Origin Acoustics EXPLORER DBA10EX User manual

DBA10EX Installation Manual
In-Ceiling Subwoofer
DBA10EX
EXPLORER COLLECTION

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Specifications 3
What’s Included 4
Tools & Items 4
Wire Recommendation 4
Subwoofer Placement 5
About Speaker Wire 6
Installing the Wire 6
Wire Routing 7
For New Construction 7
Painting the Grille 8
Cutting the Hole 8
Installing the Bayonet Ring 9
Connecting the Wire 9
Installing the Speaker 10
Subwoofer/Amplifier Setup 11
Installing the Grille 11
Troubleshooting 12
Technical Assistance 13
Warranty 14
Return Process 15

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Thank you for purchasing the DBA10EX In-Ceiling Subwoofer of the Explorer
Collection. The Explorer Collection of loudspeakers from Origin Acoustics were
developed to withstand the harsh conditions found in marine environments.
This includes exposure to saltwater, extreme temperature changes and airborne
humidity. They will produce amazing musical fidelity while spending family time
on the lake or a trip on the open sea and they have the build quality to last for
years in these situations
Thisinstructionbookletcoversthenecessaryinformationforasmoothinstallation,
including: the tools you will need, step-by-step instructions for installation,
troubleshooting tips for any errors that may occur, and all warranty information.
If for any reason you experience problems or if you have installation questions
please call us at [phone]. Hours of operation are 8:00am to 5:00pm (Pacific
Time), Monday through Friday.
Introduction

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Specifications
*All product specifications are subject to change. Please refer to the dealer portal for the latest information.
MODEL DBA10EX
PART DBA10000EX
Woofer 10” Fiberglass
Frequency Response 35Hz – 200Hz
Power RMS 50 Watts
Power Peak 150 Watts
Impedance 6 ohm
Diameter 11 ” (286mm)
Grille Diameter 11 ” (298 mm)
Cut-Out Diameter 10 ” (264 mm)
Mounting Depth 6 ” (158 mm)

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Speaker Bayonet Ring Grille Template
What’s Included
• Drywall Saw
• Speaker Wire
• Pencil
• Wire Stripper
• Measuring Tape
• Drill
• Drill Bit ⅛” (3mm)
• Stiff Wire
• Stud Finder
• Fish Tape
• Spray Paint
• Compressed Air
Tools & Items
The gauge of wire used can have an impact on the performance of your speakers.
Use a multi-stranded wiring designed for amplifier to speaker connections.
Which gauge to select depends on the length of wire to be used on any particular
speaker. The longer your run is, the larger your wire size must be.
Wire Recommendation
Wire Length Wire Gauge
0 -100’ (0 - 30m) 16
50 - 150’ (15 - 45m) 14
Over 100’ (30m) 12
5.55in
140.9mm
11.26in
286mm
Cutout:
10.31in
262mm
11.75in
298.6mm
DBA10
SCALE:1:4
Origin Acoustics
Mission Inn Rotunda
3649 Mission Avenue, 1st Floor
Riverside, CA 92501
844-ORIGIN1 (674-4461)
www.originacoustics.com
O R I G I N®
A C O U S T I C S

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
The music we hear as bass is made up of frequencies that have long to very long
wavelengths (6. to 50.). Therefore, when a subwoofer is placed into a room, its
position in the room will aect the amount of bass perceived by the listener. In
other words, placing the speaker in some areas of a room will result in more bass
than in other areas of the same room. The more surfaces (walls, ceilings, floors) a
speaker is placed next too, the more bass you will hear. An in-ceiling subwoofer
mounted in the center of a wall (or ceiling) will gain 3dB of bass if it is moved up
the wall (across the ceiling) to where it is adjacent to the ceiling (wall). You can
then gain 3dB additional bass by moving the speaker to the corner, where the
intersection of three surfaces occurs.
Subwoofer Placement
DBA10EX
DBA10EX
DBA10EX
DBA10EX
DBA10EX
Living Room
Center Ceiling
Ceiling corners

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Strip ¼ to ½ inches (6 to 12 mm) of the
insulation o both ends of the wire. To
avoid stray strands, twist them at the
end. Connect the wire to the amplifier,
and make sure the wire connected to
the le speaker output will be routed
to the le speaker, right output to right
speaker, etc.
1. Installing the Wire
You will need a wire that has at least two conductors; one that can be identified
as the positive and the other as the negative. All two conductor wires have some
means of identifying which conductor is which, but at times this identification
may be subtle. It’s crucial that you keep track of which wire you use for positive
(+) and negative (-). Typically if the wires are colored red and black, the red wire
is used for positive and the black wire is used for negative, but sometimes other
colors or patterns are used. You can choose whichever color of wire you want to
be positive and negative as long as you remain consistent throughout the install.
On both your amplifier and your speaker the connectors will be identified as red
for positive and black for negative. It is very important to look carefully at the
speaker wires and be certain that the same wire that is attached to the positive
connector in the amplifier is attached to the positive connector in the speaker.
About Speaker Wire
0.25 - 0.5”
(6 - 12mm)
Speaker
Wire

