In article .com,
Craig wrote:
I do not have a surround sound system- yet, I may get a wild hair up my
ass to buy one someday, and do not want to shaft myself now when I have
the access to install wires.
While you're there -- run some CAT-5 or even better CAT-6 wires
so you can use them for high-speed computer networking if you need to do
that. The connector for that is the RJ-45.
Does the cable splitter reduce quality
when only one set is hooked to it?
Yes -- there is 3db signal loss from the original cable to each
branch. And if there is any length of cable going from the splitter to
where a TV *could* be, but *isn't*, you should get a 75 ohm terminator
on that to prevent reflections, too.
There will never be more than that,
Im just doing that to change the living room around for the wife( and
so I do not have to keep listening to hear gripe about NOT being able
to move the TV!!).
O.K.
I will stay away from RCA jacks, thanks for the info
Is "Monster Cable" the name brand or does it just make refrence
to the size of 12ga.?
"Monster cable" is a brand of particularly over-priced cable.
It is sold to those who believe that $150.00 wooden knobs improve the
sound of a system. :-)
If you're planning to run low-impedance speakers (typical
speakers are 4 ohm, 8 ohm, or 16 ohm), and are planning to run rather
high peak powers, install heavier gauge wires. The longer the run, the
heavier the gauge you will need. But I suspect that 2 ga would be
overkill for almost any home system. If you truly believe in overkill,
go for 4-0 wires (about the diameter of your thumb. :-)
The "binding posts" just have a hole in them with
a threaded barrel to hold the wire in place correct?
Yes -- and they also have an end-on hole to accept a banana
plug.
The good ones have a metal part (nut) which screws onto the
post, with a plastic insulating part for you to grip as you screw it
down. The post also will have a flat piece which can accept a fork
terminal to go to either side of the post.
The Cheap ones will have the nut all plastic, and may even not
have the metal flange to accept fork terminals.
Sounds rugged.
Will any 12ga. stranded cooper wire work?
Sure.
Or does it have to be
speaker wire? What is the diff. other than speaker wire has th two
wires side by side?
Speaker wire typically has a transparent insulation (to make it
blend into the background better), and (sometimes) one of the two wires
is tinned, while the other is bare copper, so you can tell the two wires
apart. But even zip cord will do for that. It typically has ridges
molded into one side only, to allow you to identify the two sides.
Speaker wire is usually designed to be less objectionable in
view, though some (such as the "Monster Cable") can be very objectionable
in view. If you can find a color of zip cord to match your wall
background, it could be the better choice. The main thing that speaker
wire does is make a living for HI-FI store owners. The same in spades
for "Monster Cable". :-)
Now -- if you are running quite a few speaker feeds along the
same narrow space, ideally you should twist each pair, instead of
running them side by side, to minimize crosstalk. You'll find the same
principle (on a much smaller scale) in phone cables, and especially in
CAT-5 and CAT-6 cables. There (the CAT-? cables), even the rate of
twist changes from one pair to the next, to reduce the crosstalk even
more.
Good Luck,
DoN.
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