Bose 161 speakers Sold from August 2001 to present User Manual

							 
Bose 
® 
 161 
TM 
 Speakers 
Owner’s Guide
October 26, 2001 
AM257524_01_V.pdf 
						

							 
2 October 26, 2001 AM257524_01_V.pdf
Declaration of conformity
We, the offerer,
Bose Corporation, The Mountain
Framingham, MA 01701-9168 USA
acknowledge our sole responsibility, that the product,
Kind of equipment: Loudspeaker
Type designation: 161
™ loudspeaker
in accordance with EMC directive 89/336/EC and article 10(1) of the 
Directive, is in compliance with the following norm(s) or document(s):
Technical regulations: EN 50081-1, EN 50082-1
Accredited by Bose Corporation
1 May 2001
Bose Products B.V. Nic Merks,
Nijverheidstraat 8, Vice President, Bose Europe
1135 GE Edam, Manufacturer’s authorized
The Netherlands EU representative 
						

							 
AM257524_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 3 
Where to find … 
Before you begin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
For your records   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Setup  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unpacking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Placing your Bose 161 
™ 
 speakers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Choosing speaker cord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Preparing speaker cord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Connecting speaker cord to the speakers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Connecting speaker cord to your receiver or amplifier  . . . . . . . 5
Testing speaker connections   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mounting your speakers on a wall   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cleaning your speakers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Troubleshooting   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Technical information   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 
Before you begin 
Thank you for purchasing Bose 161 speakers. Their advanced design and 
quality construction are intended to provide long-term listening enjoyment  
in your home. Your 161 speakers are engineered to provide quality Bose 
speaker performance from a simple, elegant design. Unique Bose technol-
ogies, including Stereo Everywhere 
® 
, deliver performance usually associ-
ated with much larger speakers.  
For your records 
Serial numbers are located on the label on the back of each 161 speaker.
Serial numbers: __________________ and ____________________
Dealer name: _____________________________________________
Dealer phone: _______________ Purchase date: _______________
We suggest you keep your sales receipt with this owner’s guide.  
©2001 Bose Corporation.  No part of this work may be reproduced, modified, 
distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission. 
						

							 
4 October 26, 2001 AM257524_01_V.pdf 
Setup
Unpacking 
Unpack the carton carefully. Save the carton and packing materi-
als for possible later use. If either speaker appears damaged, do 
not operate either one. Repack both speakers in the original car-
ton and notify your authorized Bose 
® 
 dealer immediately. 
Placing your Bose 161 
™ 
 speakers 
Note:   
Your 161 speakers are magnetically shielded to prevent 
interference with most television screens.  
For best acoustic performance, place the left channel speaker on 
the left side of the room and the right channel speaker on the 
right, at least 5 feet (1.5 m) apart. (Refer to the label on the back of 
each speaker.) Make sure the back of each speaker is parallel to 
the front wall.
For rear channel use in a home theater surround sound system, 
put the speakers near the back of the room, behind or to the sides 
of the listening area.
Attach the supplied self-adhesive feet to the bottom surface of 
each speaker for greater stability (Figure 1).
If you want to mount your speakers using the supplied wall 
brackets, see “Mounting your speakers on a wall” on page 6. 
Figure 1 
Locations for 
attaching rubber 
feet to the bottom 
of the speakers 
CAUTION:  
Do not install near any heat sources, such as radia-
tors, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifi-
ers) that produce heat. 
Choosing speaker cord 
Be sure to use the proper gauge (thickness) of speaker cord. Stan-
dard zip cord (2-conductor, 18-gauge [0.75 mm 
2 
] wire found at 
electrical and hardware stores) works for most applications. If the 
length of speaker wire extends more than 30 feet (9 m) from a 
receiver or amplifier, refer to “Wire recommendations” on page 7 
or contact your authorized Bose dealer for more information. 
CAUTION:  
Before making any connections, turn off your receiver 
or amplifier and unplug it from the outlet (the AC power mains). 
						

							 
AM257524_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 5 
Setup
Preparing speaker cord 
Speaker cord consists of two insulated wires. The insulation 
around one wire is striped, collared, or ribbed. This marked wire is 
always positive (+). The plain wire is always negative (–). These 
correspond to the positive (red) and negative (black) terminals on 
the back of each speaker, receiver, or amplifier. Be sure to connect 
each wire to the proper terminal (+ to +, – to –). 
Note:  
Be sure to cut enough cord to reach from the receiver to 
each speaker. 
At the ends of each cord, strip approximately 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of 
insulation from both wires. Twist the bare ends of each wire so 
there are no loose strands. 
Connecting speaker cord to the speakers 
Locate the terminals on the back of each speaker. Depress the red 
terminal button (Figure 2), insert the marked (+) wire and release 
the button. Depress the black terminal button, insert the plain (–) 
wire and release the button. 
Figure 2 
Making speaker 
wire connections 
Connecting speaker cord to your receiver or amplifier 
Connect the left speaker cord to the left channel speaker output of 
your receiver or amplifier. Attach the marked wire to the red (+) ter-
minal and the plain wire to the black (–) terminal. In the same man-
ner, connect the right speaker cord to the right channel speaker 
output. 
CAUTION:  
Make sure no loose strands of wire touch across termi-
nals. This could create a short circuit that can damage an ampli-
fier or receiver. Secure any loose wires before you plug in the 
receiver or amplifier. 
Note:  
If these speakers are used for the rear surround channels in 
a home theater system, choose the “SMALL SPEAKER” setting.
Red (+) Black (–) 
						

