What speaker cable and brand to use in media room?

[Samara1]

Which speaker cable and brand is best to use in Media room (3.4x3.6m) for Home theatre setup.

how much wiring may be required for 5.2 or 7.2 channels

[Dave-1]

Morning @Samara1 

Sound systems I love and the guys here have been giving some very good advice, the only thing I can add if you havnt decided upon what sound sytem is to take a wander through some Audio store or a few of the big chain stores that sell tvs as they usually have a media room set up to showcase various sound types. 

I have two 5.1 surround sound systems, old systems cobbled together from various people. They do work great but are limited by not having a HDMI input. What @Jewelleryrescue says about cabling is very true, I use figure 8 multistrand cable (make sure its very flexible as theat means it will have a lot of fine wires in it) Both of the systems I have took a little time to get my heard around the various terms for the system and how they interact with the sound source (my tv's) So I wouldnt set up your room until you have a sound system you like.

Dave

[Prof]

Samara1..

Since all your speakers and Rec / Amp are all going to be on the front wall, you will only need a few metres of wiring to cover all that...approx. 10M.

The biggest problems are going to be..

How the surround speakers are going to be wired..ie where and how the cables are going to be laid..

Where the surround are going to be positioned in the room..

And how the surround speakers are going to be mounted.!!

All these measurements will be for a 5.1 system...

Before any of that can be sorted..I would need to see photos of the robe and the space to the right of where the cabinet will be..

Those images will show me what the best way will be to run the cables to the surround speakers..and it will determine  what length of cabling you will need..

Prof...

[EricL]

Hello @Samara1 

Just to add to the great suggestions made, I recommend looking at complete media systems rather than buying bits and pieces that might end up incompatible. A complete system guarantees that the speaker system is capable of handling the power from the amplifier. 

Some systems will actually have a balancing sensor that comes with the package that allows you to focus or centralize the sound coming from the speakers. A complete media set is also open to upgrades from the same manufacturer giving you the opportunity to update your system without having to change the whole thing.   

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your media room ready for use.

Eric

[Prof]

That's good advice from Eric..

If you're new to home theatre and don't know much about the individual  components and the speakers, it would be best to go to the shops who have this type of equipment..

Also to have a balanced system you have to divide you proposed budget into certain percentages for each piece of equipment..

For example your speakers generally will need to take up about half your budget to have a balanced system..The remainder will be divided between the Rec / Amp, the blu-ray player and any ancillary equipment..

Prof..

[Dave-1]

@Samara1 , @EricL and @Prof 

The differenec between ease of set up with something that can handle HDMI and ARC compared to pre HDMI is huge, So many headaches working through it. The newer systems seem to rely upon a sound bar configuration with a subwoofer that does a very nice job. Bluetooth so no cables bar power. I have stood theer testing them out in stores and must say they come up well. For a room the size you are after that may be a good option.

Dave

[Samara1]

thanks @Dave-1 

sorry i didnt get ur first point talking about the difference between..

do you mean to go for wireless speakers for 5.1.2 setup so there wont be any headache in wiring the speakers.

currently electrical wiring going on so thought to run speaker cables in all corners of my media room before gyprock to have 5.1.2 setup .

[Samara1]

@Prof @EricL @MitchellMc @Jewelleryrescue @Dave-1 

Really appreciate your guys time, help and support.

do you mean to go for wireless speakers for 5.1.2 setup so there wont be any headache in wiring the speakers.
currently electrical wiring going on so thought to run speaker cables in all corners of my media room before gyprock to have 5.1.2 setup .
what brand or product to go for 5.1.2 setup so the system could be connected thru speaker wiring . how much cost range for this 5.1.2 so I can plan accordingly. 

[Dave-1]

Eevning @Samara1 

I was referencing modern systems that seem to have only a soundbar and a subwoofer, usually placed at the front of the room where the television is. The ones I have seen use bluetooth technology to sync the sound. The older systems that have been mentioned earlier (5.1 wired, 7.1 either wired or bluetooth)

Your room is not too large, I was suggesting to chech out the soundbar plus subwoofer instead of cabling.

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @Samara1 

I'm old school when it comes to speakers, I prefer them wired in as some of the 5.1 cordless systems either require them to be plugged into a power point or recharged on a cradle. Having them with a power block means that you'll need to install power points near where they will be positioned. Having to move and charge my speakers is not something I would be looking forward to.

A wired system means that the speakers will always be in the right position with no need to move them or worry about them running out of power. But the choice is yours on which system you would like to install in your home.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @Samara1 

I totally understand and respect you have a older system.  I recently bought a sound bar 2,1 with Aux (stereo input for a  mono output of a  older yamaha piano  keyboard.) This   input is a on the endangered  speicies list/  The 3,1 sound bar works great as the yamaha speakers  sound tinny.  The sound is like a grand piano nice sound and base. On a personal note I am teaching myself the piano  via an app  I am intermediate level able to play sheet music. Ok  not ready for a  audiance though lol unless your want to  torture some one.

So  my point is  I am sure you could buy a  physical hdmi converter to your recievers inputs to  allow your older system to be compatable and functional with newer codex's and formats  from hdmi

But the future is sound bar with side and roof bouncing tech.   Which  makes   perfect sense as we have   ear lobes  to detect sound timing and  direction,  I stress when you hear  a unexpected  sound you imediatly start turning your head to locate  sound source.  Therefore  side sound bounce and roof  bounce works as they  help create a 3d  sound scape.