Niles Audio Niles OS3 User's Manual
Contents
1. Sixteen to eighteen gauge 2 conductor unshielded or shielded wire for runs up to 80 feet Fourteen gauge 2 conductor unshielded or shielded wire for runs up to 200 feet TEMPERATU RE EXTREM ES 50 to 200 Fahrenheit DIMENSIONS Speaker without bracket 7 Wide x 9 1 4 High x 5 11 16 Deep DIMENSIONS Speaker with bracket 7 Wide x 9 1 4 High x 6 5 8 Deep WEIGHT Speaker and Bracket 4 105 8 oz each WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD Model Purchased OS3 Indoor Outdoor Loudspeaker Serial Number Date Purchased month day year Dealer Name and Location Q Dr Q Miss Q Mr Q Mrs Q Ms Name Address City State Zip Telephone Please take a moment to fill out our warranty registration card The information helps us to get to know you better and develop the products you want Age 9 Under 25 9 25 34 35 44 1145 54 155 amp over Income A Under 24 999 T 25 000 34 999 T 35 000 44 999 T 45 000 59 999 T 60 000 74 999 T 75 000 99 999 Over 99 999 Occupation Arts Entertainment Business Owner Engineer Finance Accounting General Office Management 11 Professional Sales Marketing 9 Student Tradesperson Musical tastes Please check all that apply Alternative 9 Classical 9 Country azz 9 New Age Popular OR amp B 9 9 Other How did you hear about Niles 0 Architect Developer2. 9 Custom Installer O Direct Mail Friend F amily In Store Display Interior Designer L1 Magazine Ad A Mail Order Catalog Newspaper Ad 9 Product Brochure Q Product Review Retail Salesperson What magazines do you read 1 2 3 Who will install the product L1 Custom Installer Q Electrician Friend O Myself Which factor s influ enced the purchase of your Niles product Please check all that apply Ease of Use Li Price Value Product Features L1 Quality Durability Li Reputation 9 Style Appearance Warranty Do you Own a House If yes how many square feet Own a Town House Condo Co op Rent an Apartment Rent a House Are you interested in receiving literature on other Niles products Yes 2 Are there products capabilities that you would like to see introduced DETACH HERE AND RETURN TO Niles Audio Corporation Warranty Registration Dept P O Box 160818 Miami Florida 33116 0818 LIMITED WARRANTY Niles Audio Corporation NILES warrants its outdoor loudspeaker products to the original purchaser to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for a period of two years from date of purchase This Warranty is subject to the following additional conditions and limitations The W arranty is void and inapplicable if NILES deems that the product has been used or handled other than in accordance with the instructions
3. INSTALLATION amp OPERATION GUIDE E L P Indoor O utdoor Loudspeaker NILES e BLENDING HIGH FIDELITY AND ARCHITECTURE CONGRATULATIO NS Thank you for choosing the O S3 Indoor O utdoor Loudspeaker from N iles 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 FEATU RES amp BENEFITS 3 PARTS GUIDE 5 INSTALLATIO N CONSIDERATIONS 7 PAINTING THE O S3 12 IN STALLATIO N 15 OPERATION 18 SPECIFICATIONS 19 WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD 21 LIMITED WARRANTY 22 INTRODUCTION The 0 S3 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 O S3 was achieved by harmonizing unique and proprietary technology with the most advanced manufacturing methods and materials available The O S3 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 O S3 sto withstand
4. SER NILES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROVIDED OR PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state For the name of your nearest authorized N ILES dealer contact NILES AUDIO CORPORATION P O BOX 160818 Miami Florida 33116 0818 Please fill in your product information and retain for your records Model Serial No Purchase Date DETACH HERE PLEASE FILL OUT THE WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD ON THE REVERSE SIDE DETACH AND MAIL TO Niles Audio Corporation Warranty Registration D ept P O Box 160818 Miami Florida 33116 0818 NILES NILES Niles Audio Corporation www nilesaudio com 12331 S W 130 Street Miami Florida 33186 Tel 305 238 4373 Fax 305 238 0185 1999 Niles Audio Corporation Niles the Niles logo and Blending High Fidelity and Architecture are registered trademarks of Niles Audio Corporation OmniMount is a reg istered trademark of OmniMount Systems 6 98 DS00216A
