Installing Speaker Wires in Plaster Wall

[JackHammer]

My apartment has plaster walls and I want to set up a 5.1 surround sound system. I have the cambridge soundworks satellite speakers and I think in order to set them up nice I need to mount them off the ceiling. I am thinking using a router to cut a channel 1/2" deep by 1/2" wide into the plaster wall to run the speaker wires. It would require a lot of channeling, re-plastering (spackling) and re-painting. Do any of you guys have experience with plaster wall and speaker wires?

[mcs328]

Have you looked into flat speaker wire?

[Markel]

A common way of adding wires inside of walls is to cut a slot in the plaster/drywall at each stud, then cut a notch into the stud for the wire, and fish the wire through the wall and across each stud. I think that would be much less patching than cutting a slot in the plaster the entire way.

[renovation]

i hope your good at drywall repairs. being a apartment your landlord is going to flip if you channel out for the wires and not repaired right. theres more to it then just a little spackle if doing it as you plan.
i remove some base board and drill a hole and then drill a small hole above and using a wire fish tape pull the wire though .it be a pain but one little whole a lot better to repair then a strip in the middle of a wall.also make sure you use a razer knife and run the top edge of the trim board to cut though any paint .becouse there a very good chance you'll pull off more then the baseboard when you pry it away from the wall. how much work are you willing to do for some speaker wires in a apartment .you need to ask your self. and is it really worth it? also remember matching paint is a pain to get the color just right.and white is not just white.one companys white may be brighter or lighter then another paint companys.

[MrGreg]

I agree. For an apartment, I wouldn't try too hard to hide the wires.

[zippyjuan]

Just paint the wire to match the walls and run them along the edges since it is an apartment and not your own place.

[johnnymk]

You could also use surface mounted wall channels. They aren't cheap, but are effective.

[attgig]

another option:
http://reviews.cnet.com/speakers-speaker-systems/rocketfish-universal-wireless-rear/4505-6467_7-32456886.html

[The Happy Squirrel]

what i do/did is just put a couple of eye hook screws into the celing and run them along there. they are visible but out of the way and a lot of people dont even look or care.... just a thoguht, its quick easy cheap nad you wont ahve to pay a large damage bill when you move out.

[DarkFury]

In an apartment, I wouldn't want to do any cutting into the walls. It's not worth the risk of losing your security deposit.

I used to run my speaker wires along the baseboard under the carpet.