Speaker Wire

Dark_Sith · 12-15-06, 06:57 PM

Recently I bought HITB HT-S990THX but the speaker wires that includes are too thin.

What wires recommend me? and what characteristics must have it?

trekguy · 12-15-06, 07:12 PM

Go to the hardware store or home center and look for zip or lamp cord or low voltage light wire if you are not going to be running the wire inside walls.

If you are running your wire in the walls you should use wire that is rated for that use CL2 (the rating deals with the combustion characteristics of the insulation not the copper).

Buy 12 AWG (American Wire Gage) if you are going to be running very long lengths or are a bit of a fanatic. 14 gage works for most of use. Don't loose sleep if you use 16 AWG.

Buy what ever color pleases you (brown, white and black).

On all of these zip style wires there is a ridge or ribbing on one conductor so you can keep the polarity constant. You know, ridge to red terminal.

Of course clear plastic and other speaker wire works too--buy what's cheap.

Don't worry about oxygen free or special braiding. All cooper wire is essentially Oxy free, and the small difference in electrical characteristics can only be heard by the owner of Monster Cable.

Napoleon D · 12-20-06, 10:01 PM

Does speaker wire make that much difference?

Does it matter if you're speaker wire gets tangled up near a mess of other wire on the way to the speakers? From what i understand, as long as the speaker gets enough power to it on whatever guage you're using, and you have secure connections at the speaker/receiver you are fine. Are there any other factors to consider?

I have 16 guage running to my front 3 speakers, although they are a little tangled up with other chords - video, audio and other speaker wiring. While they are connected securely at each repsective end, there is a lot of outer interaction with other cords. Is this in any way "unhealthy" for the setup?

tlniec · 12-21-06, 12:38 PM

I would say that, as long as they're not tangled up with power cords, you should be alright.

Napoleon D · 12-21-06, 01:41 PM

Quote:

I would say that, as long as they're not tangled up with power cords, you should be alright.

Then deep trouble I am in.

Yes there are a few power cords mixed in there as it is a tight area with a lot of wires coming out. Each are shielded so I wouldn't imagine anything to come of it.

trekguy · 12-21-06, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Napoleon D

Then deep trouble I am in.

Yes there are a few power cords mixed in there as it is a tight area with a lot of wires coming out. Each are shielded so I wouldn't imagine anything to come of it.

It may look ugly, because it is, but it is not causing you a problem. It just can't.

Put it to the test. Set your AVR to an unused input. Turn the gain to the max. Listen for the hum (not the hiss but the 60Hz hum Nothing? Almost nothing? Untangle everything. Try any arrangement of power cord and speaker wire you can imagine. Twisted one around the other. Run next to one another. Coil into loops and interspaced or put next to each other. Listen for the hum. Report back.

tlniec · 12-21-06, 05:59 PM

Good to know. "Conventional wisdom" mandates that signal-level interconnects be separated from power -- I assumed that the same was true with speaker-level interconnects, but it sounds like that isn't the case. Good to know!

Targus · 12-21-06, 06:29 PM

Quote:

"Conventional wisdom"

That's kind of funny.

It actually has nothing to do with signal levels....circuit impedance is the key.

tlniec · 12-22-06, 12:39 PM

This is why I'm a mechanical engineer, and not a EE. No silly phase angles and complex conjugates.

samhain1 · 01-03-07, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Napoleon D

Does speaker wire make that much difference?

Does it matter if you're speaker wire gets tangled up near a mess of other wire on the way to the speakers? From what i understand, as long as the speaker gets enough power to it on whatever guage you're using, and you have secure connections at the speaker/receiver you are fine. Are there any other factors to consider?

I have 16 guage running to my front 3 speakers, although they are a little tangled up with other chords - video, audio and other speaker wiring. While they are connected securely at each repsective end, there is a lot of outer interaction with other cords. Is this in any way "unhealthy" for the setup?

No! As someone said copper is copper is copper. Don't be fooled to part with $1000's just buy relatively cheap good quality insulated cable. The biggest problem people have is they they use cheap end connectors, that's where the biggest difference is made with any speaker cable.

Targus · 01-03-07, 05:27 PM

Why would you 'need ' connectors on a speaker cable?
Just to add another point of failure?

SayNoToPistons · 01-03-07, 07:18 PM

^ There's no point in adding connectors/plugs to speaker cables unless you want your cables to look cool/professional and/or you disconnect and reconnect your cables a often.

I wouldn't call them failure though. They do make cables look rather professional and add convenience. Some add protection against oxidation, but if you really don't need them, why waste money on connectors since no one sees them anyways.

