Speaker wire size - 2000watts 30ft

[Warpdrv]

Ok, I need to get some wire to go from my amp and send it out to my 15" DIY sub. should be about 30 ft run...

Just wasn't sure If I needed 10ga or if 12ga would be ok... Money is not the issue, just didn't know if the larger amount of wattage would make a difference.

Thanks

 

[annunaki]

Warp,

I would recommend no smaller than 10 ga. with the amount of power you will be using. What is the actual RMS power you have? I am pretty sure it is over 1.5K watts per sub. At the voltage levels expected 10 ga. should handle the amperage demands. You may want to consider 8ga. to "over do it". You would probably want to do a couple rolls of 8 ga. car audio power wire to do it economically.

 

[annunaki]

On second thought, (after seeing it will be 2000 watts rms) I would do 8 ga. at that distance. Your subs will be a 4 ohm final impedance correct?

If that is true, you are looking at about 23 amps of current at about 90 volts! Careful when it is running, you could get a hefty shock! Even at that high of voltage, you are approaching the amperage limits on 10ga. at that distance. 8ga. will be much safer.

 

[Warpdrv]

Thanks buddy...

Ultimately each amp is rated for 2500 watts bridged at 4ohms, but I fear they over rate them...

I'll have a look around... thanks so much...

 

[tyler0045]

I got a question pretty far off topic, I'm short on money and I have plenty of fairly new speaker wire, but it is all 16 gauge and 14 gauge. I bought a new set of speakers that require no less than 12 guage wire. Is it possible to take two seperate strands of copper speaker cable and combine them to make a higher gauge cable, for example I take two 16 gauge cables, twist the possitives together and the negatives together of each side, will that make about a 10 or 8 gauge wire

 

[highfihoney]

I got a question pretty far off topic, I'm short on money and I have plenty of fairly new speaker wire, but it is all 16 gauge and 14 gauge. I bought a new set of speakers that require no less than 12 guage wire. Is it possible to take two seperate strands of copper speaker cable and combine them to make a higher gauge cable, for example I take two 16 gauge cables, twist the possitives together and the negatives together of each side, will that make about a 10 or 8 gauge wire

Nope,not possible,you need the proper sized wire.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I got a question pretty far off topic, I'm short on money and I have plenty of fairly new speaker wire, but it is all 16 gauge and 14 gauge. I bought a new set of speakers that require no less than 12 guage wire. Is it possible to take two seperate strands of copper speaker cable and combine them to make a higher gauge cable, for example I take two 16 gauge cables, twist the possitives together and the negatives together of each side, will that make about a 10 or 8 gauge wire

Why does that speaker require 12ga or larger?
Two 16ga wires connected as you indicated will be 13ga.
Perhaps if you solder them together, it should work. What kind of binding posts are on there?

 

[fmw]

Thanks buddy...

Ultimately each amp is rated for 2500 watts bridged at 4ohms, but I fear they over rate them...

I'll have a look around... thanks so much...

No kidding. The rating probably comes from the level that will blow a 20 amp circuit breaker. The rating has nothing to do with undistorted continuous power, I'm sure.