Which 12 AWG speaker cable to choose

[lovinthehd]

So ordinary lamp cord is made of ETP copper and is OK for short runs, but most audiophiles and all audiophools wouldn't use it. As a matter of fact, OFC copper wasn't well known before the 1970's in the audio circles.

Who cares what "audiophiles" let alone "audiophools" believe about wire, tho? What reason would ETP be only suitable for shorter runs vs OFC?

 

[Verdinut]

Who cares what "audiophiles" let alone "audiophools" believe about wire, tho? What reason would ETP be only suitable for shorter runs vs OFC?

I was referring to lamp cord (18AWG).

 

[lovinthehd]

I was referring to lamp cord (18AWG).

Was thinking more of zip cord which can come in various gauges, and have seen 16g lamp cord, too....just not a good specific term....

 

[sand87]

The first one appears to be for in-wall installations while the second one is not.

Do you need in-wall?

And do you really need 12 gauge?

How long will the runs of cable be?

well its for the front left and right bookshelf speakers that are close to the receiver

 

[sand87]

There's not just OFC for high percentage copper wire, ETP is perfectly fine too.

could you please elaborate

The first one appears to be for in-wall installations while the second one is not.

Do you need in-wall?

No I dont.was the only better option available when i checked on amazon

And do you really need 12 gauge?

Well debatable.I guess 14 AWG should do it just fine but isnt 12 AWG better.i will reuse the wire as i slowly set up the surround speakers which will have atleast 10ft run from the AVR

How long will the runs of cable be?

 

[sand87]

I like the bluejeans 12 AWG but looks like they are currently out of stock. Not just how long, but which speakers? If they are 4 Ohm, you may want to stick with the 12. If they are 8 Ohm, 14 is likely fine.

Ok this is my current set up to be.
Polk S20 bokkshelfs for the front and yamaha RXV-685.
Front speakers on either end might not be more than 2ft respectively from the avr.But since this is 100ft spool i guess i can use them later too when i can afford the surrounds

 

[sand87]

There is some Amazon Basic branded CCA speaker wire....

yes there is

 

[sand87]

$9.42/ft is the difference, seriously.

Well yes its not too much i agree but then i wonder if both are the same then why spend a 1000 bucks more

 

[Speedskater]

If an engineer was given 2 unmarked wires, one ETP and the other OFC. And was told that they were about the same length and about the same cross-sectional area, there is no electrical measurement that could identify which was which.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.

Groucho Marx

 

[lovinthehd]

could you please elaborate

Types of copper used for conducting electricity....here's some spec:

Oxygen-free copper is typically specified according to the ASTM/UNS database.[3] The UNS database includes many different compositions of high conductivity electrical copper. Of these, three are widely used and two are considered oxygen-free.

• C10100 - also known as Oxygen-Free Electronic (OFE). This is a 99.99% pure copper with 0.0005% oxygen content. It achieves a minimum 101% IACS conductivity rating. This copper is finished to a final form in a carefully regulated, oxygen-free environment. Silver (Ag) is considered an impurity in the OFE chemical specification. This is also the most expensive of the three grades listed here.
• C10200 - also known as Oxygen-Free (OF). While OF is considered oxygen-free, its conductivity rating is no better than the more common ETP grade below. It has a 0.001% oxygen content, 99.95% purity and minimum 100% IACS conductivity. For the purposes of purity percentage, silver (Ag) content is counted as copper (Cu).
• C11000 - also known as Electrolytic-Tough-Pitch (ETP). This is the most common copper. It is universal for electrical applications. ETP has a minimum conductivity rating of 100% IACS and is required to be 99.9% pure. It has 0.02% to 0.04% oxygen content (typical). Most ETP sold today will meet or exceed the 101% IACS specification. As with OF copper, silver (Ag) content is counted as copper (Cu) for purity purposes

 

[sand87]

Types of copper used for conducting electricity....here's some spec:

Oxygen-free copper is typically specified according to the ASTM/UNS database.[3] The UNS database includes many different compositions of high conductivity electrical copper. Of these, three are widely used and two are considered oxygen-free.

• C10100 - also known as Oxygen-Free Electronic (OFE). This is a 99.99% pure copper with 0.0005% oxygen content. It achieves a minimum 101% IACS conductivity rating. This copper is finished to a final form in a carefully regulated, oxygen-free environment. Silver (Ag) is considered an impurity in the OFE chemical specification. This is also the most expensive of the three grades listed here.
• C10200 - also known as Oxygen-Free (OF). While OF is considered oxygen-free, its conductivity rating is no better than the more common ETP grade below. It has a 0.001% oxygen content, 99.95% purity and minimum 100% IACS conductivity. For the purposes of purity percentage, silver (Ag) content is counted as copper (Cu).
• C11000 - also known as Electrolytic-Tough-Pitch (ETP). This is the most common copper. It is universal for electrical applications. ETP has a minimum conductivity rating of 100% IACS and is required to be 99.9% pure. It has 0.02% to 0.04% oxygen content (typical). Most ETP sold today will meet or exceed the 101% IACS specification. As with OF copper, silver (Ag) content is counted as copper (Cu) for purity purposes

Wow.Thanks

 

[sand87]

I have one more question.Planning to go with banana plugs
The ones available in india on Amazon are
1. Amazon dead bolt banana plug
2.Media bridge
3.Monoprice closed screw type

Thing is media bridge and monoprice are costlier and i dont need that many pieces too.So just asking if anyone has any experience using the amazon basics one.Are they bad and do they affect the sound from the speakers?

