HELP: Conduit + Speaker Wires + Drywall

[BabelFish]

I want conduit in the walls for my speaker wires.. (Walls are bare at this point)...

Do I just run conduit to each possible place where I might to put a speaker and then just drywall over those places until needed??? Is that how it is done??

Or do I need to cut them all out now and put junction box covers over them? Thanks!!

 

[MDS]

Where the speaker wires emerge from the wall you really should put a junction box of some kind so you can mount a wall mount. Again, I will say that you want to use a retro-ring and not one of the electrical j-boxes that are nailed to a stud.

If you are aren't currently using that location, just put a blank wall plate on it. That's how my ceiling location is setup (from the builders).

I just had some a/v installers pull new wires to the sides of the rooms and for those locations I did not cut a hole in the wall for a retro-ring. It is just the 1/4" hole the speaker wire emerges from and I put a 1/4" rubber grommet in the hole.

 

[BabelFish]

Where the speaker wires emerge from the wall you really should put a junction box of some kind so you can mount a wall mount.

I plan on putting junction boxes on the end of each conduit that is in the wall..

Again, I will say that you want to use a retro-ring and not one of the electrical j-boxes that are nailed to a stud.

What does a retro-ring look like??

If you are aren't currently using that location, just put a blank wall plate on it. That's how my ceiling location is setup (from the builders).

Doesn't that look ugly?? Do you have a pic of how yours look with the wall plate on it?

I just had some a/v installers pull new wires to the sides of the rooms and for those locations I did not cut a hole in the wall for a retro-ring. It is just the 1/4" hole the speaker wire emerges from and I put a 1/4" g in the hole.

So if I understand this right, your new wires are just running bare behind the wall with a rubber gommet in the drywall??

 

[MDS]

Yeah, the blank wall plate on the ceiling does look kind of odd. The prior owners actually had tiny little polk speakers hanging there as the surrounds. I was going to install in-ceiling there but it is a problem because the grill of the speakers won't cover the square whole if I were to remove the j-box from the ceiling - so I just put blank plates there and will re-visit the ceiling speaker idea later.

The new wires to the sides (where they should have been in the first place!) are not in any conduit; in fact none of the wires in the house were run in conduit. It's just how the builders do things. If you can use conduit that would probably be preferred. I used the rubber grommet just to make it look clean even though you won't even see it when I finally put speakers there.

I'll take some pictures.

 

[MDS]

Retro-ring

Carlon retro-ring available at Home Depot and Lowes.

 

[MDS]

Blank wall plates, new wires

Blank wall plates on ceiling where in-ceiling speakers would be and one of the new wires run to the side of the room with just a rubber grommet in the hole.

 

[Audioholics]

Most surrounds, unless you're going with some really small cubes, mount flush to the wall so typically I end up poking the wires out without a plate or anything except the grommet. They do, however, make recessed plates if you want to finish it off nicely and have binding posts.

 

[BabelFish]

Most surrounds, unless you're going with some really small cubes, mount flush to the wall so typically I end up poking the wires out without a plate or anything except the grommet. They do, however, make recessed plates if you want to finish it off nicely and have binding posts.

So you just drill a hole in the drywall, add a gommet and then use a fishline to get the speaker wires through the hole??

What are the recessed plates that you are talking about??

Are you guys thinking that I should only add conduit for where all the cables are going to end up?? (Like where I will have my cabinet for my Receiver/prepro??? or do I not need conduit at all?? just a fishline instead???

my modified thoughts..... fishline all wall mounted speakers (surrounds/rears) cables through the wall.. run them "naked" over the drop ceiling and down an installed conduit to a junction box where the cabinet would be... or do I not even need conduit there either??? thanks in advance!

 

[adk highlander]

The conduit is nice but I don't think it is necessary. I would just run all of your rear speakers above your ceiling tiles and down into the wall and pull them through if you are ready.

If you are not going to mount them now just leave the wires in the wall and make a diagram (with measurements) of where the wires are so you can drill your hole later and pull them through.

Much of all this also depends on how your speakers need to be mounted to the wall. If you don't just have keyholes and are going to use an aftermarket bracket make sure of how it mounts and that you are close enought to the stud.

Are you doing 5.1 or 7.1? (never mind I now see it is 7.1)

 

[MDS]

Conduit will make it easier to pull new wires later if you end up needing more than you originally planned. If you are reasonably confident that you pulled enough of each type (accounting for possible future needs somewhat) then you can get away without conduit.

 

[BabelFish]

I have Paradigm Studio ADP-590 for the rears and surrounds... I am using the brackets that came with the speakers... I am assuming that drywall screws would be sufficient for those speakers.. right?

 

[MDS]

Drywall anchors can support about 8 pounds. Toggle bolts may hold more but make a large hole in the wall and when you take them out, the wingnut on the back falls behind the wall.

It would be best to mount to a stud if possible.

 

[BabelFish]

Just one screw or both into a stud???

is that 8 lbs per screw??? or does that not matter??? my ADP-590 weights 17.5 lbs...