Joining cable for rears.

[PHYSTRAINER]

Hi all, have just purchased two 10m rolls of esoteric audio usa cable and really needed one of them to be 12m long but thats all i could get in the 12 awg stuff.
Question is can i join the wires with the left over from one side to make it long enough or do i gotta buy another length of cable?(this was on sellout special)
Oh and if yes, what is the best way of doing it?

 

[Johnd]

I'd buy another length, unless you're talking some pretty low end equipment. In which case you could solder it and put shrink wrap over it, but it will still be prone to oxidization.

 

[PHYSTRAINER]

Nah i would not say low end gear that's for sure, Will 16awg wire be ok for rear towers? of should i stay with 12awg?

 

[Johnd]

You haven't mentioned the equipment you have, so it's difficult to be precise with specifics. Good speaker wire lasts a lifetime (or nearly), so I guess, for the $0.05 - $0.10 per foot difference, what's the big deal? 16 gauge is usually ample for surrounds, but I've just always liked 12 gauge (and 10) for speaker wire (other than for my backs). If it's a "sellout special" and good wire (at a good price), why not splurge? I'm assuming you're paying less than $0.50'? Cheers.

 

[PHYSTRAINER]

Ok then here we go.
Fronts = Wharfedale Diamond 9.6's
Rears = Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's
Pioneer VSX 1015S

Cables are on rolls only and can get Ulta Flex, 520 Strand, 12AWG, 5 Grp Perfect Windings, Black
09235 30FT rolls
or
Ulta Flex, 52 Strand, 16AWG, Low profile Design, Black
09021 60FT rols
09011 30FT rolls
aswell as interconnects etc for great prices.Hence the problem i have either join better wire which i am against or go for a smaller guage and not join. I can go and buy single lengths of basic cable from anywhere but i think this is quite alot better quality.

 

[mtrycrafts]

In which case you could solder it and put shrink wrap over it, but it will still be prone to oxidization.

How will that affect the signal?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Nah i would not say low end gear that's for sure, Will 16awg wire be ok for rear towers? of should i stay with 12awg?

You have these cables, why not just join them and solder the joints and shrink wrap them as suggested.

 

[Johnd]

How will that affect the signal?

mtry...you're being facetious, right. Oxidation literally corrodes away copper. Now, that may take a year or two, (but it could happen literally in months in a high moisture environment). Either way, I don't want to be doing semi-annual maintenance on my speaker wire splices. Since we don't want to waste 40% of each roll, yes, I would agree with mtrycraft's subscription of soldering and wrapping.

 

[Electone]

Go ahead and splice them. Tin the ends and use butt-end connectors, then shrink wrap, or use good quality electrical tape. We used to do this all the time in car audio installations (which are much more prone to humidity and temperature fluctuations than home installations) and very rarely did we see cars come back with corroded speaker wire connections.

 

[mtrycrafts]

mtry...you're being facetious, right. Oxidation literally corrodes away copper. Now, that may take a year or two, (but it could happen literally in months in a high moisture environment). .

Well, corrosion is a surface condition, right? The current and signal are inside the wire, not through the corrosion, unless the corrosion is between transfer points and the resistance is increased as in a speaker/amp connection. With the splice soldered, I don't see how it would corrode inside the solder where the current is running. So, I don't see it as an issue of conduction in the splice. But, I can still learn new stuff

 

[Johnd]

Well, corrosion is a surface condition, right? The current and signal are inside the wire, not through the corrosion, unless the corrosion is between transfer points and the resistance is increased as in a speaker/amp connection. With the splice soldered, I don't see how it would corrode inside the solder where the current is running. So, I don't see it as an issue of conduction in the splice. But, I can still learn new stuff

Yes, well, kind of. Corrosion begins on the surface. If you ever worked with sheet or wire copper and water (or acid), what begins on the surface, continues to erode the subsurface, and eventually the core. Now, the speed with which a solid wire 12 awg corrodes will be far slower than that of 280 strand 12 awg speaker wire. 280 strand awg can actually erode quite quickly. Enough of Mr. Science.

I think we both agree on the premise, and even with the solution that phystrainer can solder and wrap a splice. I just wouldn't do it on my system (unless it was a cheapy); I would purchase correct lengths of speaker wire, or long lengths and cut as appropriate. Cheers.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I think we both agree on the premise, and even with the solution that phystrainer can solder and wrap a splice. I just wouldn't do it on my system (unless it was a cheapy); I would purchase correct lengths of speaker wire, or long lengths and cut as appropriate. Cheers.

Well, preplanning should be the first item of business; many seem to forget and rather remodel after the fact

 

[PHYSTRAINER]

Ok solved now, have brought some 16awg stuff for the rears that is plenty long enough and used the one roll for bi amping my fronts as the length was perfect. Now i gotta me one of these subs you guy's are all talking up that play down to 20 htz ,shame they cost so much to import and our dollar ain't very strong right now ........oh well more time to save.
Thanks for all the reply's, guess i really knew the right answer but hey never hurts to ask.

 

[mtrycrafts]

, guess i really knew the right answer but hey never hurts to ask.

Precisely

Never hurts, for long anyhow.