speaker wire and sound quality

[EddieG]

How much of a noticeable difference in sound quality between the "good" speaker cables (like the ones that have plugs) vs. the lesser expensive Radio Shack cables that have the copper and silver cables you have to strip the ends of to connect.

I guess Monoprice is the best source for decent cables for price??

Regarding the lesser expensive cables, are there differences within them as well? Do the crappy ones just make the speaker volume lower, or is it more than that?

Thanks!

 

[highfigh]

Go to the homepage and read the AV University topics or do a search here for threads about wire and cables. This has been debated to death. Just about any source for cable is a good source if you like the price and if you hear a drop in volume from a short run of speaker cable, it has a problem that has nothing to do with it's usual inherent characteristics.

The ones with plugs (usually RCA) may have a PVC jacket, which will corrode the copper but if the wire is tinned (it'll be silver in color), that won't happen, so it will still work if it's 16ga for short runs/low-mid power or 14ga for long runs/high power as long as the plugs are cut off. Zip cord works fine. If you aren't listening critically to the system, it won't matter at all but if you think you want to hear every little detail, the system is capable of revealing every detail and the room's acoustics are good for what you'll be playing, maybe somewhat more expensive cables are warranted. 99¢ interconnects and 4¢/ft speaker wire are likely to be inadequate.

 

[Midcow2]

14 gauge , but if you must 12 gauge -Yes, Monoprice is very good.

Wire is wire. You cannot alter the laws of physics and electronics. The copper is the same; there are differences in the visual athetics, structure quality and the connector quality. Thier is eletrical shielding and dielectrics, but in atcual reality and audio aaccuity there is very little discenrable effect, except in the mind's ear . For almost all speaker runs 14 gauge is sufficient ( obviously you should use 12 gauage for longet runs, e.g. 50ft).

Many people over spec their speaker wire, 12 gauge is fine, but when you start going 10 gauge and larger (even lower wire gauge number) you are being absurd!

Yes, Monoprice is a very good souce of quality inexpensive cables. Bluejeanscables is another good source, but a little more expensive.
You can buy more expnsive cables, but you exceed the economic point of diminishing return. For example, Pear Cable Company Anjou cable. ( I do not recommend paying this much!) http://www.pearcable.com/sub_products_anjou_sc.htm

Many, many stores sell HT equipment at a good, very good and even sometimes a great price and the they try to make their money on extended warranties, usrge protectors, power distribution centers and connecting cables. Some especially push a type know as "an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
giant: someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
freak: a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed
a cruel wicked and inhuman person
(medicine) a grossly malformed and usually nonviable fetus" Monoprice, Blue Jeans Cables are much.much better choices.

Banana plugs on the end of cables, make them easily to connect securely and also to make a very good electrical connection. Sometimes spade connections make secure connections, but I would not recommend them because they can come loose and made a poor eletrical connection or even worse completely disconnect if the tightening nut loosens up.

Here is a very appropriate article of wire gauge size and speaker wire cost/quality:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D06E1D61739F930A15751C1A96F958260

Good Luck and Wire Onward!

MidCow2

 

[DD66000]

The 12 ga UL rated that Blue Jeans Cable sells is very good wire at a very good price. You can buy it terminated (more money), or buy it in bulk, any length, cut it to lengths you need and just add your own banana plugs, or spades. I prefer the RS two piece, screw down banana plugs.

That BJC wire is a twisted pair, as opposed to being parallel pair. Much better than anything Monster sells and its cheaper.

 

[mperfct]

You can buy more expnsive cables, but you exceed the economic point of diminishing return. For example, Pear Cable Company Anjou cable. ( I do not recommend paying this much!) http://www.pearcable.com/sub_products_anjou_sc.htm

MidCow2

DUDE.

I wonder if they'll fit under the hood of my platinum-plated Ferrari F430?

 

[Tiguron]

I recently saw an ad for Monster speaker cable and couldn't believe the jargon they are willing to use to sell wire:

"Special Time Correct windings control distortion producing magnetic fields for a smoother, more natural re-creation of the music. Patented Magnetic Flux Tube construction provides improved bass response and dynamic range, important for home theatre and top quality music systems."

I have a physics degree and don't know what they are talking about.

 

[DD66000]

I recently saw an ad for Monster speaker cable and couldn't believe the jargon they are willing to use to sell wire:

"Special Time Correct windings control distortion producing magnetic fields for a smoother, more natural re-creation of the music. Patented Magnetic Flux Tube construction provides improved bass response and dynamic range, important for home theatre and top quality music systems."

