O/T Built-in speaker cabling & sockets

[Griff]

I'm looking for some advice if anybody knows more about hifi than I do...

 

We're reconstructing the sitting room - all new walls, ceiling etc. During the refit we want to cable in several speakers and terminate these at a "patch panel" adjacent to where the hifi will live. I'm looking for something a bit like a TV or Cat 5 type socket which screws into a standard single or dual box set into the wall. Is there such a thing dedicated to speaker cabling? Any ideas where I can find one? Tried several sites like RS and Maplin but guess my search words are wrong.

 

All advice appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

 

[PAC]

I know RS do several different types of multi-pin PL/SK. You could get a std. blank switch box cover and fit a socket in that.

Depends on how much signal degradation you're willing to accept as to what PL/SK you go for.

I did the same for my 5.1 system, but used discrete banana sockets for each pair, less tidy but a good 'Hifi' solution.

I actually fitted the SKT's around the outside of the FM SKT.

Paul

[Griff]

Thanks Paul. I tried banana sockets/PL/SK and a few other search words and came up with "Speaker Wall Plates" as what seems to be the generic term for these things. Now I've got loads of choices.

Cheers

[Sheds Moderator]

If I were doing this I would wire up French style 2 pin mains sockets with mains wire buried in the wall then use a French plug to hook up the speaker.

 

Dirt cheap, dead easy, good quality robust connection. Plenty of hifi reviews reckon solid core mains cable sounds as good as the fancy solid stuff. At the end of the day it's a bit of copper wrapped in PVC so why should it be different?

[Foxy Smith]

MK the electrical socket/switchgear manufacturer does this sort of thing but will be v. pricey.

[Pooh_R]

You could also try the Neutrik range - used them very successfully. RS supply them

 

Pooh

[Frying Pan]

Have a look here as well...

 

-----See some pictures of the build here. 12000 miles completed!

[Airhog]

Try www.keene.co.uk they have loads of useful bits

[WILL FLY]

I did a similar thing in the conservatory but just ran the cables out of a patress with a brass blanking plate with a slot files on the bottom edge, then connect the cable direct to the hi-fi

 

Roy.

 

See willfly.net for more info.

If you don't spin you ain't trying

Happiness is knowing you have just a tad too much power

DVA 1.8K R370

 

[Griff]

Thanks for all the feedback - lots of ideas. Am surprised by the huge variation in prices for what look like much the same thing, like basic twin banana plug wall plates from a couple of quid to nearly twenty I'll be shoppping around..!!

 

I've decided only to run the cabling to the wall boxes for now - just off to test whether my windswept ears can tell the difference between the current fancy speaker cables compared to basic light circuit wiring or co-ax.

 

Cheers all

 

 

[Sheds Moderator]

Griff, I've played around with speaker wiring for years. It's a load of Emperor's new clothes. The only real, audible variable IMO is conductor area and cleanliness. Wire it up with decent thickness cable, with decent low resistance connections, and decent quality plugs with goos sized conducting area, and there you are.

 

The real differences are between scabby thin wiring of any kind and something that will carry a bit of current without losing the whole signal to resistance and inductive effects.

 

Spend your money on components and music, not bits of wire. 😶‍🌫️ Ignore the advice to spend 10% of your system cost on cabling, that's nonsense once you are spending more than £100 a box or so.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

I swear by big CSA speaker cables.

 

Ran some through outside wall and along outside of house in waste water piping, then back in again at the other end of the room. As correspondent above, I used a metal pattress box sunk into wall, and a blank white cover plate with a slot filed out of the lower edge.

 

Ran another cable in a slot cut across concrete floor, and sunk into wall to similar pattress box and white blanking plate. Both are hidden behind furniture anyway, but would look ok if exposed.

 

CSA of cables is important.

 

Or you could go wireless speaker system

 

******************

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking...

 

And racing around to come up behind you again. photos

[Sheds Moderator]

Good solution SM25T. 😶‍🌫️

 

Heavy cables are better than thin cables. The monkeyspanking specials with extra codology do not offer a similar performance upgrade over say QED 79 strand or a bit of decent cooker or ringmain cable regardless of their price.

[Kevsta]

I am doing this at the moment and have run some 'medium' speaker wire (not the best but I doubt my ears will decide that it sounds crap!). I have them running to blanking box covers (shallow boxes on walls) and will drill holes for the cables to come through. Where the main system is has lots of wires but where the speakers are will only have one obviously. Should look good IMO and I didn't want it to cost a fortune, only cost me the cable, blanking boxes and conduit (which I had already for the rewiring).

 

You can spend hundreds or thousands...it depends if you want to show your friends and shake your gangleys about it or if you want a system that sounds good to a normal ear.

 

You pays yer money....