Speakers - rear

[unknown_user]

Sorry for the vague title people but ...

i was thinking of setting up surround sound for when i purchase my new home.

if the flooring is laminated already ie can't hide the wiring under the floorboards, what would be the best technique to hide or lay the wiring to the rear speakers ?

would wireless rear speakers be any good ? (i doubt it)

would a speaker suchas the yamaha ysp1000 be any good ?

[ThinkSta]

If you're into your hardcore DIY, then you could install cables behind the walls and attach socket plates (just like power points).

Next most lazy option would be to cut a groove into the bottom of your skirting board, run the cable along the groove, then cover and paint.

For the really lazy option the best bet may be to run cables along the skirting board down one side of the room (both together), and get some kind of plastic cable cover to hide them. The cable cover should look pretty inconspicous if it matches the wall colour and will be no problem to lift up and change if needed.

Will you be listening to much surround music with your system or just movies?

Generally you can get away with cheaper surrounds for film as their main purpose 90% of the time is to just make things sound more enveloping and 'ambient'.

[unknown_user]

surround sound would only be for movies, stereo for music

and by the way, thanks for the ideas - their great, might look into the 2nd scenario as it seems do-able for me, definately not number 1

what tool would be best to make the grooves in the skirting board ?

[ThinkSta]

Hmmm, tools... A circular saw would probably be quickest, but not many people have one lying around!

You could try using a hammer and chisel to take off lumps of skirting a bit at a time. If you're lucky, there will be a good grain along the wood, and it will split in a stright line. If not, then don't worry, as it should be reasonably easy to fill in any uneven holes later and paint over if needed.

If you're mainly into movies and not too snobby about the sound, then I'd suggest a set of 'bipolar' surrounds to the side or slightly behind your listening position. Bipolars have drivers facing forwards and backwards, and you can get reasonably discreet ones that wont upset the look of your living room too much. I don't know any specific models to recommend I'm afraid though...

[unknown_user]

wow - cheers for that

/ off looking for bipolar speakers .....

[Clingy]

For my rears, I had sent the wiring through a wall, into the spare room, up some existing boxing hiding pipes, through two lofts down into the shower room through it into the back wall of the listening room. What a fuss. When I needed to rewire, I just bought some nice flat see through speaker cable (yellow colour) that goes around the outside or our room and sits on top of our varnished deal (pine colour) floorboards. You dont notice them tbh.

[M0nkeyb0Y]

Originally Posted by unknown_user

what tool would be best to make the grooves in the skirting board ?

I'd go with a router: You can pick them up for as little as £30 here, and they come in quite handy (not that I actually own one), I borrow a mates whenever needed.

Or you could hire one.

[dave87]

Originally Posted by M0nkeyb0Y

I'd go with a router: You can pick them up for as little as £30 here, and they come in quite handy (not that I actually own one), I borrow a mates whenever needed.

Or you could hire one.

Yup either that or a sds hammer drill with a rotary stop - then there's an attachment akin to a spoon that will dig a nice channel in most things - even the walls if you are feeling adventurous

[ThinkSta]

Crikey, check out the DIY expertise in here... I bow down to everybody else's superior expertise!

[G4Z]

I used some plastic trunking to do mine, has an adhesive back on it, you just peel and plonk it alongside your skirting board, easy.

[dave87]

Originally Posted by ThinkSta

Crikey, check out the DIY expertise in here... I bow down to everybody else's superior expertise!

I have muchos expertise in making holes in things...its the putting back together afterwards that I struggle with

[BenW]

If its a room with laminate flooring then there will be a smaller skirting board between the floor and main skirting board. Lift it up and theres a channel behind it, good size for speaker cables!

If you can take the wires up in the corner of a room then its easy, glue them in the corner and paint over. Can hardly be seen

If the above isn't doable then as dave87 says, its called 'chasing'

[FatalSaviour]

Originally Posted by M0nkeyb0Y

I'd go with a router: You can pick them up for as little as £30 here, and they come in quite handy (not that I actually own one), I borrow a mates whenever needed.

Or you could hire one.

Oh dear, I own one of the damn things, yet I couldn't think for the life of me for about 10 seconds how a router (of the wireless access point kind) would help...

[ThinkSta]

Lol... my wireless router's got pointy bits on the back that you could probably dig a good hole with...