Monoprice 18586 User manual

Aria Polypropylene In-wall & In-ceiling Speakers
P/Ns 18586, 18587, 18588, 18589, 18590
User's Manual

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CONTENTS
SAFETY WARNINGS AND GUIDELINES ...............................................................................3
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................4
FEATURES.........................................................................................................................4
CUSTOMER SERVICE .........................................................................................................4
PACKAGE CONTENTS........................................................................................................5
IN-WALL VERSUS IN-CEILING SPEAKERS ...........................................................................5
SPEAKER BREAK-IN...........................................................................................................5
SPEAKER WIRE PREPARATION ...........................................................................................6
PAINTING .........................................................................................................................7
INSTALLATION..................................................................................................................8
TECHNICAL SUPPORT......................................................................................................10
SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................................11

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SAFETY WARNINGS AND GUIDELINES
These speakers are intended for indoor use only.
Do not expose these speakers to water or moisture of any kind.
If operating these speakers in a humid environment, ensure that no condensation
occurs. Condensation could cause damage to the speaker cones and voice coils.
Power off and unplug all Audio/Video components when making wired
connections. Only apply power after all connections have been made.
Double-check all connections prior to applying power to ensure that speaker
polarity is properly made and that there are no stray wire strands, which could short
the connections, either on the backs of the speakers or the AV receiver/amplifier.
Do not use full volume until after the speakers have been fully broken-in.
If you hear distortion, reduce the volume until the distortion is no longer audible.
Distortion can sound like a buzzing, scratching, or hammering sound. Distortion can
damage or destroy the delicate speaker coils.
Do not use cleaning fluids, solvents, or other chemicals to clean the speaker frames
or grilles.
Do not use excessive volume when listening to these speakers. If you experience
pain, discomfort, or dizziness, reduce volume immediately. Prolonged exposure to
excessive volume can cause permanent hearing damage.
Do not disassemble or attempt to service these speakers.
You must use speaker wire rated for in-wall use.
Do not attempt to install these speakers near power outlets, wall switches, or
ceiling fixtures. These objects indicate the presence of AC power lines within the
wall or ceiling and should be avoided.
Always check and adhere to your local building and fire safety codes before
installing these speakers and running wires through the walls and ceiling.

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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing these In-Wall/In-Ceiling Speakers!
In-wall/In-ceiling speakers are the ideal combination of sound quality and styling. Rather
than cluttering the room with large box speakers trailing speaker wires, the speakers are
virtually invisible, while filling the room with high fidelity audio. Featuring removable and
paintable grilles, these 2-way speakers use polypropylene + mica woofer cones with
rubber surround for deep, impactful bass, and PEI dome tweeters for sweeter and
smoother high frequencies.
FEATURES
Polypropylene + mica cone woofers
PEI dome tweeters
8-ohms nominal impedance
Removable and paintable grille
CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Monoprice Customer Service department is dedicated to ensuring that your ordering,
purchasing, and delivery experience is second to none. If you have any problem with your
order, please give us an opportunity to make it right. You can contact a Monoprice
Customer Service representative through the Live Chat link on our website
www.monoprice.com during normal business hours (Mon-Fri: 5am-7pm PT, Sat-Sun: 9am-
6pm PT) or via email at [email protected]

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PACKAGE CONTENTS
Please take an inventory of the package contents to ensure you have all the items listed
below. If anything is missing or damaged, please contact Monoprice Customer Service for a
replacement.
2x Aria polypropylene 2-way in-wall/in-ceiling speakers
2x Installation template/paint masks
1x Grille removal tool
1x User's manual
IN-WALL VERSUS IN-CEILING SPEAKERS
In-Wall and In-Ceiling speakers are identical in concept and differ only in their form. Wall
speakers are traditionally square, like windows and doors, while ceiling speakers are
traditionally round, like light fixtures. The instructions in this manual specify installation
into a wall, but the same procedures apply to ceiling installations.
SPEAKER BREAK-IN
In the same way that a new car requires a break-in period before it can be safely operated
at high engine RPMs, speakers require a break-in period before they can be safely operated
at maximum volume levels. Proper break-in ensures that the moving parts of the speaker
(the cone and cone suspension) are allowed to flex and soften, losing the initial stiffness
and allowing the speaker to move through its full intended range. After the break-in
period, the speakers will produce richer and fatter sounding lows, warmer and smoother
sounding mids, and cleaner and more accurate highs, without any hint of distortion.
The best way to break-in speakers is simply to play normal music or watch movies at
moderate volume levels. The amount of time required for speaker break-in varies based on
the operating environment, but is typically in the area of 50~80 hours. It will take a bit
longer in a cold or dry environment and a little less time in a warm or humid environment.
Note that the break-in period does not have to be continuous.

