Good quality speaker cable Recommendation?

[MrHand08]

I'm in the process of setting up a 2 channel system and had a question about speaker cable. I wanted some good quality 12 gauge cable without breaking the bank. I have about a 20 foot run from my receiver to the furtherest speaker. I am going to run a pair of Ascend Sierra-1's and an Outlaw RR2150 receiver. So far I've looked at bettercables.com, realitycables.com, blue jeans cable, and ultralink matrix-2 cable. I've heard some good things about each, but the bettercables and realitycables are a little pricey at the moment.

Can anyone give me some recommendations?

Also which do most prefer, banana plugs or spade connectors?

Thanks!
MrHand

 

[j_garcia]

You don't need to break your bank at all. You likely don't even need 12AWG wire; 14 will be more than sufficient. I personally prefer locking bananas.

Also see here:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50399

 

[Midcow2]

Use monprice or bluejeans cables. Monoprice is less expensive. 14 gauge is adequate, some people prefer 12 gauge (larger).

Banana plugs are easy secure connections, and disconnect/reconnect and will work with almost all speakers and receivers. Spade connections are harder to keep tight and connect and I usually don't use.

Monoprice banana plug:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10401&cs_id=1040115&p_id=2801&seq=1&format=2

monoprice cable:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2789&seq=1&format=2

blue jeans web site:
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/

Good Luck!

MidCow2

 

[borrego]

If you check the Blue Jeans site it instructs how to attach the banana plugs if you care to go that route. It makes it easier to connect to a receiver and also is very secure. I bought the 12 gauge from Blue Jeans and connected the banana plugs myself in about 30 minutes and it is a very professional looking connection.

 

[abjonesiii]

monoprice 14 awg

 

[cl35m]

If you like your music loud and boomy then go with stranded wire. If you like precision, detail, clarity and definition then go with solid core single strand wire like romex electrical or anti-cables.

I use nothing but 10 ga romex that's very hard to work with but sounds incredible. I have some anti-cables on the way to demo.

 

[Loren42]

Here we go again.

http://consumerist.com/362926/do-coat-hangers-sound-as-good-monster-cables

The blind test result was no one could tell the difference between coat hangers and Monster Cable wire.

I use 12 or 14-gauge brown zip cord available at Lowe's or Home Depot.

Save your money for buying music.

I'm in the process of setting up a 2 channel system and had a question about speaker cable. I wanted some good quality 12 gauge cable without breaking the bank. I have about a 20 foot run from my receiver to the furtherest speaker. I am going to run a pair of Ascend Sierra-1's and an Outlaw RR2150 receiver. So far I've looked at bettercables.com, realitycables.com, blue jeans cable, and ultralink matrix-2 cable. I've heard some good things about each, but the bettercables and realitycables are a little pricey at the moment.

Can anyone give me some recommendations?

Also which do most prefer, banana plugs or spade connectors?

Thanks!
MrHand

 

[Alex2507]

If you like your music loud and boomy then go with stranded wire. If you like precision, detail, clarity and definition then go with solid core single strand wire like romex electrical or anti-cables.

I use nothing but 10 ga romex that's very hard to work with but sounds incredible. I have some anti-cables on the way to demo.

No offense cl35m but I just have to ask why that is.
Looks like you and the OP both joined in May. Since then there have been a few threads on this.

 

[cl35m]

No offense cl35m but I just have to ask why that is.
Looks like you and the OP both joined in May. Since then there have been a few threads on this.

I base it on personal experience and personal testing. I used 10 ga stranded on the left speaker and 10 ga romex on the right. Initially the stranded sounded much better because it was louder. Then when I closely compared the 2, I could pick out so much more clarity, detail and definition on the solid core romex that I knew it was the right sound and wire for me.

 

[Alex2507]

I base it on personal experience and personal testing. I used 10 ga stranded on the left speaker and 10 ga romex on the right. Initially the stranded sounded much better because it was louder. Then when I closely compared the 2, I could pick out so much more clarity, detail and definition on the solid core romex that I knew it was the right sound and wire for me.

That doesn't sound like a fair test with the speakers being in different positions in the room playing different channels not to mention that you knew which cable was hooked to which speaker. There has been a lot of stuff on here recently about ABX testing. It's pretty good reading if you're interested.

 

[bandphan]

That doesn't sound like a fair test with the speakers being in different positions in the room playing different channels not to mention that you knew which cable was hooked to which speaker. There has been a lot of stuff on here recently about ABX testing. It's pretty good reading if you're interested.

come on monkey, play ball

looks like, smells like, is

 

[Alex2507]

come on monkey, play ball

looks like, smells like, is

I didn't want to be rude.

This site has so much good info on the topic that it's easy enough to direct people it.

I think it's cool to mercilessly ridicule products that make BS claims. Members should get the benefit of the doubt. It's easier to bring somebody around if you don't insult them and that makes the site better. People here were nice enough to me early on but I was simply uninformed as opposed to misinformed.

