Running cable under a floor
September 7, 2006
I am currently in the process of moving into a new house. I have opted for a decent
surround system in my living room with five speakers and a sub. I am getting semi-solid
wooden floors installed and therein is the crux of the matter. I obviously don't want
speaker cable over the wood, so I need to get it put under the floors. The floor is not
being glued down, but will lie on top of a spongy-type underlay (not the technical term,
building ain’t my thing!). The guy fitting the floors didn't think this would be a
problem. I have since heard that I may need to "chase" a channel in the concrete
floor so that the speaker cable cannot get damaged. But, if it is good cable it shouldn't!
Any advice?
FC
What you need are flat speaker cables. There are a number of companies that make
them, and at varying price points. Googling "flat speaker cable" brought up a
number of vendors that make and sell exactly what you need. Not only won’t you damage
these cables once they’re laid under the floor, but you also won’t have any
ridges in your new floor. Just make sure you buy a little extra length. In a case like
this, a little short would be a disaster! I would not cut into your new concrete, and with
flat cables you won’t have to.
Pushing subwoofer too hard?
September 4, 2006
Thanks again for the wonderful site you have. My query is on subwoofers and might
interest other users as well. We all know that subwoofer drivers need to move to do what
they do best. Now, when I use mine at some points the driver is moving like crazy. My
question is this: How would you know if you are pushing your subwoofer too hard?
Sergio
Most subwoofers sold today are self-powered (they have amplifiers built in).
Manufacturers of these subs typically design or spec their amplifier section to mate with
the specific driver and enclosure they are using. In most models I have used the power
available to the driver does not exceed that which the driver can comfortably handle. So
in most cases subwoofers are safe in most any bass-heavy situation simply due to the
limiting factors designed into the unit itself. It’s not to say that you can’t,
under any circumstances, overdrive a subwoofer driver: Long periods of use cause heat
build-up and can lessen power handling; very, very low bass (think under 20Hz) can cause
massive excursion that can harm a driver. But these should be rare occurrences in most
users’ homes. To sum up: a subwoofer driver can be damaged by over-excursion and
other types of abuse, as you have surmised, but in typical home-theater environments, the
type in which subwoofers are designed to be used, you’re safe even if the driver is
"moving like crazy."
