16 gauge vs. 12 gauge

[dloweman]

I am currently running 16 gauge wire from my receiver to all my speakers, and my fronts are biwired. I was just wondering if it is worth it for me to go out and buy some 12 gauge or less wiring. Will I be able to hear the difference, or will my 16 gauge do just fine? I have a yamaha receiver with paradigm monitor 7's, cc370, and titans for surrounds. Thanks for any input.

 

[Takeereasy]

How long is the wire run from the receiver to the speakers? That is what the main consideration is when determining whether or not you need to step up the ga. of the wire. If you are doing a very short run then 16 ga. is fine. If you start to go over say 15' to get to a speaker you may want to think about 14 or 12 ga. You can get pretty good cable from westlake, home depot, or sound king that will do the trick and won't break the bank. For short runs you will not notice any difference at all between 16 and 12 ga. wire.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

16 guage is fine, they dont have as much recoil and the shells cost more than 12 guage but it will take most birds and small game just fine. Oh wait you were asking about wire,. NEVER MIND

 

[Privateer]

How long is the wire run from the receiver to the speakers?

I second this question.

 

[dloweman]

My cables from my receiver to my fronts is about 8 ft, and the same for center, but for my rears it is roughly 20-25 ft.

 

[j_garcia]

This is what you need to know:

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

According to that, your 16ga should be fine. I'm using a 20' and 30' run of 16ga for my surrounds without issue.

If you noticed highs being rolled off a bit, or the speakers sounding a bit thin, then I'd say you'd be better off with at least 14. I use 14ga for my mains.