Home Audio Installation: Install a Whole-House Audio System
Updated: Oct. 21, 2019Run wire and install speakers and distribution modules so that you can control music by remote control throughout the house.
- Time
- Complexity
- Cost
- Multiple Days
- Intermediate
- $501-1000
Get familiar with the whole home speaker system
Figure A: Audio system components and locations
This simplified drawing shows a possible simple set up of the audio system.
Note: You can download and print Figure A from the Additional Information section below.
Keypad
Amplifying keypad and speaker Keypads amplify the sound signal and send it to the speakers. You can control the speaker volume by pressing the keypad or by using a remote control. The keypad also relays infrared remote control signals back to the system components, allowing you to change songs, switch from a radio station to a CD player, or activate any other command available on your receiver’s remote control.
Audio source distribution module
This module mounts near the components. Connect the output of your component to the input of the module with standard RCA jacks. The module converts the signal and sends it along a standard Cat-5e cable to the distribution hub.
Audio source distribution hub
The distribution hub divides the signal from the audio source module into outputs, in this case for four rooms. Run a Cat-5e cable from an output to the amplified keypad in each room. A transformer plugs into the distribution hub and provides low-voltage power through the Cat-5e cable to the keypad amplifiers.
Optional connection for iPod or MP3 player
Installing a universal input module before the keypad in any room allows you to use the keypad and speakers as a single-room stereo system. Just plug your iPod, MP3 player, portable radio or computer into the RCA jacks on the module and it’ll play through the speakers. Install the universal input module in a convenient location, near the computer for example. Run the Cat-5e cable from the panel distribution module to the universal input module first. Then run a Cat-5e cable from the universal input module to the keypad.
Bringing music into every room isn’t the complex, high-cost project it was several years ago. Now, thanks to simplified systems, you can easily install speakers and remote control access throughout your house for a modest cost. We’ll tell you what to buy and show you how to run the wires and mount the speakers and controls. The rest is simple plug-in hookups.
The whole-house audio system we’re showing in this article uses a technology called A-BUS. A-BUS technology uses a standard Cat-5e cable (four-pair communication wire) to carry all the signals from a central source. The wires carry audio signals to each room, where they’re amplified to speaker-level audio by the keypads. In addition to amplifying the sound signals, the keypads transmit infrared remote control signals back to the audio equipment source. Anything you can do with your source equipment’s remote control, you can also do from any room that has a keypad.
With this system, the audio source chosen from any one room plays in all of the rooms. Systems that allow you to play different audio sources simultaneously are significantly more expensive and complicated to set up, and we won’t deal with those in this article.
Speaker System for House Parts
A-BUS components are available from many manufacturers. The Channel Vision kit we purchased includes speakers and controls for four rooms and cost about $1,000. You’ll also need Cat-5e cable, speaker cable and a few other parts that we’ve listed in the Additional Information section below. Keep in mind that you won’t get “rock the room” amplification like you would with powerful amps, but it’s plenty loud enough for average listening.
The hardest part of this project is running the wires without tearing up walls and ceilings. If you live in a single-story house with open floor joists over the basement or crawlspace or if you have easy access to the attic, then fishing the wires will be straightforward using the techniques we show in Photos 3 and 4. In this situation, you’ll come close to finishing a four-room installation in a weekend. But two-story homes and homes without basements or attic access present unique wire-fishing challenges. You may have to spend a little more time fishing wires and patching walls and ceilings. You’ll need a drill and 3/4-in. spade or auger bit to bore through framing members. An electrician’s fish tape ($12 to $15) is handy for pulling wires through the walls (Photo 4).
Connecting the equipment is straightforward and only requires a few tools. You’ll need a scissors or side-cutting pliers to remove the cable sheathing and trim the wires. Buy a punch-down tool ($4 to $6) to press the wires onto the punch-down blocks (Photo 7).You’ll also need a wire stripper ($12) to remove insulation from the speaker wires.
Choose the best locations for the home sound system components
Locate the panel distribution hub on a wall in a room that’s easy to reach with wires from every room (Figure A). Put it right next to the audio equipment if you want. We chose a spot on the basement wall. Keep in mind that you’ll need an electrical outlet nearby to power the transformer.
Keypads are most convenient if they’re mounted near the light switch at the entry to the room where you’re locating the speakers. But you’ll also want to make sure to place them in locations that allow easy wire fishing from the panel distribution module and to the speakers. Make sure they’re in the line-of-sight from where you plan to use the remote control.
You can mount speakers in the ceiling or walls. For the best sound, place wall speakers about a foot from the ceiling and centered on your listening position. Locate ceiling speakers above and to the side of your listening position. For example, in the dining room, the ideal location for ceiling speakers would be centered above the table and about 8 ft. apart
Cut the holes for speakers and keypads
Don’t cut any holes for keypads or speakers until you’ve located framing members with a stud finder and probed the wall for obstacles. Mark framing members with blue tape. Then push a stiff wire (a cutoff clothes hanger works great) through the drywall to feel for obstacles like electrical cables, heat ducts or wood blocking. Avoid exterior walls because they’ll be packed with insulation. For round ceiling speakers, bend the wire at about 4 in. Push it into the center of your desired speaker location and spin it to see if anything’s in the way. When you’re confident that the space is clear, use the template included with the speakers to mark the hole, and cut it out with a keyhole saw.
Photos 1 and 5 show the installation of a low-voltage remodeling box (available at most home centers and hardware stores). After tracing the box outline, cut the hole carefully so the box fits tightly in the drywall. There isn’t much room for error. Pull the wires first, then mount the boxes. It’ll be easier to reach into the wall and grab the fish tape or string.
