B-i-c america Fh8-w Installation instructions

Model FH8-W

In-Wall Speakers

Installation and Owner’s Manual

a Company

Cut-out &

masking

templates

2Speakers 2 Pairsof grilles

CONGRATULATIONS

–on selecting this B.I.C America In-Wall Speaker. Like all B.I.Cspeakers, they combine advanced

acoustic technology with durability and will provide years of musical enjoyment.

This manual is designed to make your in-wall speaker as easy to install as it is to listen to. If you’ve had any

home “do-it-yourself ” experience, you should find installation of your new speaker a simple job.

However, we suggest you read through this manual before starting out. If you then decide that installing

your B.I.Cin-wall speaker is a bit beyond your skills, we’ve included suggestions for locating sources of

affordable outside help.

What you need to do the job

Speaker system parts inventory.......................................................................2

Tools for installation.......................................................................................2

Speaker wire...................................................................................................3

Amplifier considerations.................................................................................3

Where to put your speakers

Various uses....................................................................................................3

Stereo imaging................................................................................................3

Other acoustic considerations ........................................................................3

Wall & ceiling surfaces ...................................................................................4

Speaker wire paths .........................................................................................5

Cloth décor & paintable metal grilles.....................................................................5

Cutting holes for the speakers................................................................................5

Running connecting wires......................................................................................6

Hooking up your speakers

At the speaker end..........................................................................................9

At the amplifier end ........................................................................................9

Final assembly......................................................................................................10

Ashort “test drive” ..............................................................................................10

Aquick troubleshooting guide......................................................................11

Further reading

Taking care of your new in-wall speakers.....................................................11

More on amplifiers and impedances.............................................................11

Installing B.I.Cspeakers during new construction........................................12

Outside help .................................................................................................12

Limited Warranty ..........................................................................................12

B.I.CFH8-W description and specifications ..................................................12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT YOU NEED

TO DO THE JOB

SPEAKER PARTS INVENTORY

Before you get involved in the actual installation

process, it’s a good idea to check for possible

shipping damage and identify parts and hardware.

You should have the parts shown in Drawing 1:

mTwo (2) B.I.Cin-wall loudspeakers

with (2) pairs of cloth décor and metal grilles

mBlack grille adhesive

mTwo (2) white cardboard mounting templates

(outer perforation)

mTwo (2) white cardboard masking templates

for painting (inner perforation)

If anything is missing after a thorough search

of the box and packing materials, contact the

dealer where you bought your speakers.

Although B.I.CSpeaker Systems are extremely

well packed to withstand the rigors of shipping,

you should still inspect them closely, especially

if there is any damage to the outside carton.

If you find anything wrong, contact your dealer

or the shipper who delivered the speaker.

TOOLS FOR INSTALLATION

IN EXISTING WALLS

It doesn’t take a whole workshop to install

your new speaker, just a few simple tools:

mApencil

mAdrill with a 1-inch flat bit

mAretractable utility knife or keyhole saw

mAlength of stiff wire about 3 feet long (a

straightened wire coat hanger works fine)

mAPhillips-head screw driver

mApair of diagonal pliers or wire strippers

Some of the following may also be needed,

depending on the application.

mAstud finder

mDrill bit just slightly larger than the diameter

of one speaker wire

mPlumb bob or small weight on a string

mInsulated staples for securing speaker wire

mMasking tape or foam “double-stick” tape

mPaint and applicator for changing grille and

outer frame finish

mAbubble level

Black damping/grille

adhesive in polybag

DRAWING 1

SPEAKER WIRE

The amount of wire you’re going to need will

vary with speaker placement (which we cover

next). But we’re covering the subject of wire

now because it’s something you may have to go

out and obtain along with whatever tools you

don’t already have.

What kind to use

We recommend using inexpensive, multi-stranded

“zip-cord” for amplifier-to-speaker connections.

Also called lamp cord, it’s sold in pre-packed

rolls and in bulk displays at hardware, lighting

and home improvement stores. Zip-cord’s outside

covering (insulation) can be transparent, black,

brown, white, etc. Color doesn’t matter. Wire-

thickness does. For in-wall and in-ceiling, a good

quality wire should be used so the outside plastic

covering won’t crack and break down over time.

