AVForums

Our philosophy in our forums, reviews, podcasts and feature videos is to promote audio and visual excellence by gathering and sharing the best information and resources available.

Help

To begin please visit our help section »

Not a Member Yet?

It only takes a minute to start enjoying the benefits of AVForums membership, and it's free!

Member Log in

Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Post Reply
Old 22-08-2008, 2:17 PM   #1
Member
 
Phaedrus68's Avatar
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Dublin
Experience Points:
3,851, Level: 14
Points: 3,851, Level: 14 Points: 3,851, Level: 14 Points: 3,851, Level: 14
Activity: 5.3%
Activity: 5.3% Activity: 5.3% Activity: 5.3%
Thanks: Gave 43, Got 12
Posts: 325
Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Hi,

I like thet idea of speaker wall plates, but is all the soldering & the expense really worth the hassle?

Is there any signal loss with these plates? Is there a preferred way to connect - banana plugs at every connection point, or just wrap the wire round good 'n' tight?

For a 5.1 set-up, I assume I'd need these (or similar from another brand)?

1 x NX-WP-024B 5.1 Dolpy Plate for the amp outputs:
http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Wall_plate_C...all_plates.htm

5 x NX-WP-005 binding post plate for the front, rear & centre speakers:
http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Wall_plate_C...all_plates.htm

1 x NX-WP-009 Phono plate for the sub:
http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Wall_plate_C...all_plates.htm

That's £82 delivered to me in Ireland, which I could swallow if they do tidy things up and don't affect signal.


Thanks for any replies,

Mark
  Quote
Old 22-08-2008, 4:21 PM   #2
Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Experience Points:
2,094, Level: 10
Points: 2,094, Level: 10 Points: 2,094, Level: 10 Points: 2,094, Level: 10
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 18, Got 11
Posts: 98
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Thanks Mark been wondering the exact same thing, also here in Ireland
  Quote
Old 24-08-2008, 2:13 PM   #3
Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sheffield
Experience Points:
2,244, Level: 10
Points: 2,244, Level: 10 Points: 2,244, Level: 10 Points: 2,244, Level: 10
Activity: 0.7%
Activity: 0.7% Activity: 0.7% Activity: 0.7%
Thanks: Gave 9, Got 10
Posts: 97
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

I was also wondering the same thing. About to chase the walls out to put speaker cables in and wondered if the plates would be to big to sit behind smaller satellite speakers.

come on people, give us a hand
  Quote
Old 24-08-2008, 4:46 PM   #4
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cobham
Experience Points:
4,195, Level: 15
Points: 4,195, Level: 15 Points: 4,195, Level: 15 Points: 4,195, Level: 15
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 65, Got 49
Posts: 327
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

I used wall plates for my rear B&W's, at high level, makes things a lot more tidy, soldering the cable to the "tabs" is easy enough (im no expert with a soldering iron) see pics Living room/5.1 setup WIP
  Quote
Old 24-08-2008, 4:50 PM   #5
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Flintshire
Experience Points:
1,894, Level: 10
Points: 1,894, Level: 10 Points: 1,894, Level: 10 Points: 1,894, Level: 10
Activity: 0.3%
Activity: 0.3% Activity: 0.3% Activity: 0.3%
Thanks: Gave 9, Got 15
Posts: 102
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Just for your info. I have my rears chased into wall with conduits and just a small hole left for where the cable exits. I found that this a much neater solution. Where they come out at the front they come out of a brush plate behind a unit.This way there is a direct connection from speakers to amp (no inter-connects and no signal loss).

Tankrs
  Quote
Old 24-08-2008, 10:17 PM   #6
Member
 
Phaedrus68's Avatar
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Dublin
Experience Points:
3,851, Level: 14
Points: 3,851, Level: 14 Points: 3,851, Level: 14 Points: 3,851, Level: 14
Activity: 5.3%
Activity: 5.3% Activity: 5.3% Activity: 5.3%
Thanks: Gave 43, Got 12
Posts: 325
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Quote:
Originally Posted by tankrs View Post
...there is a direct connection from speakers to amp (no inter-connects and no signal loss).
That's really what I want to know - is there really any significant signal loss? If there is, then who uses these products if not AV enthusiasts, who you would assume know best when it comes to AV?