 

[lovinthehd]

I have one more question.Planning to go with banana plugs
The ones available in india on Amazon are
1. Amazon dead bolt banana plug
2.Media bridge
3.Monoprice closed screw type

Thing is media bridge and monoprice are costlier and i dont need that many pieces too.So just asking if anyone has any experience using the amazon basics one.Are they bad and do they affect the sound from the speakers?

Personally I don't like any of the crimp style plugs like you linked. I use Sewell Silverbacks with dual set screws myself (and the same plug is available under a few brands).

There wouldn't be a sound quality difference as long as any plug is properly installed and makes good contact with the terminals (keep in mind that banana plugs aren't made to a particular standard, some fit less well than others and size varies slightly).

 

[ryanosaur]

I have one more question.Planning to go with banana plugs
The ones available in india on Amazon are
1. Amazon dead bolt banana plug
2.Media bridge
3.Monoprice closed screw type

Thing is media bridge and monoprice are costlier and i dont need that many pieces too.So just asking if anyone has any experience using the amazon basics one.Are they bad and do they affect the sound from the speakers?

If Monoproce Affinity is available to you, they are a good product. I like the Dual Opposing Set Screw approach for securing the wire, and have been very happy with mine. In use about 1.5 yrs.

 

[highfigh]

I have one more question.Planning to go with banana plugs
The ones available in india on Amazon are
1. Amazon dead bolt banana plug
2.Media bridge
3.Monoprice closed screw type

Thing is media bridge and monoprice are costlier and i dont need that many pieces too.So just asking if anyone has any experience using the amazon basics one.Are they bad and do they affect the sound from the speakers?

Please, please, please stop reading audiophile equipment marketing BS and audiopile forum discussions and look into a little of the science behind what's happening when you send voltage through wire to a speaker- if the wire is a good conductor, (as you wrote) the speakers are the bookshelf type and they'll be a short distance from the AV receiver, just buy some wire and be done with it. Don't use banana plugs if you'll set up the system and not touch it- banana plugs were originally designed for engineering/laboratory use, when equipment is changed frequently, not for making connections that won't change for a year (or much longer). It's just not that important and unless you actually know you can hear tiny differences in the sound when cables are swapped, don't even think about it.

This speaker wire BS started when someone decided they could make a bunch of money by convincing people that their speaker wires weren't good enough and the first ones weren't actually much larger but the thick, clear insulation magnified the wire's size to made it look much larger. Then, the creative writing began and millions of people paid billions of dollars in their search for perfection that will never be found.

Buy some wire. Make the connections. Listen TO THE MUSIC, not the equipment and seriously, don't think the wire will make a difference that will matter.

 

[ryanosaur]

I agree with Highhigh, here.
I use Bananas because I knew I would be futzing with my gear over the first year or two. I bought an inexpensive but good quality set. They allow electrons to move from points A to B. That's all they need to do. Same with Speaker Cable.
The cabling you buy does not need to be fancy to do the 'job.' The definition of the job is to conduct electricity. If you have cabling that matches the Impedance load of the speaker and accounts for distance runs, you are fine. 12AWG is absolutely suitable for a 4 ohm load, up to around 40' of cable, I believe. That is enough for connecting Surrounds or Rears in a medium size room depending on how you route the cable.

 

[snakeeyes]

The bananas are nice on the receiver side so you can take it out of the cabinet easier. I used to move a lot and bananas make setup and tear down easy. (Even easier now that the other connections are all HDMI). I’ve reused the same 14AWG wire the past 20 years.

 

[Speedskater]

There are light weight banana plugs designed to be used with test and measurement equipment.
And there are heavy weight banana plugs designed to be used with speaker cables.
With limited access to the amp terminals, heavy banana plugs are the best choice.

 

[highfigh]

I agree with Highhigh, here.
I use Bananas because I knew I would be futzing with my gear over the first year or two. I bought an inexpensive but good quality set. They allow electrons to move from points A to B. That's all they need to do. Same with Speaker Cable.
The cabling you buy does not need to be fancy to do the 'job.' The definition of the job is to conduct electricity. If you have cabling that matches the Impedance load of the speaker and accounts for distance runs, you are fine. 12AWG is absolutely suitable for a 4 ohm load, up to around 40' of cable, I believe. That is enough for connecting Surrounds or Rears in a medium size room depending on how you route the cable.

" If you have cabling that matches the Impedance load of the speaker and accounts for distance runs, you are fine."- there's no cable that matches the impedance of the speakers, it's a matter of not adding resistance to the load, whether inherently, or by becoming warmer from excessive current. The latter means it wasn't a large enough conductor in the first place.

The current on speaker cable isn't usually enough to cause a problem for the wire, the problem is when the speaker load becomes too much for the output devices and in that case sometimes, thermal runaway occurs with varying results.

I=E/R and at P=E²/R. 100W @ 4 Ohms = 20VAC, so at 100W, I/R= 20/4, or 5A. That's not a lot for 18 awg to handle, even less taxing for 12 awg. Power and length are everything, for this discussion.