What speaker wire to buy

[Craft23]

I just purchased a Denon X2100W and have 2 Polk Audio Monitors 70s that I am going to be hooking up. What speaker wire should I use to set up?

 

[rojo]

@Craft23 Monoprice. How far away are the monitors from your AVR? What is their rated impedance?

 

[Craft23]

@Craft23 Monoprice. How far away are the monitors from your AVR? What is their rated impedance?

the monitors are about 7-8 feet apart and the AVR is directly in between them, sorry unfamiliar with impedance :/

 

[lovinthehd]

Try this to learn about speaker sensitivity/impedance http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/loudspeaker-sensitivity

Here's a great site addressing all things speaker wire, including choosing the gauge of wire for distance and impedance. http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

ps Monoprice.com is a good shopping site, your local home improvement store can be, if you want something fancier and of great construction/quality try bluejeanscable.com

 

[rojo]

the monitors are about 7-8 feet apart and the AVR is directly in between them, sorry unfamiliar with impedance :/

I think 16awg should be fine. This is what I'd get if I were you, then finish the ends with banana plugs. (Those plugs attach to the wires like this I believe -- skip to 01:12 in that video.)

You can probably find cheaper speaker wire (e.g. Amazon Basics), but it's most likely going to be copper-clad aluminum. CCA speaker wire is only about 2/3 as efficient as oxygen-free copper. The Monoprice stuff is the lowest common denominator budget OFC wire.

 

[vsound5150]

Interesting, so is the goal to get a total resistance (speaker internal and external wiring) to match the amp output? For example, if my amp requires an 8 ohm load can I connect both wires to the speaker and measure resistance end to end and see how close I get to 8 ohms?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Remember, the speaker wire has almost no impact whatsoever on the listening. As long as you get something of the proper gauge for the load and the distance.

At about 5 feet from the receiver, 16 gauge is more than adequate and you can go with some very basic cable...
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023904&p_id=14915&seq=1&format=2

I like the idea of banana plugs, my personal favorites being the Nakamichi double screw versions on eBay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8pcs-Nakamichi-Gold-Plate-Audio-Banana-Speaker-Plug-4MM-24k-Gold-/261840426152?hash=item3cf6e7d4a8:g:J3MAAOSwpDdVIp9f

But, there are tons of recommendations out there.

The speaker wire in the prior post is not one bit different than the one I linked to here. It is more expensive mostly because of the plenum rating, which means it can be run in plenum spaces... which is inside the ceiling of a commercial building. Not at all typical for home use. But, the black jacket is nice. So, that's really what you are paying for.

 

[vsound5150]

Ok maybe super long runs like wiring speakers in a warehouse are more to be concerned about.

I purchased Nakamichi banana plugs on eBay from a different seller (urworld10) and received plugs that looked identical but labeled EASTMAN. I told him to take his junk back and refund me asap, there was something suspicious about everything including all the different names he goes by. He didn't question me he knows he was trying to pull a fast one with his fake stuff it came from Hong Kong or some remote city in China.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok maybe super long runs like wiring speakers in a warehouse are more to be concerned about.

I purchased Nakamichi banana plugs on eBay from a different seller (urworld10) and received plugs that looked identical but labeled EASTMAN. I told him to take his junk back and refund me asap, there was something suspicious about everything including all the different names he goes by. He didn't question me he knows he was trying to pull a fast one with his fake stuff it came from Hong Kong or some remote city in China.

If it was identical looking it just may have been the same manufacturer but different brands applied their names to it....if you're still looking Sewell is a nice source, too.

 

[vsound5150]

I did see the Sewell's but wasn't sure and ended up buying some from SVS. I think a bit pricey but I don't know what is normal, it was more for peace of mind.

 

[Speedskater]

The 4, 6 or 8 Ohm nominal impedance at about 1000 Hz. So a common Ohm meter or DMM that reads DC resistance can't measure it. In any case the speaker cable DC resistance and AC impedance is only a fraction of an Ohm.

 

[j_garcia]

I use the Nakamichi plugs. They're perfectly fine. Sewells are OK. They are all pretty much just copies of each other.

 

[rojo]

Remember, the speaker wire has almost no impact whatsoever on the listening. As long as you get something of the proper gauge for the load and the distance.

At about 5 feet from the receiver, 16 gauge is more than adequate and you can go with some very basic cable...
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023904&p_id=14915&seq=1&format=2

I like the idea of banana plugs, my personal favorites being the Nakamichi double screw versions on eBay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8pcs-Nakamichi-Gold-Plate-Audio-Banana-Speaker-Plug-4MM-24k-Gold-/261840426152?hash=item3cf6e7d4a8:g:J3MAAOSwpDdVIp9f

But, there are tons of recommendations out there.

