sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Wiring ceiling speakers?

I don't do much sound work, other than the occasional "surround sound" system for a clients home.

Current client is a a small doctors office which has existing 8-ohm (unamplified) speakers in the ceiling and a volume control in each exam room. Wiring has been cut-up/out over the years.

What is the best method to wire these? Parallel, series or combination? How do I wire in the individual volume controls?

We're not talking "hi-fidelity" here, just background music for a medical office.

:shrug:

Rip it out and use 70 volt speakers with an 70V volume control, and of course an amplifier with a 70-V output.

Two of the best sites for products, solutions and information:

• Valcom
• Bogen

I agree, this is the only way to go for single channel commercial audio. Paging speakers and amps are even quite economical.

70V lets you run one 16 ga. pair from the amp out to all the volume controls, they just all connect in parallel. Parallel any speakers if you need more than one in each zone and then drop to the appropriate volume control. Remember to keep the wattage below the maximum allowed on each volume control, 20W is common I think.
Check with your local codes for cable type required and if speaker and volume control back boxes are necessary.
Oh and with a real amp you can give them...paging with their music. From the phone system even.

CUF

Russound uses Cat5e and distributed amplification at the volume control.

No high power through the wires, no wattage loss on long runs, plug-n-play.

No. Client does not want new equipment, they wish to utilize what they have. Haven't you heard? Doctor's are broke!

Now, can anyone refer to my original question and advise the best way to wire these existing speakers & volume controls?

I don't believe the existing volume controls are rated for Cat5. They are the old-looking plastic knobs numbered with 1 ~ 8 on the wallplate.

How many speakers are we talking about? Do you have the music source they were originally using with these speakers? Are you adding anything, or just rewiring what was there already?

To specifically answer the question, when dealing with 8 ohm you need to carefully plan out the location and wiring for each speaker and physically connect in series or parallel (as appropriate) to put no more than an 8ohm load on the amplifier. For example, two 8 ohm speakers in parallel equals 4 ohms - you'd need to wire those two speakers together in SERIES with another two speakers wired in parallel to balance back to 8 ohms.

THIS is why 70 volt exists! So that you can add a speaker or two or three without carefully tracking the wiring and keeping it all in balance.

A simpler answer may be to rewire just as it is now. If it used to work, it should continue to work.
Mike

Don't use a series/parallel setup or one volume control will effect all the other rooms. You need to put a regulated output amp 25 or 70 volt will work. Just add transformers to the existing speakers. To add a volume control you can use a 5K pot on the primary side of transformer or a 50 ohm between Transformer and speaker.

Control wiring
feed and load common to one side of pot (left side if looking face on)
feed hot to other side of pot
load hot to center of pot