Bose FreeSpace 6 Assembly instructions

Bose
®
FreeSpace
®
6 Business Music System
ExpansionModuleInstaller’sGuide

2
These CAUTION marks are located on your FreeSpace
business music system:
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an
equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the
system enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle, as
marked on the system, is intended to alert the user to
the presence of important operating and maintenance
instructions in this installer’s guide.
Table of Contents
Product contents, Warranty .................................................3
1.1 Applications ...................................................................4
1.2 Loudspeaker placement ................................................4
1.3 Polarity ........................................................................... 4
2.1 Expansion module installation .......................................5
3.1 Asymmetrical loads........................................................7
3.2 Wiring considerations .................................................... 7
3.3 Wire in a plenum space..................................................7
Figure 1: Checkerboard pattern..........................................8
Figure 2: 3–Loudspeaker layout..........................................9
Figure 3: 5–Loudspeaker layout..........................................9
Figure 4: 6–Loudspeaker layout........................................ 10
Figure 5: 7–Loudspeaker layout........................................ 10
Figure 6: 8–Loudspeaker layout........................................ 11
Figure 7: 12–Loudspeaker layout...................................... 12
Figure 8: 16–Loudspeaker layout...................................... 13
Figure 9: Sample business layout ..................................... 14
Safety
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
CAUTION
Warning
To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose
the expansion module or FreeSpace
®
6 business music
system to rain or moisture.
Installation should be by a qualified installer.

3
Introduction
The Bose
®
FreeSpace
®
6 expansion module, when used with a
FreeSpace 6 amplifier can power 1 to 12 additional FreeSpace
6 loudspeakers. System expansion requires connecting loud-
speaker cable from each loudspeaker to the ex pansion
module and plugging the expansion module into block 13 of
the FreeSpace 6 system electronics.
In the past, commercial stereo sound systems were considered
a waste of money. Traditional background music sources were
often monaural and limited in bandwidth. Today, hi-fidelity
stereo music systems for commercial use are simple and
affordable because of high quality stereo music programming
and the Bose FreeSpace 6 business music system.
The wide beamwidth of the FreeSpace 6 loudspeakers (150º)
makes achieving stereo in commercial spaces easy even in low
ceiling environments. Bose recommends using a “checker-
board” pattern (Figure 1, page 8) when wiring for stereo. For
simplicity, many of the expansion illustrations in this manual
show just the left or the right side of the expansion module.
When wiring in stereo, you need to use both sides of the
expansion module. For additional help designing in stereo,
contact Bose at 508-994-2673.
Product contents
If any part appears damaged, do not install. Repack and
contact Bose Customer Service or your authorized Bose
Professional Products dealer.
If your expansion module is defective, contact your authorized
Bose Professional Products dealer. The dealer will verify any
defects and arrange for a replacement.
®
Warranty
Bose covers the expansion module option with a 5-year,
transferable, limited warranty.

4
1.1 Applications
To assist in planning the installation, Figures 2 through 9
(pages 9–14) illustrate typical configurations with recom-
mended wiring guidelines .
Note: The normalized SPL estimate given for each configura-
tion is based on the FreeSpace
®
6 loudspeaker sensitivity
measured at 1W @ 1 m. Actual SPL measurements may vary
depending upon ceiling height, loudspeaker spacing, and
cable losses (see Section 3.2, Wiring considerations).
Note: There may be instances when an installation requires an
odd number of loudspeakers, that is, 3, 5, or 7 per channel.
This expansion module makes these possible.
The 5– and the 7–loudspeaker configurations will yield output
variances between the loudspeakers connected to the odd
loudspeaker channel. The recommended wiring configurations
are shown in the following figures.
1.0 Setting Up
1.2 Loudspeaker placement
Consult the Bose
®
FreeSpace 6 Business Music Systems
Installer’s Guide for complete loudspeaker placement guide-
lines.
1.3 Polarity
For correct phasing between loudspeakers, connect them with
consistent polarity. While incorrect phasing does no physical
harm, it diminishes the bass response.
•Connect the (–) at the expansion module loudspeaker outputs
to the (–) at the loudspeaker terminals.
•Connect the (+) at the expansion module loudspeaker outputs
to the (+) at the loudspeaker terminals.

