Hi-
I'm, mounting a pair of in ceiling speakers and I have been trying to figure out waht to use for the speaker wire - I'm estimating I'll need approximately 35 - 45 ft of wire to each speaker - Based on that, I was thinking a CMP (Plenum) 14 gauge wire - Any thoughts?

Can someone recommend a good wire to use?

Thanks!

14 AWG should be fine. Any brand should be fine.

Could be sold as speaker wire, or lamp cord or zip cord or low voltage lighting cable. Many get the cheapest from the local hardware or home center. If any part of your run is inside of a wall you might want to get wire rated for in wall use (fire safety not an audio issue).

14 AWG should be fine. Any brand should be fine.

Could be sold as speaker wire, or lamp cord or zip cord or low voltage lighting cable. Many get the cheapest from the local hardware or home center. If any part of your run is inside of a wall you might want to get wire rated for in wall use (fire safety not an audio issue).

Agreed on the 14 AWG and that any brand will work fine. But, you will need something rated for in-wall. CL2, CL3 or CM, CMR ratings are what you should look for assuming this is a home. Plenum (CMP) is not needed as you are not installing the cable into a Plenum air handling space. (But check with your local inspector - if you have a permit for this install)

Carl Fedders

Thanks for the replys! 14 Awg non-plenum it is - Appreciate it!

Pictures of setup?

If for any reason you have a house fire and they find you were not using the correct wire your insurance company may not pay. Any in wall or ceiling installation must use in-wall rated wire.

If for any reason you have a house fire and they find you were not using the correct wire your insurance company may not pay. Any in wall or ceiling installation must use in-wall rated wire.


Only if it was the source of the fire !

If for any reason you have a house fire and they find you were not using the correct wire your insurance company may not pay. Any in wall or ceiling installation must use in-wall rated wire.


There is no such thing as "in-wall" rated cables. CL2 and CL3 are general purpose!

He's right guys... either its plenum rated or its not. I wouldn't recommend 'lamp cord'. Any liberty, bleden, westpenn.. will do. The only diff is that non-plenum rated wire has a pvc jacket, this type of jacket has a toxic smoke when it is burned.

I really do wish I understood this better. Why is it so hard to find info?
It does seem, though, that any low-voltage cable with a simple UL listing may be used in residential walls. Of course, I'm not positive about that :confused:

I did find this article from Extron:
Wire Ratings (http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=decipheringapp)

If this is the case, then even my USB cable is rated for in-wall (its UL CM, the same as a box of CAT5e)

There are many many different UL Marking found on devices. They have different meanings. UL (Underwriters Labratories, Inc.) just verifies that the product has been tested to meet a certain standard (safety, data transmission, etc.) then puts their stamp of approval on it. Doesnt have anything to do with Plenum or non plenum usage.

There are many many different UL Marking found on devices. They have different meanings. UL (Underwriters Labratories, Inc.) just verifies that the product has been tested to meet a certain standard (safety, data transmission, etc.) then puts their stamp of approval on it. Doesnt have anything to do with Plenum or non plenum usage.

ABSOLUTELY DEAD WRONG!

UL has 4 different markings: Recognized, Listed, Classified, and Verified.

Recognized is for a specific component in a listed device or package

Listed products have completed a series of mechanical, electrical and thermal characteristics tests which simulate reasonable and foreseeable hazards.

Classified products undergo further tests for specific hazards, performance tests under specified conditions, regulatory code requirements,

Verified marking are performance based tests as part of a specific system

Listed cables have been tested in accordance NFPA requirements for flame propogation.

The only difference between CMR (riser) and CMP (plenum) is their flame propogation properties. Riser rated cables are suitable for vertical shafts and non-air return spaces. Plenum rated cables are suitable for return air plenums. They are basically made from the same "ingredients", just different quantities of them.

Audio Visual cables are typically marked CL2 and CL3, CL2R and CL3R, CL2P and CL3P

STAY AWAY FROM ANTHING MARKED WITH AN "x"! (CMX, CLX, etc)

And yes, CM rated cables are fine for residential use. Usually though, Cat5e cables are CMR or CMP. CM is mostly reserved for patch cables.

And yes again, residential construction does not have the requirements that commercial construction has. Most jurisdictions dont even have permit requirements for low voltage cabling.

I really do wish I understood this better. Why is it so hard to find info?
It does seem, though, that any low-voltage cable with a simple UL listing may be used in residential walls. Of course, I'm not positive about that :confused:

I did find this article from Extron:
Wire Ratings (http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=decipheringapp)

If this is the case, then even my USB cable is rated for in-wall (its UL CM, the same as a box of CAT5e)


go to www.ul.com and search for the Wire and Cable Marking Guide. Its a free PDF, provides lots of information, and will help you for your search for information.

WOW!

was I really ABSOLUTELY DEAD WRONG ? or was I just wrong about the plenum part?


jerkoff.

crutchfield.com has lots of info and you can send them an email question and they will answer it for you.