1. Home
  2. misc-audio
  3. 173265-162801

Ball stops for underfloor speaker cables

Hi. I'm running speaker cable through an insulated crawlspace, with enough slack so that the speakers can be positioned for listening or tucked away to keep the room tidy. Naturally, I terminate the cable at the speakers rather than at a wallplate because fewer connections are better, I'm told.

One of these days, because of children or guests, the cables are almost certain to get damaged where they enter or exit the floorboards, and I'll be out both expense and hassle fo re-run them.

I think a "ball stop" (similar to what you might find on the end of a retractable vacuum/sweeper cord, or on a retractable pneumatic line in a commercial garage) will ameliorate this risk. Is anyone using them? If so, have you identified a less-unsightly version or manufacture?

p_s
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 

A 12" traffic cone. Orange. Set it over where the cable is coming out of the floor. If your using spades tape the cable to the floor. If you’re using bananas at least put a piece of shrink wrap over the connections and shrink it. THEN tape the cable to the floor up to the cone. Even a 6" cone BUT it’s soft and if the Vacuum hits it it won’t gobble the cable in the roller.

I have floor trap power outlets in the attic. It was for the HO trains. When you close the box lid it went around the power cable and over the top of the mail plug. You couldn’t jerk it out of the floor. I always put a table leg by the outlets just for slip, trip, and fall, hazards and a place to run the cable and hide it too boot.

Regards

Regards

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,651 posts
 

I just poke the cable through the floor at the speaker with a homemade box over it so the cleaning lady don't snack it with the vacuum.

If you're moving the speakers around, it's on you to figure it out 

dekay's avatar
dekay
6,224 posts
 

Google "floor grommet", there are a lot of different styles...

 

 

 

DeKay

ebm
9,311 posts
 

This is extremely weird,

More to discover