14/4 conductor pairing

[chaosrealm93]

hey guys,

i have some 14/4 on hand and i want to make a simple speaker cable out of it. which conductors should i be pairing for + and - for optimal noise rejection? the 14/4 is just a simple twist (think 4 conductors twisted around an imaginary core) and not braided like kimber

should i use adjacent conductors or opposite conductors?

the length is about 15-20ft

thanks!

 

[Swerd]

Does your 14/4 look like this?

If so, you have in-wall speaker cable capable of running signal to up to two speakers. It's covered by a plastic jacket, but there is no shielding. The four colored wires may be twisted together, but that isn't for noise rejection, it's to make it easier to pull the bundle through holes in studs or dry wall.

If you want to twist wires together to wire one speaker, it doesn't matter which wires you twist together as long as you twist the same colors together on each end of the cable.

 

[chaosrealm93]

Does your 14/4 look like this?

If so, you have in-wall speaker cable capable of running signal to up to two speakers. It's covered by a plastic jacket, but there is no shielding. The four colored wires may be twisted together, but that isn't for noise rejection, it's to make it easier to pull the bundle through holes in studs or dry wall.

If you want to twist wires together to wire one speaker, it doesn't matter which wires you twist together as long as you twist the same colors together on each end of the cable.

yeah it looks like that

so if theres no shielding, how much degradation should i expect from that length. its also running alongside power cables and other computer related cables

 

[Swerd]

so if theres no shielding, how much degradation should i expect from that length. its also running alongside power cables and other computer related cables

Is the speaker cable inside a conduit along with the power cables?

Do not run speaker cables (or any other audio cables) alongside AC power cables. You may hear a 60 Hz hum in the speakers if the speaker cable is alongside AC power cables. Separate them by at least 4-6 inches, and avoid running them parallel to each other. They can cross each other as long as they cross at a 90° angle.

Speaker level voltages are high enough so interference from any other source should not be a problem.

 

[chaosrealm93]

Is the speaker cable inside a conduit along with the power cables?

Do not run speaker cables (or any other audio cables) alongside AC power cables. You may hear a 60 Hz hum in the speakers if the speaker cable is alongside AC power cables. Separate them by at least 4-6 inches, and avoid running them parallel to each other. They can cross each other as long as they cross at a 90° angle.

Speaker level voltages are high enough so interference from any other source should not be a problem.

ok

 

[highfigh]

hey guys,

i have some 14/4 on hand and i want to make a simple speaker cable out of it. which conductors should i be pairing for + and - for optimal noise rejection? the 14/4 is just a simple twist (think 4 conductors twisted around an imaginary core) and not braided like kimber

should i use adjacent conductors or opposite conductors?

the length is about 15-20ft

thanks!

The usual pairing for this is:
Red=Right +
Black=Right-
White=Left+
Green=Left-

This is according to CEDIA and most of what has been installed over the last 50 years. Some use opposite colors when they don't know, but it only matters as long as all speakers are wired the same or if someone else who DOES know comes in and has to do some kind of work on the system later- it will minimize confusion and wasted time.

You don't need to worry too much about noise with speaker wiring- the signal has already been amplified.

No low voltage cabling is allowed to share the same conduit with high voltage wiring and junction boxes MUST have a barrier to separate high and low voltage wiring.

 

[Speedskater]

It's highly unlikely that your speaker cables will pick-up hum from the audio system AC power cords.
In fact some on-location pro audio engineers tape the interconnect and/or speaker cables to their AC power cords.

 

[highfigh]

It's highly unlikely that your speaker cables will pick-up hum from the audio system AC power cords.
In fact some on-location pro audio engineers tape the interconnect and/or speaker cables to their AC power cords.

Really? They tape the speaker and power cords together? I have never heard of anyone recommending that. Being close is one thing, taped to is another.