RandomPrecision
Senior Member
Enjoy!
8175 Posts
3/06
|  Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 3:50AMI'm hoping someone here has an idea...... Since my last move, I haven't been using my rear surrounds in my home theater. But it bugs me and I really want to use them. I just can't figure out how to run the wires without them being obvious running up the walls to the speakers. I think that looks so tacky and I'm really picky about that sort of thing. I'd forever be thinking about it. I tried using that wire with clear insulation but even that was still pretty obvious. I know they make wireless speakers but frankly, the idea of more batteries bothers me and they usually cost more than they're worth. I'm just stumped on this one. I have my HT in my bedroom and the only place the rear speakers will even fit is up in the corners near the ceiling. I have no room for the floor standing speakers....not even the slim line ones.  [Link] |
pinc_noiz
Deactivated User
758 Posts
6/05
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 7:00AM
The starting-point of this question is rather tricky IMO: the current location chosen to use the surround-speakers has hardly anything related to surround-encoded content replay (surround isn't made so the surround-sounds come from vertically/ (far) above ones ears). So, to me, it's either accepting not listening to surround but to down-graded '2x stereo' (1x front stereo and 1x unrelated sounds from an unrelated location), or lowering the speakers to ear-level and possibly able to manoeuvre cabling out of sight.
The argument 'no space for placement of surround-speakers' can possibly be solved using flat speakers or in-wall ones, as it is possible to tuck away your cables by going 'flat-on-wall' or 'in-wall'. Of course, when it's by choice you don't use the surround-format's possibilities, you could decide to only go for the on-wall/in-wall cable solutions and remain the speakers placed as-is ... 'to each their own', as I like to say.
Besides, you could change strategy altogether, and opt for processed-surround as is possible by eg. using Yamaha's YSP-series products, or something like ZVOX-Technology products. These type of speakers is not intended as a replacement for, or in lieu of, a multiple-speaker surround-sound system though. To me, the single-box surround-sound system is a worthy goal, but it's also a myth: it's over-processed, and not fully 'surround' any more, but indeed it offers some (!) redundancy of the surround-speakers.
As surround-sets aren't really my metier ('surround-sound' is, to some degree, BTW: it's a matter of approach ), and we're moving into our new house as of tomorrow (so, I'm not even on-line), but, when interested, allow me some time (early next week) to come up with some links related to the possible solutions I just remarked.p_n  [Link] |
RandomPrecision
Senior Member
Enjoy!
8175 Posts
3/06
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 10:35AM
I would actually prefer that they be at ear level. The problem is that the place where one of them would be is right where the door to the room opens and closes and there's about two inches of space between the door hinges and the rear wall. I just don't see how I could put any kind of speaker there without installing it above the door. The real problem, I guess is that houses (and apartments in my case) aren't designed with HT in mind.[Link] |
pinc_noiz
Deactivated User
758 Posts
6/05
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 12:02PM
Sounds like you're probably right on that (hey, you can't park your car in the toilet or cook on the stairs ...). But than: had there been space, the initial problem (obtrusive cabling) wasn't solved."about two inches of space between the door hinges and the rear wall": are you listening on the opening-end of the door, or on the turning-end? could you indicate the level of sound-quality you would like to maintain (maybe by linking to the overall-setup in use/ daily hours-of-use/ ...)? p_n [Link] |
pinc_noiz
Deactivated User
758 Posts
6/05
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 2:09PM
Adding to my last post; there's a company called Apt or Abt Electronics having a fair amount of wall-brackets in portfolio: worth a try visiting their site.I've no info on the material you're door-frame is build of, but maybe (as the speaker is this close to it) you could integrate it (metal structure: just pull it through/ wood: mill a grove through it to put in your cable). As your room is, like you said, maybe not the most likely of places to put your HT in, you've to get creative here ... I'll keep my grey-cell busy with it . p_n FYI. from now on, I'll be off-line till somewhere this Sunday Edited by - pinc_noiz on 3/29/2007 2:13:33 PM [Link] |
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DrP0rn0
Senior Member
1836 Posts
5/04
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 7:21PM
Sounds like your biggest issue is cabling. Once you decide on placement (the dialog you and pink are having) cabling is all you have to figure out.I've got two suggestions, in increasing order of difficulty and superior end results: 1. Flat cabling. Specifically Monster SuperFlat White "easy to hide" speaker cable. You can run this along baseboards, around door frames, and up the walls to the speakers and it goes largely unnoticed. If you want to, it's ok to paint it to match as well. 2. Bite the bullet and go through the walls. You'll have make small openings in the walls behind the home theater receiver (or amplifier) and at each location for the surrounds. Then you'll need to get into the attic and snake cabling from the amplifier opening to each speaker opening. Once you're done, it's about the cleanest possible solution. Dr. P [Link] |