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Plan how you’ll route the wire to the desired speaker location. There are several methods
for routing the wire, and you may need to combine several of them.
2. Wire Routing
One option is to li up the carpet and rout
“tape wire” under the carpet.
Under the Carpet
The wire can be routed behind the
baseboard by cutting a groove out of the
back of the baseboard, or by buying special
baseboard designed for concealing wires.
Behind the Baseboard
When available, you can route the wire
through an attic or crawlspace.
Attic or Basement
When running wires through a wall, be sure
to avoid all obstacles such as AC wiring,
pipes, and ducts.
Through Walls
If these speakers are being installed in a new home during construction, the installation
process will be a bit dierent (although much simpler). For these situations, it’s
recommended you purchase a bracket. Instructions on how to install the speakers are
provided with the bracket, or can be found on our website. Visit www.originacoustics.
com for more information.
3. For New Construction

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
When you’ve decided on the locations for all of the speakers, use the template to trace a
circle lightly in pencil where the hole should be. (If you don’t have a template, check the
Specifications section for cutout sizes.) If you’re unsure on whether there may be obstacles
(such as pipes or wires) where you plan on installing the speaker, drill a ⅛ inch hole in the
center of the circle, then put a bent coat hanger through the hole to feel around. Use a
keyhole or drywall saw to cut the hole.
5. Cutting the Hole
In some situations the speakers may look better if the color matched the walls, ceiling, or
trim in the room. This can be accomplished by painting the grille. The grille must be paint-
ed with spray paint, and most hardware stores will mix a can of paint to match whatever
color you need. Before painting, carefully remove the thin cloth on the underside of the
grille. Lightly spray the front of the grille with the paint from a distance, being careful not to
plug any of the holes. Diluting the paint with paint thinner will lessen the risk of filling any
holes. If a hole gets plugged use a can of compressed air to open it. Once the paint is dry,
put the cloth back on the grille.
4. Painting the Grille
Grille
Paint
Grille
Cloth
Grille

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
(Locked)
Bayonet Ring
Adjust the clips so that they’re positioned at the top of the rail. If they’re not already there
you can do this by pushing the release tabs (or metal “buttons”) on the inside of the rail and
pulling the clips to the top of the rails. Insert the bayonet ring into the hole in the ceiling
by gently bending the clips inward. Reach inside the bayonet ring and push the clips down
so that the Installation mount is firmly in place, but not too tight. If for some reason the
bayonet ring needs to be removed, reach inside and push the release tabs to fully remove
the clips. Aer the clips have been removed, the bayonet ring can be taken out.
6. Installing the Bayonet Ring
(Unlocked)
Bayonet Ring
Insert the wires into the connectors,
making sure that the positive wire is being
attached to the red connection and the
negative wire is being attached to the black
connection. If the negative and positive
wires are switched, speaker performance
will be drastically impacted.
7. Connecting the Wire
Speaker
Wire
Connector

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Fit the speaker into the bayonet ring, and twist
it clockwise into place. When the arrow on the
speaker lines up with one of the arrows on
the bayonet ring, that means the speaker is
tightly in place. Be sure that the arrows line up,
otherwise there’s a risk that the speaker will fall
out of the ceiling.
8. Installing the Speaker
1. Fit into Ring
2. Twist into Ring
5.55in
140.9mm
11.26in
286mm
Cutout:
10.31in
262mm
11.75in
298.6mm
DBA10
SCALE:1:4
Origin Acoustics
Mission Inn Rotunda
3649 Mission Avenue, 1st Floor
Riverside, CA 92501
844-ORIGIN1 (674-4461)
www.originacoustics.com
O R I G I N®
A C O U S T I C S
Silicone Sealant: In all applications where moisture is a concern, care should be taken to
completely seal the speaker to the bayonet ring (Inner Border ‘A’) and also seal the bayonet
ring to the installation surface (Outer Border ‘B’). It is strongly recommended that a liberal
bead of marine grade silicone be applied in these two areas. This will improve weather
resistance and also assure that mechanical vibrations, like those common in watercra,
will not dislodge the loudspeaker.
Outer Border “B”
MARINE GRADE SILICONE
Inner Border “A”