Selecting the proper gauge

Wire is measured in “gauges.” For no particularly

good reason, the bigger the number, the smaller

the wire. For example, 18-gauge is thinner than

14-gauge.

The gauge of wire you need is determined by the

distance between your amplifier/receiver and

the speakers. Use the following chart as a guide:

Length Minimum Gauge

Less than 10 ft. 18

10 to 50 ft. 16

Over 50 ft. 14

If in doubt, be safe and get a smaller gauge

(i.e. thicker wire). Using too thin a gauge over

along distance can compromise sound quality.

And besides, there isn’tavast cost difference

between gauges.

How much to buy

Basically,more than you think you need. As we

noted earlier, a discussion of lengths is sort of

premature until you’ve decided on exact place-

ment, so you may want to skip to Section B on

“Where to Put Your Speakers.” But if you

have a rough idea of the distance from your

amplifier to the speakers, here are a few tips:

•Because of the complicated paths which are

often required to route wires, you’ll definitely

need more than the amount derived from

simple measurements.

•Even if one speaker is a lot closer to the amp

than the other speaker, you should use the

same length of wire for both paths. This

insures that both speakers will play at

equal volume.

• Professional installers often use the following

rule of thumb: amp to speaker distance

TIMES FIVE. That allows enough for both

speaker paths plus a very healthy margin for

unplanned detours. Remember the

electrician’s favorite adage: “You can always

cut off extra wire, but you cannot make

wire longer once it is cut.”

bottom. This will insure better treble dispersion

(see Drawing 4).

Surround Sound

B.I.C In-Wall Speakers make excellent surround

sound speakers. They can be mounted in any

of the positions shown in Drawing 2 including

from the ceiling.

AMPLIFIER CONSIDERATIONS

Virtually any receiver, power amplifier or

integrated amplifier can be used with your B.I.C

In-Wall Speakers. Although B.I.Cspeakers are

rated for high power, it’s OK to use an even

more powerful amplifier if you take some

simple precautions, which we cover on page 11

(“Taking Care of Your New B.I.C

Speakers”).

Amore serious consideration is whether or

not you intend to power more than one set of

speakers with the same amplifier or receiver. If

you intend to hook speakers to both “A” and

“B” receiver outputs and then play both sets of

speakers at the same time, you should read the

section starting on page 11 of this manual

(“More on Amplifiers and Impedance”),

to avoid potential problems.

WHERE TO PUT

YOUR SPEAKERS

Placement can make all the difference in how

your B.I.Cspeaker systems sound – and

how easy they are to install. There are at least

three “WHERE’S” and a “HOW” to factor into

your layout:

• HOW you intend to use your speakers

•WHERE they’ll sound best (stereo imaging

and acoustic considerations)

• WHERE it’s possible to install them

(wall and ceiling surfaces)

•WHERE they can be installed that makes it

easy to get wire to them without remodeling

your entire house.

VARIOUS USES

B.I.CIn-Wall Speakers can be used for

background music, as a primary stereo system

or as front, left, right, center, surround, and

rear speakers in an audio/video home theater.

Background music

If you just want low-volume background

music to float through a room, placement for

best acoustics is not particularly critical. You

can pretty well ignore all our diagrams and

tips on imaging and other acoustical matters.

Just put your speaker where it’s convenient and

non-intrusive to room decor. You can even

place the speaker in an adjoining room, such as

aliving room that flows into a formal dining

room, or in a kitchen and breakfast nook.

If you’re going to place the speakers high

up on a wall, flip the speaker upside down

when mounting it so that the tweeter is on the

OTHER ACOUSTIC

CONSIDERATIONS

For best fidelity,there are several other factors

to keep in mind before you start actual installation.

Vertical placement

Treble frequencies are quite directional. While

the horn tweeters in B.I.CFH8-W speakers are

designed to disperse high frequencies over a

wide area, they will give you the best sound when

positioned so that they are at least at ear level, as

shown in Drawing 4.

