How much should I spend on speaker cable

[steve_1979]

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner to this home cinema thing and would like some advice on how much should I spend on speaker cable and do I need to use banana plugs? I've just bought a Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speaker package and a Yamaha RXV365BL Receiver which will be conected to my computer via an optical S/PDIF cable.

The front and centre speakers will need about 3 meters each, one of the rear speakers needs about 5 meters and the other rear speaker needs about 10 metres. I am considering this Cambridge Audio Symphony 200 for £1.50 per meter. Is this any good? www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-cables/cambridge-audio/symphony-200/gale-symphony-200

 

[Alex2507]

I had trouble figuring out the gauge of the cable but had no trouble seeing the language describing a bullshit product. Award winning formula for copper structure giving great transparency ... blah, blah, blah.

The question belongs here and you don't need to ask it in two or three separate threads. Americans aren't likely to know what that funny L translates to in dollars ... just sayin'.

 

[3db]

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner to this home cinema thing and would like some advice on how much should I spend on speaker cable and do I need to use banana plugs? I've just bought a Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speaker package and a Yamaha RXV365BL Receiver which will be conected to my computer via an optical S/PDIF cable.

The front and centre speakers will need about 3 meters each, one of the rear speakers needs about 5 meters and the other rear speaker needs about 10 metres. I am considering this Cambridge Audio Symphony 200 for £1.50 per meter. Is this any good? www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-cables/cambridge-audio/symphony-200/gale-symphony-200

Just get generic 14 gauge wire a 50' roll of Philips brand at Wallyworld (Walmart) will be as much as you need. Don't get suckered into the BS myths that seem to propogate cables and speaker wire making a difference in sound. Bottom line.. they don't.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner to this home cinema thing and would like some advice on how much should I spend on speaker cable and do I need to use banana plugs? I've just bought a Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speaker package and a Yamaha RXV365BL Receiver which will be conected to my computer via an optical S/PDIF cable.

The front and centre speakers will need about 3 meters each, one of the rear speakers needs about 5 meters and the other rear speaker needs about 10 metres. I am considering this Cambridge Audio Symphony 200 for £1.50 per meter. Is this any good? www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-cables/cambridge-audio/symphony-200/gale-symphony-200

No, it isn't. Not for the price anyway. If all you want it for is to connect your speakers to your receiver, buy the cheapest you can find. If you're concerned about how it looks, well, the sky's the limit. Just don't believe any BS about superior performance coming at a premium price.

Oh, and you don't "need" banana plugs. You can just feed bare wire into the binding posts. If you move things around much, they can be convenient to use, as they are quick to insert and remove, as needed.

 

[Transmaniacon]

I would go for some 14AWG speaker wire from www.monoprice.com

They make quality products and do not charge an arm and a leg, you will be overpaying for cable at any brick and mortar store. You can grab for a 50' spool for $7 USD.

 

[markw]

Some locally procured, generic, 12 to 16 gauge cable will do you fine.

Like the others said, the point of diminishing returns for speaker cable is a lot lower that the ad copy would have you believe. Most of what you read is fell-good marketing BS with barely a toe dipped into real science.

 

[zhimbo]

and do I need to use banana plugs?
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In my experience with British speakers, the sockets for banana plugs are filled in (or absent), as banana plugs are (to some degree or other) prohibited in Europe due to their ability to be plugged into (many? most? all?) European wall sockets.

They're convenient. If you can use them, do so, but if you can't, no big deal.

I'm inferring a UK location due to my amazing powers of observation and deduction.

Good basic speaker wire of adequate gauge is all anyone needs. The wire you link to is about $2.30/meter, which isn't terribly expensive (but I'm sure there are better deals available), but I have no idea what gauge the wire is so I wouldn't buy it for that reason.

Oh, and the marketing languague is utter bollocks, too.

 

[tom67]

Home depot has bulk length on spools....I got 200 lf of 12 guage for about $50 two years ago....if I had it to do over again, I would use 14 as perfectly adequate and easier to thread through connectors and (and Bananas if you think you need those)... As for Banana plugs, I would use them if my gear was mounted so that it was difficult to access the back of the receiver, since you can operate by feel and avoid having to disturb or disassemble an entire setup in some cases....expensive wire is not money well spent.....just be very careful to make clean ends on the wire and thread carefully to make sure no stray filiments of the wire touch another terminal...

 

[Svea_Knight]

I 2nd to that.

I would go for some 14AWG speaker wire from monoprice

They make quality products and do not charge an arm and a leg, you will be overpaying for cable at any brick and mortar store. You can grab for a 50' spool for $7 USD.

Yes, I totally agree. 14 AWG should be fine just fine.
Do not buy overpriced brands that doesnt deserve your money.
Even some really high-end manufacturer like mcintosh ( sorry my spelling) will not go out and buy expensive brand name to run their equipment for demo.

 

[Cristofori]

steve_1979,

Speaker plugs are nice for ease of use in moving or swapping out different speakers, plus they will keep your wires from getting dirty or corroding as badly. Just make sure they are attached or soldiered correctly.

I concur with the rest here on the speaker cables. There is nothing wrong with buying expensive, well made cables if you like the looks, or prestige (like putting fancy chrome on an auto engine), but don't expect any noticeable sound improvement. Also, I'd avoid anything really heavily shielded.

Kimber Kable is a good choice if you choose to go the high-end route.

 

[Cristofori]

Do not buy overpriced brands that doesnt deserve your money.Even some really high-end manufacturer like mcintosh ( sorry my spelling) will not go out and buy expensive brand name to run their equipment for demo.

They probably don't have to. I'm sure there are plenty of cable manufacturers who will gladly "donate" their products to these companies to show off all their "sonic wonders".

