'Speaker patch panel' & face-plates - how to neatly terminate alot of cable?

thedesigntribe · 29-01-2006 12:51PM #1

I'm wiring the house for audio at the moment. We're not sure how the two main living rooms will be used so both are being wired for surround along with a hardwired multi-room audio system (back to a node 0).

This has generated a nest of cables at node 0. I'm wondering what is the best way of 'presenting' this as it comes out of the wall. Is there some sort of 'speaker socket patch panel' I can get to terminate everything? Any recommendations on how to do this neatly much appreciated.

Also I'm going to have wires coming out of every corner in some rooms. Is it possible to get 'speaker-face-plates' (akin to RF sockets) that I can terminate this nicely with?

Cheers all.

Lump · 29-01-2006 01:17PM

Audio patch bays are probably the best way, You can get rack mount ones that will sit cluch on the wall, and I guess you can get different colours. Also there's digital patch bays etc....

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For the speakers, I would suggest this:

You can get shallow versions of the Patch Bays, I believe.

John

pH · 29-01-2006 01:50PM

I bought mine from keene.co.uk, very similar to the the ones Lump posted, they're binding posts on the front and the speaker cable was soldered onto the rears. You can get banana plug versions as well.

They all come back to a 'panel' of the same type of sockets, which is behind the amp.

crap picture I know ...

thedesigntribe · 29-01-2006 11:57PM

Cheers guys

this is what I'm going with (so far)

7 X Niles® Audio 4 way (8-post) Wall Outlets for Speaker Wires $32.99 each (total $231 or €191. Ouch!).

1 X 5.1 Plate £45.83 (€67).

1 X Niles® Audio 2 way (4-post) Wall Outlets for Speaker Wires $21 (€17).

2 X LOUDSPEAKER 2 way 4mm BINDING POSTS OUTLET PLATE £4.99 (€7.30)

4 X LOUDSPEAKER OUTLET PLATE 4mm £4 each

4 of those 4 way + the 5.1 plate are going in the same spot, does anyone know of a better 'all inclusive' wall plate that could carry all of these cables?

pH · 30-01-2006 12:11AM

The 5.1 plate looks great - I couldn't find anything like that, it's certainly neater than a group of plates together. Only thing is the rear of that is going to be tight to solder all the cable to.

Not sure about the Niles - why not just buy five 2 post plates from keene (those are the prices I remember - but delivery was a little dear) and that nice 5.1 plate for the main system.

Without seeing exactly what you're doing it's hard to say more. Most amps Home Cinema amps will feed an additional pair of 'B' speakers. Are you planning on having an amp in each room or somehow switching the speakers?

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 12:31AM

Lots of switching going on to start with. Cat6 also going to all rooms so at some stage I can go to a ethernet based system. I have local audio loops in rooms also.

I'd love to find a neater way to terminate those 4, 4way plates & the 5.1 way plate as I'm also going to have a 4 way cat6 plate + 2 power sockets at this point . Thats 8 double gang face plates - not the most attractive (but most should be hidded with AV equipment).

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 12:36AM

Lump wrote:

You can get shallow versions of the Patch Bays, I believe.
John

John,

I've been looking around for 'shallow patch bays' to no avail. Is there any reason why a network patch panel wouldn't do the job? (quality?)

Lump · 30-01-2006 12:43AM

I don't think it'd be a problem. The reason patch panels for audio are deep is because they can be normalled across connections etc. Those plates seem expensive, did you just use that site to illustrate? Try buying from Canford.co.uk

John

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 10:18AM

Hey Lump

I've just spent 20 mins looking at the Canford site - if they are there I can't fine them

I

Fallschirmjager · 30-01-2006 11:32AM

i got a lot of this stuff on ebay. i got a 7.1 panel (this was a lot cheaper then the UK price), cables (from a guy in ireland as it happens), the terminators etc. it worked out for me a lot cheaper. if you want to try i can send you the names who i bought them off.

