Re: Wiring panel for living area

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dennis,

I've done a fair number of sound systems over the years.  Here's how I like to
do it.  YMMV.

In or adjacent to the HT room install a thru-wall rack (Middle Atlantic builds
some of the best on the market).  I like to make the rack at least 50 units
(75") high.  A nearby closet is the best location since you can open the door to
access the rear of the rack when you need to work on something.

All speaker cables terminate inside the rack closet.  Amplifiers are normally
installed on shelves inside the closet with only those devices (DVD player,
receiver, etc.) requiring front panel access in the rack itself.

If your room or your wife won't permit a rack, then route your cables to one or
more triple-gang mud rings behind the armoire where your gear will reside.
Install face plates (OnQ, Leviton, and Russound are several good makes which I
sell; Niles is another good brand which I don't sell) with binding posts for
each speaker cable.  Connect the amps to the posts using short runs of cable
with banana plugs (same brand array) on each end.

If you were going to install a multi-zone system such as Russound CAV66 or
Xantech MRC88 you would connect the speakers and remote keypads directly to the
controller.  If you only need speakers and volume controls, say for a 1-zone
system, you can splice multiple speakers together behind the wall and pigtail
them to a single left and right jack.  If you do that, be sure the pigtail cable
and connectors are of sufficient gauge to handle the combined load.  Impendence
matching volume controls will allow you to connect multiple speakers to a single
amp.

For the surround system, wire each speaker to a single jack behind the armoire
or, if you have a rack, directly to the appropriate output of the receiver.  If
you're using a powered subwoofer, don't forget to run a line level ("RCA") cable
from the receiver to the wall behind the sub.

A friend used to build custom speaker cabinets for my installations.  One of our
favorite ways to trick out a job was to install a subwoofer between the floor
joists in the basement beneath a first floor listening room.  If there was a
wooden floor we'd cut an opening for the sound and fit it with a stained oak air
vent designed for floor use.  Below the insert we'd stretch black speaker cloth.
This was usually installed near the front of the room, off to one side of the TV
screen.  I'd power the subwoofer from a pro stage amp in the stack.  If there
wasn't a dedicated subwoofer output on the receiver (they weren't quite
universal back then) I'd also install an active crossover between the pre-amp
and the main.  The effect was terrific -- rich, powerful bass with nothing to
see in the room.

> Are there wiring panels for bringing all the wires involved in
> a whole house sound system, as well as the surround
> speakers in the main listening area into a nice connection
> panel in the main living area where the equipment will be?

There are a plethora of structured wiring panels on the market, most of which
include optional connections for whole house sound systems.  The problem is they
don't really do anything for your sound system.  It's usually better to connect
source equipment, speakers, etc., directly to the receiver or multi-room
amplifier.  If you want to control the system from various locations throughout
the home, consider one of the multi-zone systems I mentioned above.  I sell
those brands so I'm kind of biased in their favor but they are very good quality
and (I think) fairly priced.

If you only want a single-zone system, you really won't benefit from utilizing
any of the wiring cabinets.

> At first I was going to run them all into the utility room into
> the panels there for the other structured wiring, but the
> more I think about it, the more this sounds like the wrong
> approach.  There's going to be a lot of wires, from the AV
> surround sound receiver, and/or a multi-channel amplifier,
> etc that will need to be connected to all those speaker
> wires hopefully in a neat concealed panel somehow.

You could run the wires to the utility room but it really won't make things any
better for you.  In audio design there's a saying that the best system is a
"straight wire with gain".  The point is that the less you do to the system
(less connection points, less "treatment" of the sound, etc.) the better the
final result will be.  It's the same reason I disagree with those who insist on
using baluns and CAT5 to bring A/V signals from one place to another unless
there's a great distance between them.

> Any ideas/approaches appreciated.

If you'd like to discuss your plans at length, feel free to contact me.  I'm
usually around during the day and most weekend mornings.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

--

Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.