If it was easy, girls would be doing it.


J/K

 

[j_garcia]

I base it on personal experience and personal testing. I used 10 ga stranded on the left speaker and 10 ga romex on the right. Initially the stranded sounded much better because it was louder. Then when I closely compared the 2, I could pick out so much more clarity, detail and definition on the solid core romex that I knew it was the right sound and wire for me.

I am not a anti-wire nazi, in fact quite the contrary, but I have done my own testing and found that there is so little difference in wire that it does not make any appreciable difference in the sound.

Speaker wire is NOT where one should be looking to make a REAL impact in the way your system sounds. It just isn't going to happen. The only time you will hear a significant improvement with wire is if you were previously using too small of an AWG for the length and load.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Big speaker wire is cool.....

 

[irishtom]

Funny how the guys that invented hi-fi----Wente, Thuras, Hilliard, Fletcher, Lansing, Voight and Olson for instance---the guys that actually INVENTED loudspeakers, mics, amps----didn't think wires made a difference as long as they were of proper electrical characteristics to do a given job. One would think that the men capable of inventing the condensor microphone and streophonic recording would've notice IF something as simple as speaker wires made such a difference.

The giants didn't catch it but the midgets did? Nah, I don't think so.

Of course one recognizes than an improper wire can effect the sound.

 

[mtrycrafts]

If you like your music loud and boomy then go with stranded wire. If you like precision, detail, clarity and definition then go with solid core single strand wire like romex electrical or anti-cables.
.

I would be interested in a solid, scientific explanation why this would be the case. Perhaps you have some links to credible sources?

 

[highfigh]

Funny how the guys that invented hi-fi----Wente, Thuras, Hilliard, Fletcher, Lansing, Voight and Olson for instance---the guys that actually INVENTED loudspeakers, mics, amps----didn't think wires made a difference as long as they were of proper electrical characteristics to do a given job. One would think that the men capable of inventing the condensor microphone and streophonic recording would've notice IF something as simple as speaker wires made such a difference.

The giants didn't catch it but the midgets did? Nah, I don't think so.

Of course one recognizes than an improper wire can effect the sound.

Commercial and pro audio use cabling, based on specs. Period. They may use a name brand but it's because it fits the budget and meets the system design criteria. They don't buy based on hype, they buy based on results. They do not use the ultra high priced cables with all kinds of cool stories, spiffs and giveaways. Engineers design many of these systems and as I said, they choose equipment, parts and supplies because they spec out, don't screw up at the worst possible time and don't kill the budget.

I have never seen a single live audio stage, house of worship, recording studio, high end stereo store, home system or anything else that used Romex for speaker wire. There must be a reason for this.

cl35m- if you like the way it sounds, keep using it. The only thing I have heard of that would seem similar is Sound Pipes and I don't think I have heard anything about that in at least 20 years.

 

[ChrisAlbertson]

Commercial and pro audio use cabling, based on specs. Period. They may use a name brand but it's because it fits the budget and meets the system design criteria. They don't buy based on hype, they buy based on results. They do not use the ultra high priced cables with all kinds of cool stories, spiffs and giveaways. Engineers design many of these systems and as I said, they choose equipment, parts and supplies because they spec out, don't screw up at the worst possible time and don't kill the budget.

I have never seen a single live audio stage, house of worship, recording studio, high end stereo store, home system or anything else that used Romex for speaker wire. There must be a reason for this.

cl35m- if you like the way it sounds, keep using it. The only thing I have heard of that would seem similar is Sound Pipes and I don't think I have heard anything about that in at least 20 years.

Sure there is a reason. Romex is stiff. It gets stiffer if it's handled. Romex is only good in installations where it is prevented from moving such as by being secured in a wall every 16 inches. And then you need the final few feet from the romex to the amp or speaker to be done with flexible wire.
Also you can't really "pull" romex.



The cheapest source of wire is to buy an extention cord and cut the ends off. For some reason it is cheaper to do that than to buy wire off a spool at Home Depot.

OK now how to use the stuff. bi-wire it. Run four conducters of cheap Home Depot wire and you are "as good as it gets".

 

[highfigh]

Sure there is a reason. Romex is stiff. It gets stiffer if it's handled. Romex is only good in installations where it is prevented from moving such as by being secured in a wall every 16 inches. And then you need the final few feet from the romex to the amp or speaker to be done with flexible wire.
Also you can't really "pull" romex.



The cheapest source of wire is to buy an extention cord and cut the ends off. For some reason it is cheaper to do that than to buy wire off a spool at Home Depot.

OK now how to use the stuff. bi-wire it. Run four conducters of cheap Home Depot wire and you are "as good as it gets".

Were you replying to someone else?

 

[cutter]

I didn't want to be rude.


If it was easy, girls would be doing it.


J/K

Yup-- we girls only do things that are easy...
Oh wait, now I remember... I'm CHEAP, but NOT easy! oops, wrong use of easy... this is so confusing for my estrogen-soaked brain...I think I'm going to cry now...