advice on speaker cable for under carpet

[graham67]

I am looking I'm behalf of a friend for a flexible speaker cable for under carpet and skirting board install that can be easily bent for inside and outside turns.

The speakers worked very well with Van Damme Studio Blue 2.5mm however it is too thick for under carpet usage or tight turns.  So he is looking for a flexible thin discreet cable with a similar generous presentation rather than a drier detailed sound. The van damme is good in the bass at the expense of top end detail and separation.

Thanks for any suggestions  

 

[Steve Z]

Audioquest Flx-Slip 14/2 cable is designed to be easy to route, not fantastically thin but very flexible, sounds good too, I use the 14/4 biwire version.

https://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/57282/audioquest-slip-db-14-2-white-installation-speaker-cable/

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[Gray]

I use the 14/4 too Steve (and by chance it's a good colour match for running on top of my carpet)

Even with its smaller diameter, I'm not sure the 14/2 would be any more discrete than VD 2.5 under the carpet though would it?

I suppose it depends how much can get lost in any underlay, but I think he might be better off with some thinner shotgun type.

 

[Lurch]

At a similar price point, decent SQ and the lower shotgun profile I would say look at VD Hifi series. 

 

[bigrod]

Cut a thin channel in your underlay , if you have it..lay the cable then tape over the join

Kindest regards Julian 

 

[Bodgit]

I used to have some Chord/Nordost flatline speaker cable which is ideal for laying under the carpet, except it would not go around corners! If you're running it in straight line, look it up.

 

[uzzy]

I ran my cables under the carpet 40 years ago (QED 79 strand) but would advise against it unless you have wooden floors and can actually put the speaker wires under them) .. You have to decide which side of the gripper rod they are going to go and however flexible, if like me you believe the more strands the better they are all bad at going round corners.

In the end I decided as the side of my house is not seen (path next to neighbours path down between our two houses with a fence panel at the end) that the best way to deal with my cables was to drill a hole and take them out of one end of the lounge and back in the other end.  I have 4mm 512 strand OFC cables - where they come back in it is a  straight run from the wall to the speakers and the wire for the left hand speaker furthest away, tucks in nicely between the carpet and the patio door/skirting board.

The other alternative is to remove the skirting boards and chisel a channel out along the wall behind the skirting board to hide the wires (on refixing the skirting boards) also some manufacturers make skirting boards with architraving or whatever you call it, to hide wires (used in offices and all sorts to run cables around a room) .. others make oversized ones to screw to existing skirting boards with a wire gap at the top .. have a look here and google for more https://www.skirting4u.co.uk/blog/how-to-hide-cables-with-skirting-board-n13

 

[Steve Z]

One advantage of living alone is not having “the other arf” complaining about wires, I just dress them in the most advantageous place on the floor and cover them with a nice thick rug [emoji846]


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[Lurch]

I don't bother with a rug

 

[graham67]

thanks guys, the van Damme hifi series looks ideal.  the similar blue 2.5mm worked really well so looking for a close match which this looks to be .  Color is perfect too as it has to run against some bricks. Thanks for the help  

 

[Warszawa]

I found my speaker cables sounded much better when I moved them on top of the carpet.

Like a veil was lifted.  :minikev:

 

[gasolin]

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/wireworld-horizon-speaker-cable-price-per-m

More expensive https://www.futureshop.co.uk/nordost-leifstyle-2-flat-speaker-cable-custom-length

 

[graham67]

thanks for suggestions guys.  i passed on suggestions and he choose black qed 79 which is easy to route, is discreet near sooty fireplace and should suit his vintage a&r speaks.  thanks for help