Speaker Wire Question

[Niaspeed]

I have gotten two completely different views as to speaker wire...some say costly speaker wire is a must for a setup....others say top line speaker wire is a scam or just isn't that important....can anyone sort this out for me and help me with wire from a Rotel 1066 Pre/ Rotel 991 Amp to B & W 603 S3/ and 602 S2?

I haven't hooked anything up as I await your imput and then will decide.

Thanks-

Nia

 

[Alex2507]

The guage of the wire matters. Cost matters as in the less the better. Here's a link that will tell you everything I ever needed to know about wire and more than anybody I ever met wanted to know about wire. Read to your hearts content.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yep, most of my wire is the cheap 12 awg stuff from a big spool at Home Depot. I do use some big 10awg wire with nice banana plugs for my main speakers just because you can see a section of this wire and the big, pretty stuff looks cool.

 

[markw]

Only you can answer this.

I suggest you start with plain vanilla (generic) well-constructed audio interconnects and speaker wire of at least 16 gauge. These don't cost a fortune.

Then, after a while, try the expensive spread and see if the additional dollars provide a proportionate improvement in sound. Don't be surprised if you either don't hear a difference or can't be sure of you do.

FWIW, I'm running a Rotel RA-991B to a pair of Maggie 1.6qr's and use generic 12 gauge.

 

[Niaspeed]

I guess the general concensus is not to buy expensive wires. Is Home Depot the best place to buy em cheap?

Nia

 

[aberkowitz]

I guess the general concensus is not to buy expensive wires. Is Home Depot the best place to buy em cheap?

Nia

HD is probably the best place to get it cheap today (e.g. walk-in walk-out). If you can wait a couple of days for shipping, monoprice has some great deals on all gauges of wire. 100 feet of 12 AWG for $24, 100 feet of 16 AWG for $14.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239

 

[rnatalli]

I second the recommendation of HD and Monoprice. I typically use 14 AWG which is suitable for most situations.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... Is Home Depot the best place to buy em cheap?

Nia

Well, HD is best if you are close to them and want the cables now
Don't forget to check out their low voltage landscape lighting cable as well as you might be able to pick them up for less. Use that link above for the wire size.

 

[skizzerflake]

I have gotten two completely different views as to speaker wire...some say costly speaker wire is a must for a setup....others say top line speaker wire is a scam or just isn't that important....can anyone sort this out for me and help me with wire from a Rotel 1066 Pre/ Rotel 991 Amp to B & W 603 S3/ and 602 S2?

I haven't hooked anything up as I await your imput and then will decide.

Thanks-

Nia

I don't have much belief in the value of expensive wires as long as you get heavy enough gauge. What I have found, however, is to make sure you clean all of the contacts when you hook things up. A $5 container of contact cleaner will change your cheap wire into $50/foot audiophile stuff.

 

[John Bailey]

I believe there is a difference in wires. The problem is, for me, I can't hear the difference. However, there was a time that I thought I could and I read hundreds of opinions concerning different types of wires and their affect on the sound produced. What I noticed was, although there were differences, the vast majority heard the same characteristics from similar wires. The evidence seemed to suggest that if you listen and study enough, (and can afford to) and your ears are good enough, the wires can make a difference in how you hear the sounds.

I don't have the patience for that kind of study and I certainly don't have the ear to hear the difference. So, I'll blissfully enjoy my low/mid-fi experience. Bring on the music.

John

 

[Halon451]

Monoprice is by far the most inexpensive option I have seen so far. I purchased my Belden 12 AWG from Blue Jeans and it is twisted pair, with a sturdy outer jacket. BJ is a little more expensive than Monoprice, but still WAY lower than what you would pay for with the more fancy, expensive stuff. Plus Bluejeans offers the ability to choose the exact length you want at a cost/foot price. If you know you only need 34 feet you can get exactly 34 feet.

