What does the back of your equipment look like? Is it a mess of cables resembling a bowl of spaghetti, or is it neat and orderly, complete with labels on every cable? Although spaghetti-like installations may be acceptable for a one-time use portable system or special setup, it’s not acceptable for a permanent installation. Every cable connected to a piece of equipment should be labeled (near the connector) and laced into place. “Every cable” includes not only those carrying signals (audio/video/etcetera), but power cables as well. A clean installation means there is less chance of cables being pulled out of jacks, it’s easier to troubleshoot problems, provides clear sight lines when installing/upgrading equipment and some may argue it provides better air flow to keep equipment cool. Careful routing of the laced cables can also result in an audio system that operates with less noise (hum and buzz).