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
9. Subwoofer/Amplifier Setup
Fit the grille over the speaker. The grille uses magnets to be held in place.
10. Installing the Grille
The DBA10EX is a passive subwoofer that requires external amplification. While any
amplifier with enough power (100-200 watts) will be suicient to drive the subwoofer, there
are other considerations you will need to address. The DBA10EX is designed to reproduce
frequencies below 150Hz. Therefore, running full frequencies to the sub will result in less
than optimal performance. If you are using an Audio Video Receiver (AVR) that has Dolby/
DTS processing, there will be a line level, subwoofer output. This output will typically
have adjustments to determine the low frequency crossover point, eliminating the higher
frequencies, and a level adjustment. This output CANNOT be plugged directly into the
DBA10EX as it is at line level and must first be connected to an amplifier that will boost
the signal to speaker level and then connected to the subwoofer. For the highest quality
performance, Origin Acoustics has two amplifiers that are specifically designed to drive the
DBA10EX as well as other in-wall and in-ceiling subwoofers in the Origin line. The SUBA150
is a dedicated, single-channel subwoofer amplifier with both line level and speaker level
inputs. The crossover point, phase and volume level can be adjusted from the front panel
to blend the DBA10EX with the satellite speakers in the room. The DSP3-100 is a three-
channel amplifier providing 100 watts of power to a dedicated subwoofer channel as
well as independent channels for the le and right speakers as well. The versatility of this
amplifier is found in the powerful Digital Signal Processing (DSP) that allows for a myriad
of adjustments to fine tune the signal delivered to the subs and satellites. Follow the wiring
and set-up instructions included with amplifier you choose.

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
If possible, it’s oen good to try to isolate the problem first. For example, if you’re playing
a DVD on a television and there’s no sound, try connecting an MP3 player to the system to
see if that works. If it does work, then the problem is with the television, DVD player, or the
cables connecting them. If it doesn’t work, the problem will be with the amplifier, speakers,
or those cables.
Troubleshooting
Problem Possible Cause
No Sound The volume may be turned down or muted. Check the volume
settings on both the amplifier and the television/computer/CD
player/etc.
No Sound Make sure the proper source is selected on the amplifier or
receiver.
No Sound Check the cord connecting the amplifier with the source. The
cord may be damaged or plugged into the wrong input or
output.
No Sound Check the wires connecting the amplifier with the speakers.
Make sure they’re connected properly and not damaged in any
way.
Poor Sound
Quality
If you hear something like static, or the sound is cutting in and
out, check the audio cables. If the problem increases when a
cable is being moved, then the cable is most likely faulty or not
connected properly.
Poor Sound
Quality
Today’s audio systems may have several places to adjust the
volume, for example your MP3 player may have a volume
control, and your amplifier may also have one. Check to be
certain that the volume isn’t turned up past 80% on any device.
Poor Sound
Quality
Try changing sources to be certain that the selection you’ve
chosen is a good quality recording.

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
If you have any questions or concerns about installing or using this product, you
can reach us through one of the following methods:
Phone: [phone]
Hours of operation: 8:00am - 5:00pm (Pacific Time), Mon - Fri
Email: [e-mail]
If you are having technical trouble, please include the model number and
briefly explain what steps you took to resolve the problem in your email, or
be prepared to answer these questions over the phone. If you are considering
returning the product, it’s required that you contact Origin Acoustics prior to any
return attempts. This way we can determine if the issue can be resolved without
returning the product, or if needed we can provide instructions and support for
the return process.
Technical Assistance

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
Origin Acoustics warrants to the original retail purchaser only that this Origin
Acoustics product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship,
provided the speaker was purchased from an Origin Acoustics authorized dealer.
If the product is determined to be defective, it will be repaired or replaced at
Origin Acoustics’ discretion. If the product must be replaced yet it is no longer
manufactured, it will be replaced with a model of equal to or greater value that is
the most similar to the original. If this is the case, installing the replacement model
may require mounting modifications; Origin Acoustics will not be responsible for
any such related costs.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
This warranty may not be valid if the product was purchased through an
unauthorized dealer. This warranty only applies to the individual that made the
original purchase, and it cannot be applied to other purchases. The purchaser
must be prepared to provide proof of purchase (receipt). This warranty will not
be valid if the identifying number or serial number has been removed, defaced,
or altered.
Requirements & Warranty Coverage
*All warranties and warranty conditions are subject to change. Please refer to
www.originacoustics.com for the latest information.

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
• Accidental damage
• Damage caused by abuse or misuse
• Damage caused by attempted repairs/modifications by anyone other than
Origin Acoustics or an authorized dealer
• Damage caused by improper installation
• Normal wear, maintenance, and environmental issues
• Damage caused by voltage inputs in excess of the rated maximum of the unit
• Damage inflicted during the return shipment
Not Covered by Warranty
Before making any return attempts, it is required that you first contact Origin
Acoustics. Return product to Origin Acoustics or your dealer, either in person or by
mail. It’s preferable if the product is returned in the original packaging. If this isn’t
possible, the customer is responsible for insuring the shipment for the full value
of the product.
This warranty is in lieu of all other expressed or implied warranties. Some states
do not allow limitations on implied warranties, so this may not apply depending
on the customer’s location. (For more information, see Magnuson-Moss Warranty
Act.)
Return Process

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DBA10EX In-ceiling Subwoofer Manual
NOTES

6975 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89118 • www.originacoustics.com • 844-674-4461
©2018 Origin Acoustics. All copyrighted, trademarked and patented elements mentioned herein are the sole
property of Origin Acoustics.