Lump · 30-01-2006 12:41PM

thedesigntribe wrote:

Hey Lump

I've just spent 20 mins looking at the Canford site - if they are there I can't fine them

I

Yea, it's a confusing site! I had a look to, and could see them

John

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 01:31PM

Fallschirmjager wrote:

i got a lot of this stuff on ebay. i got a 7.1 panel (this was a lot cheaper then the UK price), cables (from a guy in ireland as it happens), the terminators etc. it worked out for me a lot cheaper. if you want to try i can send you the names who i bought them off.

Fallsch..... Please do. I've had it with the searching

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 01:33PM

Lump wrote:

Yea, it's a confusing site! I had a look to, and could see them

John

You teasing motherf***

go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, post a link. I could not for the life of me find the blo0dly things & I spent 30mins this moring at it. Man that's one confusing site.

Fallschirmjager · 30-01-2006 02:55PM

thedesigntribe wrote:

Fallsch..... Please do. I've had it with the searching

i got some of the plates from this chap. very helpful as well as it happens

http://stores.ebay.com/LENEXPO-ELECTRONICS

he sells a lot in packs, can work out a little cheaper

i go the 7.1 face plate from another guy..i will scan for him again.
hope that helps

Fallschirmjager · 30-01-2006 02:59PM

the 7.1 plate (i found that very hard to get, other then pay a lot for it) ws from a guy called supercellaudio..do a user search for him on ebay

u might want to do a check and see if anyone else is selling the plates, he was in a massive group of 1 when i bought!

hope that helps...

Fallschirmjager · 30-01-2006 03:02PM

here he is 'the other guy' (supercellaudio) selling another face plate. the ebay number is 5860002727.

he says he ships only to the US but i emailed him and he shipped to me no problem. you should email him to be sure before you lay down the cash....

hope that helps

thedesigntribe · 30-01-2006 03:16PM

Fallschirmjager wrote:

hope that helps

Cheers dude that sure does!

wexfordman · 30-01-2006 07:54PM

Hi,

A place to get an idea of some wallplates etc would be http://www.letsautomate.com/index.cfm?&Nav=speakers& although you might see a better range elswhere. Clipsal do some nice modular sockets, where you can mix and match termination types in one faceplate.

What sort of multiroom system are you putting in if you dont mind me asking ?
I had a hardwired system until recently, and have just replaced it with a wireless system, which I think is way superior to many of the wired systems I've seen about.

Wexfordman

thedesigntribe · 31-01-2006 12:32AM

Fallschirmjager wrote:

i got some of the plates from this chap. very helpful as well as it happens

http://stores.ebay.com/LENEXPO-ELECTRONICS

he sells a lot in packs, can work out a little cheaper

Fallsch, getting these Atlona 5 speakers wall plate did you get this brand? I'm wondering are these the standard 2 gang width? Will they fit the standard double socket box?

Lump · 31-01-2006 09:25AM

thedesigntribe wrote:

You teasing motherf*** go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, post a link. I could not for the life of me find the blo0dly things & I spent 30mins this moring at it. Man that's one confusing site.

I lost them again

John

thedesigntribe · 31-01-2006 10:05AM

Lump wrote:

I lost them again

John

Good site isn't it :rolleyes:

Lump · 31-01-2006 11:16AM

Well they've so much stuff and the pro's call things differently so the search is tough. If you ring/e-mail them they might help you out, but you can probably get the stuff else where easier

John

Fallschirmjager · 01-02-2006 04:02PM

thedesigntribe wrote:

Fallsch, getting these Atlona 5 speakers wall plate did you get this brand? I'm wondering are these the standard 2 gang width? Will they fit the standard double socket box?

sorry dude, was actually working the last few days :rolleyes: I have just the individual speaker plates but it looks the same size

i will check the dimensions of the ones i have when i get home bro...i have mine on the walls (well most of them so far!) away from little fingers so i didnt put a box at the back!!

Fallschirmjager · 02-02-2006 09:22AM

dude,

the size of the one i have has only 2 binding posts but they looks the same size

the size is 73mm by 118mm (i am measuring the outer cover)

this is the one i bought from ebay....5861863876

hope that helps....

'Speaker patch panel' & face-plates - how to neatly terminate alot of cable?

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