coax for surrounds?

[maximum kahuna]

I am presently running a 3.1 set up and would like to add rears to complete a 5.1 set up. I have no way short of running wires outside my family room and back in through the back wall. The room is on a concrete slab and has a cathedral ceiling with no attic.

There is a coax running from the front wall where the audio system and TV are to the back wall. It was originally put in for a TV on that wall. Are there adapters that will take high level outputs and convert to a coax and then reverse it on the other end? If that won't work, I also have a spare amp that I could put on the back wall. Could I take preamp outs, convert to coax and then back to low level input to feed the amp? Any other ideas. I really don't want to run the wires outside and over the roof of the family room. Thanks.

[formica]

There is a coax running from

the front wall where the audio system and TV are to the back

wall.... If that won't work, I also have a spare amp that I

could put on the back wall. Could I take preamp outs, convert to

coax and then back to low level input to feed the amp?

That sounds like your best bet, BUT given you have "A COAX" that would

imply you'll be feeding a mono signal to the rear chanels. RCA to

Coax adapters are readily available... or you can make some with a

couple of parts.

Better than 3.1 but not quite 5.1.

ROb

[ScorpsFan]

Do you have molding you can "gently remove" and put back? If so, there are several alternatives which would let you run the needed speaker wire behing the molding in the gap between drywall and your slab floor (I have a slab also) I ran 4 wire from a wall outlet behind my components to a wall outlet behind each rear speaker, please just make sure the wire is rated for in wall use to avoid a fire hazard. Or you could try this tape wire along the wall and paint or wallpaper over it: http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=3101&sku=43027

Best of Luck!

[maximum kahuna]

No, big open walk way from Kitchen and dining area on one side, and double glass sliders and fireplace on the other. No way to run wires.

[ScorpsFan]

Sounds like Formica has given you the best advice based on your situation. Might want to try Blue Jeans Cables or a similar custom shop for one of their set ups, they have a four wire Canare wire for video which may be able to be terminated with an "f-connector" for your coax on one end and four banana plugs for your speakers on the other or can offer up a similar solution. Otherwise it sounds like an adapter (f to rca) then some sort of Y-splitter to your speaker wires. Let us know what works, I'm sure others might be able to use your solution for similar problems. Best of Luck!

[feersum dreadnot]

how about trying flat speaker wire? there must be a way to run it from your reciever to the location of the rears.

such as: http://www.decorp.com/

or

http://21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/PROD/GKWIRE

[DrWho]

I would NOT run a speaker level signal down a coax cable. Line level is fine, but you'll only get mono down a single coax run.

So how is this cable run and what else is it connected to? One thing

you might consider would be to use the coax cable cable to pull other

cables through the same path. Just use lots of electrical tape to

attach the cables before you start pulling.

And do you have a carpet floor?

[P.HUNT]

Radio Shack has flat speaker wire made to go under the carpet, you cannot tell it is there if you have a decent quality carpet. Use a fish tape and feed it under the pad if you can.

[Guest " "]

I'm going to take this in a different direction from the other valid and reasonables suggestion presented thus far.....using the info in your original posts...here is what I am looking at.

you have a rear amp

you have not mentioned if you bought an new 5.1 amp...important to know only to determine how you will decode and make available the rear signal.

you have coax going to the rear area

an ideal soultion if your 5.1 reciever supported it...remove the pre-amp/main amp by pass plugs for the rear channels from your reciever and send the rear pre-amp out signal to a wireless extender (I have seen these in may audio vido shops)....connect the recieving end of the wireless extender to your second amp...connect your speakers to the second amp. If you have pre-amp/main amp plugs it will be obvious on the rear panel of the amp...do not go looking in the amp for these plugs.

if you don't have an rear speakers yet...look into wireless speakers with built in amplifires.

one of the problems you will face is syncing the volume from the second amp and the main amp...if you tap into a line level output siganl...the volume won't change as you change the volume on the main amp...but if your reciever has pre-amp/main amp output by pass plugs...the volume to the rear amp will change as you changed the volume to the main amp.

summary...look into a wireless rear speaker solution