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[(Brian) Frost]

I have a client who just finished a major renovation and has now decided that they need basic audio in their atrium.  Source will just be a music feed and a single wireless microphone.  they ideally want 4-6 ceiling cans to cover this 45ft circular room.  Being that this is in a high rise, everything has to go through conduit so Im trying to avoid tearing out all the complicated finish drywall thats there and redoing what was just done and instead utilizing the cat5e thats already run in the walls to 5 locations around the room. 

Im looking into a streamnet system with some streamnet enabled polk speakers.  Any other suggestions for powered inwalls that can be fed from cat5?

[Scott Carneval]

I have a client who just finished a major renovation and has now decided that they need basic audio in their atrium.  Source will just be a music feed and a single wireless microphone.  they ideally want 4-6 ceiling cans to cover this 45ft circular room.  Being that this is in a high rise, everything has to go through conduit so Im trying to avoid tearing out all the complicated finish drywall thats there and redoing what was just done and instead utilizing the cat5e thats already run in the walls to 5 locations around the room. 

Im looking into a streamnet system with some streamnet enabled polk speakers.  Any other suggestions for powered inwalls that can be fed from cat5?

ANY powered speaker (or power amplifier) can be fed from cat 5. Just solder xlr ends to the cat 5 cable. Use a pair for +/- and another pair for the shield

[Brad Weber]

I have a client who just finished a major renovation and has now decided that they need basic audio in their atrium.  Source will just be a music feed and a single wireless microphone.  they ideally want 4-6 ceiling cans to cover this 45ft circular room.  Being that this is in a high rise, everything has to go through conduit so Im trying to avoid tearing out all the complicated finish drywall thats there and redoing what was just done and instead utilizing the cat5e thats already run in the walls to 5 locations around the room. 

Im looking into a streamnet system with some streamnet enabled polk speakers.  Any other suggestions for powered inwalls that can be fed from cat5?

Are you thinking their being powered over the CAT as well as it transmitting audio?

[(Brian) Frost]

Well theres power right next to the cat 5 run so I dont think I need that to happen.  Ive used baluns on the ends of cat5 to turn it into rca's but I never thought of just soldering on xlr ends.

Suggestions for decent powered inwall speakers (will be used with a wireless microphone not just background music)

Brian

Are you thinking their being powered over the CAT as well as it transmitting audio?

[Scott Carneval]

I don't know of any powered in-wall speakers, but even if you could find one it would be difficult to comply with code.  You can't run an edison plug within a confined space and the speaker would have to have a junction box built into the back of it if you were to terminate it within the wall. 

Are you sure you're not looking for a powered speaker you can simply mount on the wall?

[(Brian) Frost]

I was thinking that originally but then found these polks
http://www.polkaudio.com/customaudio/lci/index.php?s=lc265i-ip

they are inwall powered and connect via ethernet and each have an ip which is controllable from software via that ethernet or from a front panel usb. 

Being that they are actually home audio/automation speakers, I dont know if they would be good enough for my use, and they are pricey, but lots less expensive than redoing the drywall and running more conduit in this particular installation.

Frost

I don't know of any powered in-wall speakers, but even if you could find one it would be difficult to comply with code.  You can't run an edison plug within a confined space and the speaker would have to have a junction box built into the back of it if you were to terminate it within the wall. 

Are you sure you're not looking for a powered speaker you can simply mount on the wall?

[Hal Bissinger/COMSYSTEC]

Why do you want powered and why on earth IP??
 
Simply use your choice of 70v ceiling cans, (like http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/general/Product.aspx?PId=34&MId=2) double up the pairs in that CAT5 into one pair, get yourself an amp for the other end and Bobs your uncle.
 
Why are you making this soooo complicated? This does not have to be in conduit.
 
-Hal

[(Brian) Frost]

Because the walls are only 2x4 thick and I find 70v speakers to generally sound terrible, but Ill think about it.  I cant get to the ceiling without tons of extra drywall work because the ceiling is very complicated modern art that Ive been quoted $20k to redo the drywall again, and its only 1 year old. 

Thank you for your ideas so far.  Ill keep thinking this out. 

Brian

Why do you want powered and why on earth IP??
 
Simply use your choice of 70v ceiling cans, (like http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/general/Product.aspx?PId=34&MId=2) double up the pairs in that CAT5 into one pair, get yourself an amp for the other end and Bobs your uncle.
 
Why are you making this soooo complicated? This does not have to be in conduit.
 
-Hal

[Scott Carneval]

I was thinking that originally but then found these polks
http://www.polkaudio.com/customaudio/lci/index.php?s=lc265i-ip

they are inwall powered and connect via ethernet and each have an ip which is controllable from software via that ethernet or from a front panel usb. 

Being that they are actually home audio/automation speakers, I dont know if they would be good enough for my use, and they are pricey, but lots less expensive than redoing the drywall and running more conduit in this particular installation.

Frost

Taken from the link you provided:

■Powered by 48V DC local power supply (not included with product)

Required SPS-I Power Supply (not included)
A single SPS-I Power Supply can power up to one pair of LC265i-IP speakers or two pair of LC80i-IP speakers. A NetStreams power supply can drive the LC80i-IP. Approximate USA Suggested Retail Price $700.

$2900 per pair plus $700 for the power supply?  You mentioned there is power run to the speaker locations along with Cat-5, correct?  What about a powered speaker mounted to the wall?  Are asthetics the issue?  You would be surprised at the sound quality you can get out of a 70v system if you put an EQ in line.

[(Brian) Frost]

Yes, cosmetics are crucial to this client and I have to stand behind how it sounds.  My expertise is in larger scale sound systems and Ive done plenty of churches and school auditoriums.  Ive never heard a 70v system I loved the sound of, but Im open minded.  The room is very modern and has a lot of levels of complicated drywall with recessed accent lighting, so I have to keep this low visibility and ideally, destroy as little drywall as possible.  Building codes is everything has to be in conduit, so Ive been thinking of using the never utilized cat5 runs that go around the room.  I didnt even think of a 70v system, as they arent my preference, but knowing I can use the cat5 to run a 70v system makes it more likely.  there is budget to do this right, and make it look good, but I dont believe there is desire to live through or pay for the drywall that would need to be redone if i put 6 ceiling cans in place as I would think would work fine.  So Im thinking 5 inwall speakers around the circular room would look good and sound fine for the ceo to address the employees. 

Any 70v speaker systems you like?  I can easily add a driverack or similar to eq and limit the system.

thanks for the ideas so far.

Brian

Taken from the link you provided:

■Powered by 48V DC local power supply (not included with product)

Required SPS-I Power Supply (not included)
A single SPS-I Power Supply can power up to one pair of LC265i-IP speakers or two pair of LC80i-IP speakers. A NetStreams power supply can drive the LC80i-IP. Approximate USA Suggested Retail Price $700.

$2900 per pair plus $700 for the power supply?  You mentioned there is power run to the speaker locations along with Cat-5, correct?  What about a powered speaker mounted to the wall?  Are asthetics the issue?  You would be surprised at the sound quality you can get out of a 70v system if you put an EQ in line.

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