STEREO IMAGING

If your B.I.CIn-Wall Speakers are going to be

your primary listening source in a room, you need

to consider some other factors to insure proper

imaging. The term “stereo imaging” refers to a

speaker system’s ability to project music so that it

sounds like the performers are in a 3-dimensional

space between the speakers. It’s the whole point

of having a stereo instead of monophonic system.

Drawing 3 shows some possible placements as

well as some situations to avoid.

DRAWING 2

B.I.Cin-wall speakers may be used

for surround sound channels by

placing them (1) on each side of the

viewing position or (2) in the ceiling

just behind the viewers. (3) Used in

7.1 systems behind the listening area.

(4) B.I.CIn-wall speakersalso make

excellent, unobtrusive front channel

home video theater speakers.

DRAWING 3

EXCELLENT

for stereo imaging FINE for

background music;

ACCEPTABLE for

stereo

effect

EXCELLENT

for stereo imaging

OKfor background

music; not good

for stereo imaging

Asymmetrical response.

Both speakers aren’t

in line with listener,

Not recommended

Too close together

Of course, if the speakers are being installed in

an area where listeners usually stand up (such as

akitchen or hallway), “ear level” will be higher

on the wall than for rooms where listeners are

often seated.

Corners and reflections

When an in-wall speaker is placed close to the

corner of a room, bass frequencies are emphasized.

This can be OK if both speakers are mounted near

corners (while maintaining stereo imaging). But

try to avoid placing just one speaker in a corner

and another on a long flat wall.

Treble is emphasized when it reflects back from

reflective surfaces such as large windows.

Conversely, highs tend to be muffled by soft surfaces

such as drapes, rugs, upholstered furniture, carpet-

ed steps and even textured fabric wall paper.

In general, the best acoustic performance will

result if both speakers face a similar type of surface

and are placed in similar positions on the same

type of wall.

WALL AND CEILING SURFACES

Now that we’ve covered where you should put your

speakers, let’s consider where you CAN put them.

The FH8-W requires 4˝ of wall depth (measured

from the outside surface of the wall).

DRAWING 4

This means that they can be installed in any

wallboard-and-2x4 stud wall. In fact, the

dense, rigid nature of plasterboard (or lath

and plaster in older homes) acts as a superb

speaker baffle.

You can also install B.I.Cin-wall speakers

in stud walls covered with thick wood

paneling or in wallboard/plaster ceilings.

However, avoid:

• Stud walls covered only with thin veneer

paneling –the surface isn’trigid enough and

can cause annoying vibrations and buzzing.

• T-bar “drop ceilings” with very thin

fiberboard panels which can buzz and

vibrate. If you suspect this will happen,

reinforce the drop-in panel with wood or

particle board.

• Any wall which can’t provide proper

depth (clearance) for the back of the FH8-W

speaker to protrude. This includes brick or

concrete walls where the wallboard or

paneling is attached to thin furring strips.

•Walls where you know that there are

pipes, heating ducts and ESPECIALLY AC

wiring in the general vicinity. For example, if

there is an outlet along the baseboard, there

is often a live wire running partly up the wall

at that point.

SPEAKER WIRE PATHS

The last consideration is the obstacle course

that lies between the speakers’ hoped-for

mounting positions and your stereo system.

Wires can be run through crawl spaces that

lie above your ceiling or below the floor, through

basements or second stories, or simply along

the perimeter of your listening room. We cover

each of these options in detail in the “Running

Connecting Wires” section of this manual.

In general, you should pay particular attention

to the following areas:

• Avoid running speaker wires close to house

electrical wiring for any distance. If you have

to run them parallel, make sure to space the

speaker wires at least two feet from the AC

line. It is, however, OK for speaker wires to

cross paths with AC line or go through the

same hole together with house wiring if they

separate before and after.

• Make sure that the entire path between speak-

ers and amplifier is clear and not obstructed

by a major floor or ceiling joist or masonry

wall which you won’t be able to drill through.

•Remember that the other end of the wires has to

come out somewhere to connect with the amp-

lifier. Confirm ahead of time that you can drill

an outlet hole easily and in an unobtrusive spot.

