Audio wiring
#1
10-21-03, 10:08 AM
Audio wiring
The house that i just bought is about 6 years old. I am planning to rig up all the sound systems to link together so that i can play the same music, from any of four different sources, throughout the whole house.
What kind of wiring is best to use to transfer the audio signals? I am sending analog stereo signals that will connect at either end with RCA connectors. The wires will be going between rooms on the basement, first and second floors. Since there are no pre-existing conduits, I will probably have to route them through the basement and attic.
I have found sources for long RCA cables (50ft+) but they are really expensive and I am not sure if they are shielded enough to protect the signal over such a long path through my walls. I figure that i can use better shielded wires of some sort and just attach RCA plugs to the ends, but I am not sure what wire to choose to get the most bang for my buck.
Any suggestions on what to choose (and where to get the best deal buying it) would be most appreciated.
What kind of wiring is best to use to transfer the audio signals? I am sending analog stereo signals that will connect at either end with RCA connectors. The wires will be going between rooms on the basement, first and second floors. Since there are no pre-existing conduits, I will probably have to route them through the basement and attic.
I have found sources for long RCA cables (50ft+) but they are really expensive and I am not sure if they are shielded enough to protect the signal over such a long path through my walls. I figure that i can use better shielded wires of some sort and just attach RCA plugs to the ends, but I am not sure what wire to choose to get the most bang for my buck.
Any suggestions on what to choose (and where to get the best deal buying it) would be most appreciated.
#2
10-21-03, 01:57 PM
#3
10-21-03, 06:47 PM
Why not use regular speaker wire (12 guague would be best) and banana clips?
I have surround sound speakers mounted in my ceiling, they run back to a panel that has banana clips (Leviton) the speaker connections from my amplifier are then hooked up through the banana clips.
You don't say how many speakers you're going to hook up and run simultaneously. You're not going to be able to run a bunch of speaker pairs from a single reciever. You're going to need some sort of audio distribution setup. One way to do this is to get a multi-distribution amplifier. Another more cost effective way is the A-Bus distribution system by Russound (http://www.russound.com)
Let us know what you choose and how it turns out!
I have surround sound speakers mounted in my ceiling, they run back to a panel that has banana clips (Leviton) the speaker connections from my amplifier are then hooked up through the banana clips.
You don't say how many speakers you're going to hook up and run simultaneously. You're not going to be able to run a bunch of speaker pairs from a single reciever. You're going to need some sort of audio distribution setup. One way to do this is to get a multi-distribution amplifier. Another more cost effective way is the A-Bus distribution system by Russound (http://www.russound.com)
Let us know what you choose and how it turns out!
Last edited by johnfron; 10-22-03 at 09:10 AM.
#4
10-22-03, 09:24 AM
For speaker output I ran #14 across the house, a pair for each speaker outlet. Speaker wire does not require a shield. I used regular #14 electrical lamp cord, really cheap and available at major home centers by the foot or roll. At stereo shops or Radio Shack you'll find stuff like "Monster Cable" or some fancy "specialized" high-end speaker wire with fancy packaging that convinces you it's the best stuff for audio, but speaker signal is just electrical current and stranded electrical wire is as good as it gets for this application. (And did I mention much, much cheaper?)
For audio signal (component to amplifier/receiver) a shield is required. You can get shielded audio signal wire by the roll at Radio Shack. Audio signal is miliamps, and larger gauges won't make a difference unless you're running it a quarter mile or something. Radio Shack also sells RCA plugs & jacks for cord ends, and panel-mount style RCA jacks which I have installed on a plain, smooth blank wall plate (the type you cover a light switch box with). These are solder-on types. Go with the metal barreled kind for signal, the plastic ones should only be used with speakers.
Hope that helps.
JuiceHead
For audio signal (component to amplifier/receiver) a shield is required. You can get shielded audio signal wire by the roll at Radio Shack. Audio signal is miliamps, and larger gauges won't make a difference unless you're running it a quarter mile or something. Radio Shack also sells RCA plugs & jacks for cord ends, and panel-mount style RCA jacks which I have installed on a plain, smooth blank wall plate (the type you cover a light switch box with). These are solder-on types. Go with the metal barreled kind for signal, the plastic ones should only be used with speakers.
Hope that helps.
JuiceHead
