[archbid]

I am building a house and intend to do whole-house audio. I am planning to use Sonos because I like the controller and I am truly not interested in wall-mounted keypads.


I was told to run 14/4 to the "keypad area" and then 14/2 to the speakers in a lot of the online tutorials. Given that I won't have a keypad, do I run two runs of 14/2 from the basement or 14/4 to the first speaker then splice 14/2 to the second?

 

[Brian Corr]

Neither.


Run 14/4 to the first speaker and then loop it to the 2nd speaker. When you install your speakers, slice open the outer cover of the speaker wire at the first speaker and use 1 pair. Then at the 2nd speaker, use the other pair.

 

[jautor]

I'd highly recommend you follow the CEA standard for whole house, which would have you run the 14/4 looped through a keypad location as well as a Cat5 run. Continue the cable to the speakers as Brian suggested.


Even if you don't intend *now* for keypads, something in the future may change your mind. You don't even need to put a box with a blank plate. Just secure the cable in the stud bay, and photograph / measure the locations so you can cut a retro-box at some point in the future. This will only cost a few dollars of wire (ok maybe $20 because of the cat5 runs...).


Jeff

 

[Neurorad]

I would also loop the speaker wire through a potential keypad area, and run an ethernet cable to that location as well. Futureproof when you can.


Sonos really does have some nice looking controllers.

 

[archbid]

You guys rock. Thanks.

 

[Brian Corr]

You know, I had posted to wire for a keypad location by looping there and adding a cat 5 but then deleted that part of the post in order to just answer his main question.


But I do agree with the other guys, wire for a keypad just in case using standard wiring practices. You may decide to add one or Sonos may come out with a really cool in-wall version. Or you may sell the house in a few years and a potential buyer may be turned off that it wasn't wired that way.

 

[Neurorad]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Corr /forum/post/18247719


or Sonos may come out with a really cool in-wall version

GREAT point, smart man


You'll also be in a better position to add a whole-house control system down the road, one which uses POE and touchscreens.

 

[archbid]

I was estimating about 1000' of cat6 cable for a 2600 sf house. I bought 1 reel of 500' structured cable (2 cat6 in the bundle) and I have about 150' of plain cat6. I did estimate most of the runs, but does this sound in the realm of reason or am I underestimating?


The last time I did this (4 years ago) there didn't seem to be the mania for cat6 (5, 5e) going to random locations.

 

[wflammenspeck]

Archbid,


I prewired my house using the CEA standard (loop through keypad location +Cat5e), but there is one additional thing I wish I had done.


For at least one zone on every floor, loop the 14/4 through a potential zone player location such as behind a shelving unit or in a closet. The reason is that a Sonos system, especially in a large house really benefits from having the zone players scattered around the house to increase the wireless coverage.


If you plan on using an ipod touch as a controller I would make sure that you have a spot pre wired for a wireless access point as they do not use the sonosnet for connection.


Cheers,

Wolfgang

 

[bluewaves]

If you are using Sonos and are getting dead spots you can add Zone Bridges where ever you get a dead spot and they will act as a repeater, have used that trick a few times before.