I have a physics degree and don't know what they are talking about.

Monster is all BS, imo. Two years ago I was setting up a TT system in a spare BR and needed both wire and banana plugs. I went to RS, as I like using their two piece banana plugs.
They had a small roll of Monster XP wire, the one with a dielectric tube running through the center. It said it improved the upper end of the audio range.
Well the speakers I was using, I've had for 30 years, so I know just how they sound.
That XP wire made the highs sound harsh and brittle. So I ordered some wire from BJC. What a difference, those speakers were back to how they should sound.

 

[PSWii60]

Many people over spec their speaker wire, 12 gauge is fine, but when you start going 10 gauge and larger (even lower wire gauge number) you are being absurd!

I know i'm going to catch hell for saying this but when I built my theater I used 8AWG for all speakers This was only because I already had about 300ft of it and didn't see the need to purchase anything. Each conductor is about as thick as a pencil and I have 30ft runs. It works great and it will carry any amout of power I want to feed it! I do agree its absurd, but it would have been more absurd to buy something because it is labeled "speaker wire" when I already had so much of this. I'll upload a pic in a minute.

 

[Swerve]

How much of a noticeable difference in sound quality between the "good" speaker cables (like the ones that have plugs) vs. the lesser expensive Radio Shack cables that have the copper and silver cables you have to strip the ends of to connect.

I guess Monoprice is the best source for decent cables for price??

Regarding the lesser expensive cables, are there differences within them as well? Do the crappy ones just make the speaker volume lower, or is it more than that?

Thanks!

a must read: http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

 

[cl35m]

One of the biggest differences I noticed in speaker wires was going from stranded to solid core. Some like stranded and some like solid core. Anti-cables sells solid core 12 ga wires lower than anyone unless you want to use romex like I do

12 ga is probably sufficient but I use 10 ga.

 

[MatthewB.]

Moon rocks, people Moon rocks (oh yeah and a quarter on the corner of each speaker)

Yeah I love Monster products, I recall a paper I read where the author cut standard lamp cord cable and monster cable and the the monster on all apearances was thicker, it was the shielding that was thicker but inside was standard 24 gauge (tiny) wire, while the lamp cord was 16 gauge.

Anything 16 guage or larger (smaller number) will work just fine and anything over long runs and you should get into 14, 12 or 10 gauge. yes it makes a big difference in sound quality, going from 24 gauge to 16 gauge. Going from 16 to 14 and I doubt you would even notice.

Matt (whose got the green magic marker at the ready for his CD's)

 

[lsiberian]

I'm still pissed about having a ten gauge wire one side and a 16 on the other. Plust what the crap is the plastic tube in the middle?

I call it a way to cut costs. But maybe that's just me.

 

[PSWii60]

Here is the 8AWG I ran to everything, Its overkill, but its great stuff.

 

[Alex2507]

Here is the 8AWG I ran to everything, Its overkill, but its great stuff.

The high end roll off due to the added capacitance must be killing your high frequencies.
Can you still hear cymbals on your system?
Just funnin'.

 

[jamie2112]

I recently saw an ad for Monster speaker cable and couldn't believe the jargon they are willing to use to sell wire:

"Special Time Correct windings control distortion producing magnetic fields for a smoother, more natural re-creation of the music. Patented Magnetic Flux Tube construction provides improved bass response and dynamic range, important for home theatre and top quality music systems."

I have a physics degree and don't know what they are talking about.

You don't need to have a degree to figure out how full of crap mc is..... That makes me feel better though if you say that...

 

[PSWii60]

Uh...I guess... I never noticed a difference between now and when I was using 12AWG and they were less than 10ft from the source. Please elaborate though

 

[Alex2507]

Uh...I guess... I never noticed a difference between now and when I was using 12AWG and they were less than 10ft from the source. Please elaborate though

The is for sarcasm and just funnin' means just kidding.

 

[PSWii60]

You monkey you

 

[jamie2112]

Uh...I guess... I never noticed a difference between now and when I was using 12AWG and they were less than 10ft from the source. Please elaborate though

Yellow speaker wire just kills your hi freq and if there is green stripes on the wire it will dull the 1 hz to 4hz bandwidth....I don't know why but yellow cable is really harsh on the higher frequencies...

 

[PSWii60]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....Funny, Funny, yea just laugh and laugh..you guys are just regular clowns. Thanks for bustin my B@lls