I have a 40 year old house with a living room 18 x 26 ft. It was
constructed with the amplifier at one end of the room, and with the
above wire run through the basement underneath to be inserted into
the wall at the other end of the room. The wall where the speakers sit
is an external wall.

I have been upgrading my system. My wife doesn't like lots of wire
("spaghetti") all over the floor! I had a highly competent
electrician look at whether we could substitute modern speaker wire.
He said it would take 3 days, we would have to take off the siding
outside the house -it would be a big deal. I was wondering if I
changed the connectors with contemporary gold plated banana plugs and
used the old solid core speaker wire whether I would lose much of the
quality of sound. What is the problem with using this heritage wire?
Would changing the ancient interconnects improve things significantly?

Are there any wireless alternatives?!!

Adam

Adam,

I say try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
You have liittle to lose except a little time. Last year I delivered and
connected a pairof speakers to a home that had just the kind of wire you
describe; with a long run of wire under the living room. The sound was very
pleasing, far beyond my expectations.
Wylie Williams

"Adam Law" wrote in message
newsIEQa.61378$Ph3.5691@sccrnsc04...
I have a 40 year old house with a living room 18 x 26 ft. It was
constructed with the amplifier at one end of the room, and with the
above wire run through the basement underneath to be inserted into
the wall at the other end of the room. The wall where the speakers sit
is an external wall.

I have been upgrading my system. My wife doesn't like lots of wire
("spaghetti") all over the floor! I had a highly competent
electrician look at whether we could substitute modern speaker wire.
He said it would take 3 days, we would have to take off the siding
outside the house -it would be a big deal. I was wondering if I
changed the connectors with contemporary gold plated banana plugs and
used the old solid core speaker wire whether I would lose much of the
quality of sound. What is the problem with using this heritage wire?
Would changing the ancient interconnects improve things significantly?

Are there any wireless alternatives?!!

Adam

It does sound pleasant! However, I think I need to do the side by
side comparison (connecting with a better grade of wire across/ontop
the floor) before going to the expense and inconvenience of
burying/concealing it. It really would be a bother to conceal - it is
open plan onto a kitchen/dining room and entry hall, so no obvious
route to chase in skirting boards. I will do the experiment when I
get a moment in the next few weeks and report back!

Thanks for your input into my amplifier output.

Adam

"Wylie Williams" wrote in message news:zYVQa.70331$ye4.47843@sccrnsc01...
Mr. Oberland makes a very good point about your electrician's overestimate.
Try a local custom AV system installer for his options for runnng new wire.
There are also white plastic surface mount wire channels available that you
might even install yourself. My installers used them sometimes. I never
installed them, but to me they look more like a handyman task than skilled
labor. They look fine, and can be painted to match.
In the meantime you should check to see if these wires were put in as
speaker wires or if they were doorbell wires and have any AV
connections/transformers, in case you want sound while waiting for the good
wire.

Wylie Williams

"Adam Law" wrote in message
newsIEQa.61378$Ph3.5691@sccrnsc04...
I have a 40 year old house with a living room 18 x 26 ft. It was
constructed with the amplifier at one end of the room, and with the
above wire run through the basement underneath to be inserted into
the wall at the other end of the room. The wall where the speakers sit
is an external wall.

I have been upgrading my system. My wife doesn't like lots of wire
("spaghetti") all over the floor! I had a highly competent
electrician look at whether we could substitute modern speaker wire.
He said it would take 3 days, we would have to take off the siding
outside the house -it would be a big deal. I was wondering if I
changed the connectors with contemporary gold plated banana plugs and
used the old solid core speaker wire whether I would lose much of the
quality of sound. What is the problem with using this heritage wire?
Would changing the ancient interconnects improve things significantly?

Are there any wireless alternatives?!!

Adam

I am shooting in the dark here, but sometimes I wonder if using cove molding
would help run wire in houses with open floor plans. With big cove molding
there is hollow space that would accept really large wires. Of course
someone wuld have to drop the wire down through the wall to the baseboard.
I hope you don't have solid masonry walls !

