Speaker cables under floorboards - a good or bad idea?


Hi all…. Relatively inexperienced about the dos an don’ts of how to run speaker cables from the amp to the speakers for optimum performance. Am using Supra Classic 4 cables - 5 metre runs - from a Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 to a pair of Quad ESL 57s. The Supra cables are currently sitting on the floorboards for their runs from the amp to the ESLs. Am content with the way it all sounds, if not with the way it looks! The floor itself is suspended timber with a joist depth of 6 inches under the floorboards. And over the coming weeks, I will be lifting the boards to fit rockwool sound insulation in the underfloor cavities (to reduce the sound levels reaching the room beneath mine). ….So, I thought I would take the opportunity, while the boards are up, to run the Supra speaker cables under the boards. To be effective, the rockwool needs to be dense, and fill the underfloor cavities as tightly as possible. This means that, if I run the Supra cables under the floor boards, for most of their runs, they will be in intimate contact with dense rockwool. … Given that a lot of folk have found that the best way to run speaker cable is on cable elevators - i.e. as little contact with anything as possible - is the plan wise? I could try it and see/hear for myself of course, but obviously want to avoid taking the boards up - again - if the SQ is compromised.  Any thoughts - or experience - would be most welcome.
osborn
If you do it I suggest installing a conduit for the speaker cables in order that it can be easily removed/replaced (if needed) later on.

You would want something with attachable right angle elbows to come up through and flush with the flooring.

I would also run the left/right cables separately @ least 6" apart.

1" conduit should work, or maybe 1.5" just to be future safe.

Also, avoid routing it close to any AC wiring.

DeKay


Conduit sounds like a good idea. Save some of the wood then if you ever sell the place you can plug your holes, new buyer will never know.