18
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
A small hole is totally adequate for this purpose.
If you drill neatly then a grommit is not needed. A ~3mm hole might be sufficient, just measure your wire first. A small beauty plate may help to ...
- 9,749
13
votes
Should I ground outdoor speaker wire? If so, how?
No
You should ground the amplifier itself, although in most cases this is automatic as part of the power cable and safe domestic wiring. You should not ground the speaker cables though.
The amp may ...
- 1,959
11
votes
How will I extend my speaker wire?
You can twist together a string of coat hangers and I'd bet you wouldn't notice the sound quality difference.
After 5 tests, none could determine which was the Monster 1000 cable or the coat ...
- 126k
10
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
Simplest standard approach would be to locate a "low voltage ring" (looks like a junction box, size-wise, but has no box) directly above your speaker locations so it's mostly hidden, and ...
- 191k
9
votes
Muffling a fire alarm speaker?
I am a NICET Level IV Fire Alarm System & Life Safety Professional.
It is unlawful to taper with a life safety system! The horn/strobe in the living room to alert you when another section of the ...
9
votes
Identifying positive and negative speaker wires
Note that the wire doesn't care which is positive and which is negative. Nor do the speakers, really; what matters is that both/all speakers be in phase with each other.
So if the same side of the ...
- 25.6k
8
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
There are wall plates available with RCA jacks, 1/4" phono jacks, etc. (just listed as examples). As mentioned by @crip659, they do not require junction boxes.
Some have plaster ears, the tabs on ...
- 5,735
7
votes
Should I ground outdoor speaker wire? If so, how?
Yes, Protect!
In short, to be thorough: if speakers are mounted above ground, ground the speaker housing, guide the wire through grounded galvanized metal tubing until under ground, and install a ...
- 15.7k
6
votes
Should I ground outdoor speaker wire? If so, how?
I am not familiar with static or lightning protection concerns and will have to defer to others. However, I would not ground the actual wires running between the amp and the speakers.
Some amplifiers ...
- 4,792
6
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
All of the speakers in my house just have a very small hole through the ceiling or wall with the wire coming through and attached directly to the back of the speaker and mounting the speaker over the ...
- 76.9k
6
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
Assuming those speakers are passive (that is, don't have a mains plug and the amplifier built in), then you're going to have a relatively long cable run. It's worth using thicker than normal cable for ...
- 1,959
5
votes
Best setup for 5.1 speakers in room
Yes there are guidelines for how to place the speakers. E.g. here is a Dolby 5.1 placement guide. But the short answer is A, B, C, F, and E in your diagram, if you have to pick from those exact spots.
...
- 14k
5
votes
Running cables for a home theater: inside walls and ceilings or on the surface?
This problem is most easily addressed by surface mount wireway. Rather than run exposed cables, you attach a fairly innocuous plastic or metal rectangular cross section wireway/duct/conduit that ...
- 191k
4
votes
Accepted
Connecting TV to better external speakers: Type of connection
According to the manual, the AV output section has L and R audio outputs that you could connect to an audio amplifier.
The "Video" connector will be composite video, the L and R audio outputs will be ...
- 24.1k
4
votes
Can a multi-meter be used to test home theater receiver speaker output?
Yes, flip the meter to "AC". You should detect a fluctuating AC voltage when sound plays. Some amplifiers also put a DC bias on speaker circuits, you can check for that too by flipping the meter to "...
4
votes
Pictures Covering Home Theater Speakers
Googling "acoustically transparent fabric" returns a variety of companies that provide materials that advertise the characteristics you require. For example:
https://fabricmate.com/fabric/acoustic-...
- 606
4
votes
Accepted
Speaker wall plate wiring
The terminals on the back side of that speaker connection adapter are meant to be used with a type of crimp on terminal such as those pictured below:
(Picture source - https://www.arc-components.com/...
- 64k
4
votes
Trying to connect 2.1 speakers to a TV
Assuming the picture linked in your comment is actually of the TV in question I've highlighted the issue here:
That says:
COMPONENT / AV IN
There is no way in the world you're going to get any ...
- 40.6k
4
votes
Accepted
How to remove in wall speaker grill/frame
On some speakers the grill part, not the bezel or frame of the grill assembly, but the actual grill with the small holes in it is pressed into the bezel/frame.
You take a tool with a point small ...
- 13.5k
4
votes
DIY wall anchor for speakers and stands
One possibility, if the speakers are small enough, is to not use the stands and use a small flat-panel monitor wall mount, something like this:
Monitor mounts can mount to concrete walls, pivot and ...
- 4,792
4
votes
Determining Type of speaker
The correct way to determine what type of speakers you have is to remove them from the wall or ceiling and look at them. They are not part of the wall/ceiling, they are removable.
Heck, I've installed ...
- 191k
4
votes
Speaker Wires Through Wall
However you make the hole, make sure to air seal (e.g. with caulk or expanding foam) around the penetration. If you make a small hole just to pass the wire through, you can seal directly around the ...
- 469
3
votes
Accepted
What is this mesh cover on the wall?
If you're in a large apartment building, it may be a fire alarm or a speaker for the doorbell system (functional or no longer functional if they've switched to a cell phone based system). Those are ...
- 914
3
votes
Identifying positive and negative speaker wires
That wire is distinguished by ridges on one side and writing on the other. It is up to you to decide for yourself how to allocate them.
And it really doesn't matter with speakers as long as you are ...
3
votes
What speaker wire should I use to extend the length?
I would just install 14 gauge wire, it will be more than adequate at 30 feet.
Look for a reputable brand that's made for audio and rated CL2 for in-wall installation. Any decent speaker wire will ...
- 24.9k
3
votes
Do I need special tools to run speaker wire vertically from about light switch heigh to the floor? No fireblocks.
There's probably no reason that it won't work. Just feed the wire in and let gravity do its thing. Use a thin wire to capture the cable at the bottom hole.
A wire puller is nothing more than a stiff ...
- 126k
3
votes
Running audio wire in office, wall or ceiling location?
Placement of speakers for a surround sound system can get very specific if you care about it.
By far the most important speakers are the front 3 (center, left and right). The center channel is the ...
- 14k
3
votes
Accepted
Identifying positive and negative speaker wires
Look closer at the insulation - there's nearly always a physical clue, such as tiny ridges on one wire, not on the other.
- 191k
3
votes
Could I use this Speaker Wire for my thermostat?
Typical "thermostat wire" is a NEC/UL type CL2 cable, just like your speaker wire says it is, so as a replacement for an 18/2 thermostat cable, this will work just fine.
- 80.8k
3
votes
Accepted
Corroded audio cables
Careless installation, and perhaps also unsuitable speaker cables for in-wall installation (apart from better fire ratings on in-wall cable insulation, the insulation itself is typically more durable ...
- 191k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible