Laying flat speaker cables under carpet

[Miker]

I'm still wrestling with my speaker cable problem around a big room and am wondering about the practicality of laying flat cables under the carpet across an area which would be likely to be walked upon. I'm thinking about a Cyrus bi-amp system to Spendor S5e speakers. I've come across Kimber 8 LPC cables. Are they or others suitable and robust enough for my proposed equipment, and are they flat enough not to show, nor to cause any extra wear on the carpet

 

[Anonymous]

im no expert but if this is a diy job u could end up damaging your speaker cable if u dont do it propely .wat u could do is buy standard round cable of watever make and quality u like but in maching color to your wall and then run it along the bottom end of the wall and pin it to the wall aswell u'll hardly notice it

 

[Miker]

Thanks for the advice but I don't think that a cable pinned to the wall would be acceptable to my wife.

 

[Anonymous]

I have used flat cables under a fitted carpet with no problem. But it is a job for a carpet layer.....

 

[Miker]

I've got to cross the door way to my living room and am wondering whether the Cyrus or the Nordost 4 - Flat bi-wire cables would be up to the job. The carpet and underlay are only 10mm deep in total so I have not much thickness to play with. I had thought of going around the wall and under the carpet plate for the door but that would add another 3M to the run, increasing it to 9M. Also, any views on whether the onther speaker run has to be the same length when the speaker will be sitting next to the amps?

 

[Alantiggger]

You could consider purchasing ''QED Silver Anniversary'' (near white to look at) or something similar and run it just below where the skirting board and carpet meet (just under the carpet, right at the edge)....it won't show.

Other than that use thin speaker-wire, lift the carpet, cut ''runs'' from your underfelt and lay the wires in these ''channels''.....they'll not show.

I still think under the carpet where the skirting board meets it is best.

Where you are concerned about the ''carpet-plate'' area..... you could lift the plate, move back the carpet and using a chisel.... you could take your time and channel out some of the floor and lay the speaker-wire in this channel. Then put the carpet back, add the carpet plate and all will be well.

 

[Miker]

I'm warming to going around the walls and under the carpet plate which is a bi-wire run of 10M*2. I would need a cable of no more than 5mm, the width of the underlay, and which could be bent to right angles. This, I think, precludes bi-wires. Looking through the WhatHiFi price list, there are only two such 5 star cables listed which may be suitable, the QED Silver Anniversary XT costing £5.50 at 7.0 * 3.3mm - if it can be bent around its 3.3 side - and the QED X-Tube XT400 costing £20 which is a little over at 6mm. The latter would set me back around £800 if I buy equal lengths. Does anyone know of any other quality speaker cables of 5mm thickness?

I've been told that the Nordost Flat4 is only around 0.6mm thickness which would be ideal for a straight run under the carpet but the supplier could not confirm that would stand up to being walked upon. Kimber PLS is 1-2mm thickness but it would cost me £700 and I'm not sure whether I would have to shave a bit off the underlay.

 

[Miker]

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice. After much agonising and vacilation and a chat to my dealer, I've decided on Nordost Flatline which I saw can be folded where it will not be walked upon. I think, though, I had better ban stiletto shoes.