Wallboard is an easy surface in which to make a

relatively neat hole. Actually, the hole doesn’t even

have to be that neat, since the speaker’s outer

frame will cover it. Just make sure you don’t make

it any bigger than the template. In the following

steps, you’re going to locate a section of wall

between two studs, mark the outer boundaries

of the hole, drill a small hole in the center to

confirm your location and then cut the main hole.

1. First you must determine the location of your

wall studs so that the speaker can be approx-

imately centered between them. There are

several ways to go about this:

•Tap on the surface 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,asimple little device which

works by locating the studs behind a wall.

•Identify wall studs by the position of electrical

outlets or switches. There will be a stud either

directly to the left or right of 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 pre-WW2 homes.

2. When you’re reasonably sure of where the wall

stud 2 x 4’s are (and are TOTALLY sure that

there isn’tan electrical cable, water pipe or

heating duct in that vicinity of your proposed

cutout) position one of the cardboard mounting

templates and draw around the inside outline

with a pencil. If you don’ttrust your eye, use a

level to make sure the hole will be straight.

Repeat for the other speaker position.

3. Drill a 1-inch hole in the center of the pencil

outline which you have just drawn.

Ifyou like the designer white finish, we

recommend you use the white cloth décor

accessory grilles included with your new FH8-W

speakers. But if you want your speakers to

completely blend in with a colored wall or

accent the surface, paintable metal grilles are

also included with your new FH8-W speakers.

The speakers’ outer surfaces are primed to

accept ordinary latex wall paint or aerosol spray

paint. Because the surface behind the perforated

grille should remain unpainted, you will need to

mask this area off before you begin painting.

1. First the speaker’s grille must be removed.

From the back of the speaker, use the

mounting legs to push the grille off.

2. If you are going to use standard, canned, wall

paint so your speakers will match the wall

color, you will need to thin the paint to nearly

the consistency of water. This is critical since

paint with any thickness will plug the holes in

the grille which will impede the sound from

getting to the room. Once you thin the paint it

may take several coats to get good consistent

color coverage without plugging the holes in

the grille. One trick to use is to blow air

through the grille holes as you are in the

painting process to keep the holes open. Paint

the outer speaker frame and grille separately. A

medium nap roller or fine brush will work OK

if you take your time and are careful. If you’re

using spray paint, make sure that you achieve

the same coverage on both grille and frame.

Take care to use very light coats on the grille to

avoid plugging the holes (perforations). Also,

be sure to spray at different angles to achieve

good even coverage of the perforations and

edges. You must take extreme precautions when

painting the grille not to get paint in the holes of

the grille. There's no need to replace the grille

at this time since you will need access to the

inner speaker surface during installation.

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 repo-

sition the cardboard template a few inches in the

opposite direction and redraw your pencil

outline, keeping the 1-inch hole within

the pencil outline’s inner boundaries.

6. If there are no obstructions, cut the hole

along the pencil outline. If the surface is

wallboard, simply cut it increasingly deeper with

utility knife until it gives way and then pull it out

by grasping the cut-out through the 1-inch hole.

•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 keyhole saw or

even a hacksaw blade with VERY slow strokes

to saw through and remove the inner surface.

7. Temporarily place the B.I.C speaker into the cut-

out to insure that it fits properly. It’s OK if the

hole is slightly large, since it will be covered by the

speaker’souter frame. Actual installation will hap-

pen 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 totally finished job, install an

outlet box against a stud and cover it with a

TV cable or single outlet plate which has one

hole in the middle for the wires to exit from.

DRAWING 5

A. Trace template

outline B. Drill 1 inch

pilot hole C. Probe with wire

for stud clearance D.Cut speaker

hole along outline

CUTTING

HOLES

FOR THE

SPEAKERS

CLOTH

DÉCOR &

PAINTABLE

GRILLES

RUNNING

CONNECTING WIRES

Now you know where the wires have to run.

It’s time to actually route them. As mentioned

before, there are several possibilities.

1. DOWN, ACROSS & BACK UP. If you

have a crawl space under your house or a

relatively unfinished basement, your job is

broken into three parts:

1) Down from the amplifier to the crawl space;

2) Across the crawl space to the wall(s) with

the speakers; 3) Up the wall to each speaker.

