Installation manual

8-11
For more information call your Leviton representative or the Leviton Technical Hotline at 800-722-2082
© Copyright 2001 Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
8
PRE-WIRE
Installation,
Labeling and
Documentation
Pre-Wire
Installation
In terms of height or distance from the floor, in-wall
speakers have considerable flexibility as they are
designed for wide dispersion. The wall/ceiling inter-
face, however, is another room boundary. Placing a
speaker too close to a room boundary can result in
“doubling,” or an excessively boomy sound. Today’s
sophisticated A/V receivers and audio processors can
help correct some room-speaker interaction problems,
but it is better to start from as sonically-correct a place-
ment as possible
✍
Take Note: Try to keep in-wall speakers at least 2’ (24”)
from any room boundary, including the ceiling. The excep-
tions are soffit locations, where there might be a protrusion
of a drywall space into the room. Because soffits represent
extruded room boundaries, they can sometimes be used to
the installer’s advantage. Soffits also can include an arch-
way, such as the one sometimes found between a living room
and dining room or around a built-in fireplace. Often these
built-in cavities can optimize an in-wall speaker and should
be used whenever possible.
The Leviton 40890 series Structured Media Speakers
are designed for permanent mounting directly to dry-
wall for long-term sonic integrity. Speakers work by
vibrating and can generate considerable mechanical
force. Drywall is a good, acoustically-inert mounting
platform and, unlike brackets and frames fixed to
studs, will not loosen and rattle after extended use.
For surface-mounted speakers over drywall:
• Label the wire for the speaker location
• Record its location elsewhere in case the wire
becomes covered over accidentally with dry wall.
• Secure the speaker wire to a nearby stud so it doesn’t
fall down the stud cavity
• Although no mud ring is required for surface-mounted
speakers, a mud ring is required for the volume control
8.7 Wiring for the Decora Digital
Volume Controls
✍
Take Note: If more than one Volume Control Unit is to be
connected to a Hub (where multiple units will be controlling
the same speakers) the 8-wire connections to the Volume
Control Units must be parallel.
• From each Hub, run a fire-rated 2-conductor speaker
wire to each speaker (in the appropriate room). Then
run a short 2-conductor speaker wire to the other
speaker. Every speaker must have a home run
speaker wire pair.
•From each Hub, run 1 Category 5/5e cable to each
Volume Control Wall Unit in that zone. If there is more
than 1 pair of speakers connected to a single Hub,
the speakers can be wired in a series or parallel con-
figuration inside the SMC. Choose the configuration
that creates the closest to 4 or 8 ohms. Do not at-
tempt to make the final impedance less than 4 ohms.
• Next, run a single fire-rated 4-conductor and fire-
rated 2-conductor (or 3 fire-rated 2-conductors) 14-
18 gauge speaker wires from the amplifier location to
the SMC.
8.8 What You Need to Know
• Always do a complete walkthrough of the job with all
interested parties (client, architect, general contrac-
tor) during the framing stage
• Clearly communicate your concerns to other trades
regarding accidental damage to your work during the
installation
• Unless they are in violation of your local codes, use
mud rings instead of electrical boxes for mounting
devices and wallplates and terminating the cables
• Choose a centrally located, dry, well-lighted room for
installing the Leviton Structured Media Center
• The SMC is intended for low-voltage distribution only;
any AC power needed for distribution modules is to
be supplied by a Leviton AC Power Module
• Low-voltage cable routing follow many of the same
standards as AC cable with the exception of support
and strain relief which must follow the more specific
standards outlined in this text
• It is very important that all low-voltage cable be prop-
erly labeled on both ends of the cable as well as on
a wiring chart inside the SMC, even if that cable is for
future expansion and not yet connected.
8.9 A SUMMARY OF INSTALLATION
RULES AND PRECAUTIONS
Leviton wants your installations to be successful and
error-free. Like AC installations, low-voltage wiring has
its own guidelines and standards. By following them,
you’ll greatly cut your callback work and leave your
customer satisfied and remembering you for all the
right reasons.