Few Questions

Sawyeruk

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Hi,

I've just bought my first house and in the process of having a rewire. While this is being done I decided I would run cat 6 round my house and also get all the speaker wire for my surround sound put in.

I've got a cupboard on the entrance to the house where my electricity meter sits, it's a fairly large cupboard. I've bought a network cabinet and I want to run all the cat 6 cables back to there.

My plan is to put all my internet/network and TV sources into this cupboard so it's all hidden out the way.

Questions:

1. Is it worth putting the AV receiver in here too and using an HDMI > Cat 6 baluns to reach my TV? or does it make more sense to keep the AC receiver closer to TV/Speakers?

2. How would I use my IR controllers to control all my sources and AV Receiver?

3. If I do decide to put the AC receiver in the cupboard. Speaker cable needs to run from the cupboard then into my lounge as it's a 5.1 system. I'll decide where the speakers will be installed tonight but what do I terminate them too? Or do I just leave the bare cable hanging out the wall to connect to the speakers? (Very new to this side of things!) I'm guessing something like this in the cupboard White 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker Wall Plate with Gold Binding Posts + RCA Socket | eBay and 4MM BANANA PLUG FLUSH SPEAKER LOUDSPEAKER WALL SOCKET PLATE | eBay for where the surround speakers will go?

4. If I end up buying an Xbox One or Playstation and It needs to go into that cupboard what happens about controllers? Do they tend to work well in hidden situations like this?

Anything I've overlooked or ideas anyone can throw into the mix?
 
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What TV Sources do you have at the moment ? and how many rooms with TVs ?

I would recommend using HDMI Over Cat5/6 matrix if more than one source and more than one TV as this will allow any source on any TV in any combination.

Using a Matrix also allows IR control from the TV location via the same cable.

My recommendation in this case would to have the AVR in the cupboard and run the speaker wires back to this location.

Playstation has a range of up to 30M but reduces as goes through walls etc.

I can give more advice when I know about the number of sources and Tvs
 
3 Sources, 1 TV - Matrix is out of the question currently. Little bit over my budget from what I've seen currently.

This house malarky is expensive :( :)
 
If just one TV and 3 sources then use the AVR to switch sources in the cupboard and an HdBaseT HDMI over Cat5 Extender to the TV. This will also carry the IR from the TV location.

HDBaseT Extender Set with IR POC and 4K2K Support

£179+VAT AVF5 code to get 5% discount in our store.

Make sure you run cat6 to all rooms (ideally 2+) regardless whether you need connection at the rooms now or not. Easier to run now rather than later. Make sure the electrician keeps Cat6 cables away from Power cables with at least a 200mm separation.

We have a new lower! cost 4x4 HDBaseT matrix at £1299+VAT including 4 receivers which has POC (power Over cable) , routed/discrete IR, EDID management, fast source switching , Serial, Lan and IR control and is firmware upgradable.

Professional 4x4 HDBaseT Matrix with 4 Receivers - Lite Version
 
Thanks for all your help - that looks just the ticket! :)

Yeah every room is having Cat 6, 2 where the TV's will be and 2 dotted on the walls above the skirting board.

Although that solution looks perfect and I would consider it with everything else going on at the moment it's a no go. Wife wants a nice bathroom to use rather than being able to watch all our sources on every TV. haha!

Also, with regards to speaker cables is that the route to go down? Or does it look messy with rear speakers having those binding posts high on the wall?
 
I'd go for a bucket and a hole in the floor for the bathroom and shiny new TVs in each room.

If you mount the Speaker in front of the plate you wont see it so always better to try and get the plate exactly where you need it
 
Which leads me on to my next question... although that might be better for another forum for the layout of the rear speakers...
 
Ok so this is my room (Not to scale or perfect just a 5 minute knock up in paint!) This is my first time doing any of this!

I've got a Tannoy 201 speakers on the back and the HTS 101 speakers at the front with a Yamaha RXV375 AVR. It's a 5.1 system.

My lounge is only small 2.87 x 4.37m. (Which includes the cupboard under the stairs!) My planned layout is as so:

My only issue is the rear speakers? Should they be on the side or on the back like so? They will be about ear height when standing? Is that correct?

I'm having the cable channelled into the walls so I won't really be able to move it around too much when testing so I'd like to get it as "right" as possible from the start.

3rcBoYo.jpg


The Blue 'box' is my TV

The corner sofa is the purple/red boxes

Sub are the potential locations for the sub? x 2

Circles are my surround sound speakers.

I have a corner sofa which is against the wall.

The Squares are where I think the sub could potentially go? The problem is on the left is a little 'alcove' and then under that is the cupboard under the stairs. Or on the right of the room infront of the corner sofa.

Any suggestions?
 
Detailed layout of speakers I will leave to more knowledgeable members, but I would go for sub in corner near the TV and Speakers at head height
 
Rear surrounds as utilised in a 5.1 setup should ideally be placed more to your sides as opposed to directly behind you if at all possible, but if your sofa is to be pushed all the way up against the wall then where you've depicted them will be fine. The surrounds need to be higher than your seated head height (30 - 90cm) and need to be angled into the room slightly. Front speakers need to be at your seated head height. The best place for the sub out of the options you've depicted is the location on the right.

You may find this useful:

4io18.jpg


Home Theater Surround Sound Speaker Placement and Setup Guide
 
Brilliant. I'll give get the electricians to pull the cables through there then.

Thanks for all your help.
 
How long are you planning on staying in the property?

Don't wire just for the 'hear and now' plan long term - it sounds like some sort of multi-source/multi-zone Matrix is on your radar - if yes wire for it now plus wire for the simpler system you are planning to fit with the current budget.

Laying in CAT6, loudspeaker* and Subwoofer* cable to the 'Hub' from each room plus whatever you need for now in just the Lounge could be much cheaper in the long run.

*Only to the main lounge.

'The Squares are where I think the sub could potentially go?' - if you are using a Sat/Sub system I'd keep the Sub on the same wall as the Front LCR Sats as otherwise you can 'localise' the Sub audio and not have an 'integrated' sound from the Sat/Sub combination.

'I've got a cupboard on the entrance to the house where my electricity meter sits' - try and keep the CAT cables away from the Meter (esp. if it has any sort of Wireless Display device elsewhere in the property) otherwise you can inundate the CAT cables with signal from the Meter Transmitter.

Joe
 
Hi Joe,

The Cat 6 cable is being ran into all the rooms in the house and in the bedroom there will be additional points put in where I expect TV's will go so if I do eventually go down the Matrix route it will be possible.

The Cat6 cables should come down about a meter away from the electricity meter. (It's a "walk in" cupboard)

Thanks for the advice on sub location. I think I will put the sub socket in the bottom right hand corner of the room then I have some flexibility of where to put it.
 
Just had a thought!

I'll be buying a new TV that supports ARC and my AVR also supports ARC.

Do the Cat 6 extenders support ARC? Or do I also need to run a optical cable from my TV > AVR?
 
If I do run a HDMI cable how can I control my devices via IR?
 

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