2. UP & OVER. If you have an attic or

overhead crawl space, your three steps are:

1) Up from the amplifier to the crawl space;

2) Across the crawl space to the wall(s) with

the speakers; 3) Down the wall to the speaker.

3. OVERLAND. If the speakers and amplifier

are in the same room and it is carpeted, you

can route the wires along the baseboard. This

method results in just two VERYshort lengths

of wire being possibly visible.

Use whichever method (or combination)

is most applicable, but read each over before

undertaking it.

DRAWING 6 -DOWN, ACROSS AND BACK UP

speaker

cut-outs

1-inch hole for

wire outlet to

amplifier

wire thickness exaggerated for clarity

1-inch

hole

wire “runs” from each speaker

1-inch

hole

DOWN, ACROSS AND

BACK UP (BASEMENT OR

LOWER CRAWL SPACE)

If you have an unfinished basement or

crawl space under your home, you can avoid

having to run wires in the room. Working from

underneath is sometimes trickier since there

are often more pipes, ducts, electrical and

cable lines already in place.

m1. Make sure you have the following:

•Tape measure

•Cordless drill (or regular model with

long extension cord) with a 1-INCH BIT

• A VERY long roll of speaker wire

•Wire cutters – either diagonal pliers

or wire strippers which include a

cutting surface

•Length of stiff wire such as coat

hanger at least 3 feet long

•Plumb bob or string with a small

weight (such as a metal nut) on the end

• Tape – any kind will do

•It’s also convenient to have another

person upstairs helping you. The person’s

job will be to grab the cables as you

push them up from below.

m2. Enter the basement or crawl space and

proceed to a spot directly below where

where one of the in-wall speakers will be.

m3. After carefully measuring to make sure

you’re in the right place, drill a hole up

through the horizontal 2x4 directly

below the speaker.

m4A.If you haven’t encountered in-wall

insulation (sometimes present on

outside walls), have your assistant drop

aplumb bob or weight string down until

you can reach it. Tape the cable to it and

let them pull it up.

m4B.If you have run into insulation, there is

another approach: Get out your long roll

of speaker cable and tape the end to the

stiff wire or bent coat hanger. Push the

stiff wire with speaker cable attached

up through one of the holes far enough

that your assistant can grasp it through

the speaker cut-out above. Have him or

her pull out at least 8 feet of cable (as

measured from your position downstairs).

m5. Making sure that the end doesn’t get

pulled back down through the hole,

reel out wire while moving across the

basement/crawl space until you reach a

location below the amplifier.

m6. Extend at least 10 (TEN) extra feet of

cable and cut the end off the roll.

m7. Grab your coil/roll of cable and move

over to the hole that’s been drilled below

the other speaker. Again, have your

assistant drop a plumb bob or weight

and string down until you can reach it.

Tape the cable to it and let him or her

pull it up, extending at least 8 feet of

wire up through this hole. Or use the

stiff wire method if the wall has insulation

or obstructions in it.

m8. Making sure the end doesn’t get pulled

back down through the hole, reel out

cable until you reach the space under

the amplifier.

m9. Extend at least 10 (TEN) extra feet of

cable and cut the end off the roll.

You’ve now run wires from both speakers

to a point directly below where the

amplifier will be.

m10. Drill a 1-inch hole through the

horizontal 2x4 directly below the

amplifier wall outlet hole.

m11. Because of the small diameter of the

hole, the plumb bob/string method

may not work on the amplifier end.

If so, tape the two cable ends (which

come from the speakers) to a stiff

wire and push them up through the

hole. Since there’sonly a 1-inch hole

upstairs, you’ll probably need to wiggle

the wire around until your helper can

locate it and snag the wires taped to

the end. They, too may need to use a

length of stiff wire with a hook in it to

grab the cables through the small hole.

m12. Have your helper pull the cable up

until most of the slack has been

taken up down in the crawl space or

basement. If you want, you can

secure the cable runs to the floor

joists or beams using insulated staples.

You’ve done it! Skip to the next section

titled “Hooking Up Your Speakers.”