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SPEAKER WIRE PREPARATION
Before attempting to make any connections it is best to look at the situation, get all the
necessary materials together, and then make all the connections at once.
First, look at the back of your amplifier or receiver to determine what options it offers for
making connections. Amplifiers and receivers typically employ either 5-way binding posts,
spring-loaded terminals, or push terminals for the speaker connections.
A 5-way binding post can accept bare speaker wire, spade plugs, pin plugs, and banana
plugs, while spring loaded terminals and push terminals can accept either bare speaker
wire or pin plugs. Refer to the documentation that came with your amplifier or receiver to
determine the maximum size/gauge speaker wire the speaker terminals can accept.
The in-ceiling speakers feature push terminals, which can accept pin plugs or bare wire up
to 14AWG. The in-wall speakers feature blade connectors. You should use .250" 16-14AWG
crimp style blue female disconnects (not included) on the speaker end of the speaker wire.
If your amplifier can accept it, you should use 14AWG speaker wire. Using pin plugs is
highly recommended for several reasons. Plugs are easier to connect, don't run the risk of
stray wire strands shorting the connections, allow for use of heavier gauge speaker wire in
most cases, and it is much easier to identify the polarity from a color coded ring on a plug
then from a subtle marking along the length of a wire.
Because the speaker wires will necessarily be run through your walls, you must use in-wall
rated wire. This is required by fire safety codes and ensures that the wire jacket will not act
as an accelerant in the event of a fire.
Rather than using fixed length speaker wires, it is best to get a roll and cut the wires to the
length you will need them. This ensures that there is a minimum amount of excess wire.
However, even if your amplifier is off-center, the lengths of wire used for each speaker pair
should be identical. This keeps the impedance on each channel the same, which ensures
that the volume levels, frequency ranges, and tonalities are identical. Any excess wire
should be snaked back and forth, not coiled, to avoid creating an inductor/antenna for
stray radio signals.
Before making the actual connections, cut each length of wire to size. Note the markings
on the wire that differentiate between each conductor. Sometimes the marking clearly

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identifies a positive and negative side. Some common clearly positive and negative
markings or identifiers are:
Positive
Negative
Red
Black
Copper
Silver
╋╋╋
━━━
In many cases, the mark is a single stripe on the jacket of one of the connectors. In this
case the side with the stripe is generally
considered the positive side, but it really does not
matter as long as you are consistent and always
using the stripe as positive or always using it as
negative.
When you are ready to prepare your speaker
wires, first separate about 4" of wire, then strip
about 1/4" (6mm) insulation from the end and twist it to prevent stray strands. If you plan
to use banana or pin plugs (highly recommended), install the plugs on the wire.
PAINTING
The grille and frame can be painted to match your walls, making the speaker even less
noticeable. Perform the following steps to safely paint them without damaging the
speaker.
1. Remove the center portion of the cardboard installation template/paint mask. The
central portion is the paint mask, while the outer portion is the installation
template.
2. Completely remove the grille by inserting a paper clip or the included grille removal
tool into one of the holes and pulling to lift it off the frame.

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3. Remove the foam insert and set it aside.
4. Insert the paint mask, covering the
speaker while leaving the frame
exposed.
5. Paint the speaker frame and grille. It
is best to use spray paint to avoid
paint clogging the holes in the grille.
6. Allow the paint to completely dry
before proceeding with installation.
Ensure that the holes in the grille are not blocked by paint.
INSTALLATION
Perform the following steps to install the speaker onto a wall composed of drywall. Note
that the same procedures apply to ceiling installations. The speaker can be mounted to a
surface that is between 3/8" and 1-1/4" thick, with at least 4" internal clearance.
1. Determine where you will be installing the speaker. Use a stud finder to ensure that
there is sufficient space between the desired location and the adjacent studs. Be
sure and check for horizontal framing members, as well. Use a pencil to mark the
edges of the adjacent studs.
2. If you have not already done so, remove the
center portion of the cardboard installation
template/paint mask and set it aside. The
central portion is the paint mask, while the
outer portion is the installation template.
3. Position the installation template against the
wall at the installation location.
4. Use a carpenter's level to ensure that the
template is level.
5. Use a pencil to mark the cut line on the wall.

