I have a client who wants to install a home theater as part of their basement project. The electrical sub I've used for years says he can do the job cheaper than the A-V company I was thinking about using. He's probably right, but he's never done one before. Has anyone had good luck with an electrician doing this kind of installation? Thanks.
If all that needs done is running wire, and hooking up speakers, then yes, an electrician can handle that. Above that, I would use an A/V company. I didn't realize how much went into A/V until my last project. The owner had $300k in his A/V system, and they had to actually take equip. apart and solder components into the factory equip....just not something I would want my local sparky doing. Good Luck! Ryan
The electrician has never done one before, that should answer your own question. Trust me its just going to create a mess. A/V and home theater systems are alot more complicated than people think unless you are talking about a bose system...electricians still loop cable TV and Phone
You know the saying, you get what you pay for. Would you use an A-V company to run your electrical? I have personally installed Audio/video/security/fire and the one thing I have seen when people try to cut corners and have an inexperienced person or company do a SPECIALTY job is that it seldom saves money in the long run. The other companies charge more because if you do not know the little details, your customer could end up with an expensive noise induction system instead of a quality audio system. When that happens, it could be very costly to rework. Do you think your electrician will eat that cost or warranty the job? Doubtful.
Posts: 1 | Location: texas | Registered: 24 May 2005
Irish, I do AV and communication installs. To truly acquire a good sounding system- there are several things to consider: installing the wires to minimize noise on the audio and dedicated power to the system so that you aren't picking up EMI on the incoming power. Than there is the factor or correct placement of the speakers and video equipment (projector). Last but not least- does the owner wants extra's like an elevated floor in the rear or built equipment rack. At the very least, do some on line searchs - there are a few good web sites that explain setting up AV rooms - placement of equipment and sound treatment that is! I have done rooms for as little as 20K and as much as 100K plus.
Posts: 1 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 25 May 2005
A home theater specification and installation should be done by someone with specific experience in that area. You can generally find people in your local Yellow Pages (anyone remember that resource?). And there is a trade organization called CEDIA (Custom Installation Design & Installation Association) http://www.cedia.org, that offers training, certification and many other resources to professionals for home electronics and networking systems.
There is so much more to consider than just the wiring for a home theater system. For instance, placement of speakers for maximum performance, type of wiring used, crossovers, etc. This is a very specialized art and it would not be a wise use of your money to have a electritian do the installation.
