Video: Installing Surround Sound Speakers

[admin]

We know you're out there. Yes, you. The guy who bought that 5.1 surround sound system in Christmas of 2006 but still hasn't hooked up the rear speakers. It's too hard, you say! There, there, we feel your pain. But it's not really all that bad. In fact, we decided to put our money - uh, make that our bodies - where our mouths are. Audioholics takes itself up into the attic... in the middle of summer... in Florida... to help YOU learn how to install your surround sound speakers. Yeah, we love ya.


Discuss "Installing Surround Sound Speakers" here. Read the article.

[Adam]

Excellent! Informative, funny...good stuff.

The section on the wall plate for the speaker jacks will come in handy for me because I'll be installing some soon. I thought that I'd need a wall box based on some other things that I'd read, but it looks like you just screwed the cover plate over a hole in the wall. That's easier for me to do!

Thanks for the video!

[Clint DeBoer]

Just check your local codes - we're not responsible for any violations, fires, etc... lol.

[lonwa]

Great video, I will be wiring up my new house shortly.

One question I have that was not addressed in the video, is how do you get the cables through a fire break in the wall (i.e. when its halfway down the wall)?

Thanks for the help,


Lonwa

[MDS]

One question I have that was not addressed in the video, is how do you get the cables through a fire break in the wall (i.e. when its halfway down the wall)?

With a giant drill bit or you can cut out a piece of the drywall near the firebreak and then drill your hole in the firebreak and repatch the drywall.

[MDS]

The section on the wall plate for the speaker jacks will come in handy for me because I'll be installing some soon. I thought that I'd need a wall box based on some other things that I'd read, but it looks like you just screwed the cover plate over a hole in the wall. That's easier for me to do!

You can certainly do it that way if you want but I think it is cleaner with a retro-ring. The retro-ring has dog legs that clamp to the drywall and then you screw the wall plate into it.

I am not a fan of the Leviton binding posts. For 12/2 they may not be so bad because the wire is thick but the tiny little set screw does not hold 16/2 very well. I bought wall plates with binding posts from PartsExpress and IMO they are much better. They have binding posts on both sides and you can either use bananas on the back or bare wire but you screw down the binding post the same way you would on the back of your receiver.

One other thing I'd suggest, although most people probably wouldn't bother. While you are up in the attic sweating buckets, use a Sharpie marker and write 'left surround' or whatever on the joist above the wire you just ran. If you ever have to go up there again you won't have to do the wire trick to locate it again.

[ParadigmDawg]

That was a great, informative video with good use of humor. I think this will show people that it is easier than they think. I was nervous when I did my first in-wall/attic wiring job but it is much easier than it seems.

[Clint DeBoer]

I would HIGHLY recommend people build on what they see here. Those retro rings are a great example. I typically use those, or aftermarket retro-boxes in almost every install I do. In this case I 'rednecked' it for the video as I didn't have one handy.

[Matt34]

Great video! I'm going to sit down and watch the "Best of CEDIA" tonight. I've tried to watch it but haven't had any time.


Couple of suggestions:

I think perhaps we need a section dedicated to just videos, it would be easy to keep track of them.

Make them downloadable like the podcasts, I've watched the first 10 minutes of the CEDIA video but wasn't able to finish it, now I have to start from the beginning.

[Adam]

Make them downloadable like the podcasts...

I'll second that suggestion!