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

[ParadigmDawg]

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...

No popcorn ceilings, that's a big no-no in my neighborhood. They are just textured the same as our walls.

Our ceilings are 3 different heights throughout the house.

This is behind the sliding barndoor:

Here is a shot of bedroom ceiling:

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Sorry for taking over your thread KEW...but you know I always do that to everyone...lol...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Gotta clean those cables.

I recently cleaned up my cabling in my equipment room for the 1st time since moving into my new house a year ago. It only took about 12 months to get started.

Everything is much cleaner now.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Gotta clean those cables.

I recently cleaned up my cabling in my equipment room for the 1st time since moving into my new house a year ago. It only took about 12 months to get started.

Everything is much cleaner now.

Prove it.

 

[Darenwh]

Looks really nice. Good stealth installation. I would have to have fun with an installation like that by placing the crappiest sound bar I could find under the TV, add a couple very cheap bookshelf speakers to say they are my surrounds, and then make the neighbors think all that sound is coming from the soundbar...

Once they start looking at the soundbar let them know they need to power it with the expensive power cable to keep the low end strong and upgrade the cabling for the wireless speakers on the side with new Monster wireless speaker cables...

 

[BMXTRIX]

Wire management is all about the use of zip ties or velcro wraps. Keep power separate from your video/audio connections, but generally there is no issue with mixing all the low voltage stuff together. If your setup allows a Middle Atlantic rack, then that's great, but the main plan should be to zip tie all the wires that you can together, in a straight path.

If you want, you can get some velcro snakeskin covers that you can put all the cables in to help clean up the look some, but that is no more than window dressing after everything is done, and it can be painful to add on cable to it.

I'm a big fan of labeling all cables to find out where they go and where they plug into in case a component needs to be removed and the installed again later.

Bring something to cut wire ties with cleanly at the end as well. I go through several hundred at a time when I'm seriously wiring things up.

 

[KEW]

I'm a big fan of labeling all cables to find out where they go and where they plug into in case a component needs to be removed and the installed again later.

I suspect you have a fairly well developed system for this! Mind sharing? I have labeled my cables a few times, but never really too proud of the end result.

Bring something to cut wire ties with cleanly at the end as well. I go through several hundred at a time when I'm seriously wiring things up.

Where do you get your zip-ties? I know it is a largely trivial matter, but I have run into some that did not flex well and others that the tool (that molds them) had two injection ports and they failed under load along the knit line (likely due to too low a tool temp)!

 

[MrBoat]

I always kept my cables tidy until recently with trying a bunch of different speakers. But what could always FUBAR my cables quicker than anything was a teen with a PS needing my TV. They could turn my cabling into a Chinese puzzle just by mentioning the idea.

 

[Alex2507]

it doesn't sound like it did

Having a great but under utilized system is a waste. You'll find that as you get older and older you will want the music turned down more and more. (says the guy who turns his subs off at night and forgets to turn them back on for a week).

Kurt, get yourself a roll of 1/2" or 3/4" wide Velcro and a few pieces of that split sleeve cable organizer thing:

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-WHD-410-Black-Split-Loom-Organizer/dp/B000068O6G

Cheap, quick, reusable ... (cable management ... women ... I was never here.)

 

[TheWarrior]

Having a great but under utilized system is a waste. You'll find that as you get older and older you will want the music turned down more and more. (says the guy who turns his subs off at night and forgets to turn them back on for a week).

Kurt, get yourself a roll of 1/2" or 3/4" wide Velcro and a few pieces of that split sleeve cable organizer thing:

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-WHD-410-Black-Split-Loom-Organizer/dp/B000068O6G

Cheap, quick, reusable ... (cable management ... women ... I was never here.)

Ooo girl! He gon' need more dan 10 feet!

 

[BMXTRIX]

I suspect you have a fairly well developed system for this! Mind sharing? I have labeled my cables a few times, but never really too proud of the end result.

I have a thread, which I haven't updated in years, right here:
https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/so-here-we-go-24-a-v-zones-w-10-sources.83272/

Where do you get your zip-ties? I know it is a largely trivial matter, but I have run into some that did not flex well and others that the tool (that molds them) had two injection ports and they failed under load along the knit line (likely due to too low a tool temp)!

They are 18 pound zip ties from Panduit. Something like the 8" ones on this page:
https://www.uline.com/BL_3209/Black-UV-Cable-Ties

Right at the top.

 

[2channel lover]

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...

What's the hold up? You mind taking about a million or so back with you?

Just busting...

We transplanted from NJ...22 yrs ago now.

I'm in construction...Generally speaking...new construction in GA...all ceilings are flat these days...they may not be perfectly flat. We just bought a new const about 3 yrs ago.....I wanted a textured finish like the cali-knock down...imo it's easier, (more mud, but less exacting work) but the builder wanted more money to do it.

 

[Bryce_H]

I went from a BDI shelf system to a wall mounted DIY...but then it took me 7 months to clean it up.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I went from a BDI shelf system to a wall mounted DIY...but then it took me 7 months to clean it up.

That belongs in a closet for sure.

 

[NINaudio]

I went from a BDI shelf system to a wall mounted DIY...but then it took me 7 months to clean it up.

7 months to clean up that nest!? I would have looked at it for 7 seconds and immediately found time to straighten it up.

 

[Darenwh]

My wife would have looked at it for five seconds and asked if she should clean it up (with cable cutters) or if I was going to find another way on my own... She is just a little OCD for things like that. Incidentally, if you ever want to test a person to see if they are OCD place a cup in the middle of the floor in front of them and see how long they can leave it there without picking it up of yelling for you to pick it up...

 

[Bryce_H]

new house and 3 kids prevented me from getting to it sooner. Since it is a dedicated theater there is no traffic or public viewing like a living room.

I would love a closet, but space is the primary driver for the current set-up. In my old house I had a pass through closet - door in the front opened into the theater and then in the rec room was a door to the back of the components...man I loved that set up.

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

In the trade, typically the rule of thumb is to isolate line voltage from low voltage. If possible, a foot apart is what we aim for, may not work in a home setup, just giving you my expertise. Keeping data/signal wires together, and keeping anything 120v together is the trick.

As for the picture, it looks like they're just showing an example, not what you should do. I wouldn't have serial and 3.5mm in the same pocket as line voltage if you want best possible results, my 2¢.

 

[BMXTRIX]

In the trade, typically the rule of thumb is to isolate line voltage from low voltage. If possible, a foot apart is what we aim for, may not work in a home setup, just giving you my expertise. Keeping data/signal wires together, and keeping anything 120v together is the trick.

It's not just rule of thumb, when you are in-walls, it's part of electrical code. Low voltage and high voltage must be separated and they should cross at a near 90 degree angle if possible.

But, this hasn't been updated in decades and may not be necessary in any manner when it comes to digital signals and HDMI. I haven't heard, ever, someone complain that they found out that an electrical cord near their HDMI cable was causing an issue. Certainly with optical it's not going to be an issue either.

But, yes, you can separate things in residential just like you do in commercial A/V if you want to take the time to do so.

I think the hardest part is that once everything is looking great, its often extremely difficult to add or swap gear out and keep it looking great.

Good advice as a general rule for sure.