Monoprice 34197 User manual

34197 Alpha In-Ceiling Speakers 6.5in Carbon Fiber 2-Way with 15° Angled Drivers (pair)
34198 Alpha In-Ceiling Speakers 8in Carbon Fiber 2-Way with 15° Angled Drivers (pair)
34199 Alpha In-Wall Speakers 6.5in Carbon Fiber 3-Way (pair)
34200 Alpha In-Wall Speakers 8in Carbon Fiber 3-Way (pair)
User's Manual

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SAFETY WARNINGS AND GUIDELINES
Please read this entire manual before using this device, paying extra attention to these
safety warnings and guidelines. Please keep this manual in a safe place for future reference.
This speaker is intended for indoor use only.
Do not expose this speaker to water or moisture of any kind.
If operating this speaker 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 back of the speaker or the AV receiver/amplifier.
Do not use full volume until after the speaker has 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 frame or grille.
Do not use excessive volume when listening to this speaker. 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 this speaker.
You must use speaker wire rated for in-wall use.
When checking for the presence of objects behind the wall, do not try to force the wire
past obstructions.
Do not attempt to install this speaker 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. Extreme care should be exercised when working near AC power lines.

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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing these In-Wall/In-Ceiling Speakers! In-wall and 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, yet still
fill the room with high fidelity audio. Featuring removable and paintable magnetic grilles,
these speakers use carbon fiber drivers for superior bass and mid-range reproduction, and
silk dome tweeters for sweet and smooth high frequencies.
FEATURES
8" carbon fiber woofer (34198 and 34200 only)
6.25" carbon fiber woofer (34197 and 34199 only)
3.5" carbon fiber mid-range (34199 only)
4" carbon fiber mid-range (34200 only)
1" silk dome tweeter
8-ohms nominal impedance
Removable and paintable magnetic 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 In-wall or In-Ceiling speakers with magnetic grilles
1x Installation template
1x User's manual
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.
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.

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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.
This speaker features push terminals, which can accept pin plugs or bare wire up to 14AWG.
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
identifies a positive and negative side. Some common clearly positive and negative
markings or identifiers are:
Positive
Negative
Red
Black
Copper
Silver
+ + +
- - -

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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 use the stripe as positive or always use 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 or ceiling, making the speaker
even less noticeable. Perform the following steps to safely paint them without damaging
the speaker.
1. Completely remove the grille by
lifting the edge to pull it off the
speaker body.
2. Paint the speaker grille. It is best to
use spray paint to avoid paint
clogging the holes in the grille.
3. Allow the paint to completely dry
before proceeding with installation.
Ensure that the holes in the grille are not blocked by paint.

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INSTALLATION
The following steps provide detailed instructions for installing the speaker onto a wall or
ceiling composed of drywall. The speaker can be mounted to a drywall wall or ceiling that
is between 3/8" and 1-1/4" thick, with sufficient depth clearance for the model being
installed. If installing to a drop ceiling, use of a mounting bracket is required. Monoprice
carries mounting brackets for drop ceiling installations.
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 framing members that run perpendicular to the main studs, 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.
3. Position the installation template against the
wall or ceiling at the installation location.
4. For wall installations, use a carpenter's level to
ensure that the template is level.
5. Use a pencil to mark the cut line on the wall.
6. Remove the template from the wall/ceiling
and set it aside.
7. For wall installations, 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.

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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 or space
above the ceiling, to the installation location.
13. If you have not already done so, completely remove the grille, which is held in place
with magnets for ease of removal.
14. Depress the positive/red push terminal on the back of the speaker and insert the
bare wire lead or pin plug on the positive lead into the hole on the side of the
terminal. Release the terminal.
15. Depress the negative/black push terminal and insert the bare wire lead or pin plug
on the negative lead into the hole on the side of the terminal. Release the terminal.
16. Give a gentle tug on each lead to ensure that they are securely connected to the
terminals.
17. Ensure that the mounting tabs on the speaker assembly are turned inwards.
18. Position the speaker into the hole.
19. 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 or ceiling and the speaker is secure. Do not over-tighten the
screws to avoid damage to the mounting tabs.
20. Replace the grille onto the speaker body.
21. Ensure that your amplifier is powered off and unplugged from the power source.
22. 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!

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HIGH-FREQUENCY ROLL-OFF
This speaker is equipped with a high-frequency roll-off option, which can be used to
attenuate the high-frequency response. If the speaker sounds too "bright", perform the
following steps to set the high-frequency roll-off.
1. Pull the edge of the grille to remove it.
2. Using a flat-bladed screwdriver, turn the high-frequency roll-off switch to the -3dB
or -6dB position. The default is 0dB (no attenuation).
3. Replace the grille onto the speaker body.
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
34197
34198
Type
2-way in-ceiling 15°
angled
2-way in-ceiling 15°
angled
Woofer
6.5" carbon fiber cone
8" carbon fiber cone
Tweeter
1" silk dome
1" silk dome
Frequency Response
58 Hz ~ 20 kHz
45 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Crossover Frequency
1.9 kHz
1.6 kHz
Nominal Impedance
8 ohms
8 ohms
Power Handling Capacity (RMS)
60 watts
80 watts
Power Handling Capacity (Max)
120 watts
160 watts
Sensitivity
88dB
89dB
Overall Dimensions
ø10.1" x 4.6"
ø12.1" x 5.6"
Cutout Dimensions
ø8.66"
ø10.43
Weight (each)
4.0 lbs.
7.2 lbs.

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Model
34199
34200
Type
3-way in-wall
3-way in-wall
Woofer
6.5" carbon fiber cone
8" carbon fiber cone
Mid-range
3.5" carbon fiber dome
4" carbon fiber dome
Tweeter
1" silk dome
1" silk dome
Frequency Response
58 Hz ~ 20 kHz
45 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Crossover Frequencies
490 Hz and 4.4 kHz
490 Hz and 4.6 kHz
Nominal Impedance
8 ohms
8 ohms
Power Handling Capacity (RMS)
80 watts
100 watts
Power Handling Capacity (Max)
160 watts
200 watts
Sensitivity
89dB
89dB
Overall Dimensions
12.1" x 8.7" x 3.4"
14.2" x 10.2" x 3.8"
Cutout Dimensions
10.84" x 7.34"
12.81" x 8.80"
Weight (each)
5.6 lbs.
8.1 lbs.