							 
6 October 26, 2001 AM257524_01_V.pdf 
Setup
Testing speaker connections 
1. Center the balance control on your receiver or amplifier. Set it 
for MONO, if you have that option, and turn it on.
2. Place the 161 
™ 
 speakers less than 6 inches (15 cm) apart, fac-
ing each other.
3. Play some deep bass passages of music.
The sound should seem to come from a point between the two 
speakers. The bass should be full and natural. If not, your connec-
tions may be reversed, causing the speakers to play out of phase. 
To correct the problem, make sure the speaker wires are con-
nected + to + and – to –. Then repeat steps 1 – 3. 
Mounting your speakers on a wall 
See the back pages of this guide for a mounting template and 
mounting hardware information. 
CAUTION:  
Do not mount the brackets on surfaces that are not 
sturdy enough, or that have hazards concealed behind them, 
such as electrical wire or plumbing. If you are unsure about install-
ing the bracket, contact a qualified professional installer. 
CAUTION:  
Do not hang items from the brackets or speakers. The 
brackets were designed to support the weight of the speakers 
only. 
Note:  
For vertical mounting, mount part A with the hole for screw 
C at the bottom. Be sure to tighten all screws. 
Note:  
For Stereo Everywhere 
® 
 speaker performance, horizontal 
mounting is required. 
1. Hold the mounting template in position and mark holes for the 
mounting hardware. If you plan to feed wires through the wall, 
mark the speaker wire pilot hole also. 
2. Drill holes for the chosen mounting hardware.
3. Mount bracket part A to the wall and mount bracket part B to 
the rear of the speaker (Figure 3).
4. Secure the speaker with bracket part B to bracket part A 
using screw C. To adjust the angle, loosen screw C slightly, 
move the speaker up or down, and retighten screw C. 
Figure 3 
Speaker-bracket 
installation
AB
C 
						

							 
AM257524_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 7 
Reference
Cleaning your speakers 
Use a damp cloth to clean your 161 
™ 
 speakers. Do not use harsh chemicals or 
household cleaners. Do not apply liquids directly to the speakers. If you vacuum the 
front grille of the speakers, do so carefully. 
Troubleshooting 
If you experience problems with your 161 speakers, the following suggestions may 
help. If you need additional help, contact your authorized Bose 
® 
 dealer, or contact 
Bose directly. 
Technical information 
Quality standard: 
 Syncom 
® 
 computer quality control 
Driver complement: 
 Two (2) 2.5 (6.3 cm) wide-range drivers per speaker 
Enclosure: 
 Tuned port, molded ABS resin 
Dimensions: 
 4.17H x 10.93W x 4.98D (10.6 cm x 27.8 cm x 12.6 cm) 
Compatibility: 
 Rated 50W IEC; compatible with amplifiers or receivers rated 10-100 
watts per channel, rated 4-8 ohms 
Wire recommendations: 
 Based on a maximum frequency response deviation of 
±0.5 dB. 
Weight: 
 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) per pair, in the carton 
Problem What to do 
Neither speaker 
playsCheck the settings on your receiver or amplifier. Refer to the owners 
guide that came with it for instruction on settings.
Bass or treble is 
weakCheck the tonal balance setting on your receiver or amplifier.
Only one speaker 
plays• Check the balance control on your receiver or amplifier. 
• Check the wires connected to the speaker that does not play. Make 
sure the wires are in good condition and are firmly connected. See 
page 5.
One speaker still 
does not play• Disconnect the wires from both the speaker and the receiver or 
amplifier. Disconnect the other cord from its speaker, and connect 
that end of the cord to the speaker that doesn’t play. 
• If the speaker still doesn’t play, the problem is in the speaker. If the 
speaker now plays, continue checking for the source of the problem.
• Disconnect the same cord from the amplifier or receiver. Connect it 
to the other outputs on the amplifier or receiver.
• If the speaker plays, the problem is in the original cord that was con-
nected to that speaker. If the speaker does not play, the problem is in 
that channel of the receiver.  
Gauge Length 
18 (0.75 mm 
2 
) 30 ft (9 m) maximum
16 (1.5 mm 
2 
) 45 ft (14 m) maximum
14 (2.0 mm 
2 
) 70 ft (21 m) maximum 
						

							 
8 October 26, 2001 AM257524_01_V.pdf 
Reference 
						

							 
AM257524_01_V.pdf October 26, 2001 9
A
B
C
2 23/64 (60 mm)
1/4
 (6 mm)
9/16
 (13 mm)
1/4
 (6 mm)
1/8
 (3 mm)
1 3/16 (30 mm)
Drilling template
Optional speaker cord pilot hole 
						

							 
10 October 26, 2001 AM257524_01_V.pdf
1/8
 (3 mm)1/4
 (6 mm)1/8
 (3 mm)
1/2 
—  9/16
(12-13 mm)1/4
(6 mm)1/2 
—  9/16
(12-13 mm)
Wood wall
Masonry wall
Wallboard wall
#10 x 11/2 in.
(#10 x 40 mm)
#10
#10-24 x 3 in.
(M5 x 75 mm)#10 x 1
1/2 in. 
(#10 x 40 mm)
A
A
A