Many of these companies are all in cahoots with each other. If this wasn't so, most speaker manufacturers wouldn't make Bi-wired capable speakers.

 

[moves]

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner to this home cinema thing and would like some advice on how much should I spend on speaker cable and do I need to use banana plugs? I've just bought a Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speaker package and a Yamaha RXV365BL Receiver which will be conected to my computer via an optical S/PDIF cable.

The front and centre speakers will need about 3 meters each, one of the rear speakers needs about 5 meters and the other rear speaker needs about 10 metres. I am considering this Cambridge Audio Symphony 200 for £1.50 per meter. Is this any good? www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-cables/cambridge-audio/symphony-200/gale-symphony-200

whatever cable you are going to get... just look that it is has an OFC spec on it. With this spec - it makes the cable a better conductor. If you could find silver wire then that is even a better conductor but it will be a little more expensive. I paid 4 bucks a foot for my Totem cable silver wire. Not cheap but it gives you a little piece of mind. I don't use bananas to my speakers because it introduces another connection point and it also introduces more error - meaning that bananas can fail by connectivity. I might add some bananas to my receiver end because it is a pain to connect... we will see.

good luck!

 

[mtrycrafts]

whatever cable you are going to get... just look that it is has an OFC spec on it. With this spec - it makes the cable a better conductor. If you could find silver wire then that is even a better conductor but it will be a little more expensive. I paid 4 bucks a foot for my Totem cable silver wire. Not cheap but it gives you a little piece of mind. I don't use bananas to my speakers because it introduces another connection point and it also introduces more error - meaning that bananas can fail by connectivity. I might add some bananas to my receiver end because it is a pain to connect... we will see.

good luck!

Well, that piece of mind is very little indeed, insignificant.

That banana doesn't introduce more errors. Not sure where you latched onto that idea.

 

[moves]

Well, that piece of mind is very little indeed, insignificant.

That banana doesn't introduce more errors. Not sure where you latched onto that idea.

huh? bananas introduce another link point where signal could be lost or if the bananas become lose, signal could be lost. Instead of being a smart ***... what's your insight on this one Sherlock?

 

[Alex2507]

Instead of being a smart ***... what's your insight on this one Sherlock?

lemon entry my dear watson, lemon entry

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/exoticmaterials.htm

 

[highfigh]

whatever cable you are going to get... just look that it is has an OFC spec on it. With this spec - it makes the cable a better conductor. If you could find silver wire then that is even a better conductor but it will be a little more expensive. I paid 4 bucks a foot for my Totem cable silver wire. Not cheap but it gives you a little piece of mind. I don't use bananas to my speakers because it introduces another connection point and it also introduces more error - meaning that bananas can fail by connectivity. I might add some bananas to my receiver end because it is a pain to connect... we will see.

good luck!

FYI- banana plugs were first used on electrical connections in laboratories because it made connecting/disconnecting easier. If a lab has verified that the loss is insignificant for their uses, it should be OK for audio, which is usually higher voltage and current that what a lot of lab work uses. In theory, yes, it's another connection point but if the connection is tight and the conductors are clean, it's not going to cost enough to matter. Calling people 'smart ***' isn't going to win you any friends, either. This crap has been hashed and re-hashed to death- here and on every audio forum that has ever existed. It's not going to result in complete consensus anyway, so don't get all bunched up over it.

Even OFC doesn't matter. We're not dealing with microvolts here, it's analog signals from am amplifier to a speaker. It's not rocket surgery.

 

[Rickster71]

whatever cable you are going to get... just look that it is has an OFC spec on it. With this spec - it makes the cable a better conductor. If you could find silver wire then that is even a better conductor but it will be a little more expensive. I paid 4 bucks a foot for my Totem cable silver wire. Not cheap but it gives you a little piece of mind. I don't use bananas to my speakers because it introduces another connection point and it also introduces more error - meaning that bananas can fail by connectivity. I might add some bananas to my receiver end because it is a pain to connect... we will see.
good luck!

I see you have 50 posts, so welcome to Audioholics, and please take the replies in this thread as a learning experience, and not as being ganged up on.

I understand where you're going with this, and yes, technically silver is a better conductor.

I must say that in actual practice, when it's high cost is considered, the benefits of silver speaker wire doesn't really pan out.
If there really was a benefit, the utilities companies would use it to offset their massive power transmission costs. Instead, they use the less conductive aluminum in (most, not all) of their delivery process.
The answer is to use the next size larger copper wire, at a fraction of the cost of silver.
In regards to banana plugs, don't worry about too many connection points. Simply use an Anti-oxidant like this: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=341-200

 

[moves]

I see you have 50 posts, so welcome to Audioholics, and please take the replies in this thread as a learning experience, and not as being ganged up on.

I understand where you're going with this, and yes, technically silver is a better conductor.

I must say that in actual practice, when it's high cost is considered, the benefits of silver speaker wire doesn't really pan out.
If there really was a benefit, the utilities companies would use it to offset their massive power transmission costs. Instead, they use the less conductive aluminum in (most, not all) of their delivery process.
The answer is to use the next size larger copper wire, at a fraction of the cost of silver.
In regards to banana plugs, don't worry about too many connection points. Simply use an Anti-oxidant like this: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=341-200

hm interesting thanks for the tip!

 

[haraldo]

Check the Belden or Canare Speaker cables from:
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm
I believe even recording studios use these Belden products.....

And the locking banana plugs is a genuine bargain, very high quality at a very low price.
And they even look expensive

Buy bulk cable, cut cables yourself and use the locking banana plugs. If you buy heat shrink tubes and a heating-gun you can even make them look like professionally made cables... yourself.