Surround Sound Sockets

bpd

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anyone installed surround sockets into there living room?

I'm thinking off buying a Blu-Ray Player with built in surround sound system - 5.1

I'll be providing a new ceiling over the existing one in our living room so most of the cabling can be hidden.

Will have to chase out the block work to recess the audio cables and conect these to a audion socket.

Can anyone suggest a cable to use?
Can anyone suggest a good audio wall sockets to use?

Also can anyone suggest a socket that I can collate all the cables into a master audio socket so that I can just plug my surround sound system into?
 
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I would only install sockets for the front speakers. The rear speakers tend to look better when they're mounted close up or even flush to the wall. That's impossible if you have wall sockets sticking out.

For the fronts and centre then something like this would be fine. There are lots of different options though so just do a Google search on "speaker wall sockets" for plenty of hits.

If I'm installing inwall speaker cable then I use copper cable with a fire retardant jacket. It's generically known as plenum or LSOH (low smoke zero halogen).
 
Note that the example there is a faceplate designed to be soldered on to the speaker cables. If you're happy to solder them on, that's fine, but if you would rather have mechanical terminations only then you want double-sided binding posts.

B&Q do some pretty decent ones in their modular range that also accept a banana plug. :D

Any idea which speakers you're going for?
 
thanks for the reply's guys

the system i'm going for is a pannasonic SC BT200 Blu Ray Player and 5.1 Surround System around £400

panasonic-sc-bt300-and-sc-bt200-blu-ray-home-theater-systems.jpg


The speakers will fixed to the walls using a speaker brackets and then the wires will be connected into a audio socket which I'm looking into.

The wires will be chased into the wall then plastered over, but most of the wires will run around the ceiling perimeter and plasterboarded over to conceal them.

All the speaker wires will be taken back to a 5.1 or 7.1 surround main audio socket similar to this one

AV18367-40.jpg


I've drawn up my wiring proposal in CAD for my sparky and 3d it in Sketch up so my wife can get a better idea of what I'm proposing to do decoration wise
http://www.warnoeuk.f9.co.uk/warrenlivingrm.jpg
 
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I'm sure you know this but the panel you have shown (AV18367) isn't really for speakers. It is fitted with phono sockets.
 
My system is a bit different i have an onkyo amp and Tannoy surround speakers plus i was having the whole room plastered.

But i used 2.5mm speaker wire. Its a 5.1 system but i wired it for 7.1 incase i upgrade there is also a zone 2 in my case speakers in the back garden. so i put 9 pairs of wire in the wall :p (The sub lead is not in the wall)

I also made my own wall plates and white grills as the surround speakers are in the ceiling. Incased in 18mm mdf with loads of insulaton rammed ontop and around to deaden noise upstairs.

I will post some pics if it helps, it may not be what your after but when deciding what to do i looked at what other people had done and nicked bits of there ideas :D
 
I would prefer these if jack sockets are being used

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/p...n_merch=Featured Products&MER=e-bb45-00001001

although be careful, unplugging any jack socket with the amp on is a VERY bad idea, on removing the tip and sleeve are shorted together for a short time, which neeless to say is not good for an amp, thats the main reason pro audio moved accross to speakons.

you could use speakons for your setup, they are avaliable in 8 pole connectors, so behind your amp, 2 x8 pole speakons, behind the speakers, normal 2 or 4 pole speakons (4 poles are now most common with just 2 poles used for the speakewr, buy used frequently for sub/top sets in pro audio, you could use it for bi-amping if you wished.

speakon 4 way http://www.studiospares.com/Connectors/Neu-Speakon-Plug-Nl4FX/invt/575260

4 way wall skt http://www.studiospares.com/Connectors/Neu-Speakon-Chas-Nl4Mp/invt/575040

8 way http://www.studiospares.com/Connectors/Neutrik-Speakon-Plug-Nl8FC/invt/575420

8 way wall skt http://www.studiospares.com/Connectors/Neutrik-Speakon-Chas-Nl8Mpr/invt/577340

these can be plugged/unplugged live, they twist and lock, so no accidental dissconnection, no shorting when removed.
 
My system is a bit different i have an onkyo amp and Tannoy surround speakers plus i was having the whole room plastered.

But i used 2.5mm speaker wire. Its a 5.1 system but i wired it for 7.1 incase i upgrade there is also a zone 2 in my case speakers in the back garden. so i put 9 pairs of wire in the wall :p (The sub lead is not in the wall)

Hey, similar set up here! I've got an Onkyo 705 for the bedroom with a 7.1 faceplate, and am using Zone 2 for bathroom ceiling speakers (pre-wired for now, bathroom not yet been built!). For the garden I am looking for 4-6 discreet channels for ambient noise, so I'm trying to decide between rack amps or a home cinema amp with rack ears bolted on... A project for later in the year I think.

Also using 2.5mm speaker wire.

I got my HDMI faceplates and 7.1 faceplate at Nexxia, and the speaker terminals around the room I am using the modular range from TLC (which I believe is the same as the range at B&Q).
 
rather than rack ears bolted on, which would stress the chassis where it wasnt designed for it, a rack tray would be a better option, the amp would then be sat on this supported in the usual way, get a better one with front and back fixings if the amp is heavy.
 

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