Russound SP550.2 - Manual (Page 6)

1. Determine the location of your wall studs so that the speaker can be approximately centered between them. There
are several ways to go about this:
* Tap on the wall and listen to the resulting “THUMP”. When it’s deeper, you’re between studs. When it’s sharper
and more flat-sounding, you’re close to a stud.
* Use a stud-finder, a simple little magnetic device which works by locating the lines of nails hammered into the
stud.
* Identify studs by the position of electrical outlets or switches. There will be a stud either directly to the left or right
of a an electrical fixture. This gives you a point of measurement since studs are either 18 or 16 inches apart in
newer houses, 12 inches apart on older homes.
2. When you’re reasonably sure of where the wall’s 2x4 studs are (and are TOTALLY sure that there isn’t an electrical
cable, water pipe or heating duct in that vicinity of wall), position one of the cardboard mounting templates and
draw around the inner outline with a pencil. If you don’t trust your eye, use a level to make sure the hole will be
straight.
3. Drill a 1-inch hole in the center of the pencil outline which you have just drawn.
4. Obtain a length of stiff wire such as an unwound, totally un-bent coat hanger. Bend it so that the last 12 inches is
at a right angle to the rest.
5. Insert the angled part into the 1-inch hole you just drilled and probe to left and right to confirm that a stud is not
close on either side.
* If there is a close stud on one side, just re-position the cardboard template a few inches in the opposite direction
and re-draw your pencil outline, keeping the 1-inch hole within the pencil outline’s inner boundaries.
6. Score the outline of the template with a utility knife to prevent chipping or wall paper from tearing. Then use a
keyhole/dry-wall saw to cut in the opening.
* If you’re dealing with lath and plaster or thick paneling, you need to use a different technique. Drill 1-inch holes
at the corners of the pencil outline. Then use a fine-toothed key-hole saw or even a hacksaw blade with VERY
slow strokes to saw through and remove the inner surface.
7. Temporarily place a Russound speaker into the cut-out to insure that it fits properly. It’s okay if the hole is slightly
large, since it will be covered by the speaker’s outside frame. Actual installation will happen later, after you’ve
routed the speaker wires.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for the other speaker.
9. Now it’s time to drill the hole on the OTHER end -at the point where the wires from the speakers will exit to the
amplifier/receiver.
* Use the same 1-inch drill bit as before.
* If you want a custom look, install an outlet box against a stud and cover it with a single outlet plate which has one
hole in the middle for the wires to exit from OR order from your Russound dealer a Russound Stereo pair Wall
Plate Connector.
HOOKING UP YOUR SPEAKERS
IDENTIFYING “+” AND “-”
You need to be able to discriminate between the two conductors of the speaker wire. If your wire has transparent
insulation, this is easy: One conductor will be copper-colored and the other silver-colored. Generally, professionals
denote the copper one as POSITIVE (+) and the silver one as NEGATIVE (-).
If you’ve used wire which has an opaque insulation, there are still differentiating markings. Examine the wire closely
and look for:
1. A series of ribs or grooves on one conductor
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