[AC2011]

Hi, folks. Another noob question as I try to put this HT together!


Running in-wall wiring throughout the room (12AWG). Plan is (most likely) to terminate L/C/R at wall plates, and run regular speaker wire with bananas each end between plates and speakers. (Some thought to purchasing the Dayton pre-mades from Parts-Express, but don't know if there will be any appreciable difference...)


But, for surrounds, I assume this won't work because there won't be enough (any) clearance for the plate, bananas, etc., even if you use speaker mounts - and most certainly not if you use dipole/bipole speakers which flushmount to the wall?


So, I guess for these ones I would just pull the in-wall through and attach directly to the speaker, without even a banana (or maybe use a spade)?


What are others doing in this situation?


Small concern about the look if I use speaker mounts, because there will be some distance from the wall - and I am planning to use the 12AWG in-wall from Home Depot, which is yellow/green color - not exactly pleasing to the eye....


Thanks!

 

[m_vanmeter]

I would not use banana plugs at the wall mounted speakers, just a bare copper wire connection with the binding posts. You are not going to be "making / breaking" this connection often, which is why banana plugs are used, so don't take up extra space with them.


Unless the distance exceeds those in this chart, http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable , 12 gauge wire is probably overkill. This type of CL2 wiring looks good coming out of a wall http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=101-207 and if you want a different look, consider this wire netting http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=082-456

 

[AC2011]



Quote:
Originally Posted by m_vanmeter /forum/post/20865697


I would not use banana plugs at the wall mounted speakers, just a bare copper wire connection with the binding posts. You are not going to be "making / breaking" this connection often, which is why banana plugs are used, so don't take up extra space with them.


Unless the distance exceeds those in this chart, http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable , 12 gauge wire is probably overkill. This type of CL2 wiring looks good coming out of a wall http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=101-207 and if you want a different look, consider this wire netting http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=082-456

Thanks for that chart! I knew I had seen this (or one like it), but I couldn't seem to find it again recently.


I think my max runs are going to be 40ft or less (and that is allowing for some extra in my estimate), and I have 8ohm speakers, so I probably will "downgrade" to 14/2 to save some cash.


I had also been considering pulling the wires through and covering them with TechFlex (maybe even cable pants?) similar to if I was making cables. The only question then is how to cover the hole in the wall - I saw in another thread that you might be able to get a grommet or something, paint it black or even wall color and slide it over the wire to cover the obvious hole. I'm going to explore that further.

 

[m_vanmeter]

if you are going to have a single gang outlet/switch box in the wall at each of the surround locations, then you have 3 options for covers.


The simplest is a cover plate with a single hole in it to feed the wire through
http://www.mjsales.net/items.asp?Fam...265&Cat2ID=130

next is a wall plate with a pair of binding posts
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

and 3rd, a "scoop" cover plate, but these are usually for more than one cable coming out of a wall
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2


I personally like the plate with a single hole to feed the speaker wire through and then directly connect to the speakers. These are not connections you are going to mess with once they are installed and working well, so there is no need for binding posts and banana plugs, just keep it simple.

 

[AC2011]

Once again, thanks for the responses. While I'm at it, another quick question about speaker wire gauge.


On the L/C/R, I do plan to terminate at wall plates. The in-wall runs will be 35 - 40ft. So according to the "Russell" chart, I am well within the limit to use either 12 or 14 AWG for 8ohm speakers, and would probably be fine with 14AWG even with 4 ohm speakers if I ever bought any.


The question then is, for the regular speaker wire that I use to go from the wall plates to the speakers, should I match whichever gauge I use in-wall? Or regardless if I use 12 or 14 in-wall, can I use 16AWG outside (runs would be no more than 10ft max.).


Do I lose anything by using 16AWG? (main reason being I already have some high quality 16AWG)

 

[m_vanmeter]

you would probably not notice any difference in over-all voltage drop is a short length of 16 ga. was used to attach the speakers to the wall plate.


You will be in a situation to "experiment" as you will probably have some in-wall 14 ga. left over and you can do a simple A-B test. Not scientific at all, but interesting.


Personally, I would just use the same wire I used within the wall. We are talking trivial cost for wiring compared to the overall system.


I do want to reinforce the requirement to use in-wall wiring rated CL2 or CL3 and NOT the typical clear PVC insulation speaker wiring. It is a requirement of the National Electric Code (NEC).

 

[AC2011]



Personally, I would just use the same wire I used within the wall. We are talking trivial cost for wiring compared to the overall system.QUOTE]



So, are you saying just use the left over in-wall cable as your outer cables? I guess I didn't really consider that. I was planning to try to make my own cables with Techflex and cablepants as outlined on various threads here. I guess it would work just as well using the in wall cable as non-fire rated speaker wire.

 

[m_vanmeter]

should work even easier with the outer round sheath found on CL2/CL3 rated wiring.

 

[AC2011]



Quote:
Originally Posted by m_vanmeter /forum/post/20889176


should work even easier with the outer round sheath found on CL2/CL3 rated wiring.

Well, I was planning to use Romex from Home Depot, which I'm not quite sure whether it is round or not? (Plus I think my options are red or yellow/green)


This is the cheapest alternative I can get in my market. Since I am in Canada, the shipping charge added to an order of 500ft of wire from Monoprice makes it not worth it. I can source in-wall speaker cable locally, but it all seems to be only 14/2 and a reasonable amount more than even the 12/2 Romex at the big orange.

 

[yugo23]

I ran all speaker cables through the walls, and have modular wall plates for antena, power etc. connections.

Can I use these modules to terminate speaker wires:

, or I need something else?

 

[m_vanmeter]

you could, but I would not. Installing male RCA connectors on all your speakers cables is a pain.

 

[dookie1]

i ran single-piece cables to every location in my theater. there are spades in the closet at the amplifier, then a contiguous run of wire all the way to the speakers...L/C/R all exit one of those hooded faceplates together (over an open-back LV box) and end in spades at the speakers, while the surrounds are bananas at the speakers with the wire coming out an open LV box (covered by the hanging speaker).


locating things was a bit tricky...the speaker binding posts had to end up in front of the LV box opening when hung. i installed a bunch of blocking all around/above the LV box before drywall, making speaker mounting a little more predictable.