UP AND OVER

(ATTIC CRAWL SPACE)

m1. You’re about to ascend into your

attic. Grab the following:

•Tape measure

•Cordless drill (or regular model with

long extension cord) with a 1-INCH BIT

•A VERY long roll of speaker wire

•Wire cutters – either diagonal pliers

or wire strippers which include a

cutting surface

•Plumb bob or string with a small

weight (such as a metal nut) on the end

•Tape – any kind will do

m2. Crawl up into the attic with all the

aforementioned stuff and proceed to a

spot that’s directly over one of the

speaker cut-out holes.

m3. After carefully measuring to make sure

you’re in the right place, drill a hole

through the horizontal 2x4 directly

ABOVE the SPEAKER. Then drill a hole

for the other speaker.

m4. Time to use that roll of cable. Push the

cable end through one of the holes you

just drilled until it extends at least 8 feet.

If you encounter insulation, such as an

outside wall, tape the speaker cable to

astiff wire and poke it down until it can

be located at the speaker cut-out.

DRAWING 7 -UP AND OVER

1-inch

hole 1-inch

hole

wire “runs” from each speaker

(thickness exaggerated for clarity)

1-inchhole for

wire outlet to

amplifier

speaker

cut-outs

m5. Making sure the end doesn’t get pulled

back up through the hole, reel out

cable while moving across the attic/crawl

space until you reach the location

above your amplifier.

m6. Extend at least 10 (TEN) more feet of

cable for the roll and cut it.

m7. Grab your coil/roll of wire and move

over to the hole that’s been drilled above

the other speaker. Extend at least 8 feet

of wire down through this hole.

m8. Again, making sure that the end doesn’t

get pulled back up through the hole,

reel out cable until you reach the space

above the amplifier.

m9. Extend at least 10 (TEN) more feet of

cable and cut it. You now have cables

running from both speakers. Time to

get them down the wall to where the

amplifier will be.

m10. Drill a 1-inch hole through the

horizontal 2x4 directly above the

amplifier wall outlet.

m11. Now you’re going to guide cables down to

where they’ll emerge from the wall. Since

this hole isn’t very big, just stuffing them

down and grabbing them won’t work.

Instead, it’stime for the plumb bob or

string-with-weight (or wire if there is

insulation to contend with). Tape the two

cable ends (which come from the speak-

ers) to the plumb bob string just above

the weight and lower the whole thing

down through the 1-inch hole above the

amplifier. You’ll probably have to “feed

out” the attached cable to get the weight

to descend.

m12. Continue “paying out” both cables

until they and the weight hit bottom.

Tie the free end of the plumb bob

string to something so that it doesn’t

fall down the hole.

m13. Exit the attic crawl space and stretch

for a moment.

m14. Go over to the 1-inch amplifier wire

hole and look for the extended

string/plumb bob and attached

cables. If they’re not visible, form a

small hook on the end of your wire.

Then fish around for them and pull

them through the hole. Then rescue

the plumb bob from the attic.

m15. At the speaker holes, things are much

easier. You can just reach through and

grab the cables. Pull their whole free

length out the cut speaker hole.

You’ve done it! Skip to the next section, titled

“Hooking Up Your Speakers.”

OVERLAND

If, for a variety of reasons, it’s impossible to

route cables above or below, you can still

achieve a relatively invisible job, assuming

your amplifier can be located in the same

room. The only visible cable will be a 1˝-2˝

segment on the baseboard below each speaker.

m1. On the wallboard directly below each

speaker cut-out hole, measure up 2

inches from the floor and mark the

spot with a pencil dot.

m2. Drill a small hole just large enough to

admit one speaker cable.

m3. Insert one end of your speaker wire

through the small drilled hole and

make sure to push extra wire to reach

and go through the speaker hole. Then

use a stiff hooked wire to fish out the

speaker cable from above. Repeat for

both speakers.

m4. When a room is carpeted, the

baseboard moldings are elevated

slightly to clear the carpet and pad.