5. e Figure 9 Be sure to use all of the holes Figure 9 Mounting the 0S3 4 Drill pilot holes into the mounting surface 5 Pull the speaker wire through the wire hole in the center of the mounting bracket Align the bracket so that the holes all line up 6 Use your hardware to attach the bracket to the mounting surface CONNECTING THE SPEAKER 1 Separate the two conductors of the speaker wire so that at least two inches of each conductor are free 2 Strip one half inch of insulation from the end of each conductor of the speaker wire 3 If you have any connectors gold pins or bananas which you prefer to use affix them to the stripped wire ends now Only gold plated connectors should be used outside as they will not tarnish or corrode 4 Use the bracket knobs to attach the speaker to the bracket Do not tight en the knobs completely Angle the speaker so that the rear terminals are accessible 5 Connect one stripped wire end or connector to the black and one to the red terminal Pay attention to the markings on the wire Each speaker must be connected to the amplifier in the same way SPEAKER PH ASE Speaker wire has two conductors One conductor is attached to the negative terminals and one conductor is attached to the positive terminals of both your speaker and your amplifier Usually the wire is marked for your convenience There are different ways to mark the wire a stripe o
6. ed brass inserts on the back of the O S3 for attaching an OmniMount 53 RST UMK Series or a custom bracket See Figure 7 This allows you to position the speaker at unusual angles or distances from the mounting surface SAFETY FIRST Be careful to use hardware that is designed for the surface you are mounting to The OS3 with the bracket weighs 4 Ibs 8 oz If you are not sure of a safe way to mount the speakers consult a professional installer or a building contractor You will maximize the useful life of the speaker by placing it so it receives less exposure to the elements Look for the best overall compromise betw een sound quality convenience and exposure Do not compromise safety PAINTING THE O S3 The enclosure the brackets and the grilles of the O S3 can all be painted to match the surroundings Because we want you to preserve the acoustic quali ties of the grille please paint the grille according to the grille painting instruc tions Make sure you pick a paint that is appropriate for the mounting location There are interior and exterior varieties and even paint for marine uses If you are not sure what paint to use consult a paint store professional or a painter TOOLS REQ UIRED A spray can of primer paint Krylon Sandable Spray Primer 1318 The correct paint for the surroundings oil or water based paintis fine A paint brush or applicator if the paint is notin a spray can A paper clip or a corkscrew for
7. er will reinforce the bass frequencies You can increase the bass output even more by mount ing 0 S3 in a corner or under an eave See Figure 5 This type of placement gives the speaker two boundaries both reinforcing the bass sounds Of course if you wish to hear less bass try moving the speaker away from the boundary See Figure 6 Figure 5 Figure 6 Placement for more bass output Placement for less bass output MOUNTING METHODS The 0 S3 can be mounted either horizontally or vertically The bracket knobs will keep the speaker angled correctly in any position once they are tightened You can choose from three mounting methods to attach OS3 to the wall ceiling or other mounting surface 2 Q 2 m e 2 Gi Z Q 2 m e 2 Gi 1 If the speaker is never going to be exposed to sudden accidental impacts wind waves or earthquakes you can simply hang it on a nail using the nail hole s of the bracket See Figure 7 HERR ET Nail Mounting Screw Mounting OmniMount or Custom Bracket Mounting Figure 7 The OS3 can be mounted three ways 2 The safest and most secure way to mount the speaker is by screwing it to the mounting surface using your own hardware suitable for the surface you are mounting to and the bracket supplied with the speaker See Figure 7 3 There are thread
8. keep all handling of the freshly painted parts to a minimum PAINTING THE GRILLE The grille is important to the sound of the O S3 Do not fill the holes of the grille with paint The grille is constructed of aluminum with a perfectly even powder coat overall This powder coat is an ideal primer If you are using a spray paint use two thin coats without any primer If you are using a compressor and a spray gun use the finest most diffuse setting Practice on paper if you are not experienced in painting with spray paint If you are using an applicator or brush and a can of paint thin the paint first Thick paint will tend to clog the grille holes REPLACING THE GRILLE Carefully fit the grille into its recess so that it is barely in place Starting with one corner go around the speaker pushing the grille in a little bit each time You should be gentle the aluminum grille can be easily bent out of shape You will feel a positive snap when itis fully in place 7 IN STALLATIO N MOUNTING THE BRACKET 1 Remove the bracket knobs and the bracket from the speaker 2 Hold the bracket up to the mounting surface The speaker can be mounted either horizontally or vertically Hold the bracket so that the speaker wire fits through the large circular wire hole in the bracket Align the bracket to be square with the surroundings use a level for accuracy 3 Mark the locations of the three oval shaped screw holes Se
