The Sonance Silhouette series comprises high-fidelity in-wall speakers designed for audiophile-quality music reproduction and home theater systems, while blending seamlessly with architectural aesthetics. The series includes the Silhouette I (four-driver), Silhouette II (five-driver), and Silhouette III (seven-driver) models.
Function Description:
These speakers are designed to deliver detailed, subtle, and dynamic sound with precise imaging, eliminating the need for freestanding loudspeakers. They are engineered to minimize coloration and acoustical artifacts typically associated with drywall construction. The unique design isolates critical components from the wall itself, ensuring optimal sonic performance.
Important Technical Specifications:
General Design:
- Design: In-Wall Infinite Baffle
- Crossover Design: Woofer, midrange, and tweeter crossovers are physically independent, with connections for bi-wiring or bi-amping provided.
- Slope: 18dB per octave
- Grille Type: White Metal
Silhouette I:
- Tweeter: 1" (25mm) Inverted titanium dome.
- Midrange: 2 - 4" (102mm) Magnesium cones (two).
- Woofer: 1 - 9" Elliptical Aluminum woofer (152mm x 229mm) with a rubber surround and extended pole piece.
- Crossover Frequency: 135 Hz and 2150 Hz.
- Frequency Response: 45 Hz to 20,000 Hz ±3dB.
- Impedance: 4 Ω nominal, 3.5 Ω minimum.
- Power Handling: 10 to 175 watts.
- Efficiency: 90dB 1W/1m.
- Enclosure Volume: 1.218 ft³.
- Speaker Dimensions (WxHxD): 7.75" x 36" x 4.25" (197mm x 914mm x 108mm).
- Mid-Year 2000 Speaker Change (WxHxD): 7.75" x 36" x 3.75" (197mm x 914mm x 95mm).
- Grille Dimensions (WxH): 6.55" x 34.8" (166mm x 884mm).
- Retrofit Cutout (WxH): 6.875" x 35.125" (175mm x 892mm).
- Shipping Weight: 30 lbs. (13.6kg).
Silhouette II:
- Tweeter: 1" (25mm) Inverted titanium dome.
- Midrange: 2 - 4" (102mm) Magnesium cones (two).
- Woofer: 2 - 9" Elliptical Aluminum woofers (152mm x 229mm) with a rubber surround and extended pole piece.
- Crossover Frequency: 135 Hz and 2150 Hz.
- Frequency Response: 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz ±3dB.
- Impedance: 4 Ω nominal, 3.5 Ω minimum.
- Power Handling: 10 to 200 watts.
- Efficiency: 91dB 1W/1m.
- Enclosure Volume: 2.106 ft³.
- Speaker Dimensions (WxHxD): 7.75" x 46" x 4.25" (197mm x 1168mm x 108mm).
- Mid-Year 2000 Speaker Change (WxHxD): 7.75" x 46" x 3.75" (197mm x 1168mm x 95mm).
- Grille Dimensions (WxH): 6.55" x 44.8" (166mm x 1138mm).
- Retrofit Cutout (WxH): 6.875" x 45.125" (175mm x 1146mm).
- Shipping Weight: 40 lbs. (18.8kg).
Silhouette III:
- Tweeter: 1" (25mm) Inverted titanium dome.
- Midrange: 2 - 4" (102mm) Magnesium cones (four).
- Woofer: 4 - 9" Elliptical Aluminum woofers (152mm x 229mm) with a rubber surround and extended pole piece.
- Crossover Frequency: 135 Hz and 2150 Hz.
- Frequency Response: 35 Hz to 20,000 Hz ±3dB.
- Impedance: 4 Ω nominal, 3.5 Ω minimum.
- Power Handling: 10 to 250 watts.
- Efficiency: 92dB 1W/1m.
- Enclosure Volume: 2.71 ft³.
- Speaker Dimensions (WxHxD): 7.75" x 66" x 4.25" (197mm x 1676mm x 108mm).
- Mid-Year 2000 Speaker Change (WxHxD): 7.75" x 66" x 3.75" (197mm x 1676mm x 95mm).
- Grille Dimensions (WxH): 6.55" x 64.8" (166mm x 1646mm).
- Retrofit Cutout (WxH): 6.875" x 65.125" (175mm x 1654mm).
- Shipping Weight: 55 lbs. (25kg).
Driver Complement:
- Tweeter: Custom Focal® tweeter with a concave titanium dome and titanium dioxide coating for high definition and low resonance. Features a high-pressure, injection-molded face plate (5 mm thick) and a 20mm diameter voice coil with aluminum former for high power handling.
- Midrange: 4" magnesium cone drivers with a die-cast aluminum basket for mechanical integrity. Concave, one-piece magnesium cone ensures uniform polar response. Vented pole piece design ensures voice coil cooling and eliminates air pressure build-up.
- Elliptical Woofer: Elliptical metal cone drivers provide a radiating area similar to an 8" driver but with a narrower 6" width. The elliptical design helps cancel unwanted cone resonance. Features a light metal alloy cone for low distortion and high rigidity, acting as a heat sink. An extended pole piece voice coil eliminates non-linearity coloration. High-compliance, half-roll rubber surround and long excursion enhance power handling.
Baffle Design:
- Constructed from 1" MDF for extreme rigidity and non-resonant qualities.
- Features a high-gloss, black lacquer finish applied through a 10-step hand-finishing process.
- Precise, smooth driver openings ensure optimum propagation of waveforms.
- Acoustically isolates the midrange and tweeter array from external interference.