The speaker wire in the prior post is not one bit different than the one I linked to here. It is more expensive mostly because of the plenum rating, which means it can be run in plenum spaces... which is inside the ceiling of a commercial building. Not at all typical for home use. But, the black jacket is nice. So, that's really what you are paying for.

Careful. The Monoprice Select Series is CCA (second bullet under Features). The price difference isn't just for the jacket. Also, shipping is charged from monoprice.com, whereas Amazon includes the cost of shipping for Prime members.

I do dig those banana plugs though.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Careful. The Monoprice Select Series is CCA (second bullet under Features). The price difference isn't just for the jacket. Also, shipping is charged from monoprice.com, whereas Amazon includes the cost of shipping for Prime members.

I do dig those banana plugs though.

It's all about distance really. I think we are talking 5' from the receiver to the speaker (give or take), so 22AWG is pretty close to acceptable. Copper or aluminum won't make any real difference in this case. But, I gotta say, I always spend the extra ten bucks for a better wire. Cripes, almost all of my wire is Monster Cable (sorry) 14/4 which I picked up a dozen rolls of several years ago for very good pricing. So, I'm one to talk about cable quality making no difference. But, in this case, with the distances given, it doesn't matter. But, I would likely go to their Choice series at least...
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023903&p_id=2749&seq=1&format=2

Or just go to the local hardware store and see what they have in 16 gauge.

I love the Nakamichi banana plugs I linked to. The double set screw version will lock the wire so well that you are more likely to rip the cable in half before it will pull out of the plug itself. That's a solid electrical connection which is the goal. I've heard good things about the Sewell plugs, but the type with 'fold over' wire connections always makes me wonder how solid the connection really is. Meh! To each their own for these for sure. I switched to the ones I linked to after using similar versions from Rotel. Rotel had some awesome banana plugs, which used that same design. As long as they are not side-load.

Sewell didn't have these last time I looked, they appear as a rebadge of the Nakamichis I linked to. Likely a more reputable supplier...
https://sewelldirect.com/sewell-silverback-banana-plugs-dual-screw-lock-6-pair

 

[lovinthehd]

It's all about distance really. I think we are talking 5' from the receiver to the speaker (give or take), so 22AWG is pretty close to acceptable. Copper or aluminum won't make any real difference in this case. But, I gotta say, I always spend the extra ten bucks for a better wire. Cripes, almost all of my wire is Monster Cable (sorry) 14/4 which I picked up a dozen rolls of several years ago for very good pricing. So, I'm one to talk about cable quality making no difference. But, in this case, with the distances given, it doesn't matter. But, I would likely go to their Choice series at least...
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023903&p_id=2749&seq=1&format=2

Or just go to the local hardware store and see what they have in 16 gauge.

I love the Nakamichi banana plugs I linked to. The double set screw version will lock the wire so well that you are more likely to rip the cable in half before it will pull out of the plug itself. That's a solid electrical connection which is the goal. I've heard good things about the Sewell plugs, but the type with 'fold over' wire connections always makes me wonder how solid the connection really is. Meh! To each their own for these for sure. I switched to the ones I linked to after using similar versions from Rotel. Rotel had some awesome banana plugs, which used that same design. As long as they are not side-load.

Sewell didn't have these last time I looked, they appear as a rebadge of the Nakamichis I linked to. Likely a more reputable supplier...
https://sewelldirect.com/sewell-silverback-banana-plugs-dual-screw-lock-6-pair

I can't stand the crimp/fold over plugs either, been using those Sewell Silverbacks for a while; I've also used their Pro Maestro plugs, but that's only a single set screw but the barrel is a bit nicer. Took a look at a pic of the Nakamichis 0534Bs and they indeed look very similar to the Silverbacks. Only so many factories in the world...

 

[mtrycrafts]

Ok maybe super long runs like wiring speakers in a warehouse are more to be concerned about.

...

Just as an info, in such applications the system is different, a 70 volt system so it is voltage based not really concerned with wire resistance.

 

[vsound5150]

Good to know about the 70 volt system it makes sense for such setup.

 

[Speedskater]

Yes 70 Volt systems are different. Each loudspeaker has a matching transformer and the power amplifier probably has a transformer as well.

 

[jmalecki05]

Keep it simple:
- Go with 16 gauge or 14 gauge speaker wire (RCA sells 100 foot spools for $30)
- Banana plugs are not necessary, but make switching / testing much easier (about $20 for a 10 pack).

 

[Speedskater]

The RCA brand sold in the big-box stores is probably Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA). So buy one size large than real copper.