Simple, What is good Speaker Cable

[albasbal]

I am cunfused over what makes a good quality speaker cable for a hi-end system. Is Monter Cable really over the top or simple 12 gage from a home improvement store just as good?

 

[t3031999]

There have been numerous threads on this already.
Monster cable is way overpriced.
Simple 12 gauge cable works just fine, just make sure it's fairly close to pure oxygen-free copper.

 

[j_garcia]

For most installs, you only need 14ga. 12 is already overkill in most cases.

 

[ducker]

the wonderfully, boring grey 14ga cable at home depot will do the job just fine

I few a few banaclips on a few of the wire runs to make it easier to connect/disconnect.

 

[jaxvon]

A good speaker cable should have low resistance, low capacitance, and low inductance. It should also be high purity and have quality insulation to prevent oxidation of the conductors. Lastly, in the interest of ease-of-use, it should be flexible (which means a high strand count).

 

[edwelly]

A lot of people here get Beldon brand cable from http://www.westlake-electronic.com/

Another good source for speaker cable is www.partexpress.com

I have bought from both companies and have been pleased with both...

 

[Hi Ho]

I use standard 14g zip cord (lamp wire) with no problems at all. I would never pay for "premium" speaker cables. They are just for looks as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ruadmaa]

Oxygen Free???

There have been numerous threads on this already.
Monster cable is way overpriced.
Simple 12 gauge cable works just fine, just make sure it's fairly close to pure oxygen-free copper.

Oxygen free has absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the conductivity of a copper cable. Any 12 guage cable will work equally fine. Oxygen free is merely a piece of selling hype to charge more for cable.

 

[mulester7]

Oxygen free has absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the conductivity of a copper cable. Any 12 guage cable will work equally fine. Oxygen free is merely a piece of selling hype to charge more for cable.

.....I've heard oxygen-free had something to do with tarnishing and corrosion, rather lack of....anything to this?.....

 

[mtrycrafts]

.....I've heard oxygen-free had something to do with tarnishing and corrosion, rather lack of....anything to this?.....

Well, since you asked
From Wire, Cable, and Fiber Optics for Video & Audio Engineers by Stephen H. Lampen of Belden:

"OFC is copper that has been annealed in non-oxygen atmosphere to prevent oxygen from rebinding with the copper and allow oxidation."

 

[mtrycrafts]

Oxygen free has absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with the conductivity of a copper cable. Any 12 guage cable will work equally fine. Oxygen free is merely a piece of selling hype to charge more for cable.

Not totally correct.

From the same reference I quoted for mulster, same page, further down the paragraph:

"A purer form of copper will be a slightly better conductor and, at very high frequencies, the skin effect will be slightly lessened."

How much less is the issue and its benefit at audio frequency. I would not worry about that slight difference as it would be way out on the right of the decimal point

 

[mtrycrafts]

I am cunfused over what makes a good quality speaker cable for a hi-end system. Is Monter Cable really over the top or simple 12 gage from a home improvement store just as good?

As you have seen there is not much to a good cable. Monster is fine, just too expensive and the marketing principles are horrendous.

So, depending on distance, 14ga and even 16ga would be fine from an inexpensive source. Should not have to pay over $.30/ft.