Making conventional speakers "wireless"?

[ZeroDfx]

Is it possible to place two conventional Polk bookshelf speakers in the back corners of my family room and convert them into wireless surround sound speakers using some kind of device that would go between the receiver and the speakers? Does such a unit exist?

I have no other way to hide the wiring short of tearing out the walls and/or ceiling then running them along the framing; this would be "nuking a fly" solution. I don't want to run wires across the floor and my wife sure as heck wouldn't accept that even if I did.

This begs the second question then: is it worth doing? Will the sound be so awful that it won't be worth it, or from a distance of 20 feet would it work well enough to at least provide surround sound for TV/DVD? It doesn't have to be audiophile quality, but it shouldn't be constant static either.

TIA for your thoughts & experience.

[bshorey]

Is it possible to place two conventional Polk bookshelf speakers in the back corners of my family room and convert them into wireless surround sound speakers using some kind of device that would go between the receiver and the speakers? Does such a unit exist?

I have no other way to hide the wiring short of tearing out the walls and/or ceiling then running them along the framing; this would be "nuking a fly" solution. I don't want to run wires across the floor and my wife sure as heck wouldn't accept that even if I did.

This begs the second question then: is it worth doing? Will the sound be so awful that it won't be worth it, or from a distance of 20 feet would it work well enough to at least provide surround sound for TV/DVD? It doesn't have to be audiophile quality, but it shouldn't be constant static either.

TIA for your thoughts & experience.

The Accurian amplifier that people rave about in another thread (and rightly so, I think I have four of them) was built for this purpose.

Used as designed, there is a transmitter that plugs into the pre-outs, and then the amplifier has a receiver, and sits close to the speakers.

The Accurian amplifier send the signal over powerline (your 120 v), but I'm sure if you look around you'll find some wireless solutions as well.

HTH,

bs

[MudPuppy176]

make sure you use Monster Cable Air to transmit through. Apparently it conducts the best.

And its cheaper than going hyperbaric!

[Cpt.Beaky]

KEF makes a good wireless adaptor that should work with any amp and is very good at rejecting interference.


http://reviews.cnet.com/home-entertainment/kef-universal-wireless-kit/4505-6449_7-32471312.html

[whoaru99]

Afaik, most wireless units require some amount of wire to connect from the wireless receiver to the speakers. Probably better than wires all across the living room, but wires none the less.

Also, the setups I've seen require 120v at the transmitter and at the receiver so you need a receptacle near where ever they're placed. The transmitter end usually isn't the issue, it's the receiver end where the wires are undesirable that typically causes the grief.

Is placing the wires behind the trim boards along the floor is a possibility? Assuming there are some, that is.

[ZeroDfx]

Afaik, most wireless units require some amount of wire to connect from the wireless receiver to the speakers. Probably better than wires all across the living room, but wires none the less.

Also, the setups I've seen require 120v at the transmitter and at the receiver so you need a receptacle near where ever they're placed. The transmitter end usually isn't the issue, it's the receiver end where the wires are undesirable that typically causes the grief.

Is placing the wires behind the trim boards along the floor is a possibility? Assuming there are some, that is.

Dealing with a few feet of wire at the speaker end to get to an outlet is a manageable issue; behind the baseboard or even along the baseboard would be fine.

So if I'm understanding this correctly, I can place an Accurian amplifier/receiver on top of or adjacent to each speaker and plug those into a nearby wall outlet; plug in a transmitter device at the primary receiver; and voila I should have sound at the rear speakers. Have I got the mechanics down correctly?

Thanks, Nick

[Markw]

One to keep in mind is that you go through a two step process: A transmitter inthe front sends a wireless signal to a tuner/amplifier in the rear.

No matter how good or how powerful your main receiver is, the rear speakers will only have access to as much power (and sound quality) as the rear speakers wireless tuner/amplifier can supply.

IOW, if your main receiver puts out 100 watts to the rear channels, your rear speakers will only get the 10 or so watts the secondary rear tuner/amplifier pumps out.

Here's another option for ya: http://www.rocketfishproducts.com/pc-36-5-rocketfish-wireless-rear-speaker-kit.aspx

[ZeroDfx]

Markw
Thanks for that suggestion; it looks like it has real possibilities. The review of it was very positive. I appreciate it.
Nick