Need inspiration to clean the birds nest of cabling behind my console!

[KEW]

Generally, the life I live is cluttered.
Not so much a complaint as a fact.
Yet, paradoxically, I have my pockets of straight up extremely anal organization.

After picking up some audible interference in a line level cable, and as my systems are becoming less fluid and more stable, I have decided to clean up the wiring behind my AVR's.

I'm betting some of you have employed some neat tricks/aids and looking for guidance (pictures would be great, but I'll take anything I can get).

For example, they have these 20" long zippered sleeve cable organizers, but I don't know which cables I can combine without concern of interference. This pic shows AC cable bundled with 3.5mm mini-plug, which I am pretty sure is asking for problems. Am I right in thinking HDMI and TosLink are relatively immune to interference issues?

https://www.amazon.com/Management-Sleeve-Bestfy-Organizer-System/dp/B076VKZQ67/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1516745292&sr=8-4&keywords=cable+organizer

 

[NINaudio]

Oh, I do like those. I've used spiral wrap before to organize similar cables together. Just cut to the length you need and wrap it around your cables. Anything that needs to come out in a different spot is easy enough to do without having to cut holes in the wrap like the sleeves you posted.

I'm also interested to know what should and shouldn't be wrapped together. I'm guessing you should keep power cords away from everything else?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Moving all my gear from sight and shoving it in the closet, utilizing my wife's shoe rack, was the best solution for me. It's still a little junky but no one sees it and I just zip tied everything together.

Those zippered sleeve cable organizers in white would probably look really good in my closet, I think I will get some.

The side wall is a little more messy but I added all the home automation after the fact and didn't really route anything cleanly but once again, it's in a closet.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Somehow this thread motivated me to get a new Samsung UBD-M9500. I have been wanting something that loaded Vudu, Netflix and Amazon quicker than my PS3 and this thing is like 90% faster.

 

[TheWarrior]

Wouldn't that require you to CHOOSE which speakers are going to comprise your living room set up?

 

[Montucky]

Somehow this thread motivated me to get a new Samsung UBD-M9500. I have been wanting something that loaded Vudu, Netflix and Amazon quicker than my PS3 and this thing is like 90% faster.

Oooh!!! I like that RBH SA-500DSP I see in that pic. (I've had the same one for some in-wall subs) Awesome little amp. Not too often I see them out in the wild, though.

 

[everettT]

Middle Atlantic cough cough...

 

[Alex2507]

Middle Atlantic cough cough...

More like 'South of Ft Worth' cough cough ... red necks, gotta love 'em.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Oooh!!! I like that RBH SA-500DSP I see in that pic. (I've had the same one for some in-wall subs) Awesome little amp. Not too often I see them out in the wild, though.

Yes sir, I have RBH's twin sub in my attic.

 

[Darenwh]

Yes sir, I have RBH's twin sub in my attic.

I see you have your speaker isolation setup nailed in that picture...

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I see you have your speaker isolation setup nailed in that picture...

Ha, that's how it came out of the box but maybe I should have left it on there. I laid it on the Sheetrock and screwed it into the studs. The air-exchange vent is all you can see from inside.

 

[Montucky]

Ha, that's how it came out of the box but maybe I should have left it on there. I laid it on the Sheetrock and screwed it into the studs. The air-exchange vent is all you can see from inside.

Man, that looks clean. While I'm typically not a fan of going the in-ceiling route for all my gear, your WAF is off the charts.

 

[highfigh]

Generally, the life I live is cluttered.
Not so much a complaint as a fact.
Yet, paradoxically, I have my pockets of straight up extremely anal organization.

After picking up some audible interference in a line level cable, and as my systems are becoming less fluid and more stable, I have decided to clean up the wiring behind my AVR's.

I'm betting some of you have employed some neat tricks/aids and looking for guidance (pictures would be great, but I'll take anything I can get).

For example, they have these 20" long zippered sleeve cable organizers, but I don't know which cables I can combine without concern of interference. This pic shows AC cable bundled with 3.5mm mini-plug, which I am pretty sure is asking for problems. Am I right in thinking HDMI and TosLink are relatively immune to interference issues?

https://www.amazon.com/Management-Sleeve-Bestfy-Organizer-System/dp/B076VKZQ67/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1516745292&sr=8-4&keywords=cable+organizer

If those had a neck tie for the pull tab, they'd look more formal. Just sayin'.