Bill 
All-Star Member
5334 Posts
6/00
| Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 11:41PM
From your post, it sounds like you really have no problem running the wires from the receiver to the location in the room where the speakers will be. It's getting the wire from the floor up to the where the speakers will be mounted higher up on the wall.For that, I would run the wires through the wall. Get yourself some wall plates, banana jacks and banana plugs. Cut a hole low on low on the wall (the same height as an electrical outlet) and a second one high on the wall (the same height as you will mount the speakers. Then snake speaker wire from the top hole down to the bottom hole. Connect the ends of the speaker wire to the back of the banana jacks and put the jacks into the plates and attach the plates to the wall (you can get a low voltage bracket the squeezes onto the wall board in order to mount the plates. Then you only need to run wire up the wall from the floor to the lower wall plate. Then you run a short wire from the upper wall plate to the speakers. The wire will only be visible from the floor to the lower wall plate (which will look pretty much the same as having a cord plugged into an electrical outlet. [Link] |
pinc_noiz
Deactivated User
758 Posts
6/05
| Posted - Apr 1 2007 : 3:16PM
To me, audio is about eg. using as short as possible runs of cable, used as un-interrupted as possible (= greatly improving reliability/ prospect of better sound). Bill's solution is comparable to Cedia's: dealing with, especially for the short cable-runs in RP's case, all these various bits & pieces, like was it an IT-network or home-automation. A little over the top used here, and not to be applied in the field of audio overall IMO (duh, I'm a Cedia member ). In this case, I would:
- lower the position of the speakers (pro for sound and less cable to hide ...)
- use flat on-wall (like the Monster pointed at, or NordOst Flatcable, but the list of possibilities is long)
- not use standard 'single wire/ twin conductor'-cable but a coax-like cable like Ocos' or Mogami's (coax is often easier to manoeuvre and hide vs. a twin-conductor cable)
- or use an in-wall solution (using an open-at-both-ends PVC-tube will do), maybe cables partially hidden in door-framePlease be warned not to use so-called ultra-thin parallel-conductor wires (like DeCorp's or Goertz'), when you don't know exactly what you're doing: most mass-market amplifiers will not stay stable using them without taking extra care (resulting in a blown amp ...). Like Bill's conclusion, it's my interpretation of things written too, there's no problem running the wires from the amp to the location in the room where the speakers will be. There's of course the 2.4G-wireless gear: regretfully it's hardly implemented successfully (as far as I know). From hear-say (subjective) I know Acoustic Research’s WHT6024 (nooooisssssse)/ KEF's KHT5000-series wireless ad-on (OK, but overall sound-Q severely lacking)/ JBL's AirControl (shitty MP3-quality speakers, and nooooisssssse)/ and Cyruslink LinkBridge (good results, but shadowy sales-operation...). Two examples show that indeed 2.4G can be done, but at a price, are by Firebird Sounds and BardSystem. These latter two use mains-cables to supply juice to their amps (example) and/or at least cabling to connect amps to speakers (example). But it's proven the 2.4G-technique does actually work (based on this, I bought my wireless 'kitchen/patio/garden'-set). Though maybe made difficult by lacking available products and/or higher costs, this is maybe worthwhile as second-thought-solution? p_n [Link] |
RandomPrecision
Senior Member
Enjoy!
8175 Posts
3/06
| Posted - Apr 3 2007 : 2:04AM
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. PN, I had no idea they made flat speaker wire. And yeah...I figure most wireless solutions that I could afford would be crap.
But thanks. I'll have to look into this stuff. Just getting the wires to the rear of the room will be a feat. Once that's done, I'll be almost home.
[Link] |
pinc_noiz
Deactivated User
758 Posts
6/05
| Posted - Apr 3 2007 : 3:17AM
Concerning the "most wireless solutions that I could afford would be crap": perhaps you're just a bit more discriminate than the consumer on which profile most 2.4G-products are marketed on right now, and are aspiring to achievements above product-specs (Cyruslink's admirable product cost around $120 when you could find a seller: keen research-, lackluster promotional-marketing).Marketing-related: you've to thank DrPOrnO IMO, for pointing both of us to Monster's paintable cable (I've to admit judging Monster for marketing mainly 'self-fulfilling prophecy'-ad-ons). I thought all cable would be simply impossible to paint: you most likely would get a very crackled paintjob or so I thought (cable is both to smooth and not affixed enough?), or worse... I hope you get your job done to your satisfaction ! p_n [Link] |
