Speaker Cable Size

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

I have mentioned often about the size speaker cable that I recommend.

It is usually 10 guage stranded, perhaps Carol brand, at Home Depot and such suppliers.

I have also mentioned, that with my very first system, the salesman made me feel very special when he gave me, probably 22 guage speaker leads for free.

I used to read about 18 guage as being the recommend guage quite often.

I am sorry, I was making an assumption, I was thinking that all of the members would know the numbering system of wire, at least in North America.

Our wire is, strangely, the larger or higher the number, the smaller the guage, kinda backwards to logic.

Ten guage is approxiametely 1/8" (.125") in diameter amd 40 guage is like a human hair.

Some of you were very determined not to go to 10 or even 12 guage wire from 18 guage, I do hope my error did not cause that.

[Guest Eunomians]

I got a good deal on 2 spools of 100' 14 guage speaker wire last year. I would've gone 12 or 10, but I could not pass on the 14 guage deal.

The speakers sound good. And the wire is flat (rectangular style) which has a nice asthetic.

It's also an eggshell white color, which virtually disappears in our living room. What speaker wire? I don't see any!

Cheers

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

I wouldn't pass up such a deal either, being Scottish.

You can also provide extension speakers to your neighbours. lol

The wire is small enough to not be difficult to add fuse blocks.

Speaker wire is not an exact science, that you must use, 10 or 12 guage wire.

The larger the wire, the greater the current carrying capacity.

Yes, there is magic cables, the manufacturers tell me so.

Your 14 guage should suffice quite nicely, up to maybe 25 feet with an 8 ohm speaker, for 4 ohm speakers it would be shorter.

There is only a few cautions I should mention, it doesn't really matter what the guage or brand of wire, and that is, running them under carpeting or stapling them with non-insulated staples.

Another caution of a more serious nature is, do not under any circumstances, use 2 or 3 prong standard electrical plugs.

Also do not rough-in your speaker wiring into electrical boxes and then use standard electrical outlets.

Both of these are an accident waiting to happen.

[Guest Primoz Zertek]

Hi everyone!

Does the number and diameter of wires in cable, overall cable diameter and lenght realy matter?Unless you use a tube driven amp you should not have any problems with that.(the output transformers must be exactly matched with the cable-speaker impedance in this case).And the real question is: Can you realy hear any difference in high freq. region with that high end cable?A lot of people has found feq. above 15kHz almost inaudiable.

Primoz

[pmsummer]

Vern,

I've been using low voltage, underground landscape-lighting, 12 gauge wire from Home Depot. It's CHEAP, heavy, very flexible (it lies down). 50 feet for $10 +/-.

If you've got a LOT of set-ups, 500 ft for $150.

http://www.sonriselighting.com/docs/dbcable/

[dingus]

Roger Russell details history and findings on speaker wire use at http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm.

to my ears, this is the best guide available for speaker wire.

[pmsummer]

Roger that!

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

I wan to run right out and pick up one of those 500' rolls.

I like a deal, being, Scottish.

[dynaco_dan]

>Hi everyone!

>Does the number and diameter of wires in cable, overall cable

>diameter and lenght realy matter?Unless you use a tube driven

>amp you should not have any problems with that.(the output

>transformers must be exactly matched with the cable-speaker

>impedance in this case).And the real question is: Can you

>realy hear any difference in high freq. region with that high

>end cable?A lot of people has found feq. above 15kHz almost

>inaudiable.

>Primoz

Hi there;

I saw your questions right after they were posted, but decided not to answer them then.

I will try to now.

First off, this is not highend, nor high priced, cable at all.

It is a clear coated, twin pair of heavy guage multi-stranded copper wire available in bulk, just about everywhere, but high-end stereo stores.

It doesn't have the same mystique that a brand name packaged cable has.

Solid copper wire could be used, as in, 10/2 Loomex house wire, or 10/2 BX armoured cable wire.

In fact it was suggested many years ago, somewhere, that if you were roughing in your home for hifi, use approved electrical wire, such as BX, which is shielded as a bonus, my recommendation, to standard electrical boxes with special terminal connections only, not standard electrical outlets.

The disadvantages to these cables is, they are larger in physical size and less flexible.

To your first sentence, yes.

To your 2nd from the last sentence, yes, and not limited to the highs alone.

To your last sentence, everyones hearing start to normally drop off in the highs, as we get older.

Women usually have better hearing than men.

There has been much written here previously, with links suggested for further information regarding, "Magic Cables".

Change the capacitance, resistance or inductance of any cable and there is a measureable and audible difference, however small.

There has been at least one past cable manufactured, that had an amplifier destructive capability about it, I do not know the full story of that one.

That manufactures name does not need to be mentioned here as well, it is past history and nothing would be accomplished by mentioning this now.

I consider this to be part of inventing something new and finding out later it doesn't fit'all, be'all, but, part of the learning process.