Speaker wire questions

Since it is low-voltage wiring, there is no problem running speaker wire in the walls. It is a good idea to use #14 2-conductor jacketed wire to protect the wires from cutting on something (Monoprice #2820 #14 jacketed wire, for example)

I like to use the phone jack system, where the wires terminate in wall plates with 1/4 inch phone jacks. That way you can put phone plugs on the speaker wires and unplug the wires from the walls easily when cleaning or moving things or changing speaker configurations.

You can buy wall plates with one jack or two.

(For example RAM electronics 28-117P or Tec-Nec WPL-1110)

You can run power cables through the wall, if you follow your local electrical code. The rules are a little more stringent for power wiring because of the voltages and currents involved are dangerous unless you do a fairly short list of things right.


Your local electrical code also contains rules for putting cables in the wall that don't involve such potentially dangerous voltages and currents as your AC power system. The short list of rules is even shorter.

Around here most home improvement stores sell or give away books about electrical wiring that have enough information to keep a reasonable person out of trouble.

Until you really know what you are doing, leave AC power wiring to professionals!

The basics are that you want your in-wall audio wiring to be able to carry the desired signal, be mechanically stable, and not create a fire hazard. BTW, in-wall wiring that meets code for AC power and is not connected to your house's power system is legal for lower-powered applications like speakers.


Speakers sound different depending where in the room you put them. Various speakers seem to be more ideal for mounting in different locations. If you put a speaker in the middle of the room the bass will be minimized. If you put it in a corner of the room where 3 surfaces come together, the bass will be maximized.


Usually the size of the holes you end up making in the wall depends a lot on what is already inside the wall. Unknown to you, your wall may have a number of barriers, such as studs (vertical beams in the wall every so many inches) already in it. There may be horizontal obstructions as well.

There are tools called electronic stud finders that you can use to estimate the location of studs and other concealed obstructions.

In most states a home owner can get an electrical permit which allows one to connect an outlet in an existing box (be sure to observe the code rules on maximum box fill, wire routing, and stapling) to one in a new ("old work") box and do the work himself.

A bunch of companies sell affordable sets for flat screen TVs that combine recessed electrical outlets (with their own boxes) and low voltage ports.


Cable UL-listed (CL2, CL3, etc) for in-wall use is a prudent idea.


No. You'll get a lower midrange boost from the boundary proximity that makes actors sound like they have chest colds plus "The Voice of God" effect from the elevation.

If running them in the wall doesnt work out, I have seen some people run flat speaker cable around in order to hide them a little better. You can even paint over most kinds but it will be more expensive than normal speaker wire.

^^^

a combination of crown molding, wiremold and a soffit along the front wall has worked out pretty well for me to run wires around room and up walls... i've been trying to hide my wires for a long time, and this solution seemingly is working out pretty well...

pics of part 1 of this are in my sig, and pics of part 2 (probably more applicable to your situation, as part 1 mostly involved the soffit) should be posted soon...

good luck... i know from experience what a pita it can be, but there are ways if you are willing to be inventive...

yup, it will save you time and money if you do this... ask me how i know...

i'd leave the speakers at ear height, it's where they work best... run the wire along the baseboards and then up the walls to the speakers through wiremold...

i used the crown along the floor to hide the wires since i couldn't get all the wires into a piece of wiremold... i also liked the way it looked...

hth... feel free to fire away with questions either here or by pm...

Oooh, be careful here, Arny...It just dawned on me that he may be thinking about flexible cords, where you are thinking romex..

NEC 2008, 400.8 (2008) does not permit the use of flexible cords as a substitute for fixed structure wiring, through holes in walls, doorways, windows, or attached to the structure.

j

He would find all that out if he knew the electrical code for his situation, no? That's what I told him to do - find out what code is for where he is. It's a one-size fits all answer. ;-)

You assume code is easy.

Man, I wish.

j

Or why he would be here if he knew how to read the code.....

Quoted for future reference.