Set Up Audio/Video Systems
Your living room is likely the primary entertainment hub of your home. A remodel is the perfect time to install a professional-grade audio and video system that disappears into the architecture. In-wall speakers, hidden subwoofers, concealed wiring, and proper media equipment ventilation turn your living room into a true home theater without sacrificing design aesthetics.
Time Required
2-3 days
Cost
$3,000-$15,000
Difficulty
Moderate (AV specialist)
In-Wall and In-Ceiling Speaker Installation
In-wall speakers for home theater sound
In-wall speakers mount flush with the wall surface and disappear behind a paintable grille. Position the left and right front channels at ear level when seated, flanking the TV at a 22-30 degree angle from the listening position. A quality pair of in-wall speakers runs $300-$1,500 per pair and can rival freestanding speakers that cost twice as much.
In-ceiling speakers for surround and ambient sound
Ceiling speakers work beautifully for surround channels in a 5.1 or 7.1 setup and double as distributed background music speakers. Place surround speakers slightly behind and above the primary seating area. For Dolby Atmos, add two to four overhead ceiling speakers to create an immersive three-dimensional soundstage. Budget $200-$800 per pair for quality ceiling speakers.
Hidden subwoofer placement
Bass frequencies are non-directional, meaning your subwoofer can hide in a closet, behind a built-in, or inside a custom enclosure. In-wall subwoofers mount between studs and disappear entirely. Place the sub away from corners to reduce boomy resonance unless you want extra bass impact. Budget $500-$2,000 for a quality in-wall or hidden subwoofer.
TV Mounting and Wiring Conduit
- Install a recessed media box: A recessed outlet box behind the TV provides power, HDMI connections, and data in a single clean package. Mount it centered behind where the TV will hang, with enough depth to accommodate angled cables. This eliminates visible cords and power strips. Budget $50-$150 for the box plus installation.
- Run conduit, not just cables: Install a 2-inch conduit from the TV location down to where your media equipment will live, whether that is a built-in cabinet below or a remote equipment closet. Conduit lets you swap or add cables anytime without opening walls. This single detail future-proofs your setup for decades.
- Structural blocking for TV mounts: A 65-inch or larger TV weighs 50-100 pounds. Install solid wood blocking between studs at the exact mounting height before drywall goes up. This gives any TV mount a rock-solid anchor point regardless of stud spacing. Mark the blocking location on your plans so you can find it later.
- Motorized TV lifts and art covers: For a truly hidden TV, consider a motorized lift that raises the screen from a cabinet, or a motorized art frame that reveals the TV behind a painting. These require a recessed niche or cabinet space and dedicated power. Budget $1,500-$5,000 for a quality motorized solution.
Media Cabinet Ventilation
- Heat is the enemy of electronics: Receivers, streaming boxes, gaming consoles, and amplifiers generate significant heat. Enclosing them in a built-in cabinet without ventilation shortens their lifespan and causes reliability issues. Every media cabinet needs an active or passive ventilation strategy.
- Active ventilation fans: Install a quiet exhaust fan at the top of the cabinet that pulls cool air in through a lower vent and pushes hot air out the top or into the wall cavity. Thermostat-controlled fans activate only when temperatures rise. Budget $50-$200 for a quality cabinet fan system.
- Remote equipment closet: The cleanest approach is placing all AV equipment in a ventilated closet elsewhere in the house and running HDMI-over-fiber and IR control cables to the living room. The living room stays clutter-free with no visible equipment, no fan noise, and no heat. This is standard in high-end installations.
- IR repeater system: If equipment is hidden in a cabinet or closet, install an IR repeater so your remotes still work. A small IR receiver mounts near the TV and transmits signals to hidden equipment via a wired connection. Budget $30-$100 for a basic system or consider moving to app-based control.
Pro Tips
- •Test speaker placement before closing walls: Before drywall goes up, temporarily wire speakers and play music to verify placement sounds good from your seating position. Moving a speaker location after drywall costs time and money, but before drywall it costs nothing.
- •Label every cable run: Use numbered tags on both ends of every cable during rough-in. When it is time to connect equipment months later, labeled cables save hours of troubleshooting. This is a small detail that professionals never skip.
- •Invest in a good AV receiver: The receiver is the brain of your system. A quality unit with room correction software like Audyssey or Dirac can compensate for room acoustics and speaker placement compromises. Budget $500-$1,500 for a receiver that supports your speaker configuration and future formats.