Best way to wire surround sound + best cable?

[mo2]

In the range of lightswitches, sockets etc. there is a phono output plate but not a banana style connector plate. I have not had surround sound before, but I have a rough i dea of how it works. My plan is connect these plates(single phono connection wall plates) using high quality speaker cable to an amp. I will then use half a phono lead to connect the plate to the speaker. This is the problem, as I am not sure cutting a phono lead so that the flex can be scrwed into the speaker connections will work. WIll it? Any other suggesions or methods would be appreciated.


I realise this post is really badly worded(or perhaps the order of my points is a bit higgledy piggledy), but I am new to the world of surround sound and am slightly confused on how to do it

thanks

does this stuff look good to you?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50m-2-COLOUR-...ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

 

[Steve]

Is there a blank plate in the range you're looking at? You could adapt this with attachments

 

[mo2]

there is, but I reckon if I tried anything like that(i have five to do) I would mess it up

http://hamilton-litestat.com/coll_apb.htm
I think it's this range, but I got them from my local electrical wholesaler

 

[Steve]

yes, get some blank plates and drill or saw holes in them for these:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=44212&criteria=Loudspeaker Connectors&doy=26m11

OR, if you want a bit of room for error,

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1086&criteria=Loudspeaker Connectors&doy=26m11

Plenty more here:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/search.aspx...ia=Loudspeaker Connectors&doy=26m11&worldid=3

 

[mo2]

hi, thanks for the links - the springy ones(the first link) look the best. How would I saw or drill, holes for it. Also, I still prefer to but the phono connectors so what do you think of my cutting of the phono cable.

 

[Steve]

You can use phono plugs with other wire. I have seen phono plugs used with speaker wire before. The signals are pretty similar. Suppose you could use speaker wire (bell wire) and solder one half to the outer and one half to the middle. phono will give a better contact than spring clips.

In the context I saw phono plugs being used, it was for a security tannoy in a shop, for an alarm recieving centre to make announcements in the shop. It was a mono application, so the guy used one half of a phono wire to link the alarm interface to the amp, though speaker wire would have looked neater, as he had to cut one side short.

 

[mo2]

thanks, so i couldsolder my speaker cable to something like these:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=30804&criteria=Phono Connectors&doy=26m11

 

[mo2]

what diameter cable should i be going for - is there a big difference?

 

[Steve]

Just buy good quality speaker cable. We had a debate on here a while ago about this. Just dont buy bellwire or anything thats more than £2 a metre.

this would be ok:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=49&criteria=AUDIO CABLE&doy=26m11

 

[mo2]

ah, thanks alot crafty uve been reel helpful

the link to the phono connectors a bit further up - were they OK?

 

[Steve]

yeah they're fine.

by the way, i'm not an electrician and I've never done anything like this!

 

[mo2]

just done my first hole for a back box ever



drilled neat little holes around the edge and smacked it in - backbox manages to get in, and no filling needed

Also threaded the cable for it

My second one, The plaster has messed up, the breeze is really close to the plasterboard and I think I'll have to chisel it. How do I chisel it, and is there any risk in chiselling the breeze because I'm a bit worried about messing with it

thx all


(perhaps this should be a new topic)

 

[davelx]

Some breeze non-loadbearing walls are very thin (55mm in my house) once you get through the plaster. It's not that difficult to get the chisel at too high an angle and go right through - which will result in a big hole on the other side. Still, it gave me some plastering practice.

So keep the chisel sharp, the angle low, use more rapid, lighter hammer blows and don't rush it.

Oh - and wear safety glasses!

 

[mo2]

what do you mean by loadbearing, it does not support joists for the floor above, but obviously, it supports the roof, but it is towards the bottom of the ground floor that I am working on.


Is it still ok to chisel?

 

[Steve]

and if its thermalite block, get a screwdriver and push it into the wall. no chisel required