If you're chasing / routing cables in walls, they obviously have to enter & exit the walls somehow. Dedicated wall plates seem to be the neatest option, but if there is noticable loss, then wouldn't a blank plate with a hole drilled in it for the cable to pass through be "better"?


Mark
  Quote
Old 26-08-2008, 10:43 AM   #7
Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Experience Points:
3,718, Level: 14
Points: 3,718, Level: 14 Points: 3,718, Level: 14 Points: 3,718, Level: 14
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 21, Got 55
Posts: 493
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

I originally had cables coming through a drilled face plate but it just looked a mess tbh and the girlfriend hated it. I swapped it for a face plate and it looks much tidier and to my ears there is no difference in the sound quality.
  Quote
Old 26-08-2008, 10:51 AM   #8
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cobham
Experience Points:
4,195, Level: 15
Points: 4,195, Level: 15 Points: 4,195, Level: 15 Points: 4,195, Level: 15
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 65, Got 49
Posts: 327
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Da_Rude_Baboon View Post
I originally had cables coming through a drilled face plate but it just looked a mess tbh and the girlfriend hated it. I swapped it for a face plate and it looks much tidier and to my ears there is no difference in the sound quality.
Have to agree regarding hearing no difference in sound quality either.
  Quote
Old 26-08-2008, 11:39 AM   #9
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Experience Points:
5,207, Level: 17
Points: 5,207, Level: 17 Points: 5,207, Level: 17 Points: 5,207, Level: 17
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 0, Got 7
Posts: 87
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

The least visible soloution is to just have the cable exiting the plastered wall through a small whole, mounting the speaker directly in front. As suggested by tankrs

Face plates are can be useful when there is a requirement for making and breaking the connection neatly. eg. in this case changing the location of the rear speakers or the ability to remove all the speakers from the room without wires hanging out of the wall.

They mainly provide protection for the cable in the wall whiich is the hardest to replace... after all who cares about the 1m of cable outside the wall plate. The 10m in the wall on the other hand!!

I just cant imagine there being any noticable difference at all, think how many solder connections there are inside your equipment and speakers already. I certainly have not noticed anything, when using plates in the past.
  Quote
Old 27-08-2008, 11:13 AM   #10
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Experience Points:
2,363, Level: 11
Points: 2,363, Level: 11 Points: 2,363, Level: 11 Points: 2,363, Level: 11
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 7, Got 5
Posts: 58
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Just one thought to consider; Whats your speaker wiring like?

See, If you just channeled and passed the wire through, in a couple of years time should you choose to upgrade / replace, its going to be easier to pull through the new cable and connect up, rather than desolder and resolder the new stuff in.

I plumped for some of the brush plates when doing mine.
  Quote
Old 27-08-2008, 12:44 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
IanW's Avatar
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wiltshire
Experience Points:
8,953, Level: 22
Points: 8,953, Level: 22 Points: 8,953, Level: 22 Points: 8,953, Level: 22
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 246, Got 92
Posts: 1,498
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

Unless you really need to move your speakers, direct is best.





Ian.
  Quote
Old 27-08-2008, 1:43 PM   #12
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Experience Points:
6,354, Level: 19
Points: 6,354, Level: 19 Points: 6,354, Level: 19 Points: 6,354, Level: 19
Activity: 0%
Activity: 0% Activity: 0% Activity: 0%
Thanks: Gave 11, Got 62
Posts: 556
Re: Speaker Wall Plates - Worth The Effort?

I used direct and plates.. basically I drilled a hole through a blank plate or used the brush plates behind the stand. Gives the finish I would like on the walls where visible without any ( perceived or otherwise) signal loss.






Last edited by cybrey; 27-08-2008 at 2:16 PM.
  Quote
Post Reply



Thread information and display options
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off