This creates a hollow space between

the bottom of the molding and the

floor which can be used to conceal

your speaker cable along the perimeter

of the room. Use a screwdriver to stuff

the cable under until you reach the

spot where your amplifier will be.

m5. To secure the cable so that it doesn’t

get pulled out during vacuuming, add

insulated staples at the points where

the cable enters and exits the baseboard.

Note: If your baseboards are taller than

normal, you can drill the hole behind the

baseboard and avoid the short length of visible

cable. You may have to chisel a shallow chan-

nel in the back of the baseboard for clearance.

wire “runs” from each speaker,

wire thickness and molding

height exaggerated for clarity

wallboard

small hole

typical

molding

raised to

clear carpet

carpet

zipcord

baseboard

2x4

speaker

cut-outs

DRAWING 8 -OVERLAND

DRAWING 9

HOOKING UP

YOUR SPEAKERS

The main thing to remember when hooking

up speakers is that the two conductors in the

speaker wire are not interchangeable. One

will be used as a POSITIVE (+) conductor

and the other as a NEGATIVE (-) conductor.

These correspond to the RED (+) and BLACK

(-) connectors on your B.I.CIn-Wall

Speakers and also to the speaker terminals

on your amplifier or receiver.

IDENTIFYING “+” and “-”

You need to be able to discriminate between

the two conductors in the zip cord.

If your wire has transparent insulation, this

is easy: One conductor will be copper-colored

and the other silver-colored. Generally, pro-

fessionals 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 mark-

ings. Examine the wire closely and look for:

•Aseries of ribs or grooves on one conductor

•Apainted stripe

•Asingle strand of yarn intertwined with the

multi-stranded wire in one conductor.

Denote any of these as the POSITIVE (+) con-

ductor for similar connections on both ends.

DRAWING 10

hole in

wallboard

Zip-cord

wire “run”

to speaker

AT THE SPEAKER END

m1. Cut off excess wire, leaving about two

feet extending through the speaker

cut-out hole.

m2. Pull the conductors apart so they’re

separated for the first two inches from

their ends.

m3. Using wire strippers, diagonal pliers

or a knife, remove 1/2 inch of

insulation from each conductor.

m4. Twist the tiny strands in each

conductor into tight spirals, as

shown in Drawing 9.

m5. Attach the speaker wires to the red

and black speaker terminals. Press

down on the protruding levers while

inserting the wire into the hole.

•Connect the POSITIVE (+)

conductor to the RED terminal and

the NEGATIVE (-) conductor to the

BLACK speaker terminal.

•Make sure that no stray strands

of wire have gotten detached and

are touching the other main wire.

m6. Proceed to “Final Assembly,”

Section G.

AT THE AMPLIFIER END

m1. Cut off excess wire, leaving enough

to comfortably reach from the hole

in the wall to your stereo system.

If there’s a possibility that you’re

going to move the amplifier to

another part of the room, consider

leaving some excess wire coiled

up. If you’ve used sufficiently thick

wire, this extra length will not

affect speaker performance and

could make things easier if the

room is rearranged later.

m2. Pull the conductors on both speaker

wires apart so they’re separated for

the first two inches.

m3. Using wire strippers, diagonal pliers

or a knife, remove 1/2 inch of

insulation from each conductor.

m4. Twist the tiny strands in each

conductor into tight spirals.

m5. Attach the speaker wires to the red

and black speaker terminals on the

amplifier or receiver.

•Connect the POSITIVE (+)

conductor to the RED terminal and

the NEGATIVE (-) conductor to the

BLACK speaker terminal.

•Make sure that no stray strands

of wire have gotten detached and

are touching the other main wire.

A SHORT TEST DRIVE

It’s a good idea to test everything out at this

point. Also, although we’ve paid close attention to

speaker polarity, we haven’t concerned ourselves

with which wires went to left and right speakers.

m1. Turn on your stereo system. Make sure that

the VOLUME control is turned down and

that the BALANCE control is set to center.

m2. Activate a musical source such as FM,

atape or CD player.

m3. Gently turn up the volume. You should

hear music coming out of your new B.I.C

In-Wall Speakers! (If you don’t, refer to the

troubleshooting guide on the next page.)

m4. Now rotate the stereo’s BALANCE control

all the way to the LEFT. Sound should only

come out of your left speaker.If it comes

out of the RIGHT speaker, skip to Step 6B.

m5. Rotate the BALANCE control all the way to

the RIGHT.Sound should only come out

of the right speaker.

m6. If this is the case, your installation is a

success. We suggest you read the section

on the next page titled “Taking Care of

Your New B.I.CSpeakers” (for further

operating tips).

m6B. If sound comes from the right speaker

when the stereo’sbalance control is

turned to the LEFT,you’ll need to change

the connections on the back of the amp

or receiver.

