:19 AM Page 9

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