- Constructed with a combination of three different MDF thicknesses to eliminate mutual resonance between panels.
- Filled with Myraflex® synthetic damping material from Owens Corning.
Aluminum Frame Architecture:
- The baffle attaches to an extruded aluminum frame with a truss design, adding strength and rigidity to the assembly and facilitating installation.
Roto-Lock™ Mounting System:
- Firmly couples the speaker to the wall.
- Screws on the front baffle rotate a metal tab, clamping the drywall between the tab and the baffle for a secure, non-resonant installation.
Crossover Network Design:
- Routes incoming signals to the appropriate drivers for cohesive sound blending.
- Optimized for flat on-axis and smooth off-axis frequency response, crucial for in-wall speaker designs.
- Low crossover frequencies (135 Hz from woofer to midrange, 2150 Hz from midrange to tweeter) allow drivers to operate within ideal ranges, preventing wall vibrations.
- High-quality 18 dB per octave slopes ensure correct driver interaction, increased power handling, and maximum vertical dispersion.
- Utilizes three separate PC boards.
Usage Features:
Installation Considerations:
- Professional Installation: Recommended for maximum performance and entertainment value, as skilled professionals can optimize placement and system integration.
- Wire Size:
- 14 gauge for less than 30 feet.
- 12 gauge for between 30 and 75 feet.
- 10 gauge for greater than 75 feet.
- Placement:
- Optimum horizontal placement: 6-10 feet apart, at least 18" from side walls (measured at tweeter center).
- Seating position: 8-12 feet from front speakers.
- Tweeter height: 38"-42" from the floor for front speakers.
- Surround speakers: In side walls, in line with listeners' ears, tweeters 60"-72" from floor. Alternatively, in rear walls, spaced identically to front left/right speakers, tweeters 60"-72" from floor.
- Not recommended for ceiling mounting due to substantial weight.
- Wall Cavity: Avoid stud bays with electrical wiring or plumbing.
- Back Box (Recommended):
- Requires a wall depth of at least 5-1/2".
- Constructed from 3/4" MDF, glued and screwed/nailed.
- Loosely filled with fiberglass.
- Maintains proper internal volume (1.218 ft³ for Silhouette I, 2.106 ft³ for Silhouette II, 2.71 ft³ for Silhouette III).
- Allows at least 4-1/4" depth for woofer magnet clearance.
- Improves bass definition, power handling, and reduces sound intrusion into other rooms.
- Drywall Support: Double 1/2" drywall in a 2" x 4" stud bay is the next best solution after a 2" x 6" stud bay with a back box. Standard 5/8" drywall in a 2" x 4" stud bay can be used, but may compromise sonic integrity; a 1/8" relief cut-out behind the magnet with a Dremel® tool is needed for 4-1/4" speaker depth.
- Retrofit Installation: Use a stud locator to identify studs and center speakers. Check for electrical outlets/switches. Use a cardboard template to trace cutout holes. The Roto-Lock system requires a 1" area around the speaker.
- Wiring:
- Two-Wire Connection: Strip 1/2" insulation, attach positive conductor to red binding post and negative to black post. Loosen nut, insert wire through slot, snug nut.
- Bi-Wiring Connection: Remove special jumper wires. Connect two wires from amplifier to woofer terminals (positive to red, negative to black). Connect two wires from amplifier to midrange/tweeter terminals (positive to red, negative to black).
- Polarity: Critical; all positive leads (+) must be attached to red connectors throughout the system.
Final Assembly:
- Rotate Roto-Lock fasteners to OPEN position.
- Lift speaker into wall opening.
- Turn Roto-Lock screws to CLOSED position to clamp speaker to wall.
- Insert grilles into the groove of the extruded frame, starting at a short end.
Maintenance Features:
Care and Cleaning:
- General: Wipe grilles with a soft, water-dampened cloth. Grilles can be removed for washing and drying.
- Drivers/Baffle: Dust with "canned air" (used for cameras/computers).
- Avoid: Liquid/aerosol cleaners, direct sunlight, high heat.
- Construction Dust: Remove grilles and temporarily cover speakers with paper or plastic food wrap during construction or painting. Remove covers after cleaning the room.
- Sine Wave Test Tones: Use at low volume levels for short periods only, as they can damage speakers.
Grille/Frame Painting:
- Preparation: Remove grille, lightly sand grille and speaker frame with 600-grade material to create a rough surface for primer adhesion. Clean sanded surfaces with a soft cloth.
- Priming: Apply XIM grade spray primer to all metal surfaces. Dry according to manufacturer directions. Lightly sand after drying to increase paint adherence.
- Painting: Wipe surfaces clean with a dry cloth. Use high-quality water-based paint (acrylics can also be used). Apply paint with a sprayer for an even finish. Allow to dry according to manufacturer instructions; additional coats may be desired.
Service and Warranty:
- Technical Assistance: Available from Sonance Technical Assistance Department (9 AM - 5 PM Pacific Time, Monday-Friday) via toll-free (800) 582-7777 (Continental USA) or (949) 492-7777 (outside Continental USA), or online at www.sonance.com.
- Returns: Requires prior Return Authorization (RA) number from Sonance. Return to an Authorized Sonance dealer or directly to the factory. Unit must be returned in original shipping carton and packing. Freight collect shipments will be refused.
- Warranty: Five (5) year limited warranty from the date of purchase (shown on bill of sale/receipt) from an "Authorized Sonance Dealer." Covers defects in material and workmanship. Does not cover damage from accident, misuse, unauthorized service/modification, or damage to other equipment.
Need help?
To Next Page
General