Speaker Wire

[baldbear]

I've read a lot about speaker wires, and how over rated they truly are. But still, I'm going to start hanging my speakers from the ceilings, and am wondering if buying lamp chord will be sufficient. I've always bought Monster or some resemblance, but if I'm wasting my money, I might as well buy someting that will do the job. Any thoughts????

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Name brands are over rated, not the gauge.

Best place I've found to buy speaker wire is either Wal Mart in the car audio dept. They have spools of 14/2 wire for $10 for 50'. I use 12/2 speaker from Home Depot that runs around .20 cents a foot if you buy in bulk. I wouldn't go less than 14/2 though. Finally, soldered ends to banana plugs are the best connection over the long haul.

 

[JohnA]

If you are running the wire in the walls you can't use lamp cord...the wire must be at a min. CL2 rated jsut use some low cost speaker wire designed for inwall use.

 

[MDS]

CL2 rated wire is necessary for in-wall wiring in order to meet fire codes. It doesn't give off noxious fumes when it burns the way that regular speaker wire does.

If you ever did have a fire and weren't using CL2 rated wire, your insurance company could deny any claim solely for that reason, not to mention the fact that the fumes could be a health hazard for the house's occupants even if the fire were quickly contained.

If you are running in-wall, take JohnA's advice and buy the CL2 wire - it only costs a few pennies more.

 

[korgoth]

sears has 100 feet for 40 bucks, thats the only place i looked though.. 14 guage.

14 should be fine for under 35 foot wiring. distances over that and you might want to go 12.

oh.. but i have no idea about the in wall insurance stuff.


buckeye, did you say soldered over banana? or either.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

sears has 100 feet for 40 bucks, thats the only place i looked though.. 14 guage.

14 should be fine for under 35 foot wiring. distances over that and you might want to go 12.

oh.. but i have no idea about the in wall insurance stuff.


buckeye, did you say soldered over banana? or either.

Banana's can be either used with a crimp, a screw, or soldered. The soldered type are the best, but any banana is better than bare wire - especially the heavier gauge.

 

[Privateer]

but any banana is better than bare wire

Why would you say that?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Bare wire will oxidize over time. As long as you remove the bare wire from the terminals, cut the back, re-twist them, and reinstall them every few years, they will work fine. The banana plugs eliminate this issue. A soldered wire prevents the strand wires from oxidizing.

 

[baldbear]

What about RJ45 Network Wire. Have a spool of around 500ft. Is there any fire code against using that?

 

[jaxvon]

In order to get a sufficient wire gage, you'll need to make a cable out of more than one length of network cable. Just for reference, network cable is Category 5, 5e, or 6, not RJ-45. RJ-45 is the name of the 6-contact jack used with Cat5, 5e, or 6.

So basically, just get some CL2 or CL3 inwall rated 12/2 wire and you're set to go. Check out Westlake Electronic. They have good prices on Belden 12/2 and 10/2 speaker wire that's rated for inwall use.

 

[MDS]

What about RJ45 Network Wire. Have a spool of around 500ft. Is there any fire code against using that?

My house came pre-wired with Cat5 wire to every room in the house so I assume it passes the fire code, otherwise every house in this neighborhood would be in violation.

 

[Nick250]

Banana's can be either used with a crimp, a screw, or soldered. The soldered type are the best, but any banana is better than bare wire - especially the heavier gauge.

Oh, fiddle faddle. It makes zero difference in the sound quality using any of the above including bare wire. The banana's are tidier, prettier, and easier to use but no difference in sound. If that's your point make the distinction, otherwise I guess I have to disagree with you.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Oh, fiddle faddle. It makes zero difference in the sound quality using any of the above including bare wire. The banana's are tidier, prettier, and easier to use but no difference in sound. If that's your point make the distinction, otherwise I guess I have to disagree with you.

No one evey said it would make anything sound better. Are you doubting wires wont oxidize over time? Are you doubting a clean bare wire is a better connection than an oxidized bare wire connection? It increases the resistance as the wire oxides. Really, it does. Ask an electrician or EE.

 

[MacManNM]

Oh, fiddle faddle. It makes zero difference in the sound quality using any of the above including bare wire. The banana's are tidier, prettier, and easier to use but no difference in sound. If that's your point make the distinction, otherwise I guess I have to disagree with you.

The real advantage to using a banana plug is that it makes the contact area easier to clean. Bare wire will oxidize over time, thus causing resistance to increase, hence deteriorating sound. Gold plating or other treatments help only marginally. Heavy gauge wire, and clean connections are the only things that matter.

 

[Nick250]

No one evey said it would make anything sound better. Are you doubting wires wont oxidize over time? Are you doubting a clean bare wire is a better connection than an oxidized bare wire connection? It increases the resistance as the wire oxides. Really, it does. Ask an electrician or EE.

I seriously doubt it oxidizes enough to have any effect on the performances of the speakers over time. However the next time I am at my Dad's house with my brother, (who is an EE btw) I will take a look at his speaker connections and report back. They were connected by bare wire about 20 years ago to a really nice they don't build them like that any more Mac reciever.

 

[NetGeek]

I knew a EE from a Ivy Leauge University....

And he hooked up MY VOM to the hot wire on his cars coil with the meter set way to low- sparks & smoke and ruined my meter! Didn't want to listen to a "CS" - I have a few of those fancy smancy letters next to my name and they mean nothing in the real world.

Being a EE does not mean that you are the master of all things electronic; although most of them believe they are.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I seriously doubt it oxidizes enough to have any effect on the performances of the speakers over time. However the next time I am at my Dad's house with my brother, (who is an EE btw) I will take a look at his speaker connections and report back. They were connected by bare wire about 20 years ago to a really nice they don't build them like that any more Mac reciever.

Don't take my word for it. Read it in Crutchfield. Third paragraph under Connection Basics.

www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/home/speakers_wire.html

 

[Nick250]

Don't take my word for it. Read it in Crutchfield. Third paragraph under Connection Basics.

www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningcenter/home/speakers_wire.html

Crutchfield is not the place I would go to for unbiased speaker wire recomendations. The link from that page takes one right to the (a drum roll please) The Monster Wire page! I have had my current setup for 5 years and the bare wire connections are pristine. So believe what you want, I am comfortable with my good experience with bare wire connections, not to mention the 20 year bare wire experience on my Dads Mac.

 

[MDS]

Bare wire has the potential to oxidize - that doesn't mean that it will in all cases in all environments (unless of course you are talking about a period of decades or you live 100 feet from the ocean).

I usually use bare wire connections and have had things connected for YEARS without the slightest hint of oxidation. Even if they were to oxidize, its not like it would increase resistance to the point where there would be a huge audible difference.

The point is one should use whatever he is comfortable with. It's pointless to argue that bananas or pins are so far superior to bare wire that bare wire should be avoided at all costs. Like most general statements, it's just not true.

 

[sghoughton]

Tin the ends

Why dont you just tin the ends with solder? i do that to keep the fray of the stranded wires in and it also keeps them from oxidizing i think. Looks better too.

steve