This post is asking best practice questions about cabling (speaker or interconnect) for an ITU-designed 5.1 system.
This is the second home that I've had a large music-oriented 5.1 system (the previous one had 7.1 as well, but that's a different day). This time I am framing in and building up the room from scratch, so I have more options. That's what I want to ask about.
All my speakers will be approx 9 ft from me, with my full-range floor standing surrounds at approx 90-100 degrees. I designed the room slightly wide for that reason, and that width allows for some rack room on either side wall, but currently am visualizing front racks in front of and below my center channel. Note: my racks will be full cuz the room equipment must support 2 channel, 5.1 music and a pull-down projector screen-type video system. My front speakers take first priority as I listen 50% stereo, so those speakers will not have nor need cable tunnels or anything buried or hidden to wire them up. But the surrounds are significantly back near the back wall and require some planning to get either interconnect (assuming I put 2 channels of amplification in the back of the room) or speaker wire (if surround amps are in front rack with everything else). Subwoofers are taken care of and not an issue here.
I may or may not invest slightly less (per meter) in the longer runs of cabling for the surrounds, but in either case I would like to have them hidden/buried/out-of-the-way for normal foot traffic and overall aesthetic. I am open to some sort of side wall channel (adds to the length vs going point a to point b) or even a channel beneath the carpeting if that would work.
As I said earlier, the width of the room allows for equipment racks to be placed on, say, the right wall area, but that means I have robbed from Peter (short cabling for fronts) to pay Paul (shortened cabling for rears). Not sure I like that solution.
Anyway...I can figure this out but wondered if any of you surround fans have some best practice advise. Thanks
This is the second home that I've had a large music-oriented 5.1 system (the previous one had 7.1 as well, but that's a different day). This time I am framing in and building up the room from scratch, so I have more options. That's what I want to ask about.
All my speakers will be approx 9 ft from me, with my full-range floor standing surrounds at approx 90-100 degrees. I designed the room slightly wide for that reason, and that width allows for some rack room on either side wall, but currently am visualizing front racks in front of and below my center channel. Note: my racks will be full cuz the room equipment must support 2 channel, 5.1 music and a pull-down projector screen-type video system. My front speakers take first priority as I listen 50% stereo, so those speakers will not have nor need cable tunnels or anything buried or hidden to wire them up. But the surrounds are significantly back near the back wall and require some planning to get either interconnect (assuming I put 2 channels of amplification in the back of the room) or speaker wire (if surround amps are in front rack with everything else). Subwoofers are taken care of and not an issue here.
I may or may not invest slightly less (per meter) in the longer runs of cabling for the surrounds, but in either case I would like to have them hidden/buried/out-of-the-way for normal foot traffic and overall aesthetic. I am open to some sort of side wall channel (adds to the length vs going point a to point b) or even a channel beneath the carpeting if that would work.
As I said earlier, the width of the room allows for equipment racks to be placed on, say, the right wall area, but that means I have robbed from Peter (short cabling for fronts) to pay Paul (shortened cabling for rears). Not sure I like that solution.
Anyway...I can figure this out but wondered if any of you surround fans have some best practice advise. Thanks