"Adam Law" wrote in message
...
It does sound pleasant! However, I think I need to do the side by
side comparison (connecting with a better grade of wire across/ontop
the floor) before going to the expense and inconvenience of
burying/concealing it. It really would be a bother to conceal - it is
open plan onto a kitchen/dining room and entry hall, so no obvious
route to chase in skirting boards. I will do the experiment when I
get a moment in the next few weeks and report back!

Thanks for your input into my amplifier output.

Adam

"Wylie Williams" wrote in message
news:zYVQa.70331$ye4.47843@sccrnsc01...
Mr. Oberland makes a very good point about your electrician's
overestimate.
Try a local custom AV system installer for his options for runnng new
wire.
There are also white plastic surface mount wire channels available that
you
might even install yourself. My installers used them sometimes. I
never
installed them, but to me they look more like a handyman task than
skilled
labor. They look fine, and can be painted to match.
In the meantime you should check to see if these wires were put in as
speaker wires or if they were doorbell wires and have any AV
connections/transformers, in case you want sound while waiting for the
good
wire.

Wylie Williams

"Adam Law" wrote in message
newsIEQa.61378$Ph3.5691@sccrnsc04...
I have a 40 year old house with a living room 18 x 26 ft. It was
constructed with the amplifier at one end of the room, and with the
above wire run through the basement underneath to be inserted into
the wall at the other end of the room. The wall where the speakers sit
is an external wall.

I have been upgrading my system. My wife doesn't like lots of wire
("spaghetti") all over the floor! I had a highly competent
electrician look at whether we could substitute modern speaker wire.
He said it would take 3 days, we would have to take off the siding
outside the house -it would be a big deal. I was wondering if I
changed the connectors with contemporary gold plated banana plugs and
used the old solid core speaker wire whether I would lose much of the
quality of sound. What is the problem with using this heritage wire?
Would changing the ancient interconnects improve things significantly?

Are there any wireless alternatives?!!

Adam

Really a do it yourself job. Experiment and be creative. Going on the
outside and taking off the siding is a bad alternative. I've run wires in
my homes, friends and relatives all the time. The wires were for ac,
speakers, networks, coax, copper antenna; you name I've done it. No end to
options. I've tacked wires along moldings at the top and bottom after
coloring, under carpets, gone under the floor, fished in the walls, through
walls and roof.... You really can't do any damage. It's just a hole that
can be patched. An electricians wire fish can really help.

"Adam Law" wrote in message
...
It does sound pleasant! However, I think I need to do the side by
side comparison (connecting with a better grade of wire across/ontop
the floor) before going to the expense and inconvenience of
burying/concealing it. It really would be a bother to conceal - it is
open plan onto a kitchen/dining room and entry hall, so no obvious
route to chase in skirting boards. I will do the experiment when I
get a moment in the next few weeks and report back!

Thanks for your input into my amplifier output.

Adam

"Wylie Williams" wrote in message
news:zYVQa.70331$ye4.47843@sccrnsc01...
Mr. Oberland makes a very good point about your electrician's
overestimate.
Try a local custom AV system installer for his options for runnng new
wire.
There are also white plastic surface mount wire channels available that
you
might even install yourself. My installers used them sometimes. I
never
installed them, but to me they look more like a handyman task than
skilled
labor. They look fine, and can be painted to match.
In the meantime you should check to see if these wires were put in as
speaker wires or if they were doorbell wires and have any AV
connections/transformers, in case you want sound while waiting for the
good
wire.

Wylie Williams

"Adam Law" wrote in message
newsIEQa.61378$Ph3.5691@sccrnsc04...
I have a 40 year old house with a living room 18 x 26 ft. It was
constructed with the amplifier at one end of the room, and with the
above wire run through the basement underneath to be inserted into
the wall at the other end of the room. The wall where the speakers sit
is an external wall.

I have been upgrading my system. My wife doesn't like lots of wire
("spaghetti") all over the floor! I had a highly competent
electrician look at whether we could substitute modern speaker wire.
He said it would take 3 days, we would have to take off the siding
outside the house -it would be a big deal. I was wondering if I
changed the connectors with contemporary gold plated banana plugs and
used the old solid core speaker wire whether I would lose much of the
quality of sound. What is the problem with using this heritage wire?
Would changing the ancient interconnects improve things significantly?

Are there any wireless alternatives?!!

Adam