Speaker layout questions (1 Viewer)

[Keith Mickunas]

This Friday I am meeting with the builder of my house and will be discussing wiring issues. At this point everything is pretty much set in stone, the only thing I'll be changing is the position of speaker wires and coax. So I'm looking for some suggestions on where I should run wires.
Here's the layout as I'm planning it:
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For the PNG impaired, look at Link Removed. Keep in mind that its not entirely to scale.
The room is 10' 6" wide, and the shorter wall is about 12' 8" with a standard height ceiling (8' I think). I have a standard def. 50" RPTV which I'll be keeping for a while. I currently have Polk RT-800s for the front and RT-55s on stands for the rear with a CS-350 sitting on the TV. I plan to have wire run for the rears in the bathroom wall and the half-wall next to the stairs. The mains and center are going directly to the equpiment. I need to decide on where to put the wires for the side channels in case I do those later. I've placed them where it strikes me as best. What about the height though? I'm not really sure what I'll have on the side yet, possibly some Polk LSiFx bi-pole/di-pole which are 15" high and just over a foot wide. Should I plan to put these flush against the ceiling?
Also, I just realized I need to decide where to put in wires for the Yamaha front effects, but that's not big deal because placement on those isn't much of an issue. I figure maybe on the front wall, 6" in from each wall and ceiling as I'll just put something small in there.
WAF and furniture is not much of an issue. I'm more worried about placement right now. I know this room isn't perfect, but it seemed a pretty good compromise with my budget and other considerations.
I'm also thinking that I could skip the wiring for now and see if the money can be used on something else electrical. It might be possible for me to run those wires myself. I'm going to go by some of the other houses that are under construction and see if I can tell whether or not I'll have the room in the attic I need to get at it. But that has to wait til Wednesday evening.
So that's about it. I've not dealt with di-pole/bi-pole before, so I don't know what to plan for and hope some others will give me some ideas.

 

[Jeff Engel]

Definately wire now if you can, it'll save you so much time and headache later. If you can, have them send a run of speaker wire and coax into everyroom. Have them just bundle 24" or so into a coil and seal it into the wall if you don't need it right now. It'll make it that much easier if you need to run it later, then all you have to do is punch it out of the wall and put it where you need it. The whole key to prewiring is to overwire...IMHO. Get everything you could possibly need especially if you think you don't need...regrets are much more costly if you decide to wire something else later on.

Jeff

 

[BrianWoerndle]

I have done some wiring form the attic. By looking at your diagram, you should be able to get to the side walls with no problem, but you will neve get to the wall behind the TV, so anything in that wall needs to be done now. I would run all the wires you think you will ever need down the wall behind the TV (assuming the reciever is going there). If you do not want to run them in the side walls now, you can leave them in the attic for now. It will be harder once the walls are up, but the sides can be done later.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Actually all the equipment will be in Bedroom #4 on the adjacent wall. I plan to put a small hole in the wall in the corner that I will use to run some cables directly between the two rooms.

I guess for the side speakers I should do as Jeff suggested and just leave some cable in the wall. I hadn't thought of that. I'll have access to the house throughout the build, so before the sheetrock goes up I can get in there and figure out exactly where the wires are running. Then if I get the speakers, I can just punch a hole and snag the wire.

As for additional wiring, the amount is already set, I had to decide that several weeks ago and can't change it. I've got plans for a bunch of cable runs for satelite and everything, and it will all be home runs to one central location. Bedroom #4 is going to have four cable drops, two for satelite, one for cable modem, and one to pass the signal from a satelite receiver or the Tivo out to other rooms. Unfortunately I didn't get as much as I'd like, as my budget wouldn't permit that, nor can I run wire myself before the house is finished (so they say). I can only hope to make the right decisions now and make my life easier in the future.