where to buy speaker wire

[captjlance]

where is the cheapest place to buy speaker wire? probably 12 and 14 gauge, its gonna be in wall and attic, can I use zip cord in
walls? close to 75' runs to rears. Also do they need to be same length?

 

[Verdinut]

I recommend good Monoprice Oxygen Free Copper wire. You can order it direct from Monoprice or from Amazon. I suggest that you order a 100 foot spool which is very affordable and of excellent quality:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=2817

You can also order a 250 foot spool if needed. Preferably, they should be close to equal length in order to represent about equal resistances in series with the speakers.

 

[lovinthehd]

Code for in wall I believe requires use of CL2 type. Monoprice is a good way to go.

ps Didn't check verdinut's link which is to CL2....so just another vote

 

[zieglj01]

Cable Matters -- and a real good price
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Oxygen-Free-Conductor-Speaker/dp/B00BWS20SO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549076559&sr=8-4&keywords=14+awg+cl2+wire

 

[Verdinut]

Cable Matters -- and a real good price
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Oxygen-Free-Conductor-Speaker/dp/B00BWS20SO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549076559&sr=8-4&keywords=14+awg+cl2+wire

For the lengths of wire needed by the OP, 12 AWG wire might be preferable to gauge 14 and the difference in price is not objectionable.

 

[Verdinut]

where is the cheapest place to buy speaker wire? probably 12 and 14 gauge, its gonna be in wall and attic, can I use zip cord in
walls? close to 75' runs to rears. Also do they need to be same length?

If you want to verify which size of cable to purchase, you can refer to the following link for guidance:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

 

[captjlance]

thanks everybody!! I'm getting starry eyed comparing receivers and keep blowing my budget as my wish list increases!!
gotta keep something in perspective.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

I'd listen to the experts regarding wiring of any kind in an attic or walls. Don't go cheap and risk fire or some little rodent critter chewing through it and causing a short circuit. Just my 2 -cents

 

[zieglj01]

For the lengths of wire needed by the OP, 12 AWG wire might be preferable to gauge 14 and the difference in price is not objectionable.

I missed the 75 ft part -- so yes I would look at 12 awg

 

[Speedskater]

Be careful in big box store's audio/video parts dept. Some of the low price speaker cable's are made with Copper Clad Aluminum conductors (CCA).

 

[Verdinut]

Be careful in big box store's audio/video parts dept. Some of the low price speaker cable's are made with Copper Clad Aluminum conductors (CCA).

Also some of the cheap speaker wires have a covering sleeve that reacts with the copper over time which turns out green!

It doesn't only apply to speaker cables, it's wiser to spend money on dependable known brands to avoid bad surprises in the future.

 

[ryanosaur]

Big fan of Monoprice for cables and their Affinity line of Banana Plugs (The right angle ones are the same as the straight)... great product and proven conductivity at a great price. Amazon tends to mark up Monoprice pretty well... Look at both in your shopping cart to see who will give you the best price considering you likely pay for shipping from Mono!

 

[davidscott]

Also some of the cheap speaker wires have a covering sleeve that reacts with the copper over time which turns out green!

It doesn't only apply to speaker cables, it's wiser to spend money on dependable known brands to avoid bad surprises in the future.

I had some Monster cable with the clear sleeve do that after about 15 years.

 

[Verdinut]

I had some Monster cable with the clear sleeve do that after about 15 years.

That just proves once again that a more expensive product is not necessarily better!

 

[Good4it]

You can also order a 250 foot spool if needed. Preferably, they should be close to equal length in order to represent about equal resistances in series with the speakers.

Does speaker distance still matter if you use EQ? My LF is 3’ and my RF is 17’ away from my receiver.

 

[Verdinut]

Does speaker distance still matter if you use EQ? My LF is 3’ and my RF is 17’ away from my receiver.

Speaker distance from amplifiers have nothing do to whether or not you use EQ. The question is about wire resistance between amplifier and speaker. If there is too much difference in cable resistance from amp to speaker between left and right speaker for instance, that could affect the damping action of the amplifier on the speaker which is further away from the receiver. This means that transient response of this speaker could be impaired.

It's always preferable to have speaker cable lengths, for pair of speakers having similar operation in a system, with not too much disparity. In your situation, I would replace the 3 foot length by a minimum length of 10 feet of same gauge as the long one.

 

[davidscott]

That just proves once again that a more expensive product is not necessarily better!

Agreed back in the early 80s that Monster cable was pretty expensive.