Jump to content
IGNORED

Speaker wiring question: Connections


Recommended Posts

I am going to put my speaker wire under my floor. Probably the simplest thing for me to do is drill a hole next to each speaker and thread the wire through it, and then drill a second set of holes near the amp.

 

A prettier solution might be to install wall or floor sockets, and put something like this in near each speaker:

 

Thin-speaker-plate-module-1.jpg

 

Would this potentially degrade performance? I tend to think the fewer splices, the better, but it would be more elegant. (I just picked out the image example at random; I'd happily use something better.)

 

Link to comment

Hi wgscott

 

I have speaker wiring under the floor and use gold-plated terminals quite like the ones in the picture, except that there are four for each speaker (bi-wired).

 

I haven't compared the sound with and without the terminals, so I can't be sure whether they degrade the sound at all. I can say that the system sounds great, so if there is any degradation caused by the terminals, I'm more than happy to live with it in the interests of neatness/elegance.

 

I should mention, perhaps, that my speakers are positioned half way into the room, so what they look like from the back is important.

 

Link to comment

Hi wgscott,

 

I have some experience with running speaker wire under the floor. If all goes well, I think you can achieve very good results. There are a few things that I have learned by trial and error. So, without further ado, here are a few thoughts for your consideration.

 

For starters, I see nothing inherently “wrong” with the use of wall and/or floor binding posts. After all, most amps and speakers have binding posts that we use and take for granted as part of our audio systems. Adding another connection involving binding posts, such as floor binding posts, should be ok provided that you use good quality equipment and avoid certain pitfalls.

 

Here is a link to a 2-pair binding post. This would be suitable if you decide to bi-wire or bi-amp your speakers.

http://cableorganizer.com/outlet/CTG-03964.html?section=1&catname=Audio+%2F+Video+%2F+Home+Theater+]+Wall+Plates?=recommended

 

Here is a link to a single binding post if you prefer not to bi-amp or bi-wire.

http://cableorganizer.com/outlet/CTG-37078.html?section=1&catname=Audio+%2F+Video+%2F+Home+Theater+]+Wall+Plates

 

Regardless of what brand or product that you choose, I suggest getting binding posts that will fit standard PVC electrical boxes (note: avoid metal electrical box housings). The products in the links above will do this and PVC electrical box housings are relatively inexpensive. I think this is important so that you can protect the exposed connection between your speaker wire and binding posts in the wall or under the floor. Also, for what it’s worth, the products in the links above will also accommodate “Decora” wall plates that I think have a clean and modern look.

 

One of the most important considerations (in my opinion), should be how you decide to run your speaker wire under the floor. The beams that support your floor are called floor joists. These joists usually run in a particular direction. You may be tempted to drill two holes in your floor at the location of your amp and then run the speaker wires very neatly along one side of a floor joist until you reach your speakers. Try not to do this (I’ll try to explain why).

 

Speaker wires can act like an antenna when they run in parallel over long distances. It may be tempting to run speaker wires in parallel spaced a few inches apart along one joist underneath the floor. Just for clarity, this is the underside of your floor, or the exposed and unfinished beams in your basement.

 

It may look clean and thoughtful to have both left and right channel speaker wires running in perfect parallel just a few inches apart. However, you may end up hearing amateur radio and/or AM radio stations through your speakers. Unless you have other ways of compensating for EMI and RFI, be careful when running your speaker wires together over long distances.

 

If possible, cross your speaker wires with a “T” (or at 90 degrees) and then run the wires a few feet apart. Most floor joists are 16 to 24 inches apart. Separating your wires by one or two joist bays should be fine.

 

If your floor joists do not run in the direction you wish, try and avoid nailing or stapling the wires underneath the floor joists. This can become problematic if you want to drywall or finish the ceiling down the road.

 

There should be no structural impact by drilling holes in your floor joists to accommodate your speaker wire. Plumbers and electricians have already done this throughout your home. Also, try and be liberal with the hole size. Make the diameter of the hole at least two times the width of your wire. This should help prevent kinks and tears in the wire’s insulation when you are pulling the wire to its final destination near your speakers.

 

Finally, avoid hanging your wire with staples, or worse, a bent nail. You do not want to impact, kink or damage the speaker wire in any way. If possible, I suggest using PVC conduit if you have the patience and don’t mind the extra expense. Here is a link with some pictures of a similar approach: http://www.insidespaces.org/howtopages/wiring-conduit/wiring-conduit.shtml

 

Of course, you do not need to over-engineer this project. I am only suggesting conduit because it may help protect your speaker wire from unexpected damage in the future. Using conduit is by-no-means-necessary and I do not want to steer you in the wrong direction. Using PVC conduit is entirely up to you (in any case, do not use metal conduit).

 

On this note, using conduit may save you from one potential pitfall; namely, how to attach your speaker wire to the floor joists? You can find plastic wire clips at places like Home Depot. Whatever product you choose, try and avoid crimping or damaging the speaker wire’s insulation jacket. Personally, I would avoid any device that acts like a staple (this can be staples applied with a gun or staples that are applied with a hammer).

 

If you need to attach your speaker wire to any surface for support, I like the concept of using a plastic “O” ring to suspend the speaker wire in the air. As an illustration, take a look at the product called “Low Voltage Cable Support” at the link below. Anything similar to this should work well. Of course, this approach is entirely up to you.

http://www.hometech.com/hts/manuf/erico_caddy/index.html

 

As background, I have wired a few of my audio systems under the floor in houses both in CT and NJ. In one case, it was absolutely essential because my speakers were placed on either side of an 8’ wide opening. I must admit, there are times when an in-wall or under-the-floor approach to wiring is both elegant and rewarding.

 

This being said, my personal preference is not to add another connection in the audio signal chain if I have the choice. For me, I prefer short speaker cable lengths and cable elevators to help isolate the speaker wire from anything that may magnify and/or otherwise influence potential EMI and RFI factors. In the case of my computer audio system, I use DIY cable elevators made of anti-static foam and ceramic isolators.

 

Well, that’s all I can think of at the moment. Hope some of this is helpful and not simply too much info : )

 

Best regards,

Chris

 

 

 

 

Amarra 3.0.3/iTunes-->AQVOX USB PS-->Acromag USB Isolator-->Ayre QB-9-->Ayre K-5xeMP-->W4S SX-500-->Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Super Towers-->SVS SB12-Plus (L&R). Cables: Nordost, Transparent, LessLoss, Analysis Plus & Pangea. Dedicated line with isolated power conditioning per component: PS Audio & Furman. Late 2012 Mac Mini 2.6GHz Quad-Core i7 (16 GB, 1TB Fusion, 6TB ext via Tbolt). External drives enclosure http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f7-disk-storage-music-library-storage/silent-enclosure-external-hard-drives-7178/

Link to comment

The house is on pillar and post -- no basements in California it seems. The conduit sounds like a great idea. I only have to go 25 ft to the further away speaker. Right now I have the wire suspended by plastic cable clamps, and my slob approach to cable organization seems to have eliminated the antenna effect.

 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...