Running speaker cable in the wall

[kingcu]

Hi everybody,

I am in the middle of finishing my basement. I am at the point just before putting on the insulation/drywall. I'd like to run the speaker cables inside the studs for later hookup. I have the following questions/doubts:

1. How should I terminate the cable at each end: get those binding posts on a plate OR just cut a hole on the wall and leave a few feet extra at each end and make the conntection through this single piece of cable later.

2. I got the Monster XPHP - CI cable for about $120/100 ft roll, is this good enough if I spend $7-8K later on the home theater system. If I should get other better cables, can some one recommend a brand and model?

Thank you very much!

wt

[Resident Loser]

1. How should I terminate the cable at each end: get those binding posts on a plate OR just cut a hole on the wall and leave a few feet extra at each end and make the conntection through this single piece of cable later.

...would be to keep it simple. Why put any extra couplings in the signal path? You could still keep things neat by getting plates with grommets to feed the wiring through...and you'll still have the option of mounting connecterized plates at some future date should it become an WAF issue or somesuch...

2. I got the Monster XPHP - CI cable for about $120/100 ft roll, is this good enough if I spend $7-8K later on the home theater system. If I should get other better cables, can some one recommend a brand and model?

Anything you see anywhere on the net (or anywhere else for that matter) that says you must allocate a specific percentage of OR purchase wiring that is priced commensurate with, the cost of your gear is just blowin' smoke....Even your Monster stuff(due to advertising and other factors) is probably overpriced and you could have done better at Home Depot or Lowes, but you got it, so no biggie...Try to keep in mind that wire is pretty much wire and regardless of the hype that says otherwise, there is absolutely no proof(other than heasrsay) to the contrary...

jimHJJ(...of course there might be others who may disagree...)

[JBMAudio.com]

Hi everybody,

I am in the middle of finishing my basement. I am at the point just before putting on the insulation/drywall. I'd like to run the speaker cables inside the studs for later hookup. I have the following questions/doubts:

1. How should I terminate the cable at each end: get those binding posts on a plate OR just cut a hole on the wall and leave a few feet extra at each end and make the conntection through this single piece of cable later.

2. I got the Monster XPHP - CI cable for about $120/100 ft roll, is this good enough if I spend $7-8K later on the home theater system. If I should get other better cables, can some one recommend a brand and model?

Thank you very much!

wt

How you terminate is completely up to you. If you don't use a binding plate, just leave it bare wire, and when you get your speakers, you can terminate them how you want or just connect them with the bare wire. If you go this route, I would wrap the ends of the wire in something until you are ready to use them.

A binding plate would like nicer and be more flexible. But you would incur some signal loss as RL stated. How much depends on the quality of the binding posts.

As for the cable, it should be fine. If you ever want to upgrade it, you can always connect the new wire to one end of the monster and use the monster to pull it through the wall. To make this process a ton easier, I recommend running the wire through some kind of conduit like some PVC Pipe or something. Makes running and reruning the wire very easy.

You could just run the PVC and get the wire when you were ready to go. THE PVC would make fishing the wire a sinch.