You know what's bull%$^?

[Shock]

Speaker Cable.....speaker cable is Bullshit​

Why the heck are we still using your typical 2 wire cable? I mean it's ugly, and is frustrating to attach if you're using it in it's raw unterminated form.

This is the best we can come up with for speakers and receivers? Why is it the cheapest piece of crap HTIAB system has your standard RCA connectors on the back of their speakers and receivers, and I still have to use ugly *** speaker cable?

Why can't all speakers use a standard RCA connector to connect it to a receiver? Is there some sort of technical limitation I'm missing?(good possibility) Can RCA simply not transfer enough power? If it can't why don't they develop something that can?

Pretty much every RCA cable I own looks a million times better than regular speaker cable. Why haven't these companies come to their senses and developed speakers and receiver with a more convenient connection? Am I to understand that your typical speaker cable is the only good way to connect speakers to a receiver? The companies behind HDMI realized that they needed a new connector that was convenient and they pushed HDMI and now nearly everything uses it.

Even banana connections can be annoying. The 5 way binding post is the best we can come up with? A crappy banana plug that either requires a ridiculous amount of effort to get in, or falls out with little to no effort.

This is what I want, I want a single cable to connect my speakers to a receiver. I do not want to pay out the *** to have cables made that look good. I do not want to have to use my own time (very expensive ) to make my cables look nice. I want pre-terminated cables that don't look like something a prostitute would wear. This doesn't have to be a RCA connector, just give me something that is easy to attach and doesn't come out. Is this too much to ask?

Am I the only one who thinks speaker cable is bullshit?

 

[mazersteven]

I hope this makes you feel better.

 

[Nemo128]

Why the heck are we still using your typical 2 wire cable? I mean it's ugly, and is frustrating to attach if you're using it in it's raw unterminated form.

This is the best we can come up with for speakers and receivers? Why is it the cheapest piece of crap HTIAB system has your standard RCA connectors on the back of their speakers and receivers, and I still have to use ugly *** speaker cable?​

I think it's because speaker wiring is almost always better accomplished in custom lengths. Having a fixed length cable with an RCA termination wouldn't give customers that flexibility. Components are usually placed together, but speakers can be all over the place.

My other thought is, who sees the speaker wires? The terminations on the equipment are unseen, and sometimes you see the terminations on the speakers but does it happen that often?

Just my thoughts. I personally never had a problem with bare or banana. Spades on the other hand...​

 

[gmichael]

I like my speaker wires the way I like my women.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Does this "grind your gears"?

 

[droht]

I like my speaker wires the way I like my women.

fat & bare?

 

[droht]

I like my speaker wires the way I like my women.

not with banana connectors I hope...

 

[gmichael]

fat & bare?

Yup. Well, except for the fat part.

 

[mazersteven]

fat & bare?

"Stripped and Bald" is my preference.

 

[gmichael]

"Stripped and Bald" is my preference.

Don't you mean shaved or waxed?

 

[j_garcia]

And spread all over the floor...

 

[aberkowitz]

I like my speaker wires the way I like my women.

Tall, dark and handsome?

 

[gmichael]

Tall, dark and handsome?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but no.

Short, bare on the end, and yeah, spread all over the floor is good too.

 

[mazersteven]

Don't you mean shaved or waxed?

I'm talking about speaker wire. What do you think I'm talking about you sick individual?

 

[j_garcia]

I'm talking about speaker wire. What do you think I'm talking about you sick individual?

Yeah, I remember her...still as creepy now as she was then.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I agree, I think standard speaker wire is &^*% too.

Speaker wire is cheap, does the job, and it isn't a sales point so they don't spend money on it.

But, I don't mind spending some extra initial effort to get around it. Here is what I can think I've learned:

First, don't buy the clear speaker cable. I buy white two pair double shielded (that means there are four wires, each has its own shielding and then there is a big shielding across the bulk of it) cable by the spool, and then just terminate it as needed. The white cable looks clean, and then I shrink wrap the ends. I started buying two pair twisted when dipoles got popular for the rears, and I've just used it ever since. Always nice to have an extra pair run anyways, especially through the wall. With the new extra channels coming out now, having an extra pair in your speaker wire isn't a bad bet.

If I have to use stranded ends I typically twist the ends of the cable and then put a bit of solder on them. This keeps them from fraying while pressing them in. Sounds like a lot of work, but, you heat the iron up once and just use it as you go - It's quicker than messing around with fraying ends anyways.

That said, only my rear speakers use speaker wire anymore. The rest are all Nuetrik (Speakon), which you might like better.... They are inserted and then twisted to lock. To release, you press the slide forward and then twist and pull them out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakon_connector

For a hobbyist, this is a bad idea, but for a living room or more perminant/less-messed-with installation, I always say run wire through the wall if possible and then have termination points roughly in front of the speakers. Speaker wire looks like crap on the ground.

If you have to run them on the ground, buy some of the two pair wire I talked about earlier, which is nice and thick, then get some Tech-Flex to pull across the wire, terminate how you want, and then put heat shrink over the ends. Now you have expensive looking cable for cheap.
http://www.techflex.com/

Another nice touch is too buy some small heat shrink in red and black, then cut a short bit off, and use the red and black to lable positive and negative on your cables.

 

[NicolasKL]

I hear white speaker cable sounds better than black speaker cable. I can't remember which exotic speaker cable purveyor's website I read that on though.

 

[mazersteven]

I hear white speaker cable sounds better than black speaker cable. I can't remember which exotic speaker cable purveyor's website I read that on though.

I can see now why you have so many red chicklets.

 

[highfigh]

Speaker Cable.....speaker cable is Bullshit​

Why the heck are we still using your typical 2 wire cable? I mean it's ugly, and is frustrating to attach if you're using it in it's raw unterminated form.

This is the best we can come up with for speakers and receivers? Why is it the cheapest piece of crap HTIAB system has your standard RCA connectors on the back of their speakers and receivers, and I still have to use ugly *** speaker cable?

Why can't all speakers use a standard RCA connector to connect it to a receiver? Is there some sort of technical limitation I'm missing?(good possibility) Can RCA simply not transfer enough power? If it can't why don't they develop something that can?

Pretty much every RCA cable I own looks a million times better than regular speaker cable. Why haven't these companies come to their senses and developed speakers and receiver with a more convenient connection? Am I to understand that your typical speaker cable is the only good way to connect speakers to a receiver? The companies behind HDMI realized that they needed a new connector that was convenient and they pushed HDMI and now nearly everything uses it.

Even banana connections can be annoying. The 5 way binding post is the best we can come up with? A crappy banana plug that either requires a ridiculous amount of effort to get in, or falls out with little to no effort.

This is what I want, I want a single cable to connect my speakers to a receiver. I do not want to pay out the *** to have cables made that look good. I do not want to have to use my own time (very expensive ) to make my cables look nice. I want pre-terminated cables that don't look like something a prostitute would wear. This doesn't have to be a RCA connector, just give me something that is easy to attach and doesn't come out. Is this too much to ask?

Am I the only one who thinks speaker cable is bullshit?

If you're annoyed by speaker cable- I want to give you a little unsolicited career advice- don't ever apply for a job as a low voltage installer. You would absolutely hate that job.

How would you recommend repairing a bad RCA plug if it's already on the wire?
How would you field-terminate the wire, if needed? Would you rather buy wires that are too long or buy it in bulk, so it can be cut for the application?

Heavy cables don't work well with RCA plugs.

 

[njedpx3]

Now you know why companies like "Pear Cables" were formed

It's all in the marketing and packaging !

Peace and Serenity,

Forest Man