help me decide: 10AWG or 12AWG

[copmagnet82]

I need to place my speaker wire order Monday. I need to decide if I should order 10AWG or 12AWG speaker wire. I read the articles, looked at the tables and graphs, and still can't make a decision.

- speaker impedance: 4ohm
- cable runs: 38ft, 15ft, and 5ft

thanks

 

[crossedover]

14/4 for 38' ... 14/4 for 15' and you can use the same for the shortest 5'

 

[Adam]

The site that I use is this one, and you may have already seen it.

IMO, 12AWG will be fine for even your longest runs. It's easier to work with (easier to bend and easier to connect), less expensive, and shouldn't add any audible degradation to the signal.

My guess is that the longest run is to surround speakers, the second longest is to your front left/right, and the shortest is to a center channel. For the shorter runs, you could go even thinner, but I like 12AWG for the front speakers because I like the look - not because I need it. For surround speakers, you could almost surely live with a smaller gauge because any audible effects do to speaker wire resistance would be harder to detect in the surround sound material.

Are you running any of this in a wall and using wall plates?

 

[copmagnet82]

I don't really see a point of running a 4 conductor wire, when you can get the same effective gauge with a 2 conductor wire.

 

[Steve81]

I don't really see a point of running a 4 conductor wire, when you can get the same effective gauge with a 2 conductor wire.

With the cables offered over at Blue Jeans Cable, I will say I do prefer their 4 conductor Canare 4S11 (14/4) over their standard 12AWG wire as it's more flexible and lays more naturally. On the downside, it's a bit thick.

 

[copmagnet82]

The site that I use is this one, and you may have already seen it.

IMO, 12AWG will be fine for even your longest runs. It's easier to work with (easier to bend and easier to connect), less expensive, and shouldn't add any audible degradation to the signal.

My guess is that the longest run is to surround speakers, the second longest is to your front left/right, and the shortest is to a center channel. For the shorter runs, you could go even thinner, but I like 12AWG for the front speakers because I like the look - not because I need it. For surround speakers, you could almost surely live with a smaller gauge because any audible effects do to speaker wire resistance would be harder to detect in the surround sound material.

Are you running any of this in a wall and using wall plates?

Yes, I've read this whole article 2 or 3 times by now and according to the table in this particular article, 12AWG will work without any problems. I've also read gene's article and according to his table 10AWG would be a better choice for my longest run. That's why I can't decide.

This HT setup will also occasionally be used for extended periods of time in a 5ch stereo mode, so I thought, it would be better to use a 10AWG, as the amp won't have to be working against the resistance imposed by the wire over an extended period of time (correct me if I'm wrong).

...and lastly, I won't be using wall plates, but surrounds' wire will be run inside the wall/baseboard.

 

[crossedover]

I don't really see a point of running a 4 conductor wire, when you can get the same effective gauge with a 2 conductor wire.

14/4 means less and easier pulls if your running thru walls. Just wanted to save you some time and trouble, as each conductor is 14 gauge, so your not combining them.

 

[copmagnet82]

14/4 means less and easier pulls if your running thru walls. Just wanted to save you some time and trouble, as each conductor is 14 gauge, so your not combing them.

gotcha ...well, thank you, sir ...but then I'd think it'd be annoying to terminate those and make it look clean

 

[Adam]

...and lastly, I won't be using wall plates, but surrounds' wire will be run inside the wall/baseboard.

Cool, so you don't need to try and account for the resistance in those connections (which, honestly, I ignore ). Be sure to get cables rated for in-wall use, or check your building codes before buying something else.

I run 12AWG to my front three speakers, and 16AWG to my four rear speakers. My speakers are 8-Ohm nominal, though, so the thinner wire for the surrounds fits into that table that I linked.

 

[Rickster71]

Check to see what the difference in price for 12AWG vs 10AWG is.
If it isn't an issue for you, get the 10AWG.
It could future proof your system if you happen to add more power hungry or inefficient speakers later.
If you're getting a finished cable with ends and wire pants for the fronts, and the cables are visible;
you might was to get a thicker and more fancy cable, as Adam mentioned. Strictly for the look.

 

[copmagnet82]

Check to see what the difference in price for 12AWG vs 10AWG is.
If it isn't an issue for you, get the 10AWG.
It could future proof your system if you happen to add more power hungry or inefficient speakers later.
If you're getting a finished cable with ends and wire pants for the fronts, and the cables are visible;
you might was to get a thicker and more fancy cable, as Adam mentioned. Strictly for the look.

Price difference between the two is 20% so, it's not that significant, especially that, like you said, it'd future proof the system, so it's a small price to pay IMHO.
I'm getting unterminated wire; I'll do the finishing touches myself, and only the fronts will be visible, the rest will be hidden.
I also agree that for the fronts at this point 10AWG would be for looks, as for a 15ft run it is a slight overkill .

 

[j_garcia]

12AWG is likely already overkill, so 10AWG definitely is for a 38ft run. There are VERY few speakers out there that would require 10AWG.

Speaker Wire

 

[copmagnet82]

I saw this table, but if you look at gene's article, Speaker Cable Gauge (AWG) Guidelines & Recommendations | Audioholics, he recommends going with a 10AWG for longer runs. That's why I'm not sure what to get. As you said, the speakers may not need it, but I figured it would make it easier for the amp.

 

[j_garcia]

The amp doesn't care, it is the speakers that will have the issue if the AWG is too small, per that article. Realistically, it shouldn't damage anything, but the sound will be affected:

What happens when the resistance gets too high? First, there is power lost in the wire and the speaker will not play as loud. More important, as the resistance in series with the speaker increases, it makes the amplifier look more like a current source. This means the speaker frequency response will tend to follow the rise and fall of its impedance curve. The greater the impedance variation, the more noticeable the response changes will be. If the speaker has constant impedance versus frequency, the only change will be reduced output.

 

[gene]

I am a bit more conservative than Roger Russell. I like to error on the side of caution. Use 14/4 if you can as others have suggested here as well. It's close to 10AWG resistance while its also easier to terminate.

 

[copmagnet82]

The amp doesn't care, it is the speakers that will have the issue if the AWG is too small, per that article. Realistically, it shouldn't damage anything, but the sound will be affected:

Well, it's not like either the amp or the speakers will care. As you said the speakers will have "the issue" as a result of too much resistance, but in reality, it's really an entire system issue (amp+wire+speaker). The idea is to have as little resistance as possible within the system, so it can function efficiently.

Either way, no matter if 10, 12 or 4/14AWG is used, it essentially comes down to the cost of the wire, because all of those options will work.

 

[crossedover]

Either way, no matter if 10, 12 or 4/14AWG is used, it essentially comes down to the cost of the wire, because all of those options will work.

Monoprice 100' 14/4 $41.06
Monoprice 250' 12 $81.41
Monoprice doesnt make 10awg inwall rated speaker wire and it would be extreme overkill