•FIRST TURN OFF THE AMPLIFIER!

•Then swap the wires attached to the left

and right speaker terminals.

DRAWING 11

FINAL ASSEMBLY

1. If you haven’t done so already during

painting, remove the perforated grilles from

from your B.I.C In-Wall Speaker. To remove

the grille, just use the mounting screw

(dog leg) on the rear to push the grille off.

2. See Drawing 11. Make sure all the clamping

brackets (dog legs) are turned inward as

shown in the picture before installing.

3. Insert the speaker into the cutout hole.

4. Using a Phillips screwdriver (or powered

screwdriver, recommended), start tightening

the six screws. As you start the tightening

each of the mounting brackets (dog legs) will

swing around and follow the screw down to

the back of the wall and clamp the speaker

into place. Avoid excessive force when

tightening the screws to prevent deforming

the drywall or breaking the plastic clamp of

the speaker. Be sure to go around all six

screws and check for even tightness in the

clamping pressure.

5. Replace the grille by gently pressing it into

place. Use the supplied black grille adhesive

around the edge of the grille when pressing

it into place.

6. Repeat hookup and final assembly for

other speaker.

Amplifier Simultaneous

Output Rating Speaker Output A Speaker Output B

Two sets of 8Ωspkrs. 1pr. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 1 set 8Ωspeakers

1pr. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 1 pr. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers

One 8Ωset, one 4Ωset 1pr. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 1 set 4Ωspeakers

1pr. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 2prs. of B.I.CIn-Wall speakers

Two sets of 4Ωspkrs. 2prs. of B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 1 set 4Ωspeakers

2prs. B.I.CIn-Wall speakers AND 2 prs. of B.I.CIn-Wall speakers

A QUICK

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Before returning your B.I.CIn-Wall Speaker

for service, it’s a good idea to check out these

simple remedies first.

Nosound from either speaker.

1. Incorrect source selected on receiver or

preamplifier.

2. Mute button pressed on receiver.

3. Wrong speaker output selected – many

receivers have an “A” and “B” speaker

switch. Make sure it’s in the right position.

No sound from one speaker.

1. Un-secure connection at either the speaker

or amplifier – double check them.

2. Balance control turned all the way left or

right – return it to center.

3. Bad connecting cable between sound

source and amplifier – try a new cable.

4. Defective speaker – contact your B.I.C

dealer, or call 1-888-242-4551.

Intermittent sound from one speaker or

speakers play initially but then shut off.

1. Short circuit at either the amplifier or

speaker connectors is activating the amp’s

protection circuits – double check connec-

tions, making sure no stray strands of wire

from one conductor are touching the other.

Both speakers play but sound is mixed

with hum.

1. It could be a faulty patch cord. If so, there

will be hum from your main speaker system

as well as from your B.I.CSpeakers.

2. Assuming you didn’t have hum in your

system before, one or both of the speaker

wires has been run too close to internal

AC house wiring. Re-route it so that it

stays at least 2 feet away from AC power

wiring when running parallel.

Both speakers play but sound is muffled

and “strained.” Amplifier may shut off if

volume is raised too far.

1. Too thin a gauge of wire has been run too far

adistance between amp and speakers. Make

sure that you have followed our suggestions

as to wire gauge versus overall distance.

When volume is turned up to a high

level, the treble cuts in and out.

1. The FH8-W features a special protection

circuit which electronically disconnects

the tweeter if it starts getting too hot. Turn

down your amplifier and make sure to

read the section of this manual titled

“Taking care of your new B.I.C

speakers” which starts on this page.

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