Are you planning to build or renovate your home? Are you a builder looking to add value to your projects?
In either case, are you interested in the very best home entertainment options? If so, then you may want to consider wiring your home for ceiling speakers, outdoor speakers, televisions and more.
Ceiling speakers have many benefits. First, they bring life to the home with a great audio experience. Secondly, they are installed out of the way so they’re not taking up valuable entertainment space. Third they add value to your home. At Thomas TV we have been installing music systems in homes for over 30 years.
At this stage you might not know what type of ceiling speaker system you want to install. You may have electricians chasing you for not only lighting layouts, but also the information needed on the speaker placement wiring.
“Don’t worry, bring your plans to Thomas TV,” said Tyler Thomas. “We can help you choose the right audio video system for your home and help you prepare for future technology you will want down the road.”
According to Thomas, wiring methods for prewiring homes have changed a lot in the last five years. Here are some of the things you should consider when wiring your system and a few tips to help you avoid mistakes.
Why hard wire speakers throughout the house. Can’t I just use wireless? Wireless systems are getting better, but hard-wired sound still has them beat. Wireless also adds no value to your home as it is not permanent. Wireless is a great solution when a wired option is not available.
Most HiFi amplifiers will wire out to in ceiling speakers using speaker cable. It is beneficial to have the sound equipment in a rack in the basement or a closet or cupboard. Thanks to WiFi Control it’s rare you’ll need to access the sound system and equipment. It’s quite common to install the amp in a kitchen cupboard or AV equipment / TV stand or possibly an AV rack in the basement. Where there are multiple rooms with in ceiling speakers it is best to have it all wired back to a central location. Keep in mind that if you are going to use Bluetooth as a source it has a limited range – usually up to 10 metres. In that case you will want a Bluetooth receiver close to the listening position.
WiFi multi room audio systems on the other hand are only limited by the house WiFi network. Always make sure to have a network capable of handling the extra traffic. If you’re adding a WiFi or network multiroom amplifier we’d also recommend installing a wired connection from your router to the audio system. This will give the absolute best network connection and reliability.
Each zone will require an amplifier or a multi–Zone Amplifier speaker distribution system. You will need to control the multi room system. Sonos and Yamaha MusicCast which can be fully controlled from your smartphone, primarily using streaming music as the source for content. If you would like to control other products a control system may be needed.
Control systems are particularly good for users that are technophobic or developers/builders/hotels/airBnB/ for one simple reason: they are super easy to use. With a custom control system, you can take control of your entertainment from almost any device on the network: with a Wi-Fi enabled smartphone or tablet, custom programed remotes or keypads. They are very reliable which means you’re unlikely to get any issues from the other users. People that hate remotes love control systems.
TV Connections
When connecting a television to a in ceiling speaker system you will need to decide if you want stereo sound or surround sound. This will affect the speaker type and layout. It will also change the amplifier to be used.
“The Thomas TV design team can discuss all the options with you so you can make an informed decision,” said Thomas. “In all cases we recommend that you install conduit from the TV location to the audio system rack. According to Thomas, most televisions can be connected to the audio system. This is usually done by running High Quality HDMI cables to the system AV Rack. This can cause challenges as some wires have a maximum length and other considerations. As standards change it is important to be able to remove and replace when needed in the future.” Conduit helps to keep the system future friendly.
There are many speaker types available in ceiling speakers, in wall speakers, bookshelf or satellite, floor standing speakers or even outdoor speakers. They wire the same although the wire size and amplifier power may change.
If you have any questions or concerns about wiring your home please feel free to contact the team of experts at Thomas TV.