5
2.1 Expansion module installation
1. Route each loudspeaker’s cable from the loudspeaker to
the expansion module.
Note: It is not necessary to connect any one loudspeaker to
another. All loudspeaker networking is accomplished
within the expansion module. The following illustration
shows how the expansion module works. Although you wire
each loudspeaker to the expansion module individually, the
expansion module interprets your wiring to produce the
effect of loudspeaker A being wired to loudspeaker B and
loudspeaker B being wired to loudspeaker C.
2. Strip the loudspeaker wire to 1/4 inch (6 mm).
Stranded wire is recommended. Do not solder (tin) the wires.
3. Secure each cable to the expansion module block using a
1/8 inch (3 mm) flat blade screwdriver.
Schematic
+
+
–
–
+
–
a
b
+
–
c
FS6
Amp
Out
Expansion
Module
LEFT
RIGHT
(One channel)
2.0 Installation

6
4. Turn off the FreeSpace
®
6 system electronics and plug
the expansion module, with attached loudspeaker wires,
into block 13 of the system electronics.
Secure the expansion module to the system electronics
using the two screws provided. Do not over tighten
them.
6. Turn on the FreeSpace 6 system electronics.
The loudspeakers are now ready for use.
5. Place the cover on the FreeSpace 6 system electronics.
®
B
A
Low level
inputs/outputs
Loudspeaker
connections
Phono cable
inputs
2.0 Installation
B
A
®

7
3.1 Asymmetrical loads
Some applications may require the FreeSpace
®
6 amplifier to
drive varying numbers of loudspeakers from each channel.
Often this is a dual–zone application in which one zone requires
few loudspeakers and another zone requires many loudspeak-
ers to achieve ample coverage.
Note: When using the expansion module in a dual-zone appli-
cation, there may be a difference in maximum output between
the two chan nels. The greater the number of loudspeakers con-
nected to a single channel, the less power each loudspeaker
receives.
An example of this type of application is the dual–zone restau-
rant installation shown in Figure 9 (page 14). Both zones require
music; only the lounge requires paging.
The dining area is a larger room than the lounge and requires 8
loudspeakers. A low SPL is required to drive the loudspeakers
comfortably over the ambient noise floor (in this case, a maxi-
mum of 2 Watts per loudspeaker).
Although the lounge is smaller in total volume, its ambient
noise floor is higher. In order for customers to hear paging
announcements, each loudspeaker requires more than 2 Watts.
Four loudspeakers provide adequate coverage in the lounge.
For technical assistance, call the Bose
®
Application and Design
Support hotline at 1-800-992-2673 or contact your authorized
Bose Professional Products dealer.
3.2 Wiring considerations
Use stranded, heavy gauge wire for loudspeaker connections.
As a rule, the greater the distance between the amplifier and
the loudspeakers, the larger the wire diameter needs to be for
minimal power loss. For best performance from the FreeSpace
6 system, use the following table as a guide:
Negligible
SPL loss
Wire Diameter
(AWG/mm2)
18/0.75
OK OK
Not
recommended
Not
recommended
16/1.5
OK
14/2.5
12/4.0
OK
OK OK
SPL Loss per Loudspeaker Cable Length
Negligible
SPL loss Not recommended Not recommended
Negligible
SPL loss Not recommended
Negligible
SPL loss
Not
recommended
3.3 Wire in a plenum space
Both UL and CSA permit the use of Class 2 wire (CL2, CL2P,
or CL2R) for loudspeaker wire. If the wire passes through a
plenum, only CL2P is acceptable. In risers such as vertical air-
handling ducts or any through passage from floor-to-floor,
CL2R is classified for this use.
See Table 725-53 of the National Electric Code (NEC) for a list
of acceptable wire substitutes.
50 ft/15 m 100 ft/30 m 200 ft/60 m25 ft/8 m
3.0 Miscellaneous

8
Figure 1: Checkerboard pattern
L
Left Right
R
L
L R
R
LR
3.0 Miscellaneous

9
Figure 2: 3–Loudspeaker layout
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
–
a
c
b
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+89 dB
89 dB
89 dB
+
–
+
–
+
Actual wiring to the expansion module
3.0 Miscellaneous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
a
c
de
b
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+83 dB
83 dB
83 dB
86 dB
86 dB
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
Actual wiring to the expansion module
Figure 3: 5–Loudspeaker layout

10
Figure 4: 6–Loudspeaker layout
Actual wiring to the expansion module
–
+
a
bc
de
f
Left
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
89 dB
89 dB
89 dB
89 dB
89 dB
89 dB
182 dB
82 dB
85 dB
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
–
a
c
de
g
f
b
82 dB
85 dB
85 dB
85 dB
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
Figure 5: 7–Loudspeaker layout
Actual wiring to the expansion module
3.0 Miscellaneous