Combine the power cords in one, separate them from the rest. Speaker wires generally don't bother signal cables and aren't typically bothered by others, but because they carry a little more current than most, I like to bundle them separately and avoid running them parallel to analog cables. Optical can have problems if they're bent too severely but that's the only thing I have seen that affected them and HDMI cables are generally immune to interference, but they can release radio frequency interference that causes problems for remote control systems that use an RF receiver.

It's much harder to make a clean installation when you don't have access to the rear of the rack.

 

[Montucky]

It's much harder to make a clean installation when you don't have access to the rear of the rack.

True that. This is why for my next living room build if the gear's in the room, I think I'll go with something like this:
https://www.salamanderdesigns.com/accessories/pull-out-rack-cartridge/
Kind of a nice compromise between WAF and functionality.

 

[Darenwh]

Man, that looks clean. While I'm typically not a fan of going the in-ceiling route for all my gear, your WAF is off the charts.

I agree, looks great. That does not even look like a popcorn ceiling. A truly flat ceiling in a newer house is rare, construction crews don't like going through the process needed to get a good flat ceiling. I believe it is a six step process. I hope to have a setup that looks that good some day. It will not be until I get out of Georgia though. I want out of here so bad to get back up north (better fishing and nicer weather). Once I can do that I will be looking for my forever house and will be doing a full custom install...

 

[highfigh]

True that. This is why for my next living room build if the gear's in the room, I think I'll go with something like this:
https://www.salamanderdesigns.com/accessories/pull-out-rack-cartridge/
Kind of a nice compromise between WAF and functionality.

If you want to hide most of the equipment, and that's not a bad idea considering the way people are acting now, you could hide amplifiers, AVR, power strips/distribution, cable box and anything that doesn't need to be touched on a regular basis in something like this- I have used several and it's a very good value. Comes with shelves, rear rack rails, too. I would recommend buying some lacing bars, too.

https://www.amazon.com/OmniMount-Enclosed-Rack-System-Spaces/dp/B003FOXXKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517338527&sr=8-1&keywords=omnimount+re18

Lacing bars-

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/rack-lacing-bars-and-strips/615

 

[Darenwh]

Don't forget you will need to learn how to lace cables:
http://www.dairiki.org/hammond/cable-lacing-howto/
and you will need your lacing materials:
https://www.amazon.com/WAXED-LACING-POLYESTER-TENSILE-STRENGTH/dp/B00IYOW2ZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517341004&sr=8-2&keywords=cable+lacing

 

[KEW]

If you want to hide most of the equipment, and that's not a bad idea considering the way people are acting now, you could hide amplifiers, AVR, power strips/distribution, cable box and anything that doesn't need to be touched on a regular basis in something like this- I have used several and it's a very good value. Comes with shelves, rear rack rails, too. I would recommend buying some lacing bars, too.

https://www.amazon.com/OmniMount-Enclosed-Rack-System-Spaces/dp/B003FOXXKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517338527&sr=8-1&keywords=omnimount+re18

Lacing bars-

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/rack-lacing-bars-and-strips/615

I was unfamiliar with the lacing bars, figure I am not alone, so I used Google images to find this picture:

It looks like all line level cables are being routed to the left and all speaker level cables to the right.
It is hard to follow where the AC cords are routed, but it looks like they are kept forward of the line and speaker wiring.

Here is a different approach:

 

[everettT]

I was unfamiliar with the lacing bars, figure I am not alone, so I used Google images to find this picture:

It looks like all line level cables are being routed to the left and all speaker level cables to the right.
It is hard to follow where the AC cords are routed, but it looks like they are kept forward of the line and speaker wiring.

Here is a different approach:

Obviously rack systems make for easy cable management but most don't or can't own them. I've gone through a couple of Middle Atlantic racks both freestanding and in wall.
Typically for less than $100 you can purchase all the cable management ties, wraps, channels and power strips you would need. I keep a lot on hand as we use them on the boat as well (and for friends lol). No matter what systems you choose, it's the forethought that counts, since you know your gear and the location I'm sure a couple of hours on the weekend you'll be able to knock it out..

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Man, that looks clean. While I'm typically not a fan of going the in-ceiling route for all my gear, your WAF is off the charts.

There's a whole thread on here somewhere about me losing my Audioholic card because I gave my Family Room back to my wife.

I went from this:

To this:

It wasn't nearly as bad of a compromise than I thought it was going to be. Sure, it doesn't sound like it did but it still sounds better than 90% of the other peoples systems I have heard.