9. ment for your particular installation When using more than one pair itis usually best to alternate a left channel and then a right channel so that you never have a left nextto 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 Speaker Placement Figure 4 Zone Illustration depicts the optimum placement zone for a listening distance of ten feet Make sure you are not blocking or reflecting the sound off of furniture or other objects You should have a direct line of sight with the front of the speaker To determine the best position measure the distance between the ideal listening position and the wall you plan to mount the speakers on Try to place the speak ers so that they are at least one half the listening distance apart this maintains a large pleasant stereo image and less than the entire listening distance this avoids a hole in the middle effect For example if you are ten feet back from the wall the speakers should be between five and ten feet apart See Figure 4 You can control the speakers bass output by placement This is called the boundary effect You will get more bass response by mounting the O S3 directly to a wall or other flat surface any boundary close to the speak
10. n 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 O S3 s components are weather resis tant U V resistant salt water corrosion resistant and immune to damage from temperature extremes 50 to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit PARTS GUIDE PARTS GUIDE 0S3 Parts Guide onan 9 Bracket Nail Hole Wire Hole Screw Hole Bracket Knob SL SS SSS Sr gt see m Grille Cabinet Baffle Binding Posts Threaded Inserts 2 Q 2 m e 2 Gi INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS TOOLS AND MATERIALS REQ UIRED 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 O S3 connects to your receiver or amplifier using 2 conductor speaker wire See Figure 2 For m
11. n one wire a ribbed area of one conductor you can only feel different colors of metal wire on each conduc tor or there might be a fabric strand or string wound into one of the conductors Of course there are some wires which appear completely identical Be careful to avoid mistakes If you do transpose the wires it is possible that one speaker will be playing out of phase with the other speaker An out of phase pair of speak ers work against each other and the sound of the two speakers playing together will be lacking in bass and be phasey sounding If you suspect the sound is not right and you cannot see any markings on the wire try this simple test 1 Point the speakers at each other rather than at you 2 Play some music with the amplifier or radio set to Mono 3 Stand so you are the same distance from each speaker and listen to the rich ness of the bass and the loudness of the sound 4 Tum off the amplifier and reverse the connections on one speaker only 5 Repeat the listening test with the same setting of the volume control When the sound has a richer bass and is slightly louder the speakers are working together or in phase FINAL ADJUSTMENTS 1 After checking that the speaker is in phase and works correctly angle the speaker for the best sound 2 Tighten the bracket knobs using only your hands Use of any power tools may over tighten the knob and strip the threads of the insert 3 Check that
12. ost 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 053 will accommodate up to 12 gauge wire directly Larger sizes can be accommodated using spade banana or pin connectors 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 When you run wire inside walls outdoors 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 TUNER ae ll 94 9 5 Mii Lln Iu e HADSE T 49 ulli CX X X XXX OX 3X33 3333 Figure 2 Figure 3 Wiring directly from a receiver or Incorporating a volume control amplifier 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 wi
13. provided by the manufacturer including but not limited to damage caused by accident mishandling improper installation abuse negligence or normal wear and tear or any defect caused by repair to the product by anyone other than NILES or an authorized NILES dealer To obtain warranty service take the unit to the nearest authorized NILES dealer who will test the product and if necessary forward it to NILES for service If there are no authorized NILES dealers in your area you must write to NILES and include your name model and serial num ber of your unit along with a brief description of the problem A factory Return Authorization Number will be sent to you DO NOT RETURN ANY UNIT WITHOUT FIRST RECEIVING WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION AND SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS FROM NILES If the above conditions are met the purchaser s sole remedy shall be to return the product to NILES in which case NILES will repair or replace at its sole option the defective product without charge for parts or labor NILES will return a unit repaired or replaced under warranty by shipping same by its usual shipping method from the factory only at its expense within the United States of America THERE ARE NO OTHER WARRANTIES INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FIT NESS FORA PARTICULAR PU RPO SE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE CONSUMER PURCHA
