8 Tips for A/V Cable Management

You love your electronics. But you hate all of those wires. They look so messy and annoying. The good news is that there are things that you can do to help you manage your cables. Below are 8 tips that you can use for managing your cables.

Use Some Wire Ties For Bundling Cables

If you have multiple cables that run from or to your cable box, receiver or TV, bundling them using ties is a good idea. Sometimes they are reusable, and those are great options for those who rent. Here are some tips for using wire ties:

• After your route and connect the cables, bundle it just one end. This is going to make them a lot easier for you to handle.
• Don’t cinch your ties too tightly. If you do, your wires can become crimped and their insulation may become damaged.
• Snip off the tie excess to provide a look that’s clean.
• Bundle power cables and A/V cables separately.

Secure Wire Bundles

You can attach adhesive pads made to work with the wire ties to your walls. These can help with keeping speaker wires for rear channels out of your way by securing them to the molding of your wall.

These kinds of adhesive also can hold cable bundles that run from a tv that’s mounted to your wall to give you a much neater look. They also can be used for fastening wire bundles and wires to you’re a/V cabinet’s back.

Cable clamps can also be used for attaching your bundles.

Make sure that you’re matching your clamp’s size and shape to your cable. Use some screws instead of tacks for securing the clamps. They are going to be more secure. They also can be easily removed and reattached if you want to change your cables around.

Get Some Raceways to Conceal Your Cables

It’s not necessary to run your wires inside of your walls so that they are concealed. Raceways are channels made from wood or plastic which protect and conceal wire bundles and wires. They also often can be painted, too, so that you can make so that they are blending in and virtually disappearing.

They also come in various sizes. If you are concealing cable bundles, be sure that you get a raceway that’s large enough to fit comfortably over it.

Label everything

When you label your wires, it will ensure you’re able to identify each cable easily. You can easily swap out components and you won’t have to worry about losing track about what wire goes with what.

There are labels that you can buy for your cables or you can make some of your own. No matter which option you go for, you want to do it. Even if you have a fairly simple and small system, if you expand it you will be organized at the beginning and it will be a lot easier.

Hide Cables for Wall-Mounted TVs in the Wall

One good way to conceal power cables for your wall-mounted television is to hide them inside the wall. There are options that you can choose like the handy Sanus ELM806 PowerBridge.
This kit comes with 2 boxes connected by a cable. One of the boxes fits behind your TV, the other goes right beneath it at the level of your floor. Simply plug the power cables from your TV into your top box and an outlet power cord into your lower box.

Organize Your Cables Behind the Equipment Rack

When you bundle your cables, it can help you with bringing that big group of wires in the back of an A/V cabinet or rack under control. Using wire ties will be the best choice here.
Keep in mind that you should bundle your A/V cables and power cables separately. This is going to minimize that the electromagnetic interference that power cables often give out will degrade the performance of your system.

It’s also possible to use adhesive pads or tacks for securing the bundles to your cabinet’s or rack’s back.

Secure the Loose Wires That Run to Rear Speakers

The wires that run to your rear speakers need to be secured so that you don’t have to worry about tripping over or stepping on them.

It’s not recommended to run the wires beneath carpets, particularly in areas with a lot of traffic. If the wires are constantly being stepped on, as time goes by their insulation is going to wear away. It’s a much better idea to run these wires along your baseboard.

The simplest way that you can secure these wires are wire tacks. You also can use the raceway to give an appearance that is more finished and cohesive.

These are eight ways that you can manage your electronics cables. They will help your electronics look much better and they will also help you with knowing what cables go with which items.