# Home theater, speaker wires, and carpet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143 "2005-05-23T19:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/1 "2005-05-23T19:17:38Z")
I’m soon moving to a new apartment. I have a 5.1 surround sound home theater system. The apartment I’m moving into has very high ceilings, and as it is not a temporary place to live I’d rather not leave the speaker wires exposed. I have two speakers that will be on the other side of the room from the system. After careful inspection of the apartment, there isn’t really any sort of clever way to run the wires without going under the carpet. So, the question is, what methods are there for running speaker wire under carpet? What sort of tools will I need? Is there anything I should keep in mind while doing this? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/2 "2005-05-23T19:29:09Z")
By carpet I assume you mean awll to wall type dealie? If that’s the case, I can’t imagine it would be easy to do so. Carpets are held in at the edges by small nails, tacks, or staples, and you have have to pull it up in order to run the wire underneath, and I’ve never see na carpet that ,after being puleld up, looked right after being put back down. I woudl recomend also talking to your landlord first to make sure he knows you might be doing this, and then getting a professional carpet company to put the carpet back down (you can probably rip it up fine, just go slow and start at a corner.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/3 "2005-05-23T19:40:57Z")
I was watching a show on HGTV (possibly DIY) about home theater systems. There’s a company that makes speaker wire that looks like tape. You stick it to the ceiling or wall and it can be painted over so that you can’t see it. It’s supposed to be as good as standard wire. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/4 "2005-05-23T20:42:02Z")
Have you considered a wireless setup? No idea if it works, but here is one example: [http://www.x10.com/products/x10\_vk59a.htm](http://www.x10.com/products/x10_vk59a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/5 "2005-05-23T20:49:50Z")
Wireless speakers sound like crap. Stay away from them. You can get runners you can lay on carpet and put your wires in. That’s your best course, I think. They look like large, flat vinyl strips with a channel inside for the wire. If the speakers are near the walls, you can push the wire under the baseboards and take them around the walls that way, and use the runners for the exit point from the wall to the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/6 "2005-05-25T13:43:29Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Wireless speakers sound like crap. Stay away from them. > > You can get runners you can lay on carpet and put your wires in. That’s your best course, I think. They look like large, flat vinyl strips with a channel inside for the wire. > > If the speakers are near the walls, you can push the wire under the baseboards and take them around the walls that way, and use the runners for the exit point from the wall to the speaker. You’re probably right about that. I don’t trust wireless speakers, since I cannot find any reliable way to “convert” my current setup to wireless. Getting the flat cables are expensive, and I’d need a lot since the walls are very high and the one I would need to work with has a large opening. It could quickly become very costly. As far as actually going under the carpet myself, if it’s really that complicated and I’d likely need the help of professionals for the aftermath, then it is not a viable solution. I just don’t have the money to do that. Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I appreciate the help. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/7 "2005-05-25T14:23:37Z")
Running wires under carpet is no big deal, just some work. The carpet will look fine afterwards. The problem is that the carpet is usually held down by tack strips, not staples or nails. This means lots of pointy things to puncture your cable and possibly short out your wiring. Additionally, carpet backing is very abrasive and over time could rub through the insulating covering on your wiring. The wire tape sounds like a good solution. In my case, I’ve just gone with tucking it back under the baseboard heating fintubes and using the occasional small staple in the baseboard where it’s exposed. After a few days, you won’t even notice it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/8 "2005-05-25T14:47:34Z")
The Monster Cable that salespersons would have you buy would hardly fit under carpet without showing, whereas a more conventional gauge could likely be hidden with a modicum of effort. Is it true that WRT speaker wire a conventional electric wire can be used without a degredation of signal, thereby both improving esthetics and at the same time saving bucks? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/9 "2005-05-25T14:56:26Z")
Ooof, make that “aesthetics”. Also, do the same economics apply to audio cable? ( **Fringe** , I’m trying not to hijack and hope these are questions the answers to which you’ll benefit from too. ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/10 "2005-05-25T17:47:49Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > In my case, I’ve just gone with tucking it back under the baseboard heating fintubes and using the occasional small staple in the baseboard where it’s exposed. After a few days, you won’t even notice it’s there. What do you mean by heating fintubes? I have no experience with working with baseboards, so I’m a bit clueless. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/11 "2005-05-25T18:24:14Z")
> [@Fringe](#): > > What do you mean by heating fintubes? I have no experience with working with baseboards, so I’m a bit clueless. The radiant heating pipes that run along the wall under your windows (unless you have a forced-air furnace, in which case you don’t have them). They’re generally encased in a painted metal enclosure. