I recently went to pick up the monster 14/2 wire and they were out. So for the same price, I was offered the 16/4 where he said I could combine 2 pairs to essentially give me two thicker wires instead of 4 X 16. Would this produce better sound or are there any problems introduced by using 2 wires on one terminal? They would be equal length. Would it be better simply because the strand count would be higher? Thanks! Also, is there an advantage to banana plugs other than convenience? I was looking at the monster QL GMT-H MKII. Thanks!

It won't hurt. Won't help much, but won't hurt. For all the theory guys out there, yes, higher inductance. I just use 12 Ga zip cord from the hardware store, as I ran out of RG-8. All the speaker wire hype is about something that is 1/10 of what is going on inside the speaker box. Even less if you have a passive crossover.
Fancy terminations serve only one function. They transfer your money to some one else. Learn to tin the leads and just screw them down in the binding post. I tried "locking" binding posts for convenience, ripped them back off.
Sorry, ranting. It is hard to be an audiophile and an engineer. The bull out there just is too much to handle some times. You could be spending your money on something that actually sounds better, like speakers!

I recently went to pick up the monster 14/2 wire and they were out. So for the same price, I was offered the 16/4 where he said I could combine 2 pairs to essentially give me two thicker wires instead of 4 X 16.


Two 16 gauge wires in paralell have about the same resistance as a 13 gauge wire.


Would this produce better sound


Probably not. I'd need to know the length of the wires and the make and the impedance curve of the speakers to be sure.




or are there any problems introduced by using 2 wires on one terminal?


You're much more likely to screw the wiring up simply because there are twice as many wires to connect.


They would be equal length.


Probably doesn't matter.


Would it be better simply because the strand count would be higher?


No. Having more strands makes the wire easier to bend, but having all that extra insulation makes then harder to bend if you try to bend both at the same time.


Thanks! Also, is there an advantage to banana plugs other than convenience?


No, and I say that as the happy owner of literally dozens of speaker cables with banana plugs on them.



I was looking at the monster QL GMT-H MKII. Thanks!

At the usual street price it is overpriced audio jewelry.

If I were hooking up speakers, this is what I would use:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2789&seq=1&format=2

Thanks for the info. Left, Center, and Right all go thru the same route to get where they go, and are all about 18 ft. left rear surround is about a 18 ft. run and right surround is about a 30 ft. run. What banana plug would you recommend if I were to get some? I'd like to terminate to a 2 gang box with inputs, but if this can be problematic by introducing yet another break in the connection, I won't bother, it's just for convenience.

What banana plug would you recommend if I were to get some?

Since you might be buying at Monoprice, go tohttp://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10401

and scroll down to the bottom where they list their banana plugs. They all seem to be OK, and the prices are not excessive.

Banana plugs are not rocket science. They've been around for at least 60 years.

I recently went to pick up the monster 14/2 wire and they were out. So for the same price, I was offered the 16/4 where he said I could combine 2 pairs to essentially give me two thicker wires instead of 4 X 16. Would this produce better sound or are there any problems introduced by using 2 wires on one terminal? They would be equal length. Would it be better simply because the strand count would be higher? Thanks! Also, is there an advantage to banana plugs other than convenience? I was looking at the monster QL GMT-H MKII. Thanks!

WIre size is logarithmic; so doubling up 16 gauge gets you a 13 gauge connection. If it's long you'll get flatter frequency response. If it's short it won't make a difference over using 16 gage. Look at the chart http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable

Since you can connect wires to banana plugs out in the open instead of inside a cabinet or on the floor behind a speaker, you're somewhat less likely to short the two sides together with a loose strand of wire which can cause the amplifier to break, blow a fuse, or shut down.

Otherwise it's just convenience.

As far as wire brand, buy the cheapest wire which meets your requirements as far as gauge, UL rating for in-wall use, and is still marked for polarity (tin coating, white stripe on the insulation, square instead of round insulation, different color, etc).

Fancy terminations serve only one function. They transfer your money to some one else.

No need for hyperbole. Sometimes "fancy" terminations are just plain better quality, regardless of whether you think they sound better inherently. They can insure better connections for one thing, and for another can allow for tighter and more reliable binding.

As for the original question, it's fine to go either way and I seriously doubt you'll hear any difference. I prefer solid core wire (single or multiple strands), but doubling a run of stranded isn't going to cause any problem.

I grant you, a bad plug can make the situation worse. But you can't get any tighter than a tinned lead in a binding post. Crimped and soldered spades do quite well for 2 cents per lead.
You see, my not so secret campaign is to get everyone to save their money from bling so they can buy better speakers! I know, a little rough on bling manufactures and on a few ego's who payed more for a cable than I paid for a tweeter, but what the heck. I don't want them outlawed or regulated, just the public informed. It's all about the sound.

I grant you, a bad plug can make the situation worse. But you can't get any tighter than a tinned lead in a binding post.

If it's done correctly, and without any flaws per million. Know of many products where every instance matches the spec? And anyway, by "tight", I meant a design that inherently allowed you to make a tighter connection at a binding post, not the solder itself.

If it's "all about the sound", who are you to say people can't notice things that you don't? There are many hundreds of examples where someone experienced in some area is more aware and discriminating than someone with less experience, or someone using measuring devices alone. Have you ever read Blink?

But you can't get any tighter than a tinned lead in a binding post.

Untinned is better in a compressed connection that is not spring loaded.

The problem with solder, including tinning, is that when it's compressed the solder tends to cold flow, causing the connection to loosen over time. For a screw-down fitting, it's better to leave the wire untinned.

Cool, thanks for all of the info guys. Speakers are about 2 weeks away so I'll continue to watch this thread for advice and additional info. As always, this is the best place to get a well rounded set of opinions and facts. I'll be getting the Speakercraft AIM LCR Threes. The larger ones. The will be between the studs enclosed in a 14.5 X 14.5 "box". Hard to explain, but there is not insulation behind them, maybe I can post some pics. Should I put some insulation in the cavity?