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6. Remove the template from the wall and set it aside.
7. Use the level again to check the cut lines to ensure that they are level. Repeat steps
3-6 as necessary until the cut lines are level.
8. Drill a small hole in the middle of the cutout area. If the proposed installation
location is not clear, you can more easily repair the small hole than if you cut
without checking and find one or more obstructions.
9. Take a stiff piece of wire, such as a hanger, and bend it 90° about 8" from the end.
Insert the wire past the bend, then rotate the wire 360° to check for hidden
obstructions behind the wall. Push it in to ensure that there is sufficient clearance
behind the wall or ceiling.
10. Once you know your installation location is clear, use a drywall or keyhole saw to
cut along the cut lines.
11. If you have not already done so, prepare your speaker wire in accordance with the
guidelines in the Speaker Wire Preparation section above.
Important! Because the speaker wire will necessarily be routed through your walls,
you must use in-wall rated speaker wire.
12. Route your speaker wire from the back of your amplifier, through the wall, to the
installation location.
13. If you have not already done so, completely remove the grille by inserting a paper
clip or the included grille removal tool into one of the holes and pulling to lift it off
the frame.
14. Remove the foam insert from behind the grille and set it aside.
15. For the in-ceiling models, depress the positive/red push terminal on the back of the
speaker and insert the bare wire lead or pin plug into the hole on the side of the
terminal. Release the terminal. For in-wall models, plug the female disconnect for
the positive lead onto the positive blade terminal.
16. For the in-ceiling models, depress the negative/black push terminal and insert the
bare wire lead or pin plug into the hole on the side of the terminal. Release the
terminal. For in-wall models, plug the female disconnect for the positive lead onto
the positive blade terminal.

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17. Give a gentle tug on each lead to ensure that they are securely connected to the
terminals.
18. Ensure that the mounting tabs on the speaker assembly are turned inwards.
19. Position the speaker into the hole.
20. Using a #2 Phillips screwdriver, tighten each mounting screw to turn the mounting
tabs back outward. Continue tightening until the mounting tabs are firmly against
the back of the wall and the speaker is secure. Do not over-tighten the screws to
avoid damage to the mounting tabs.
21. Reposition the foam insert inside the grille, then insert the grille into the speaker
frame.
22. Ensure that your amplifier is powered off and unplugged from the power source.
23. Connect the amplifier end of the speaker wire to one of the speaker level outputs
on your amplifier, taking care to match the polarity markings on the speaker wire or
plugs.
Congratulations, your speaker is installed and ready for use!
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Monoprice is pleased to provide free, live, online technical support to assist you with any
questions you may have about installation, setup, troubleshooting, or product
recommendations. If you ever need assistance with your new product, please come online
to talk to one of our friendly and knowledgeable Tech Support Associates. Technical
support is available through the online chat button on our website www.monoprice.com
during regular business hours, 7 days a week. You can also get assistance through email by
sending a message to [e-mail]

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SPECIFICATIONS
Model
18586
18587
Speaker Type
In-Ceiling
In-Ceiling
Woofer Type
5.25" polypropylene + mica
cone
6.5" polypropylene + mica
cone
Tweeter Type
0.5" PEI dome
0.5" PEI dome
Frequency Response
65 Hz ~ 20 kHz
55 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Crossover Frequency
4.5 kHz
4.2 kHz
Nominal Impedance
8 ohms
8 ohms
Maximum Input Power (RMS)
30 watts
40 watts
Maximum Input Power (Peak)
60 watts
80 watts
Sensitivity
86dB
87dB
Dimensions
ø8.39" x 2.80"
(ø213 x 71 mm)
ø9.41" x 3.35"
(ø239 x 85 mm)
Cutout Dimensions
ø6.89" x 2.44"
(ø175 x 62 mm)
ø8.03" x 2.68"
(ø204 x 68 mm)

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Model
18588
18589
Speaker Type
In-Ceiling
In-Wall
Woofer Type
8" polypropylene + mica
cone
5.25" polypropylene + mica
cone
Tweeter Type
0.5" PEI dome
0.5" PEI dome
Frequency Response
48 Hz ~ 20 kHz
65 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Crossover Frequency
4.2 kHz
3.5 kHz
Nominal Impedance
8 ohms
8 ohms
Maximum Input Power (RMS)
50 watts
30 watts
Maximum Input Power (Peak)
100 watts
60 watts
Sensitivity
89dB
86dB
Dimensions
ø11.02" x 3.94"
(ø280 x 100 mm)
10.98" x 7.54" x 2.81"
(279 x 192 x 72 mm)
Cutout Dimensions
ø9.65" x 3.35"
(ø245 x 85 mm)
9.61" x 6.14" x 2.44"
(244 x 156 x 62 mm)

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Model
18590
Speaker Type
In-Wall
Woofer Type
6.5" polypropylene + mica cone
Tweeter Type
0.5" PEI dome
Frequency Response
50 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Crossover Frequency
3.5 kHz
Nominal Impedance
8 ohms
Maximum Input Power (RMS)
40 watts
Maximum Input Power (Peak)
80 watts
Sensitivity
86dB
Dimensions
12.05" x 8.66" x 3.35" (306 x 220 x 85 mm)
Weight
10.67" x 7.28" x 2.95" (271 x 185 x 75 mm)