Targus · 01-03-07, 07:53 PM

Quote:

I wouldn't call them failure though.

It adds another point of failure.

dknightd · 01-03-07, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Targus

It adds another point of failure.

Or it is one less point of failure. If you leave wires in place for too long eventually they WILL oxidize. Of course it is easy to cut of the worn ends, and strip off another piece, if you can easily get to the back of your equipment. I guess it doesn't matter if you change out speakers and amps every few years, but can be a pain that is easily avoided.
I like to have WBT sleeves crimped onto the end of my speaker wires. It costs a couple of bucks, but it gets rid of two problems - loose stray wires, and corrosion. I've payed http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/speaker-cables.html to put these crimp ends on canare speaker wire. It was worth it to me. So far they have worked better than bare wire, or tined ends. YMMV

Targus · 01-04-07, 10:15 AM

Quote:

If you leave wires in place for too long eventually they WILL oxidize.

Not if they're terminated properly.

Although, the banana plugs will corrode as well...so you don't really gain anything, except having an extra point of failure.

MichaelJHuman · 01-04-07, 02:44 PM

Bananna plugs make connections MUCH easier in tight places. If your AV rack is close to a wall, they really help. Obviously they cost more than just sticking the wires into the slot, and they are another potential point of failure. I personally am willing to put up with those two factors for an easier installation.

12-15-06, 06:57 PM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
Dark_Sith Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Mexico Posts: 35	Speaker Wire Recently I bought HITB HT-S990THX but the speaker wires that includes are too thin. What wires recommend me? and what characteristics must have it?

12-15-06, 07:12 PM	#2 \| Link
trekguy AVS Special Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Near Mt Diablo--SF Bay Area Posts: 2,132	Go to the hardware store or home center and look for zip or lamp cord or low voltage light wire if you are not going to be running the wire inside walls. If you are running your wire in the walls you should use wire that is rated for that use CL2 (the rating deals with the combustion characteristics of the insulation not the copper). Buy 12 AWG (American Wire Gage) if you are going to be running very long lengths or are a bit of a fanatic. 14 gage works for most of use. Don't loose sleep if you use 16 AWG. Buy what ever color pleases you (brown, white and black). On all of these zip style wires there is a ridge or ribbing on one conductor so you can keep the polarity constant. You know, ridge to red terminal. Of course clear plastic and other speaker wire works too--buy what's cheap. Don't worry about oxygen free or special braiding. All cooper wire is essentially Oxy free, and the small difference in electrical characteristics can only be heard by the owner of Monster Cable. __________________ The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. -Bertrand Russell

12-20-06, 10:01 PM	#3 \| Link
Napoleon D Advanced Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 514	Does speaker wire make that much difference? Does it matter if you're speaker wire gets tangled up near a mess of other wire on the way to the speakers? From what i understand, as long as the speaker gets enough power to it on whatever guage you're using, and you have secure connections at the speaker/receiver you are fine. Are there any other factors to consider? I have 16 guage running to my front 3 speakers, although they are a little tangled up with other chords - video, audio and other speaker wiring. While they are connected securely at each repsective end, there is a lot of outer interaction with other cords. Is this in any way "unhealthy" for the setup?

12-21-06, 12:38 PM	#4 \| Link
tlniec Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 545	I would say that, as long as they're not tangled up with power cords, you should be alright.

12-21-06, 05:59 PM	#7 \| Link
tlniec Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 545	Good to know. "Conventional wisdom" mandates that signal-level interconnects be separated from power -- I assumed that the same was true with speaker-level interconnects, but it sounds like that isn't the case. Good to know!

12-22-06, 12:39 PM	#9 \| Link
tlniec Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 545	This is why I'm a mechanical engineer, and not a EE. No silly phase angles and complex conjugates.

01-03-07, 05:27 PM	#11 \| Link
Targus AVS Special Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,617	Why would you 'need ' connectors on a speaker cable? Just to add another point of failure?

01-03-07, 07:18 PM	#12 \| Link
SayNoToPistons Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 131	^ There's no point in adding connectors/plugs to speaker cables unless you want your cables to look cool/professional and/or you disconnect and reconnect your cables a often. I wouldn't call them failure though. They do make cables look rather professional and add convenience. Some add protection against oxidation, but if you really don't need them, why waste money on connectors since no one sees them anyways.

01-04-07, 02:44 PM	#16 \| Link
MichaelJHuman AVS Special Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 9,465	Bananna plugs make connections MUCH easier in tight places. If your AV rack is close to a wall, they really help. Obviously they cost more than just sticking the wires into the slot, and they are another potential point of failure. I personally am willing to put up with those two factors for an easier installation.