speaker wires - which to get??

[canon007]

I pulled the trigger on KEF speakers (Q700 front, C200 centre, Q100 rear and Q400 sub) to go with my new Denon 4200W receiver.

I needed to pick up speaker wire for my rear speakers and wanted to get some advice on what to get. Last time, i bought speaker wire, i just picked up monster wire from the big box.

I was looking at Amazon.ca and there are different gauges 12 AWG, 14 AWG, 16AWG and 18AWG and two and 4 conductor wire.

I believe i need 2 - that's all i've used in the past. However, not sure what to get 12/14/16/18 AWG? What's the difference?? 12 looks to be the the most expensive and 18 being the cheapest (considerable difference in price).

Brandwise, is MonoPrice a good brand for speaker wires? Amazon. ca has a lot of monoprice, C&A and prime cables. I could just go to Visions or best buy and get the Monster XP wire (doesn't say the AWG rating). I did read that for HDMI cables monster is a rip off and went with monoprice, but i'm not sure if the same holds true for speaker wire.

I'd appreciate advice on the best option given my equipment.

 

[lovinthehd]

Monster is indeed a ripoff for the most part. Monoprice is fine. You can just buy 12g and be prepared for long distance and low impedance, you could also use a table like this one http://www.roger-russell.com/wire.htm#wiretable

ps If you can get Monster cheap as the other stuff, they're usually decent quality as far as construction goes....you can also go to your local hardware/home repair outlet and simply buy the lengths you need, they usually sell it off reels at a reasonable price, too.

 

[canon007]

Monster is indeed a ripoff for the most part. Monoprice is fine. You can just buy 12g and be prepared for long distance and low impedance, you could also use a table like this one http://www.roger-russell.com/wire.htm#wiretable

ps If you can get Monster cheap as the other stuff, they're usually decent quality as far as construction goes....you can also go to your local hardware/home repair outlet and simply buy the lengths you need, they usually sell it off reels at a reasonable price, too.

Thanks for the link!
My surrounds will be around 20 feet from where the receiver is, but to take the cable from the side of the room, i'll probably need around 28 feet and 35 feet cables. looks like the KEF speakers are 8ohms

 

[tyhjaarpa]

I would go with the MonoPrice 12awg and call it a day. There is not really a difference in cables when they are OFC and thick enough, which 12awg is. As you say different awg wires price differently, it is due the thickness of conductors, more copper will obviously cost more.

 

[Speedskater]

While 12AWG is probably not needed, the difference in price between 14AWG and 12AWG is not great. Then with the 12AWG you can stop thinking about speaker cable and get down to the business of listening to music.

 

[afterlife2]

Welcome. All you need: https://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-2-Conductor-Sequential-Markings-SW-14X2-100-CL/dp/B00I8V8XC0/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1476717172&sr=1-4&keywords=Mediabridge+14AWG+2-Conductor+Speaker+Wire

 

[Speedskater]

No, no, no!
That's not copper wire!!!!
It's Copper Clad Aluminum wire CCA.

 

[lovinthehd]

No, no, no!
That's not copper wire!!!!
It's Copper Clad Aluminum wire CCA.

Not that most would notice unless they read the description carefully Mediabridge oddly does have full copper in their CL2 rated 12g....but seems only CCA in the clear jacketed stuff.

IIRC for a rough equivalent for CCA to go up one or two gauge numbers vs pure copper for a rough equivalent (depending on the CCA's spec).

FWIW Roger Russell's take on it.

 

[Speedskater]

Now CCA will sound the same as copper if the cable is made with the correct aluminum alloy, the cladding is applied correctly and the wire gage is one step larger. That is 12AWG CCA for 14AWG copper.

 

[Rickster71]

The issue with Aluminum or CCA is the connection. You'll need an anti-oxident like http://www.idealindustries.ca/products/wire_installation/accessories/noalox.php
Invariably the thin copper coating will wear off and the dissimilar metals will cause corrosion.
The other issue, Aluminum and CCA is a little stiffer than an all copper conductor... it may not lay as nicely.
As mention earlier, just go up a size. It's very commonly used by power companies and in residential service drop/entrance cables.