14. re from the amplifier to the volume con trol and then from the volume control to the speaker See Figure 3 RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER PO WER W e 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 O peration for more information about clipping distortion 2 Q 2 i e 2 u 2 Q 2 m e 2 Gi PLACING THE OS3 FOR THE BEST SOUND QUALITY The 0 S3 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 place
15. removing the grille Masking tape 2 paint masks supplied A damp cloth and a dry cloth PREPARING TO PAINT 1 Separate the parts of the speaker You should remove the brackets and the bracket knobs Remove the grille by hooking it with a bent paper clip or the tip of a corkscrew and pulling itaway from the cabinet See Figure 8 Figure 8 Removing the grille using a paper clip 00 009 0020099007500 500 50 0005509500950 5 00 4 0 000900 i Depots poU DO 7 ESO JHL ONLUNN 2 Wipe off the other sides of the cabinet the bracket bracket knobs and grille with a damp cloth Do not touch or rub the speakers on the front baffle M ake sure everything is dry before masking 3 Mask off the binding posts and the brass threaded inserts on the back panel with masking tape 4 Mask off the threaded inserts on the top and bottom with masking tape 5 Protect the front of the speakers by inserting the supplied paint masks in place of the grilles PAINTING THE CABINET BRACKET KNOBS AND BRACKET 1 Apply two thin coats of a primer to the cabinet and knobs We recommend Krylon Sandable Spray Primer 1318 The bracket doesn t require a coat of primer 2 Allow the primer to completely dry 3 Apply the finish color 4 Allow the paint to completely dry 5 Carefully remove the masking material 6 Do not reattach the speaker to the bracket until the bracket is mounted Try to
16. s 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 O S3 s crossover provides excellent stereo imaging and low distortion 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 0 53 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 053 is equipped with 1 4 20 threaded inserts for mniM ount 53 RST UMK Series or custom brackets STABLE SH ELF PLACEMENT The bracket knobs serve as one of the speaker s feet when 0 S3 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 GO LD 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 O S3 This prevents moisture from pooling at the connection The recess is large enough to fit your fingers so you ca
17. the entire installation is safe and secure N LISTENING AT HIGHER VOLUMES Significantly more power is required to achieve a reasonable level of volume when speakers are installed outdoors The two primary reasons for this are that when listening outdoors there are no walls to reflect and contain the sound and listeners often find themselves further from the speakers Trying to compen sate for this by turning up the amplifier s volume can create clipping distor tion which is caused by the amplifier running out of power Clipping distortion makes treble sound very harsh and unmusical When you hear harsh sounding treble from any good speaker indoors or outdoors turn the volume down immediately Those harsh sounds are masking some much more powerful ultra high frequency sound spikes which will quickly damage any fine loudspeaker CLEANING You can clean the OS3 s with a dampened soft cloth or paper towel If the speaker is mounted high up on a wall or ceiling use a broom to gently brush it off Hosing off the speaker is not recommended as the tweeter is a precise mechanism which might be damaged by a high pressure stream of water SPECIFICATIONS RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER Five to 75 watts per channel NOMINALIMPEDANCE 8 Ohms FREQ U EN CY RESPONSE 110Hz to 20kHz plus or minus 5 dB on axis SENSITIVITY 91 decibels for 2 83 volts of Pink Noise measured at 1 meter on axis WIRING REQUIREMENTS
18. the stresses and strains of the world outside Now anyone can affordably enjoy a concert on the green in their own back yard SLEANAH V SJIANIVH FEATU RES amp BEN EFITS LONG THROW POLYPRO PYLEN E 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 O S3 is shaped so that the speaker will tuck discretely away into corners or under eaves RIGID ACOUSTICALLY INERT ENCLOSURE The cabinet of the O S3 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 0 53 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 wave
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