Fish Cat-5e to the keypads and speaker wires to the speakers
Photo 3: Pull the wires through the walls
Poke a reference wire through the ceiling, then in the attic find the wire and measure over to find the center of the wall. Drill a 3/4-in. hole down through the top plate. Drop a weighted string through the hole. Attach the cables and pull them up into the attic.
For this system, you’ll need to run one Cat- 5e cable from the distribution hub (Photo 10) to each keypad location. You’ll also need to run one Cat-5e cable from the distribution hub to a Cat-5e modular jack located near your audio equipment. And finally you’ll run speaker cables from the keypad location to the speakers in the same room. Use CL-2 speaker cable. It’s rated to run inside walls.
Photos 3 and 4 show how to reach interior walls from the basement or attic. Use a coat hanger or other stiff wire as a reference point to locate your drilling spot. Snip off a 10-in. length of coat hanger wire and tighten it in your drill chuck. Then, from inside the room you’re fishing to, drive it through the wall or ceiling next to where you want to drill. Locate the coat hanger from the basement or attic and figure out how far to shift the hole in order to come up inside the wall. Drill the hole and you’re ready to fish the cable. After pulling the wires, seal the holes with foam or insulation.
To maximize the efficiency of the Cat-5e cable, it’s important to take a few precautions when you’re installing it. For the best performance, follow these guidelines:
- Make bends gradual with no less than a 12-in. radius.
- Pull gently; don’t tug the cable.
- Support it with special cable staples made for communication cables.
- Cross existing electrical cables at a right angle. Never use the same holes or run the new cable side by side with electrical cables unless there’s a 12-in. separation.
Connect the wires
Photo 6: Leave about 6 in. of wire outside the box
Strip off a few inches of sheathing and pull the exposed string (unzip) to expose another 2 in. of wires. Snip the sheathing. Clip the wires to 2 in. and untwist the pairs.
Photo 7: Match the wires to the keypad
Lay each wire into its corresponding groove on the back of the amplified keypad and punch them down with the punch-down tool. Trim the ends of the wires with a scissors or end cutter.
Photo 8: Connect the speaker terminals
Strip 3/8 in. of insulation from each speaker wire, twist the strands together and push each wire into the speaker hook-ups (red to positive and black to negative). Tighten the screws. Plug the block into the keypad and mount the keypad in the wall box.
Photo 9: Install the speaker
Strip the speaker wires to expose about 3/4 in. of stranded wire and connect them to the speaker. Press the speaker against the ceiling and tighten the screws until the clips are snug to the drywall.
Photo 10: Prepare the Cat-5e cables
Run the Cat-5e cables through the attic, crawlspace or basement to the distribution hub. Prepare the Cat-5e cables using the technique shown in Photo 6. Punch them down, using a separate block (labeled 1 through 4)
Photo 11: Punch down the wires
Run a Cat-5e cable from the distribution hub to a low-voltage remodeling box located in the wall behind your audio source. Strip the sheathing and punch the wires down into the terminals of a Cat-5e module jack. Use the ‘A’ wiring pattern. Snap the jack into a cover plate and screw the plate to the box.
Connecting Cat-5e wires is easy. You simply remove a section of the plastic sheathing, untwist the pairs of wires, and use a punch-down tool to push them onto special “punch-down” blocks. You have to be careful not to nick the tiny wires when you’re removing the sheathing, though. That’s why we recommend the unzipping method shown in Photo 6. Photo 7 shows how to punch the wires down onto the keypad connectors. The wiring order is indicated by small icons with color codes written on them. The slanted lines indicate striped wires. Line up each wire with its matching icon before punching it down. Use the same punch-down technique to make connections at the distribution hub (Photo 10) and at the Cat-5e modular jack (Photo 11).
Strip the sheathing from the speaker wires using the technique shown in Photo 6. Then strip and connect the wires (Photos 8 and 9). Make sure the bare stripped section fits completely into the holes with no bare copper showing. Connection details may vary slightly from one manufacturer to another. To prevent heat loss through the ceiling, build a sealed enclosure over the speaker from drywall scraps or foam insulation, taped together with foil duct tape. Then cover the enclosure with insulation. Wall-mounted speakers will sound better if you plug the stud space above and below the speaker with fiberglass batts.
Connect the equipment with standard cables
Photo 12 shows how to connect the source module. You can connect any audio source to the module. If you’re connecting a receiver, plug the RCA cable into the “tape out” outputs on the back. With this setup, you’ll be able to listen to any component (CD player, radio or turntable, for example) that’s plugged into the receiver.
If a component has remote control capability, you can control it from the keypads. But first you have to stick a flasher in front of the components’ infrared (IR) receiver. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Photo 13 shows how. You may have to experiment a bit with the placement of the flashers, since it’s not always easy to spot the exact location of the IR receiver on the equipment.
The Channel Vision remote control is programmed to operate the keypads, but you have to teach it to send IR signals to the other components. Instructions are included. You can also use your own learning remote or programmable remote, but you’ll have to use the Channel Vision remote to teach it to control the keypads.
With a little luck, you’ll turn on the music and everything will work perfectly. If it doesn’t, you most likely have a loose connection or mixed-up wires. Double-check all your connections. Be sure the wires are punched down completely and connected in the right order. If you’re still having trouble, contact your salesperson for help.
Figure B: Wiring Diagram
This is what you’ll need to get tunes in all your rooms.
Note: You can download and print Figure B from the Additional Information section below.
Additional Information
Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.
- 4-in-1 screwdriver
- Cordless drill
- Drill bit set
- Drywall saw
- Dust mask
- Electrical tape
- Needle-nose pliers
- Safety glasses
- Stepladder
- Stud finder
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
- Wire stripper/cutter
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.
- See Materials List in "Additional Information"
- You'll also need a plywood panel and mounting screws.
