Question:
I'm in the process of decorating our lounge and would like to cable the room up with the intention of eventually getting an AV amp and speakers, I currently don't have anything apart from a TV and DVD player. I would like to install hidden cables whilst the room is ripped apart but don't really know what cabling I need to install.
I understand the need for rear left and right speakers but what about things like a rear mid and where exactly should the bass box be located? I intend to initally have front left and right and a front mid and will add the rear left and right and a rear mid later.
Essentially I would like to have all the options in terms of cabling open to me should I decide to add things on at a later date.
The other thing I am unsure about is the cabling required for the above setup from the TV/DVD player to the AV amp, also how/where do other devices such as VCR and cable box come in.
I appreciate that you AV nuts/experts the above questions may be just plain stoopid but any help will be greatly appreciated.
Hmmm blank canvas - nice!
You need to pick two points at the front and rear of the 'room' where you want to cables to go in and out of.
Given this opportunity I would look to plumb the following;
QED Original times three for the three rear speakers, bringing them out at the front and the rear.
A run of phono-type cable from the front to the rear points for a sub or other device (something like Bandridge AudioFlex 4 core would be ideal).
You may want to hide the front speaker cable too, but this depends on how you are intending to rack the equipment etc, usually you can get away with loose cabling the fronts as the rack will hide it. The essential thing is to run more lengths of cable rather than less. You may want to consider a run of CAT-5 and Phone cable too, to allow for moving of phones and Sky boxes/TiVos needing the phone line etc.
As for the kit, if the TV has a few SCART sockets, then each device such as VCR, Sky box, DVD goes direct to it and their audio ports go to an input on the AMP. If you don't have enough SCARTs on the TV you can connect the devices to the AMP with both their video and audio to use the amp as a switching device (the amp going into the TV). The AMP has to handle video input/output for this to work though.
I believe the rear speakers can be above head height. We ran our rear speaker cable up a front corner and under the room coving and drop down in the rear corners.
So are the rear left, right and mid best placed at ear height when seated or can I get away with mounting them high up but pointing them down? I suppose the answer may well have something to do with the types of speakers being used but my wife doesn't really want to see speakers everywhere so I thinking of using stands for the rear left and right and them placing her plants around them to hide them. This only leaves a problem with what to do with the rear mid. Also is the sub normally at the front near the telly or can I attempt to hide it behind our 3 seater sofa?
How do people terminate the ends of the cables also. I was hoping to get some sort of box which has a number of connectors so that when there are no speakers connected it looks 'preetty', rather like a phone or tv jack. I would then use a small length of cable at either end to connect to the speaker/amp.
I've just fitted a wooden floor so had to hide all my AV and speaker cables. I've got 5m component and RGB scart leads going from the kit at one side of the room to the RPTV and speakers at the other.
Get a few lengths of 42mm waste pipe and bends from B&Q, pop some cheap cable or string in it and either stick under the floor or behind cavities if you can. You can always terminate with blanking plates which can be drilled etc.
Then if you change speaker cable etc or want to fit an AV lead (but not a scart :) ) you can always pull new cable through.
Even if you don't fit conduit, never nail or clip a cable thats behind a wall or under the floor, because you never know when you need to pull through a little bit more or want to change out or pull some back etc.
Edd
So is it OK to fit some banana sockets into the blanking plate and terminate the hidden cable run that way with another cable length used to go between the speaker/amp to the wall.
Also what sort of cables do people here recommend, don't want anything too high and mighty but nothing too cheap either since I'm hardly likely to want to pull things apart once I've done the work.
Still need some info on where to locate the sub and the rear centre.
All rear speakers 'should' be just above ear height, but up higher pointing down will work to, so it is just a case of deciding how it will work in your lounge. Personally I would put the rears and mid on stands and run the cables to skirting level, then run the cables up the centre of the stands themselves (they're designed to take them).
My sub is next to my sofa and acts as a small table - works fine as low frequencies are nearly undirectionable and so the placement of a sub is a lot less critical than normal speakers.
As for using plates in the wall this will work nicely but adds another break and contact to the run of cable, but the difference this makes is likely to be small.
Cablewise QED is good stuff and should be fine in it's different guises for each use you will need.
Been doing a bit of reading on cables and I came across one person that states that using standard twin & earth ring mains cable equals a medium priced speaker cable in terms of sound quality. Anybody else heard or ever tried this as I have reels of T+E cable at home since I am also going to rewire the ground floor.
Originally posted by IAmATeaf
Been doing a bit of reading on cables and I came across one person that states that using standard twin & earth ring mains cable equals a medium priced speaker cable in terms of sound quality. Anybody else heard or ever tried this as I have reels of T+E cable at home since I am also going to rewire the ground floor.
These guys champion a lot of the home brew stuff :
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html
and I've seen it mentioned that T+E can be used although I've never tried it myself. I have tried the CAT5 route as suggested on that site, and it was very 'toppy' so I would recommend testing alongside a traditional speaker cable before you embed anything in your walls.
Originally posted by Warren Alexander
These guys champion a lot of the home brew stuff :
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html
and I've seen it mentioned that T+E can be used although I've never tried it myself. I have tried the CAT5 route as suggested on that site, and it was very 'toppy' so I would recommend testing alongside a traditional speaker cable before you embed anything in your walls.
