Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - Speaker Wire in Basement

I am finishing my basement and would like to "pull" wire so that I can make connecton at 4 or 6 points on the wall (or ceiling?). The room is 15' X 43'

Would it be best to mount speakers in the ceiling or floor standing style?

What is a good economical wire/cable and wall jacks to use?

The equipment I intend on using will be middle of the line - decent big screen, surround sound etc.

Any recommendations on any method or equipment would be appreciated.
Thanks.
FF

The best advice regarding speaker selection is to try to listen to the speaker before you buy them. In general, although there are exceptions, in celing or in wall speakers do not offer the flexibility or quality sound as a good pair of floor standers or bookshelves, but it all depends on how much you want to spend and what your primary usage will be. Is this for mainly home theater, background music, party music, etc? The biggest plus about inceiling / inwall speakers is the WAF (wife acceptance factor) and no use of space. Go to as many stores as possible and listen to as many different speakers as possible. Also try to find dedicated audio / video stores and not just the chain electronic stores. If any friends have home theater systems, ask them if you can sit in on a listening session and ask them about their experiences. If you have other audio specific questions, check out other sites that are dedicated to audio systems. If you want I can also give you some personal recommendations for specific speakers. (although to do this, a rough budget and specific usage would be needed)

Regarding your wiring, www.partsexpress.com, has a lot of decent wire and wiring accessories. Many people do not believe that extremely expensive wire has an impact on quality of sound so they say go with generic wire of the correct gauge.

-Mike

IMHO, the front speakers s/b floor standing. They sound best for music and movies. In ceiling is ok for the rears for watching movies.

Wire: Get at least 14 guage, especially for the rears.

Thanks for the info. I think I will go with floor standing in the front.

Is there a standard "audio jack" that is typical on most speakers and a wall plate "audio jack" to match it?

Also I am not that familiar with the Surround Sound systems that I see advertised. Are they suited for movies as well as playing music?

I was actually thinking of buying some decent stero speakers and running audio from TV thru the stereo....any opininon on this thought?

Thanks. FF

Most speakers either come with a spring clip type connector like this: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-297

or a 3-way binding post (wire, bannana, spade) like this: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-302

Dependnig on your budget and who you talk to, the HTIB (home theater in a box) sets that most chain stores offer do not produce a quality sound for music or movies. Again a rough budget would be needed to recommend any specific equipment.

Do you have any equipment already (tv, receiver, dvd player, etc.) or are you planning on building a home theater from scratch?

For your other questions, first you should try to get a basic understanding of what you need for a home theater and get familiar with some of the terminology. Here are a couple of sites that have some basic explanation:
http://hometheater.about.com/od/hometheaterbasicsfaq/a/hometheaterfaq.htm
http://www.htexplained.com/abridged/Chap%201.htm
http://www.htd.com/homtheatbas.html
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=51

Next you should try to figure out exactly how you are going to use your new system. How often will you be listening to music? How often will you be listening to cable/satellite? How often will you be watching movies on DVD / VHS? How loud do you want to be able to play the above? Do you want earth shaking bass like at a good movie theater? What is your rough budget for the system? Do you want 2 / 5.1 / 6.1 / 7.1 channel sound?

-Mike

Binding posts are practically universal in the industry.

You do not want speakers with rca type jacks. Binding posts are the best way to go.

Running regular tv thru the system is a great idea. I've done that since I got my receiver 3 years ago. But I feed the audio directly from my satellite dvr to my receiver.

But do give us a little more info.

1) budget - some people consider $500 for a receiver to be middle of the line, others think $500 for receiver AND speakers to be middle of the line.
2) tv source - cable, satellite, if cable - basic, w/box, digital, or HD

Thanks for all of the feedback. It is obvious I need to do some research. I still have a month (or two) worth of work to do to finish the room.

I have a vintage 1978 model HH Scott 440A amp that I was thinking of "driving" with and my thought was to get some nice speakers...maybe 4 Bose placed around the room and maybe a subwoofer as well. The Amp has A,B and A/B output switch for the speakers and I am going to assume that is 2 channel.

The amp is like new condition and has always sounded great (I bought it when I was 16) and for old times sake I was thiking I could save money for "receiver" and apply to speakers. Obviouslt it is not "state of the art" but it's bound to better than just the TV?

I'm not sure what this will get me ......

$3k for a DLP big screen
$500 - $750 for speakers

I have not really priced or looked at anything other than glancing at the Sunday ads. As I get closer I will followup with you guys as right now I am more into a dream like state!

Thanks for the insight. FF

I am not familiar with that model amp and I couldn't find any information on it. If it is only an amplifier you will still need to get a receiver or preamp to go along with it. If it also includes a preamp section, it still will not be able to decode all of the newer sound formats. You would not be able to get Dolby Digital or DTS from DVDs or HDTV programming.
Regarding your TV selection, I would definately go watch as many different sets as possible. There is something called a rainbow effect that some people see on some DLP sets. Not everyone can see this effect but it can be irritating and even causes bad headaches in some people. Some DLP sets also have a noticable sound from fans or the color wheel. $3000 can definately get you a great big screen, just make sure you look at the different sets and different kinds of sets (DLP, SXRD, CRT RP, Plasma, LCD, LCD RP) in person. Each technology has different strengths and weaknesses so see which set has a picture you enjoy.
For your speakers, a lot of people think that Bose speakers are extremely overpriced. The Bose lifestyle and acoustimass setups are nice becuase of their small size and their WAF, but it is commonly accepted if you are able to accomodate larger speakers, you can get much better sound from other speakers. Depending on if you want a full 5.1 surround or stereo system here are some companies I would look into.