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/12 "2005-05-25T23:40:02Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > The Monster Cable that salespersons would have you buy would hardly fit under carpet without showing, whereas a more conventional gauge could likely be hidden with a modicum of effort. Is it true that WRT speaker wire a conventional electric wire can be used without a degredation of signal, thereby both improving esthetics and at the same time saving bucks? If by “conventional electric wire” you mean something like 14 gauge stranded lamp cord, then yes, it won’t be audibly different from the snake oil that Monster wants you to buy. Best not to use solid core wire like that running between electrical outlets in your walls, though. And yes, all those Monster brand RCA cords and what have you are all ridiculously overpriced. All you need in an RCA cord are plugs that maintain a good contact with the jacks and a modicum of shielding. That is, you don’t want the really cheap ones that have 4 tabs that fit over the outside of the jack ([like this](http://www.crutchfield.com/S-vGkfSLlJYY7/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=719&I=10624210)). You want a full ring ([like this](http://www.musictoolsselection.com/products/item35941.html)) because the tabs tend to bend out and then the plug fits loosely. The stuff that comes supplied with Sony components is a good example of RCA cords that are lots good enough. You can get similar stuff from Radio Shack for reasonable prices. If **Sam** looks back into this thread, there’s a good chance he’ll give you an informative rant about the uselessness of “high end” cables that are functionally no different from cheaper stuff. Note, however, that you can go too cheap. Picked up some RCA cords from the dollar store one time just to see what they were like, and when we cut into them discovered that there was essentially zero shielding. Good way to pick up some buzz in the audio signal. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/13 "2005-05-26T03:53:22Z")
I’ve fished speaker wire under wall-to-wall carpeting in my family room without incident. Yo can use an [electrical fish tape](http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTELargeImageView?rfno=200310949&storeId=6970) . You really only need to pull up an inch or two of the carpet at each end if all goes well. If anything goes wrong I won’t be there for you. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/14 "2005-05-26T04:24:24Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > If by “conventional electric wire” you mean something like 14 gauge stranded lamp cord, then yes, it won’t be audibly different from the snake oil that Monster wants you to buy. Best not to use solid core wire like that running between electrical outlets in your walls, though. What would be the reason not to use the solid core? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/15 "2005-05-26T04:48:36Z")
> [@FordPrefect](#): > > What would be the reason not to use the solid core? Well, besides being really stiff and hence a hassle when you want to move the speakers over a bit, there’s the “skin effect”. [Here](http://www.epanorama.net/documents/wiring/wire_resistance.html) is a reasonable description: > [@](#): > > Skin effect is an effect that the electricity in high frequencies does not use the whole condictor area. High frequencies tend to use only the outer parts of the conductor. The higher the frequency, the less of the wire diameter is used and higher the losses. Solid core wire will attenuate high frequencies to a greater extent than low frequencies, which means that the frequency response of your speakers will be messed up - though I confess I haven’t done the math to figure out if the effect will be particularly substantial in audio frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/16 "2005-05-26T05:54:58Z")
Skin Effect is virtually nil at audio frequencies. Certainlly not an effect that could cause an audible result. There was a double-blind test once in which one speaker was hooked up with the most expensive exotic speaker cable made, the other with rusty coat hangers. No one could tell the difference. The reasons you don’t want to use solid core wire are difficulty in working with it, and cracking if it is flexed too much. For the same reason, in-wall Cat-5 cable is solid core (and note the much, much higher frequencies and small conductor size (24 ga typically), while CAT-5 patch cables are made of stranded wire. Same signal, different choice in wire. Solid core patch cables are inflexible and over time tend to develop cracks and fail. If you need audio cable, here are some sources for good quality, inexpensive cable: [Blue Jeans Cable](http://www.bluejeanscable.com) [PC Cables](http://www.pccables.com) ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/17 "2005-05-26T14:15:17Z")
I’m checking out those links for speaker cables now. I’m going to need some new ones in order to compensate for the greater lengths that I will need to cover in the new place. Thanks **Sam Stone** , and to all of the others offering suggestions. Does anyone have experience working with baseboards? I have none, and I’m wondering what to expect and how to remove them, if I need to. The ones I’ll be working with have been painted over, although I’m not sure if that is really a big issue or not. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/18 "2005-05-26T14:48:11Z")
> [@Fringe](#): > > I’m checking out those links for speaker cables now. I’m going to need some new ones in order to compensate for the greater lengths that I will need to cover in the new place. Thanks **Sam Stone** , and to all of the others offering suggestions. > > Does anyone have experience working with baseboards? I have none, and I’m wondering what to expect and how to remove them, if I need to. The ones I’ll be working with have been painted over, although I’m not sure if that is really a big issue or not. Baseboard is usually nailed to the wall using an electric nail or staple gun. In older homes, you might find them attached with finishing nails. If you exercise care, you can pry them gently away from the wall without taking them completely off (using a short, flat-bladed [pry tool](http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&fromAuto=YES&bidsite=CRAFT&pid=00937342000)), fish your wire in behind them, then equally gently reattach without any significant damage other than possibly a little touch-up paint. ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/19 "2005-05-26T15:16:31Z")
Thanks **Chefguy** , that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. Do you, or any others, have any suggestions or tips for working with baseboards? The wall I’m going to be running the speaker wire through is actually a half-wall, so I’m going to have to go across the carpet to get to the other side. Does anyone know a good solution to cover the wire, like cord covers? It’s going to be out in the middle of the floor, on tan carpet, so I’m hoping to find a solution that won’t look too out of place. I was thinking about maybe just laying down a rug, but I’d need one that is of fair size, and that would likely cost a good chunk of change. Any suggestions, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143/20 "2005-05-26T15:43:16Z")
Another, possibly easier, solution to the baseboard problem: Basboard normally only comes down to the carpet, rather than all the way to the flooring. If you lay your wire (assuming it’s not that hefty Monster crap) along the bottom of the baseboard and then use a putty knife to gently push it underneath (between the carpet and the wood), you’ll be ahead in aggravation and time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-theater-speaker-wires-and-carpet/305143.md?page=2)