Wow, what an ultra wacky site, guess where I'm going to be this afternoon. :p
I understand the need for rear left and right speakers but what about things like a rear mid and where exactly should the bass box be located? I intend to initally have front left and right and a front mid and will add the rear left and right and a rear mid later.
Essentially I would like to have all the options in terms of cabling open to me should I decide to add things on at a later date.
The other thing I am unsure about is the cabling required for the above setup from the TV/DVD player to the AV amp, also how/where do other devices such as VCR and cable box come in.
I appreciate that you AV nuts/experts the above questions may be just plain stoopid but any help will be greatly appreciated.
Answers:
Hmmm blank canvas - nice!
You need to pick two points at the front and rear of the 'room' where you want to cables to go in and out of.
Given this opportunity I would look to plumb the following;
QED Original times three for the three rear speakers, bringing them out at the front and the rear.
A run of phono-type cable from the front to the rear points for a sub or other device (something like Bandridge AudioFlex 4 core would be ideal).
You may want to hide the front speaker cable too, but this depends on how you are intending to rack the equipment etc, usually you can get away with loose cabling the fronts as the rack will hide it. The essential thing is to run more lengths of cable rather than less. You may want to consider a run of CAT-5 and Phone cable too, to allow for moving of phones and Sky boxes/TiVos needing the phone line etc.
As for the kit, if the TV has a few SCART sockets, then each device such as VCR, Sky box, DVD goes direct to it and their audio ports go to an input on the AMP. If you don't have enough SCARTs on the TV you can connect the devices to the AMP with both their video and audio to use the amp as a switching device (the amp going into the TV). The AMP has to handle video input/output for this to work though.
Answers:
I believe the rear speakers can be above head height. We ran our rear speaker cable up a front corner and under the room coving and drop down in the rear corners.
Answers:
So are the rear left, right and mid best placed at ear height when seated or can I get away with mounting them high up but pointing them down? I suppose the answer may well have something to do with the types of speakers being used but my wife doesn't really want to see speakers everywhere so I thinking of using stands for the rear left and right and them placing her plants around them to hide them. This only leaves a problem with what to do with the rear mid. Also is the sub normally at the front near the telly or can I attempt to hide it behind our 3 seater sofa?
Answers:
How do people terminate the ends of the cables also. I was hoping to get some sort of box which has a number of connectors so that when there are no speakers connected it looks 'preetty', rather like a phone or tv jack. I would then use a small length of cable at either end to connect to the speaker/amp.
Answers:
I've just fitted a wooden floor so had to hide all my AV and speaker cables. I've got 5m component and RGB scart leads going from the kit at one side of the room to the RPTV and speakers at the other.
Get a few lengths of 42mm waste pipe and bends from B&Q, pop some cheap cable or string in it and either stick under the floor or behind cavities if you can. You can always terminate with blanking plates which can be drilled etc.
Then if you change speaker cable etc or want to fit an AV lead (but not a scart :) ) you can always pull new cable through.
Even if you don't fit conduit, never nail or clip a cable thats behind a wall or under the floor, because you never know when you need to pull through a little bit more or want to change out or pull some back etc.
Edd
Answers:
So is it OK to fit some banana sockets into the blanking plate and terminate the hidden cable run that way with another cable length used to go between the speaker/amp to the wall.
Also what sort of cables do people here recommend, don't want anything too high and mighty but nothing too cheap either since I'm hardly likely to want to pull things apart once I've done the work.
Still need some info on where to locate the sub and the rear centre.
Answers:
All rear speakers 'should' be just above ear height, but up higher pointing down will work to, so it is just a case of deciding how it will work in your lounge. Personally I would put the rears and mid on stands and run the cables to skirting level, then run the cables up the centre of the stands themselves (they're designed to take them).
My sub is next to my sofa and acts as a small table - works fine as low frequencies are nearly undirectionable and so the placement of a sub is a lot less critical than normal speakers.
As for using plates in the wall this will work nicely but adds another break and contact to the run of cable, but the difference this makes is likely to be small.
Cablewise QED is good stuff and should be fine in it's different guises for each use you will need.
Answers:
Been doing a bit of reading on cables and I came across one person that states that using standard twin & earth ring mains cable equals a medium priced speaker cable in terms of sound quality. Anybody else heard or ever tried this as I have reels of T+E cable at home since I am also going to rewire the ground floor.
Answers:
Originally posted by IAmATeaf
Been doing a bit of reading on cables and I came across one person that states that using standard twin & earth ring mains cable equals a medium priced speaker cable in terms of sound quality. Anybody else heard or ever tried this as I have reels of T+E cable at home since I am also going to rewire the ground floor.
These guys champion a lot of the home brew stuff :
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html
and I've seen it mentioned that T+E can be used although I've never tried it myself. I have tried the CAT5 route as suggested on that site, and it was very 'toppy' so I would recommend testing alongside a traditional speaker cable before you embed anything in your walls.
Answers:
Originally posted by Warren Alexander
These guys champion a lot of the home brew stuff :
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html
and I've seen it mentioned that T+E can be used although I've never tried it myself. I have tried the CAT5 route as suggested on that site, and it was very 'toppy' so I would recommend testing alongside a traditional speaker cable before you embed anything in your walls.
Wow, what an ultra wacky site, guess where I'm going to be this afternoon. :p
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