Wiring

When people want to wire their house for sound, the most common thing they do is to ask their builder - and then ask the electrician. They say "we want some speakers in this room." He'll arbitrarily pick a location and wire it. They'll work fine, look fine, but won't work as well as possible. The homeowner and the electician are not experts in acoustics - they may know how the room is supposed to function and how it's going to be used - but aren't trained in how to optimize budget and performance for the room.

Sometimes the wrong wire is used - not a heavy enough gauge or sometimes too heavy. If too heavy a gauge wire is used, the effect is that of shouting in a stadium. If too narrow a gauge is used, the effect is that of a four lane highway merging into one lane to get through a tunnel. Too heavy a cable and you introduce noise. Too narrow and you loose signal so delay effects ensue. The length of the cable, possibility of moisture in the environment, etc. will effect Steve's choice of speaker wire.

You never, ever want to run a signal cable parallel with electrical wire. If parallel, at least one foot away - Steve runs 2 feet away. Ideally, speaker wire is run perpendicular to electrical cable. This applies to coaxial cable, signal cable, as well as Cat 5 cable.

The main problem with retrofitting isn't that it can be done, but your options are more limited. Steve's familiarity with construction techniques enables him to visualize the interior of your walls and avoid obstructions - this results in a lower cost to the homeowner. Speaker wire, antenna cable, networking cable, control wire, system wire - all types of wiring can be done in this way.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do we get you involved in a home project?
The sooner the better. Whenever possible I'd like to talk the architect, general contractor, builder, electrician, or interior designer. To plan windows, textures, measurements, angles and materials. The ultimate outcome is for seamless integration and best possible performance. There are so many things to consider I can't list them here because again, each case is different. The whole point of a custom design is that it is specific to your needs.

How can you hide the wires in an apartment where it is not possible to alter the room?
Several options. One is to pull the baseboard molding and run the wires behind them. Another is wire mold, this is a plastic surface mount channel to hide the wires and it is paintable. The last option is to pull up the carpet and run the wires underneath.

Can I use wireless speakers?
There are wireless options out there but none are very good right now. In the future they will probably be more prevalent but for now hard wired is the way to go.

Should I pre-wire my house?
If you have the option when building then Yes Yes Yes! There are many low cost options to prepare your house for the system of the future without having to run tons of wire. If you want whole house audio and or video you should prewire. It costs much less during construction.

Steve DuBos - Owner
Home Theater Works
1425 4th St. SW
Suite A212
Washington, DC, 20024
413-687-9255 Cell