These are internet direct only (not sold in stores)
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/
http://www.svsound.com/
http://www.av123.com/
http://www.hsuresearch.com/
http://www.axiomaudio.com/

Here are some you could find in stores
http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/
http://www.klipsch.com/
http://www.polkaudio.com/

And here is a page with some speaker kits that are a great value if you do not mind a little handywork.
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&SO=2&&DID=7&CATID=43&ObjectGroup_ID=378

I know I have missed a lot of different brands, but this should get you started. Some of these will be out of your budget if you are going for a 5.1 system, but they will show you what is out there. There are also many other great subwoofer only companies. Just so you know, personally I own a 7.1 SVS SBS-01 system with a PB10-ISD subwoofer. Although they aren't as efficient as I would like they sound great and the sub is fantastic for movies.

To give better recommendations, I still would need to know your listening habits. (Stereo music, multi channel music, standard TV, HDTV, VHS movies, DVD movies, etc.)

-Mike
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

First I better get a couple of real time questions answered.....

Is it alright to run speaker wire, TV coax and phone wire along the same "route"?

Is it ok to use steel wire staples loosely on these wires?

I bought a roll of Woods 12ga. wire (clear sheath) and ran thru the walls.... any knowlegde if this is not code approved wire for in wall use?


Ok... I just came back from a few "Blue Moon" drafts and a trip to Best Buy and I am in "lust" with the hardware at the store (the sales girl was pretty hot too!)

Anyway I figured I better get some info out here before I get seduced by the technology.....(drool)

I don't watch a lot of TV/DVD's but hope to when this damn basement is fininshed (wife just subscribed to netflix).
I listsen to Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Country and like all of these styles in an "unplugged format" as well.
I have Cable TV and the main box will be in the basement with the new equipment.
I have pulled 12 ga. wire....... 5 with wall plate/binding post (for 4 speakers and 1 center speaker...... the 6th with RCA jack?? for subwoofer (not done yet binding post or RCA for subWoofer?)

Listed below are "Special deal" Best Buy has going on with their Klipsch products....said if I buy this sound system all bundled I would get 360.00 off..... total of $1262.00

The first Item is the DLP I really liked and is top on my list right at this point. (I am already over my initial budget)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1110265592063&type=product&skuId=7071688
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1110266255381&type=product&skuId=7164819
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1091101346000&type=product&skuId=6781299
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1091101345782&type=product&skuId=6780717
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1091101345782&type=product&skuId=6780717
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1091101345658&type=product&skuId=6780691

Some feedback on my questions and then opinions on the best buy "deal" would be appreciated.
I also have looked on Partsexpress..... would they be comparable speakers etc...


thanks. FF

I work for bestbuy and have always been impressed with the Toshiba's...until recently. We have gotten some info about their bulbs on their 46" that have been burning out within like 4-6 months. Haven't heard if that transfers over to the 62". I'll find out for ya.

I LOVE the klipsch speakers. I'm saving to actually buy the f-2, c-2, and s-2 sets. The Yamaha I don't carry at my store. I personally would step up to the 5860 Yamaha, just to get more sound out of it.

Back to the TV, did you look at the Mitsubishi or the SXRD Sony. That new sony is SWEET. Problem is that it is 4500 for the 60" and 3500 for the 50". Little more expensive, but still IMHO, the best TV we carry in the projection line.

Hope this helps,

Stuntman

Klipsch are great speakers. Before I got the SVS, my surround system was part Klipsch. They have a high sensitivity and are pretty detailed. Again, I would try to find a store that has the speakers you are looking at setup in a dedicated home theater room, not just in the aisle. Bring in some music you are familiar with and listen to the system for a decent amount of time. Most people would agree that Klipsch speakers have a distinctive sound which some find harsh or fatiguing after long listening sessions or at high volume so don't be afraid to turn them up. Also, play some action movies at fairly high levels to see if the dialog sounds clear to you. A true home theater system will also have a subwoofer. I have heard great things about the Klipsch Sub-12. Lastly, depending on your room layout, you may want to consider the Klipsch S-1 for surround speakers instead of the bookshelves.

I agree with the above poster, I have heard many good things about the Sony SXRDs. There is supposed to be updated versions of the SXRDs coming out fairly soon, so if you wait a little bit you can get an even better set or the older version cheaper. Yamaha makes good receivers and the one you selected looks like it has everything you need. (Unless you want HDMI switching built into the receiver) I can't stress enough the importance of listening as much as possible to as many as possible of your possible selections.

One final comment. Although I have been giving recommendations through this thread, remember the final decision should be based on your personal preferrence. If you think it sounds or looks great, that is what is important. Don't let anyone convince you that because your system is from a big box store, it can't be good. There are a lot of elitists in the audio/video world that think unless its expensive, its no good. The most important thing is that you are happy and enjoy your setup. Just be careful if you ever experience a properly setup expensive system. You may get the upgrade bug.

-Mike
"Its not until you lose everything that you are free to do anything."

You can run all your A/V wiring along the same route, but don't run in parallel with line voltage wiring unless you are separated by at least 12". Also, some security wiring will cause interference with poorly sheilded audio cables. There are too many good speakers to count, but I agree with Axiom Audio and SVS. Theaterman

Thanks for the post.

I will definintely look into the Axiom Audio and SVS....

My A/V run is parallel for about 20 feet inside a soffit.....but they are about 14" apart... it was the best I could do with it.

I'm not running any seccurity gear.

Thanks for the feedback. FF