All the mess of cords behind the stereo system

Actually, I don't care about those patch cables and speaker wires, but my wife does.  You barely notice them.  However, the small entertainment center we have is at enough of an angle from the wall that coming in from the hallway one could (and she does) see them slightly.

My question is: if i get some of those slitted cable covers and run them through, all parallel and next to each other, is there any downside signal-wise to this?  It's not going into any recording computer, just playing stuff from the CD, DVD, and AM/FM tuner through the speakers.  I may eventually hook up a Minidisc device for recording of FM material now and again but that would be all.  Oh, and a coax cable for TV reception would be in the mix of cables, too.

You should be fine as long as you keep the audio cables away from the power cables (could introduce hum into the audio). You could make "custom" length cables that would eliminate the excess cable without having to place the cables in the tubing. But that could get expensive. Minidisc wouldn't be effected if you use a digital link between the unit and the amp, but would belike all the other equipment if your amp doesn't have a digital interface. The CATV would also need to be away from the power cords as well and as always use good quality cables and not the stuff that comes with the equipment. I'd recommend Monster Cable. Even their lowest priced stuff is better than the out of box cables IMO.

You should be fine as long as you keep the audio cables away from the power cables (could introduce hum into the audio).

And that I can do.  Thanks John.

You're welcome Cal. I know what you mean on the wiring mess behind your stereo because mine looks horrible, but at least the huge cabinet it is in hides all of or at least 90% of the mess. I'd love to do a custom wiring job on it, but the cost is the real kicker. I do need to do something about my CATV though and one day I'll rip it all out and re do it, just got to find the time...

This sounds very familiar: my wife hates exposed cables and I have spent many a happy hour dressing cables behind furniture, through split tubing and whatnot. The stereo wasn't the real challenge, even without an entertainment center: it was the computer! One computer, one mouse cable, one keyboard cable, one scanner cable, 2 printer cables (one printer is on my desk across the room), did I mention the video cable? an internet connection cable, a USB hub, about 3 power strips, 2 speakers and a sub, AC connection to the router, phone line ditto, RJ45 from the computer to a wall socket I installed, and of course there's also a telephone and a lamp and a shredder and a charger for the digital camera batteries. Luckily the last time we remodeled I had several extra AC outlets installed in the room.

By the way, if you stand just right you can count a mare's nest of about 12 cables & cords that cannot be completely hidden...I tell my wife, "Don't stand there!"

This sounds very familiar: my wife hates exposed cables and I have spent many a happy hour dressing cables behind furniture, through split tubing and whatnot. The stereo wasn't the real challenge, even without an entertainment center: it was the computer! One computer, one mouse cable, one keyboard cable, one scanner cable, 2 printer cables (one printer is on my desk across the room), did I mention the video cable? an internet connection cable, a USB hub, about 3 power strips, 2 speakers and a sub, AC connection to the router, phone line ditto, RJ45 from the computer to a wall socket I installed, and of course there's also a telephone and a lamp and a shredder and a charger for the digital camera batteries. Luckily the last time we remodeled I had several extra AC outlets installed in the room.

By the way, if you stand just right you can count a mare's nest of about 12 cables & cords that cannot be completely hidden...I tell my wife, "Don't stand there!"

Now add two more PCs and you'd have MY wiring nightmare! Not to mention my "studio" setup and main stereo as well. All the equipment is in the same room!

just a picture I turned up - no personal connection.

Hahahahaha....... --

If ever there was a case for wireless everything!

[no personal connection]

just a picture I turned up - no personal connection.

You mean that there's no chance he'll plug himself into it somewhere?

Of course all my leads are dressed perfectly - everything in neat bundles, and the supply wiring separated out.... YEAH... Actually, I'm as guilty as everybody else. Sometimes I'm amazed that it doesn't hum. In fact that may be my only real concession to getting it right; balanced audio where it matters. But apart from that, a lot of it looks like it was knitted by a rat. What really annoys me is wall-warts, and the flimsy cables that come from them - move one thing, and suddenly everything else anywhere near it seems to be inextricably knotted together. I'm sure that there is a dark force that causes this, closely related to entropy, that we haven't discovered yet.

The pun was unintentional, although I did notice it when I read Cal's reply.

I have been known to dress my wires nicely - tie things together in neat bundles, lay things out so it isn't all twisted.

That lasts for about 2 weeks - then I need to change something.  Rip off all the ties - pull out the necessary wires - whatever.

It's all down hill from there.

Yeah and NO MATTER how well you try to run them a year later there ALWAYS is a knot, kink, twist, etc in them. It's like a cable gremlin is back there having him/herself a good old time! I'd like to tidy things up with ties, but then the cables need to be a wee bit longer which doesn't help any.

Rip off all the ties

That's one of the big problems - if you use ties, you force all the wiring to be closer together, and that could lead to more potential interference problems. And unless you buy reusable ones, you end up wasting loads of them.

How about the velcro wraps... are they handy?

You mean that there's no chance he'll plug himself into it somewhere?

Velly intellesting observation.  Try doing some investigation via photo URL backtracking and see what you come up with...

Try doing some investigation via photo URL backtracking and see what you come up with...

I haven't even done that.  I just grabbed the picture and ran.