But then again, who gets ONLY what they need? I have probably 250 feet or so of extra speaker wire (various gauges) hanging above my workbench in my utility room right now. Some of it the more expensive Monster stuff - I choose to use the lower priced wire in my setup, and it works just as well, if not better.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...and I read hundreds of opinions concerning different types of wires and their affect on the sound produced. What I noticed was, although there were differences, the vast majority heard the same characteristics from similar wires. The evidence seemed to suggest that if you listen and study enough, (and can afford to) and your ears are good enough, the wires can make a difference in how you hear the sounds.
John

Yes, all those opinions and they all could be wrong
Group dynamics has a tendency to bring out similar reports hence similar stories form audiophiles. Yes, when some rudimentary controls are in place, comparable wires are used, no one to date is able to differentiate them apart.
That is curios indeed. No different form other endeavors in life: psychics tend to fold under control, homeopathic medicines tend to fold, holistic healing or touching, all fold in real tests.

All this shows how gullible humans are, even in the 21st century. We want easy, simple answers and want to believe, not be skeptical.

 

[newguy1]

when determining wire gauge, you should know what you need for power to the speakers. If you are going to have under 100W then 16 gauge is sufficient.

 

[Rickster71]

Hi Niaspeed,
I noticed your from LBI, one other thing to consider, after you get your speaker wire.
With the ocean air there, consider this lubricant for all of your connections.
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=54&ObjectGroup_ID=177

 

[B3Nut]

when determining wire gauge, you should know what you need for power to the speakers. If you are going to have under 100W then 16 gauge is sufficient.

Actually, this is not really accurate. The power supplied or required isn't that important. What *is* important is that you have a sufficient gauge of wire for the length of cable you need to run given the loudspeaker's impedance. You generally do not want the total resistance of the length of wire to be more than 5% of the speaker's impedance. You can have a 20-watt amplifier and need 12-guage wire for a long run to minimize insertion loss. Conversely, you can have a 300-watt amplifier running an 8-ohm speaker 6 feet away, in which case 16-gauge would be perfectly acceptable.

Roger Russell has a handy table on his site here: http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

Mr. Russell's article is a must-read all the way around, IMHO.

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

 

[BMXTRIX]

Forgetting all the math... The general rule should be based upon your desire for audio quality and the amount of work you are putting in to installing the wires.

That is:
If you are running some speakers around your family room, not to big, pretty generic stuff, you are good with 16 gauge almost always.

If you are opting for nicer gear, and the runs may be a bit longer to the surround speakers, plan on using 14 gauge.

If you are going through the hassle and headache of running your wiring in the walls and you know you need nothing more than 16 gauge - then run 12 gauge anyway. You really have no idea what you will be doing with the cabling or your equipment several years from now, and you may end up with some 4ohm speakers with a high power amplifier and want the extra thickness in place.

What is left out of this? PRICE! The price doesn't matter - it's the cable itself. I have seen things on the cheap HD cables that have oxidized inside the cable, which is not something which I would consider to be a 'good' thing, and I wouldn't likely go that route. But, if you think you are going to use a couple hundred feet of cable, go ahead and pick some up and do some price shopping from different vendors.

In my experience (not opinion), Monster Cable CIPRO has been the easiest to work with and can be competitively priced in longer lengths. See the links that follow. This is not BETTER, it is just easier to work with when installing.

Some pricing...

12/2 Speaker Wire - 250 Feet
$155 - http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat_id=3104&sku=43132
$77 - http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=3844&seq=1&format=2

14/2 Speaker Wire - 250 Feet
$100 - http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat_id=3104&sku=43088
$57 - http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023902&p_id=2821&seq=1&format=2


16/2 Speaker Wire - 250 Feet
$90 - http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat_id=3104&sku=43083
$36 - http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023903&p_id=2824&seq=1&format=2

Comparison - Monster - 14/2 - 500 Feet
$103.00 - http://aol.pgpartner.com/user_sales_getprod.php?masterid=3699988&lot_id=7865810
This price is comparible to the Monoprice cable per foot. But, it's expensive if you don't need 500 feet.